Author: Rosalyn Leung

Episode 89 – The World’s Ten Arrows of Great Illness

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>> So, there are Ten Arrows of Great Illness. When they come together, the resultant suffering is great. 

>> Ten Arrows of Great Illness: The arrows of craving, of ignorance, of desire, of greed, of anger, of delusion, of arrogance, of views, of formation, of decay.

>> “In these lands, I see Bodhisattvas as numerous as Ganges’ sands, with various causes and conditions, seeking the path to Buddhahood.”

>> “There are those who practice giving gifts of silver, gold and coral, of true pearls and of mani, of mother-of-pearl and carnelian, of diamonds and of other gems; along with servants and carriages, jeweled hand-drawn carts and palanquins, are all offered up with joy.”

>> The Six Paramitas, or the Six Perfections: giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, samadhi, prajna.

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There is a saying, “People spread the Way, the Way cannot spread itself.” After hearing the Dharma, we need to keep passing the teachings to others. This is spreading the Buddha’s teachings.

When the Buddha was in this world, He traveled and taught. Previously, we mentioned that after the summer retreat with the Sangha, the Buddha left Rajagrha to travel to Magadha. While the Buddha was on His way there, an elder named Bhadrapala had so much respect for the Buddha’s virtues that he recruited 500 elders to welcome Him. Seeing the Buddha’s long procession and how dignified it was, the elders felt great admiration. The Buddha’s every action captivated their hearts so a sense of reverence arose in them.

They followed the Buddha’s procession, and when they arrived at the place He was staying, they reverently requested that the Buddha expound the Dharma for them. The Buddha knew that this group of 500 elders had tremendous influence in their country, so He explained the sufferings of life for them.

Then the Buddha taught that the major problem in our lives is disharmony. In particular, in our daily living, the Ten Arrows of Great Illness exist all around us. There is always an arrow waiting for the chance to strike.

So, there are Ten Arrows of Great Illness. When they come together, the resultant suffering is great. An “arrow” refers to something that can very quickly harm our bodies and minds.

Ten Arrows of Great Illness: The arrows of craving, of ignorance, of desire, of greed, of anger, of delusion, of arrogance, of views, of formation, of decay.
“Of these ten arrows,” the Buddha said, “the first is the arrow of craving.” The arrow of craving can harm our bodies in an instant, at any time. Our minds encounter external conditions, [and give rise to] all kinds of material desires for wealth, fame and profit, as well as sexual desires. There are also various kinds of cravings. Once cravings arise in our hearts, it is as if arrows have pierced our bodies.

The arrow is a metaphor for craving, and also for ignorance. The second [arrow] is ignorance, third is desire, fourth is greed, fifth is anger, sixth is delusion, seventh is arrogance, eighth is views, and next are formation and decay. These are the ten kinds of arrows. These arrows are poisonous and bring illness. Once you are struck by one of these arrows, your body and mind will become imbalanced. These are called the Arrows of Great Illness, and there are ten different kinds. These ten arrows surround us in our living. Whenever our thoughts begin to stir, these arrows quickly strike at us.

So, of course, the Buddha analyzed them in detail. Everyone listened, and afterwards, everyone heightened their vigilance. These elders were wealthy, famous and powerful. They had absolutely no idea that while they indulged in worldly pleasures, they were surrounded by these ten arrows, which constantly struck at them. They were not at all aware that they were constantly being harmed in their daily living. They were very forlorn. Consider how the Buddha could have enjoyed many worldly pleasures in the palace as the prince. Why was He willing to give up worldly pleasures and undergo so much suffering and difficulty? He was determined to go through this period of ascetic practice as part of spiritual cultivation. What exactly was His mindset?

With His wisdom-eyes, the Buddha saw that these 500 elders had come to an awakening. But they still had questions and doubts. The Buddha could see this, so He said, “I was the same. As I enjoyed pleasures, I understood that in life [these arrows] were constantly wearing down the body and mind in every moment, in every day and every situation. If we do not quickly awaken, perhaps our life will be over before we know it. We keep creating karma until we have wasted away our entire lives. So, we must quickly eliminate all our desires; we must quickly eliminate all this suffering. It is as if, in our daily living, we must quickly dodge these ten arrows that are constantly striking at us. In addition to dodging them, if we are struck, we must quickly remove them. Therefore, we choose to become monastics out of pure faith.

Only by being monastics can we truly focus on learning because “when we remain with our [immediate] families, in this world, there are not only ten, but tens of thousands of arrows that are striking at us. So, only by transcending worldly family matters can we focus on seeking the path of enlightenment. Then we will focus on attaining the fruits of Annutara-samyak-sambodhi, which is to focus on seeking right understanding, right views, right awakening, the fruits of unsurpassed, perfect and universal enlightenment.”

The Buddha talked to these elders about becoming monastics because He saw that they were already moved and could all give up their worldly undertakings. He also wanted to guide these people to aspire to free themselves of sufferings and eradicate their past thoughts of greed, anger, delusion, ignorance, etc., so that they could focus on becoming monastics. This was the Dharma the Buddha taught to. Bhadrapala and the 500 elders.

Of course, there are many different methods in the. Right Dharma sutras and teachings. Yet, all are inseparable from life in this world. In pleasure, there are hidden dangers like arrows that can instantaneously harm us. This was what the Buddha told them.

In the Lotus Dharma-assembly, Maitreya Bodhisattva recounted the path the Buddha had taken in this world, the different classes of people He encountered and how He taught according to their capabilities. So Maitreya Bodhisattva said,

“In these lands, I see Bodhisattvas as numerous as Ganges’ sands, with various causes and conditions, seeking the path to Buddhahood.”

Maitreya Bodhisattva explained that everything the Buddha had done was solely to educate and transform sentient beings. So, this passage talks about the lands that he saw. There were many places, not only the Saha World, but other worlds as well. How many worlds were there? 18,000. With the path the Buddha walked, His light reached far and wide. “The light of the Buddha” mentioned here is the Buddha’s teachings, which reach all places. When people encounter them, their spiritual ignorance can be illuminated. The Buddha’s wisdom can reach everyone’s mind. So it is said, “In these lands, I see.” These lands refer tangibly to the 18,000 worlds and intangibly to everyone who was present or everyone the Buddha had encountered. Because they were taught according to their capabilities the Dharma had already entered their hearts.

So, Bodhisattvas as numerous as the Ganges’ sands, with Dharma in their hearts, they form aspirations. If we can encounter the Buddha-Dharma and truly take the Dharma into our hearts, we can awaken our enlightened nature. With this nature, we are enlightened beings. If we help the suffering after we awaken, then we are Bodhisattvas. How many [Bodhisattvas] are there? As numerous as the Ganges’ sands, As numerous as Ganges’ sands, which are countless in number. The Buddha’s teachings can be so universal that

they reach Bodhisattvas under all conditions. No matter their causes and conditions, they all seek the path to Buddhahood. Consider various karmic conditions [as examples]. Throughout countless past kalpas, the Buddha seized opportunities to live among people. Countless kalpas is a very long time. By seizing these opportunities, He formed affinities with so many sentient beings. Thus as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must emulate His great heart. If we can open up our hearts, we can gain realizations.

So, the Buddha came to this world to help sentient beings realize and enter the Buddha’s wisdom. The Buddha opened and revealed [His wisdom]. Realizing it is dependent on us. Therefore, [to teach is] to open and reveal. The Buddha unlocks the door to the hearts of sentient beings. Realization depends on us sentient beings and whether we can open that door and let the light shine into our hearts. If our hearts are open, the light of the Buddha’s wisdom can shine in to show us all things in the world, including how time passes by as quickly as an arrow. All worldly cravings, desires and so on give rise to our ignorance, greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, doubt, etc. This all happens in our minds when we invite something from our external conditions to harm us.

Most people cannot understand this. Only the Buddha can open up and illuminate our hearts with His wisdom. He leads us to realize, “So this is the case!” After we gain a realization, shouldn’t we immerse our hearts in the Dharma? If we take the Dharma into our hearts and devote ourselves to the Buddha-Dharma, then our daily living is inseparable from the Dharma; this is called “entering.” When our hearts are immersed in the Dharma, then the teachings will always be in our lives. Using various karmic conditions, we can advance in our quest of the Buddha’s teachings. So, in our daily living, it is extremely important to be mindful of our external conditions and internal state of mind.

Next,

“There are those who practice giving gifts of silver, gold and coral, of true pearls and of mani, of mother-of-pearl and carnelian, of diamonds and of other gems; along with servants and carriages, jeweled hand-drawn carts and palanquins, are all offered up with joy.”

There are truly many things in this world. On top of cravings for the necessities of life, what else do people crave? Treasures such as gold, silver and crystal. People who walk on the Bodhisattva-path give these things away. Furthermore, they give very joyfully. This shows that these Bodhisattvas who give are practicing the Paramita of giving. Teaching the Bodhisattva Way requires the Six Paramitas, six ways to transform sentient beings’ hearts.

The Six Paramitas, or the Six Perfections: giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, samadhi, prajna.

How can sentient beings be transformed? First, by giving. By giving we can reach the other shore.

Paramita means to cross to the other shore. How can we truly enter the Path? In this Saha World full of sufferings and traps, arrows of illness are being shot at us all the time. It is easy to fall into a trap with any of our actions. We are oppressed by many sufferings. We need to recognize suffering and renounce it. From this treacherous shore of danger and suffering, we must quickly seek to reach the other shore.

So, we should rely on these six methods as our tools to reach the other shore. From this shore of suffering, from this place of impermanence and danger, we want to reach the other shore of ever-lasting safety. So, we must have tools. What kind of tools? We must have a boat to ferry us across. What [makes] that boat? Giving makes the first boat for safe crossing. The Dharma is like a boat. So, the method of giving is what we use to cross to the other shore.

Giving is the Dharma. We must start by being determined to let go, and we must also give joyfully. So, the Four Immeasurables of loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity are the first step we must take on the Bodhisattva-path. This means we must put into practice the Dharma we have accepted. So, the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra to teach the Bodhisattva Way so that we can develop kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. So, to have equanimity is to give. Thus, we must always accept the Buddha-Dharma and clearly understand “equanimity.” By giving willingly, we can leave [suffering] behind. Only by giving up [all afflictions,] can we free ourselves from all kinds of suffering.

So in learning the Buddha’s teachings, we must first recognize suffering and use different methods to let go and give. So, we should always live according to, and be mindful of, the Dharma. Everyone, please do not lose sight of this when it comes to tangible or intangible actions. We must always be mindful.

Episode 88 – End Suffering by Seeking the Path

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>> “Recognize and understand that the cause of suffering is accumulation. To be free from suffering and to end that accumulation, we must seek the Path. People disturb their own minds due to ignorance.”

>> “For those who are Buddha-children, who engage in various practices and seek unsurpassed wisdom, [all Buddhas] expound the pure path.”

>> “Manjusri, as I dwell here, I see and hear such things, and a thousand million other things. Numerous as they are, can you please now speak of them in brief?”

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We should.

“Recognize and understand that the cause of suffering is accumulation. To be free from suffering and to end that accumulation, we must seek the Path. People disturb their own minds due to ignorance.”

Indeed, we need to recognize suffering. With each passing day, whatever favorable or unfavorable things we encounter in our daily living may disturb our minds. This is also suffering! There are various kinds of suffering, in our external conditions, in the way we live and in the way we feel in our hearts. Are these sufferings internal or external? Where does such internal and external suffering come from?

The Buddha has explained to us that the accumulation of various kinds of internal and external causes and conditions creates suffering. We know that by accumulating [karmic causes], we reap the fruits of these seeds of suffering. So, we need to investigate how much suffering we have accumulated through ignorance and afflictions. How can we cease this? We must practice the Path.

The Buddha transformed people as He traveled and always taught according to their capabilities. This was solely to help people free themselves of their disturbances and return to the brilliance of their intrinsic nature. Once, during the Buddha’s time, He was at a summer retreat for the Sangha in the Kingdom of Sravasti for three months. After three months, the summer retreat ended, so He left the place where it was held and led a group of bhiksus and bhiksunis to continue traveling and teaching.

They traveled from Sravasti to Magadha. Besides the bhiksus and bhiksunis, there were also kings and ministers, those who had sincere faith in the Dharma. This very long procession traveled along the road. At the time in Magadha, there lived a respected elder named Bhadrapala. He had heard that the Buddha was coming. He admired the Buddha-Dharma and knew that to be able to receive the Buddha’s teachings would be a blessing. So, he recruited a group of 500 elders to welcome the Buddha to Magadha.

When the long procession was about to arrive, he stood and watched the solemn and orderly procession slowly approach them. These 500 elders saw the Buddha’s solemn and dignified appearance. Even without hearing His teachings, a sense of reverence and respect naturally arose in their hearts. Furthermore, their minds suddenly felt refreshed. All their afflictions and discursive thoughts were eliminated. Simply by seeing the procession and the dignity of the Buddha, their minds were naturally purified.

As the Buddha slowly approached, this group of elders knelt with utmost reverence to welcome Him. The Buddha walked ahead slowly while they followed. When the Buddha reached the place He would stay, this group of elders quickly came forward. After the Buddha sat down, the elders paid respect and prostrated to Him. They gave speeches to praise Him and shared how they felt when they saw Him approach. Each of them expressed their joy. They also expressed that upon seeing the Buddha, they were able to let go [of their afflictions].

The Buddha was very joyful upon hearing this. To reinforce the experience, He told these elders, “Why do people have so many afflictions? Actually, you can immediately let them go as long as you understand the causes of these afflictions.” The Buddha then explained that there are ten things that cause us to disturb ourselves.

Once our minds are disturbed, much suffering will naturally accumulate. Of these disturbing things, biologically, there is birth, aging, illness and death which are already four kinds of suffering. Psychologically, we have worry, sadness, suffering, afflictions, distress and cyclic existence. These are the ten kinds of self-disturbances. The first eight kinds of physical and psychological afflictions distress us. Fears of birth, death, aging and illness constantly arise in our minds. These afflictions arise, abide, change and cease. After understanding what distresses us, how do we let go? It is truly lamentable that These very subtle afflictions cause us to remain in cyclic existence in the Six Realms and the Three Evil Destinies. They are the sources of suffering.

Therefore, we need to practice the path to the cessation of suffering. To eliminate suffering, we need to practice on this path. What is this path? Surely, we must abide by and practice according to the Buddha’s teachings. The Buddha has paved this great Bodhi-path, this very straight and broad path, so we can walk on it. So with body and mind, we must take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Then we are called Buddha-children.

The next passage says,

“For those who are Buddha-children, who engage in various practices and seek unsurpassed wisdom, [all Buddhas] expound the pure path.”

As Buddha-children, we are very sincere in seeking the Buddha-Dharma and developing our wisdom-life. Thus, we are called Buddha-children. To develop our wisdom-life, we need spiritual food to nourish it. This food is the Dharma, so we need to absorb the Buddha’s various teachings. We need to seek the Buddha-Dharma with utmost sincerity. If the Dharma enters our hearts, we must put the teachings into practice. We must “engage in various practices.” If the Dharma enters our hearts, we need to uphold and practice it. We cannot just hear it and let it pass. We must take the teachings to heart and not just store them in our hearts. We must manifest them in our actions and put them into practice. This is to “engage in various practices” for the sake of “seeking unsurpassed wisdom.” What we are pursuing is unsurpassed wisdom.

Every day, we hear of ways to end afflictions. In order to end afflictions, we must find their sources. It seems like we hear this every day, but have we eliminated our afflictions yet? Do we still have a mindset of gain and loss? Do we still have interpersonal conflicts? We must ask ourselves this. If we still do, then the Dharma has been constantly leaking away. So if we do not develop our wisdom, then Dharma will leak out.

Thus, we must keep pursuing unsurpassed wisdom. If there are people who are willing to work hard to engage in various practices, diligent people who pursue unsurpassed wisdom, the Buddha will “expound the way of purity.” For instance, Bhadrapala brought 500 people to welcome the Buddha. Just from seeing the Buddha, they became diligent. Seeing how diligent they were, the Buddha told them that the source of afflictions lies in these ten kinds of self-disturbances. This was what the Buddha asked of His disciples. As long as they sincerely requested, He gave them meticulous analyses.

This means that for the Bodhisattvas in the Three Realms, the Buddha expounded the pure path of unsurpassed Bodhi. The Buddha taught according to the capabilities of the Bodhisattvas in the Three Realms. Earlier I mentioned that the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra so that. Small Vehicle practitioners, Hearers and Solitary Realizers can move beyond self-interested spiritual practice. He encouraged them to turn from the small to the great, and to let go of their Small Vehicle practices and move toward the Great Vehicle teachings. So, the Great Vehicle sutras are for those in the Three Realms who have developed Bodhicitta, so they can be taught the pure Bodhi-path. So, He taught this for those who seek the unsurpassed way. For those who “seek unsurpassed wisdom,” the Buddha expounded the pure Dharma.

Small Vehicle practitioners are still selfish and have attachments to ending their own afflictions and to purifying their own minds. Every one of us should seek purity of mind, but if we seek only for our own benefit, we will still have afflictions. Only by working among people can we thoroughly understand the cause of worldly sufferings. Only by seeing how afflictions arise in others can we understand how to let go and be free of conflicts when we become afflicted. Indeed, we must work among people. Isn’t it said that “infinite Dharma-doors readily appear in front of them”? If we do not engage with countless people, we will not see the infinite Dharma-doors. So, infinite Dharma-doors are found among people. Only after we experience this can our wisdom truly manifest.

So, to truly practice the unsurpassed path and to cultivate unsurpassed wisdom, we must eliminate the ego and purify ourselves. On top of purifying ourselves, we must also help others purify themselves. When others are pure, then we can be as well. How can we be at peace? Only when everyone is at peace. If others are not at peace, how can we be at peace? If we wish everyone to be at peace, we need to seek to free the world of disasters. This is the ultimate solution for the cause of suffering.

What the Buddha taught us was to turn away from the small toward the great. So this phrase, “turning from the small to the great” means to turn those who practice the Small Vehicle around so they can practice the Great Vehicle. So, the Lotus Sutra states it is very important to “set aside the provisional for the true.” The skillful means teach that, “If you practice this, your mind will be pure.” Although these teachings are very good, it is even better to purify your mind while helping others become pure. This is called turning from the small to the great. This is the pure path that we must understand.

In order to teach the pure path, the Buddha began with the principles of purification. This helps us purify our minds so that we can [gain] prajna, which is wisdom. This wisdom is non-arising and non-ceasing. But non-arising and non-ceasing wisdom must be used to develop our potential amidst wondrous existence. So, we cannot focus on emptiness. That would be biased. Solely seeking our liberation from birth and death is also biased. So we must manifest the emptiness of unsurpassed wisdom amidst wondrous existence. In this wondrous existence, we can apply the wisdom of non-attachment to turn our minds around. In the wondrous existence of this world, there are all kinds of appearances. When we apply wisdom to transforming our attachments to the appearances in this world and thus manifest our pure and wondrous wisdom, that is called perfect harmony. This is also called perfect enlightenment.

The next passage states,

“Manjusri, as I dwell here, I see and hear such things, and a thousand million other things. Numerous as they are, can you please now speak of them in brief?”

Who is saying, “As I dwell here”? Maitreya Bodhisattva. At the Lotus Dharma-assembly nobody knew what wondrous Dharma the Buddha would teach after. He entered Samadhi and began radiating light. No one was able to understand this. Do you remember, when.Maitreya Bodhisattva was the initiator and sought out a responder, who was the one that answered? Manjusri Bodhisattva. His question for Manjusri Bodhisattva led to the previous passage.

Maitreya Bodhisattva first said, “In the past, I know that the Buddha came in such a way. Manjusri Bodhisattva, as I understand, this is what I have seen and heard of the Buddha. Such things” are what was said earlier. “A thousand million other things” still remain. There were still many things for. Manjusri Bodhisattva to explain to everyone. So, this was why Maitreya Bodhisattva asked Manjusri Bodhisattva to give teachings. They were the initiator and responder at that place and in that state.

Everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, we must have aspirations like Maitreya Bodhisattva. Although we have a general understanding, what was the motive behind this teaching? Why did the Buddha come to this world? When He was expounding the Dharma in this world, how did He teach according to capabilities? Actually, the compassionate Maitreya Bodhisattva already knew everything. But in order to strengthen everyone’s faith, he respectfully invited Manjusri Bodhisattva to give an explanation to everyone.

This is the meaning of the previous passage. In our daily living, all environments, matters, people and objects are there to teach us the Dharma. The teachings can be readily found in them. As I have shared with everyone, all things in the universe contain the truth. If we can mindfully deal with external conditions, we find that whatever conditions we encounter can become subtle and wondrous Dharma. So everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 87 – Recognize and End Suffering

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>> One who has transmigrated for a long time experiences and faces suffering. There is no end to the cycle of life and death. How can one not prepare for crises in times of peace or not renounce the cycle of life and death?

>> “To those who possess blessings, having in the past made offerings to Buddhas and resolved to seek the superior Dharma, He expounds the way of the Solitary Realizers.”

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In this world, we have lived countless lives within this cyclic existence. We are completely unaware of how long we have been in this cyclic existence. Cyclic existence is indeed lengthy and endless. As unenlightened beings, we do not know what happened in the past. How many past lives have we lived? Furthermore, can we understand that suffering is the nature of living in this world? In just this lifetime alone, are we mindful of the way we live and what surrounds us?

This is a world of endurance, what must be endured is suffering. We have to endure suffering in order to live in this world. But we sentient beings do not recognize suffering, so we willingly stay in this cyclical existence of life and death. If we recognize suffering, we need to endure it. However, this also requires an awakening. We need to realize that we must endure things in this life to attain our goal in a future lifetime. So, we all need to have an awakened mind and establish a vow to engage in spiritual practice.

The Buddha taught us the Dharma for over 40 years. The First Turning of the Dharma-wheel began with “suffering.” He first analyzed the truth of suffering for us so we could recognize it. Only by recognizing suffering can we understand [the need] to seek the Path.

So, recognize suffering, its cause, cessation and the path to its cessation. First, recognize the origin of suffering. Previously, we talked about the cause of suffering and learned that accumulation of various actions committed out of ignorance and afflictions has caused society to become unethical and immoral. This is the cause of suffering, the accumulation of many karmic forces. After knowing this, we need to quickly cultivate the Path. To cease this suffering, we need to cultivate the Eightfold Noble Path.

We should know that if we do not recognize suffering, we will not think to eliminate it. So, we need to first recognize it. With recognition comes renunciation. Then we will detest this world and will not want to return again. What do we do if we do not want to return anymore? We must seek to end the causes of our returning.

One who has transmigrated for a long time experiences and faces suffering. There is no end to the cycle of life and death. How can one not prepare for crises in times of peace or not renounce the cycle of life and death?

So, we need to start by understanding the cause of cyclic existence. Once we fall into it, there will be no end. Since ancient times, many people have diligently studied Buddha-Dharma. They could understand the past with the spiritual power of knowing past lifetimes. They knew how past lives came about and that practice in this lifetime requires continuous pursuit of this long path to enlightenment.

Speaking of the past, in the ancient kingdom of Kabul, there was a practicing holy monk who already understood cyclic existence. Yet, he continued to diligently [practice] to seek true liberation. Just understanding was not enough, he really sought to attain true liberation. This man was Venerable Jeyata. He already knew about his 500 previous lives.

Meanwhile, two bhiksus from Southern India had been admiring this sage’s virtues. He was very well-known for being virtuous. These two spiritual practitioners arranged to travel together for the long trip from. Southern India to Kabul. The trip was arduous, but they finally arrived at the region where the sage practiced. However, that mountain was tall and vast, how would they find the exact location where this venerable one practiced?

As they stood there, at the base of the mountain, they saw a dark and thin person who looked frail yet energetic at the same time. They rushed to asked him. He was just about to kindle a fire with branches. They quickly asked him, “Excuse me, fellow practitioner, do you know where the sage lives? Do you know him?” He replied, “Who are you looking for?” They said, “Venerable Jeyata. Do you know this person?” The person who was kindling a fire with branches answered, “I know him. May we ask where he lives?” He pointed, “At the top of this mountain, the third cave is where he lives. Oh, thank you!” These two bhiksus quickly headed toward that cave.

Climbing the mountain was very exhausting, [the top] was quite far. By the time they arrived, they saw a person standing outside the third cave. This person was actually the same man who had been kindling the fire at the base of the mountain. These two bhiksus saw that he was clearly the same person. “From down below, we worked so hard to finally made it to the top of the mountain. How did he arrive before us?” One of the bhiksus contemplated for a moment and suddenly realized that this man must be Venerable Jeyata.

So with great reverence, both of them quickly came before this spiritual practitioner. They bowed, prostrated, paid obeisance and said, “Venerable one, clearly you have attained realizations and achieved spiritual powers. Why did you bother to make a fire with such great effort?” This sage had a very dignified appearance. Although he was very thin, his eyes beamed with vigor. After hearing their question, he kindly answered, “You think that I have spiritual powers. I can heat up water for everyone without great difficulty. But I remember all the suffering. I experienced in my previous 500 lives. So, I rather use my limbs to manually kindle the fires to heat water for everyone. If my offering to the Sangha this way can liberate me from cyclic existence, I am willing.”

He had spent his previous 500 lifetimes as a dog. During that time, he experienced extreme starvation and suffering. In these past 500 lifetimes, he only had a full stomach twice. He said, “Once it was from a drunk person. After he became drunk, he vomited. I ate the filthy things he vomited. I got to eat till I was full, but the food was very dirty and filthy.”

“The other meal was from a couple in a village. The husband worked in the fields while his wife stayed home to cook. When the rice was cooked, the wife went outside. I took this opportunity to steal rice by eating it right from the pot. I ate till my stomach was full; I was very happy. But the opening of the pot was small. So when I tried to pull my head out, I could not. Then the husband came home. My head was stuck so I could not escape. In a fury, he chopped my head off with a knife. Although I got to be very full, the price I paid was unspeakably painful.”

He explained the starvation and suffering he faced in the animal realm, not only the anxiety but the pain. He cried as he talked about the past. After these two bhiksus heard this, they sighed with regret. They said to each other, “Perhaps in our past lives, we also experienced this kind of suffering, but we forgot. We should prepare for crises in times of peace. Since we are born human now, we can encounter the Buddha-Dharma and engage in spiritual practice. We live in peace now and can carry out our intention to seek the Dharma through spiritual practice. So, we should thoroughly contemplate the karma we have created in the past, the places of suffering we have fallen into, and the unexhausted karma in our future, which will trap us in the Three [Lower] Destinies. These are all possibilities. So we need to quickly renounce cyclic existence and heighten our vigilance.”

Whether we speak of the past, present or future, if we spend time to figure out where our suffering comes from, we can attain the state of non-arising and non-ceasing. What will no longer arise or cease? The mind. Then we will not be vexed by gain and loss. With a sense of gain and loss, we have afflictions. If we do not have that mindset, there will be no arising or ceasing in our minds. Since our minds go through arising, abiding, changing and ceasing, we continuously go through cyclic existence. Thus, birth and death in the mind are the states of arising and ceasing. So, we need to heighten our vigilance. How do we liberate our minds? How can we be liberated from life and death in the future? It is better to seek to have no afflictions of gain and loss right now. Then our minds can quickly be liberated.

We hear that this sage who attained realizations was still very worried about being liberated from cyclic existence. Though he attained spiritual powers, would he completely eliminate samsara and attain liberation? We need to learn from the warnings of our predecessors and renounce aging, illness and death. If we can be like this, the Buddha will abide in this world forever through the Dharma that remains in this world. The Buddha continuously taught us. “[All Buddhas] speak to them of Nirvana, the end of all suffering.” If we can accept and practice the Buddha’s teachings, our minds will be non-arising and non-ceasing. So, we should make good use of time and engage in spiritual practice.

Next, it states,

“To those who possess blessings, having in the past made offerings to Buddhas and resolved to seek the superior Dharma, He expounds the way of the Solitary Realizers.”

Earlier we said after realizing suffering, we should know to pursue the Buddha’s path. When His teachings are analyzed for us, and we understand them, we can end all suffering. Some have made offerings to Buddhas in the past, which means they did this in past lifetimes. Therefore, they still have karmic connections with Them and can still make offerings to Them now. In making such offerings, and in their spiritual practice, they have one goal, which is to seek the noble teachings. These offerings are not made to gain blessings, but to seek the Dharma of liberation. For them, “[All Buddhas] expounded the way of the Solitary Realizer.”

For those with such capabilities, the Buddha expounded the Solitary Realizer teachings, which is the law of interdependent origination. Solitary Realizers were usually born in an era without Buddhas. So, it is often said that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. But our unenlightened minds are deluded, and our Buddha-nature is buried under ignorance. Therefore, we are lost and confused. Thus, we are unaware. Actually, since we have this Buddha-nature, if we made offerings to Buddhas and heard the Buddha-Dharma in past lives, our past afflictions become more diluted. Then if we are born in an era without Buddhas, we can mindfully contemplate the cycle of the four seasons as well as birth, aging, illness and death. By constantly contemplating where life comes from, we realize the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. So, the Buddha taught the Twelve Links of. Cyclic Existence for Solitary Realizers so they could become awakened on their own.

By contemplating the four seasons of the world, or the four states of human life, they can realize this all started from one ignorant thought, which brought about consciousness, action, then name and form. Each condition is linked to the next and is inseparable from birth, aging, illness, death. When people are reborn, they are still ignorant, so they continue to follow this cycle. This is what the Buddha taught Solitary Realizers.

If we seek the supreme Dharma, we must investigate how we came into existence. The ways in which humans live on Earth are closely related to the cycle of the four seasons. So, it is often said that time, space and our relations with others are also inseparable from the law of interdependent origination.

So everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, we need to work on calming our minds. We have been blessed in the past and had karmic connections with the Buddha. Perhaps we have made offerings to Him so that we are now blessed to become monastics and are able to engage in spiritual practice. Therefore, we need to be mindful of the law of interdependent origination. From all things in the world, to our own birth, aging, illness and death, to the people and things we encounter therein, we should not be careless. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 86 – Realize the Four Noble Truths

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>> “All causes and conditions related to our practice depend on our own inherent blessings and virtues. By planting roots of goodness in the fields of blessings, when the causes and conditions ripen, we will fulfill our vow to seek liberation from. Samsara through the supreme Dharma.”

>> “Their clear voices, profound and wondrous, fill those who hear with joy. Within Their own worlds, “each proclaims the Right Dharma.”

>> Next, “For people who have encountered suffering, and detest aging, illness and death, [all Buddhas] speak to them of Nirvana, the end of all suffering.”

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“All causes and conditions related to our practice depend on our own inherent blessings and virtues. By planting roots of goodness in the fields of blessings, when the causes and conditions ripen, we will fulfill our vow to seek liberation from. Samsara through the supreme Dharma.”

I also want to share with everyone [the passage] we have previously mentioned,

“Their clear voices, profound and wondrous, fill those who hear with joy. Within Their own worlds, “each proclaims the Right Dharma.”

This means when the Buddha expounds the Dharma in this world, He uses His voice. The Buddha-Dharma must be obtained by listening to the teachings. There has to be someone who speaks and someone who listens, and they must have karmic causes and conditions between them. When the Buddha expounds Right Dharma, He has to use various causes and conditions to teach according to sentient beings’ capabilities. The Buddha’s compassion is the cause; sentient beings’ needs are the conditions.

So, when we start to engage in spiritual practice, we need to pay attention to causes and conditions. To have the cause, we must first learn to have great compassion. Then we can exercise our wisdom and respond to the conditions of sentient beings. So, only with wisdom can we teach according to capabilities. A person with suitable capabilities has inherent blessings and virtues. With the karmic causes of blessings and virtues, they awaken immediately upon finding the Dharma. That is a person who has cultivated blessings. However, cultivating and accumulating blessings and virtues take long periods of time. It is not the work of only one lifetime. We cannot cultivate enough blessings and virtues in just a short period of time; they must be accumulated. We cultivate blessings by giving continuously. By practicing to give and creating blessings, we are cultivating wisdom, and wisdom is virtue, hence “blessings and virtues.”

When we give, are there still discursive and scattered thoughts in our minds? When we give, if we seek to obtain merits, or hope to obtain other people’s approval, these are discursive thoughts, which we bring to the cultivation of blessings. If we do so, we gain blessings without virtue. Because we have these discursive thoughts, we lack wisdom and Samadhi. So when we give without discursive thoughts, we gain virtues at the same time. Thus, we gain blessings and virtues.

We must keep planting roots of wisdom in our field of blessings and constantly cultivate them. This cannot only be done once. This field must be cultivated constantly. Besides creating blessings, we should deepen the roots of wisdom. This is the wisdom-root in the field of blessings. I often remind everyone to give unconditionally. Not only that, we also need to feel gratitude. This is the wisdom-root. To give without asking anything in return grows the wisdom-root in the field of blessings. This is cultivating blessings and wisdom. We need to do this constantly for a very long period of time, until causes and conditions ripen.

Remember that the cause is compassion and the conditions refers to the needs and interests. We should be compassionate and interested in continuously giving. We must nurture this habit. Interests and needs are not only about wanting or pursuing things. We can also be interested in giving. So, we must have the causes and conditions of blessings and virtues. The Buddha, in His compassion, keeps returning to this Saha World. He possesses loving-kindness and compassion in His heart.

This was His original intent, which He is now freely carrying out. He cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer. He hopes all beings can be freed of suffering and can return to their intrinsic Buddha-nature. This is the wondrous Dharma in the Buddha’s mind, which He wanted to teach to all sentient beings.

Everyone of us must first have an interest and take joy in the Buddha-Dharma. In order to do so, we must first purify our mind; only then can we accept the great Dharma. So, the cause of the Buddha and the conditions of sentient beings must be present. Thus, the Buddha said He used various causes and conditions as analogies, all to clearly illuminate the Buddha-Dharma. Since we sentient beings want to engage in spiritual practice, we need to quickly vow to seek the supreme Dharma of liberation from Samsara.

As Buddhist practitioners, we seek neither heavenly blessings nor worldly blessings when we give and dedicate ourselves. Not at all. From the Buddha’s teachings, we are really learning to return to our intrinsic nature. Please truly be mindful of this. When we listen to the teachings, we understand to “do nothing that is evil, do all that is good.”

While “doing nothing that is evil,” we must not give rise to afflictions. Only then are we truly pure and can eliminate ignorance and refrain from evil deeds. This is a stage we need to reach. When we “do all that is good,” we truly must have no expectations. Only then can we be very pure. Only this can be called the True Dharma.

In the past, the Buddha taught the Agama Sutra. Skillful means are still used to encourage people to do good and avoid evil. The Buddha also taught, “When you do evil you will receive retributions” everyone became afraid and dared not do it. But now He says, “Do no evil, and do not give rise to afflictions,” which is different. Only by doing good deeds without expectations can we end the cycle of life and death and truly realize the state of the Buddha. Then, although we come and go in this world, our minds can remain pure and tranquil. No matter how defiled or turbid the world is, we can come to the world and remain settled, upholding our mission and following the path. Our will to practice will not be tainted by worldly corruption and turbidity. Then, we can come and go freely and end the cycle of life and death. This is the spiritual state of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

We must be mindful when listening to the sutras. Otherwise, how is the Lotus Sutra different from other sutras in the past? The differences are being defiled and having expectations compared to being undefiled and having no expectations. These are very different. When we are defiled, we interpret the law of karma as doing good to obtain heavenly blessings. This is an expectation and still [creates] karmic retribution. Having no expectations, we remain undefiled by the world’s turbidities. Thus, we can reach the pure state of the Buddha. Everyone must be very mindful.

Next, “For people who have encountered suffering, and detest aging, illness and death, [all Buddhas] speak to them of Nirvana, the end of all suffering.”

This passage says that the Buddha expounded the Four Noble Truths for Hearers. Since the Buddha first began teaching, He was already adapting to all beings’ conditions. Everyone knows that five bhiksus, including AjnataKaundinya, followed the Buddha into spiritual practice. They did so conditionally and did not know the cause of suffering. Therefore, they could not end their suffering. So after the Buddha attained enlightenment, He wanted to transform these five people first.

Thus, the first turning of the Dharma-wheel was to talk about the principles of suffering. This was the True Dharma. However, when He began to teach about suffering, its cause, its cessation, and the path thereto, these five people had very different capabilities. The first to awaken was. AjnataKaundinya. He understood the Buddha’s teachings on the truth of worldly sufferings, that it is caused by the accumulation of causes and conditions. With every thought, every word, every action, every convergence of causes and conditions in our relationships, all kinds of karma is created. This karma keeps accumulating. This is the karmic law of cause and effect.

Since we understand this law, what should we do? We must seek the principle of ending suffering. How can we end suffering? How can we end the resentments, enmities and afflictive emotions in people’s relationships? We must follow the [Eightfold Noble] Path. How do we walk on this path? By walking on this path, we can reach a state of safety and understanding. We can unlock our wisdom and comprehension. We need to walk on this path and reach the end safely and smoothly. This is the Bodhi-path, the path of enlightenment. By taking this path of enlightenment, we can progress diligently. Once we gain this understanding we will not form more negative affinities. How do we bear our past negative affinities? We need to face [retributions] to eliminate them, then move ahead without creating bad affinities. This way, we can understand the Four Noble Truths.

AjnataKaundinya understood, but what about the others? They only had a partial understanding; they were still unclear. After the second turning [of the Dharma-wheel] there were still people who did not understand, hence, a third turning. For these five people, the Buddha expounded the Four Noble Truths three times. This was the Three Turnings of the Dharma-wheel. He had to explain three times for five people. Therefore, we can see that the conditions sentient beings are interested in, which is what they are seeking in their hearts, all varied greatly. Moreover, there are so many beings in the world. The Buddha expounded the Agama Sutra with the skillful means of various analogies.

We understand that He had to turn the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths three times for five people. Think about it, for Him to teach to so many people, surely, He had to use various worldly phenomena as analogies.

For instance, the Buddha talked about a woman and her sick young child. After he could not get medical help and died, she brought the child to the Buddha and begged, “What can I do to bring my child back to life?” The Buddha answered, “Quickly go look for a household where no one has died and ask them for mustard seeds.”

Mustard seeds were very common in India, so this mother thought that they would be easy to find. For a whole day, she went door to door to beg. Every household had mustard seeds. She then asked, “Has anyone in your family ever died? Our ancestors, our parents and grandparents have passed away. How could we not have had anyone die? That is impossible.” So after a full day, she still had not obtained mustard seeds from any household.

When she went back to the Buddha she was extremely tired. She said, “Every household has mustard seeds but all have had family members die.” The Buddha then asked, “How old were the ones who died? “I found that elders were not the only ones who passed away; younger family members did as well.” The Buddha said, “That is correct. Death does not discriminate based on age. It is a law of nature. We do not have control over life and death. It happens naturally. This is life, which is suffering.” This woman became awakened.

Her mind and spirit were liberated. In the future, when someone else suffered, the Buddha related other stories. This is also the Dharma. In various conditions, different analogies are used according to sentient beings’ capabilities. So, the Buddha taught accordingly. Out of His compassion, He taught according to sentient beings’ capabilities.

So, “for people who have encountered suffering, and detest aging, illness and death, [all Buddhas] speak to them of Nirvana, the end of all suffering.”

So, the teachings of the Four Noble Truths must be used to guide them so they can understand that life is suffering. After knowing this, we must detest suffering.

People often ask, “Why is life like this?” In this world, we see so many people suffer from parting with their love ones, as well as birth, aging, illness and death. No matter how someone lives, they cannot escape the Eight Sufferings. With relationships and relatives come suffering, not to mention the other [types of suffering]. With just relationships and relatives, there is already much suffering. How do we end suffering? If we can stop giving rise to afflictions of greed, anger and ignorance, we can reach the state of Nirvana.

So, the Buddha says that only by transcending our environment can our minds be pure. This is the goal of our spiritual practice, to reach a state beyond creation and destruction. We just spoke of this earlier. The Buddha came and went in this world, but. His Buddha-nature cannot be created or destroyed. Though He manifests in this world, in this evil world of Five Turbidities, His mind still remains pure and tranquil. It is not affected nor defiled by the world’s turbidities. His goal is to bring relief to suffering sentient beings.

But everyone should remember the ways to guide sentient beings’ needs. [Before He said,] “If you do good you will be reborn in heaven or in wealth and luxury in the human realm.” Now He talks about walking the Bodhisattva-path without any attachments and with a pure heart. This is where the difference lies. Everyone, please mindfully contemplate the essence of this Dharma. So everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 84 – The Buddha Freely Carried Out His Intentions

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>> “All things in the universe are still, subtle and wondrous, difficult to express in words.”

>> He first “presented the Lotus Sutra without words. Without moving His lips, He presented it in front of the people.”

>> Their destinies within cyclic existence, their good or bad karmic conditions, their positive or negative retributions, “can all be clearly seen.”

>> “One could also see all Buddhas and saintly lion lords expounding the most subtle and wondrous sutras. The sound of the their voices was clear and pure, soft and gentle, teaching all Bodhisattvas, numbering in the countless millions.”

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“All things in the universe are still, subtle and wondrous, difficult to express in words.”

The Buddha, for the sake of one great cause, ․The Buddha, for the sake of one great cause, came to this world. Using very skillful means, He guided us on this course. And on this course, He concentrated and brought forth the pure light of His heart to freely carry out His original intent.

Truly, in our daily living, we must know that all things in the universe are still, subtle and wondrous. Our words cannot describe the true principles of all things in the universe. Indeed, the truth of all things is all around us every day, but we are totally unaware of it. The Buddha came to the world for this great cause, which was to help everyone understand that hidden in our lives is the truth of all things.

In the silence of our lives, true principles are available to us in abundance. Yet, we do not understand it. So, we have no way to experience and understand His one great cause. Thus, He found it necessary to use skillful means to guide us and lead us onto the right course. Our minds are very unfocused. How can we focus ourselves again? Turning discursive thoughts into pure thoughts is truly not easy. So, the Buddha had to very patiently guide and teach us, one by one. He used skillful means to guide us on a course that will help us concentrate and bring forth the bright, pure light of our hearts.

The Buddha considered this for more than 40 years. To eradicate everyone’s discursive thoughts and allow everyone to focus their minds, He spent a lot of time working among people and guiding them. Now everyone’s minds were focused with a spirit of seeking to learn how the Buddha would carry out His original intent. How will He set aside provisional skillful means that He had taught in the past so people could focus on realizing the great teachings? Now was the time for the Buddha to freely carry out His original intent.

The Lotus Sutra is the Buddha’s original intent. Thus, He had to preserve these teachings so that the Great Vehicle could be passed down forever. The Great Vehicle, or His original intent, was the teaching of the Bodhisattva Way. It had to be passed down continuously. If it was not expounded in this sutra, the Bodhisattva-path would not always remain in this world. So at that time, He wanted to explain the True Dharma. It can reveal the clear truth wherever it exists, and manifest the Dharma-realm perfectly. [He] hoped that the Lotus Sutra will be passed down forever in the world. Wherever the Great Vehicle sutra reaches, it can elucidate the truth. Then everyone can truly realize, accept and apply it to the world. So it can reveal the truth wherever it exists, and manifest the Dharma-realm perfectly. No matter where this Dharma goes, it will be accepted by whoever encounters it. This teaching can be truly perfected in the world; no matter what Dharma-realm it is in, it can always be applied.

What do we apply it to? To helping people understand that sentient beings, the mind and the Buddha are equal. How are they equal? In their [nature of mind]. So sentient beings and the Buddha are equal. This is the most fully complete Dharma in the Dharma-realm. If our mind was not equal to the Buddha’s, then we would remain unenlightened beings forever. Unenlightened beings are still far from the Buddha. So, we must follow the Buddha’s example to realize that everyone has this intrinsic Buddha-nature. Only when we can understand this Dharma will it perfectly, truly and completely manifest in the Dharma-realm. So, worldly appearances are always of one nature. All things in the universe are naturally still.

Actually, in such a still universe, if we can fundamentally eliminate the discursive thoughts in our minds, our state of mind can also be still. Thus, worldly matters are always of one nature. Although the world is very complicated, everything is actually the same, it is simply the Three Principles and Four States. Formation, existence, decay and disappearance, birth, aging, illness and death, these things are consistent in our lives in the human realm. These are worldly matters. Don’t these states manifest in everything that we see and encounter in our living?

The world, universe and all things constantly undergo formation, existence, decay and disappearance. But we have short lifespans. Compare our lifespans to those in the heavens of the four heavenly-kings. One day there is 50 years for us here. One day in Trayastrimsa Heaven is 100 years for us here. If we compare our lifespans with heavenly beings’, our lives are very short. What we experience is birth, aging, illness and death. Every one of us can feel these states. These worldly matters are always of one nature. Worldly matters have been the same since the beginning. Starting with the ancestors of our ancestors, don’t we all go through birth, aging, illness and death? In our present and far into the future, won’t the beginning and end of these phenomena still be the same?

So, sentient beings and the Buddha are equal. This is also true of the mind. Even in the Dharma-realms, time can be very long. We cannot comprehend the lifespan of the Earth and the truth of all things in the universe. That kind of time is calculated in kalpas. In these long kalpas, arising and ceasing, formation, existence, decay, and disappearance all take place in this universe. So this is to say, humans are merely one kind of living beings in this world. Human beings cannot escape birth, aging, illness and death. Since we all go through this process, why can’t we thoroughly realize our fundamental intrinsic nature?

The Buddha wanted us to understand that among all the beings of the universe, human beings can thoroughly realize the truth of the cosmos. Humans are also necessary for the world to remain in harmony. Humans also need to help all beings live and interact in peace and harmony. If everyone can thoroughly realize the truth of the cosmos, isn’t everything in the universe a pure land?

Everyone says to seek the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss exists, but it exists in the state of the human mind. We should conduct our affairs with purity and unity, or practice with these principles. Otherwise, these truths will always be a mystery to us. Do the truths still exist when we are deluded? Yes, the clear and enlightened truths do exist. But we as unenlightened beings are deluded, so we cannot realize these true principles. The world becomes chaotic because sentient beings are deluded.

So, worldly matters are always of one nature, there is just one wondrous truth. The truth is always like this. There is no other tranquil and clear truth. The truth is of one nature. But how do we help everyone understand it? The Buddha had long concealed it in His mind. How could He carry it out freely? So right before the Lotus Sutra was expounded,

He first “presented the Lotus Sutra without words. Without moving His lips, He presented it in front of the people.”

He manifested that light to guide everyone. He hoped that this ray of light would shine into people’s minds so that everyone’s complicated thoughts could be gathered into one ray of light. In order to guide everyone’s mind to the light, the Buddha radiated light from His brow to illumine the 18,000 lands and all kinds of realms. In all these worlds, all forms of sentient beings in the Six Realms could be seen clearly in the Buddha’s radiance. This light could penetrate everyone’s hearts, so they would understand,

Their destinies within cyclic existence, their good or bad karmic conditions, their positive or negative retributions, “can all be clearly seen.”

This was the previous passage, where. Maitreya Bodhisattva and Manjusri Bodhisattva focused everyone’s minds to inspire them to seek the Dharma. They wanted everyone to understand that the lands that the Buddha’s light illumined were not elsewhere, but in everyone’s minds. They hoped everyone could accept this ray of brilliance into the Dharma-realm of their minds. They hoped that everyone could understand that the truth of the cosmos was actually that pure and simple. It is all around us in our daily living, but we cannot realize it due to the ignorance in our mind.

During the long kalpas of formation, existence, decay and disappearance, we do not understand the things in the universe because we are lost. Thinking back to people and matters, who can escape birth, aging, illness and death? What era is free of the chaos of natural and man-made disasters? See, they all originate in the mind. The mind and the Buddha are equal. Everyone has this pure innate nature, but we just do not make use of it. So, we should understand this.

Then the next passage states,

“One could also see all Buddhas and saintly lion lords expounding the most subtle and wondrous sutras. The sound of the their voices was clear and pure, soft and gentle, teaching all Bodhisattvas, numbering in the countless millions.”

This describes the light the Buddha radiated, which illuminated everyone’s state of mind so that all could understand these 18,000 worlds. From the summit of existence down to hell, everything was illuminated. This describes the Buddha’s wisdom and the light of His mind. This untainted brightness, these true principles, are always in the Buddha’s heart.

The Buddha is the saintly lion lord; He expounded all sutras. He kept coming to the world for the sake of one great cause, which was to constantly teach the same principles. He tirelessly taught and explained these principles again and again. So, there is no other Great Vehicle, just one, the One Great Vehicle, which was the Buddha’s original intent, to teach the Bodhisattva Way. So, He expounded all sutras. The sutras were taught with skillful means. Sentient beings were still lost, so worldly matters had to be used to illustrate the principles. So, they were very subtle and wondrous. Skillful means also serve the purpose of guiding the hearts of sentient beings, so they are very subtle and wondrous.

The Buddha’s voice was “clear and pure.” All teachings must first be spoken. In order to expound so many sutras, He had to use His voice to guide others. So [He used] a “soft and gentle voice, teaching all Bodhisattvas, numbering in the countless millions.” Of course, the Buddha had spent a long time coming and going in this world, returning on the ship of compassion. The Buddha’s original intent was as vast as the universe. Since Beginningless Time we have had this intrinsic Buddha-nature. It has been concealed within us from the time the universe began. So, Buddha-nature is universal. Not only does Sakyamuni Buddha have it, we all intrinsically have it.

The pure intrinsic nature of Sakyamuni Buddha is not influenced or tainted by anything in the world. So, the radiance of truth is maintained. Seeing the confusion of sentient beings, He keeps coming back to the world to connect to worldly matters. Thus, converging principles and matters together. Since Beginningless Time, He has come to the world to teach sentient beings. So He is “teaching all Bodhisattvas, numbering in the countless millions.”

However, do we have the karmic conditions to be taught and transformed by the Buddha? Only if we do can we accept the Buddha’s teachings. We just need a longer time [to do so]. The Buddha had to accompany us very patiently. Sentient beings have dull capabilities so. He has to patiently accompany us. If He did not finish teaching in this lifetime, He will continue in the next life. So, Sakyamuni Buddha is the fundamental teacher of the Saha World. As the Saha World still exists, the Buddha returns again and again to teach the Bodhisattva Way.

So everyone, please be reverent and respectful. Where the Dharma exists, the Buddha exists. Where the Buddha exists, the Dharma exists. So in the Saha World, our fundamental teacher, Sakyamuni Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha are ever-lasting. So everyone, please always be mindful!

Episode 85 – Return to Our Original Pure Heart

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>> Buddhist practitioners walk the Bodhisattva-path. All are world-transcending noble beings. The Buddha is the model for all noble beings.

>> The Buddha’s virtues are vast and profound. His kindness nurtures all things. His gentle and wondrous words can eliminate all delusions of sentient beings so they can go from the state of ordinary beings to that of noble beings.

>> “One could see all Buddhas, the saintly lion lords, expounding the most subtle and wondrous sutras. The sound of their voices was clear and pure, soft and gentle, teaching all Bodhisattvas, numbering in the countless millions.”

>> “Their clear voices, profound and wondrous, fill those who hear them with joy. Within Their own worlds, each proclaims the true Dharma. Through various causes and conditions and infinite analogies, They illumine the Buddha-Dharma to enlighten living beings.”

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As Buddhist practitioners who walk the Bodhisattva-path, we must be diligent. We engage in spiritual practice to transcend this world. We need to know that sentient beings in the Six Realms are unable to reach liberation. They experience much torment and suffering. The Buddha came to this world to help everyone understand that because of one thought, we transmigrate through the Six Realms. There is only one path to leave this cyclic existence in the Six Realms and that is the Bodhisattva-path. Practicing the Bodhisattva-path is [recognizing] the intrinsic, pure Buddha-nature we all have. The Buddha expounded countless teachings all for one reason: To guide us to return to our original minds.

This applies particularly to the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha began to help everyone understand that with our minds, we can bring forth unlimited strength. So He guided us to walk the Bodhisattva-path, hoping that everyone can attain Buddhahood. Speaking of attaining Buddhahood, it is very simple, yet not very easy. So, the Buddha gave His confirmation and blessing to those who made vows and put them into action. This confirmation is like an agreement that if one works hard, one can definitely attain Buddhahood. This is how the Buddha helps. His disciples to have faith.

This group of the Buddha’s disciples, Sariputra and others, were confirmed by the Buddha as being able to attain Buddhahood in the future. The Buddha made such prediction and assurance for every disciple. Thus, at that time the people who listened to the Buddha expound the Dharma were already very close to His heart. They were all world-transcending saints. On that occasion, aside from the disciples who were Hearers, there were also Bodhisattvas who had attained the Dharmakaya.

These Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas, such as Maitreya and Manjusri, etc., had already been confirmed and blessed by Him. There were some who would attain Buddhahood, some who had already attained Buddhahood and some who have even taught their own disciples to to attain Buddhahood. These are Dharmakaya-Bodhisattvas. This is what I mentioned before, that the Bodhisattvas who come to the Saha World to help the Buddha educate and transform are manifested Bodhisattvas. So, they are also noble beings. Some had already attained Buddhahood in the past and some would attain Buddhahood in the future. There were also some who were about to become noble beings. Thus, they were all world-transcending noble beings,

especially the Buddha. The Buddha is the model for all noble beings. At this time in the Saha World, Sakyamuni Buddha is the fundamental teacher. So, the Buddha is the model for all noble beings. His disciples see His level of spiritual practice and model themselves after Him; this is engaging in spiritual practice.

Buddhist practitioners walk the Bodhisattva-path. All are world-transcending noble beings. The Buddha is the model for all noble beings.

To be Buddhist practitioners is looking at how the Buddha cultivated His virtues and merits, internally and externally. The Buddha practiced internally and externally in the past and now. We Buddhist practitioners often talk about how the Buddha practiced in the past. We use the Buddha as our role model.

The Buddha’s virtues are vast and profound. His kindness nurtures all things. His gentle and wondrous words can eliminate all delusions of sentient beings so they can go from the state of ordinary beings to that of noble beings.

The Buddha’s virtues are vast and profound; His kindness nurtures all things, not only humans. We can see from the Buddhist sutras, from the Jataka Sutra, that He did not just help humans. He influenced all beings. Do you remember one of the stories I have told? As the Buddha passed by, if a bird came under His shadow, the bird became calm. When the Buddha’s shadow moved on and. Sariputra’s shadow fell over it instead, the bird then became unsettled. Just His shadow was enough to help a bird feel tranquil. Why didn’t Sariputra’s shadow protect and calm sentient beings? This all depended on virtue. By cultivating virtue, even His shadow had virtue, not to mention the Buddha Himself. Thus, the Buddha’s virtues are vast and profound, and His loving-kindness nurtures all things.

In particular, He has a soft, wondrous voice. The Buddha’s voice has eight tones. One of the tones is called the soft tone. By just listening to the Buddha’s voice, even without hearing the content, the sound is enough to make one feel joyful. Then hearing His words can tame one’s afflictions. This is called wondrous speech. Whether it is the sound or the Dharma found within, His voice can eliminate sentient beings’ doubts.

Sentient beings have strong doubts, and without faith, they cannot accept [the Dharma]. By listening to the Buddha’s voice, they will naturally believe and follow. Added to this is the Buddha’s explanation of the wondrous Dharma. It can naturally eliminate sentient beings’ doubts. As sentient beings, our ignorance, afflictions and doubts hinder us from returning to our intrinsic nature. Only the Buddha’s wondrous Dharma, His wondrous voice and soft tone, can pacify the hearts of sentient beings.

Thus we mentioned earlier that,

“One could see all Buddhas, the saintly lion lords, expounding the most subtle and wondrous sutras. The sound of their voices was clear and pure, soft and gentle, teaching all Bodhisattvas, numbering in the countless millions.”

Saintly lion lords refer to Buddhas. We often use the analogy that when the Buddha is expounding the Dharma it is like a lion roaring. This means that, while there are hundreds of animals in a forest, the lion is the king of all animals. When a lion projects his roar, the ground shakes. Fear arises in all the animals. Their hearts are shaken into submission. This is an analogy. Among animals, the lion is the king of all beasts. The Buddha came to the human world, so He is the king of humans, the king of all Dharma, the world-transcending king. Therefore, the Buddha’s teachings can subdue all things, so the Buddha is like a saintly lion lord in the human world.

As Buddhist practitioners, we must cultivate virtue. Only virtue can tame all things. The Buddha uses virtue to subdue all kinds of spiritual doubts. So we need to know that the purity of His voice, this soft tone, enables the Buddha’s teachings to enter the hearts of sentient beings. His voice subdues stubborn sentient beings, and eliminates their doubts. This is how the Dharma expounded by the Buddha enters sentient beings’ hearts to enable their doubtful and disturbed minds to become calm. He can subdue sentient beings’ greed, anger and ignorance, and allow them to return to their intrinsic nature to walk on the Bodhisattva-path.

Therefore, “teaching all Bodhisattvas, numbering in the countless millions.” The Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, has come and gone in the Saha World an infinite number of times. Since Beginningless Time, He has taught and guided sentient beings to form great aspirations and walk the Bodhisattva-path. So, there have already been countless millions.

Next it says,

“Their clear voices, profound and wondrous, fill those who hear them with joy. Within Their own worlds, each proclaims the true Dharma. Through various causes and conditions and infinite analogies, They illumine the Buddha-Dharma to enlighten living beings.”

This section is telling everyone that when a Buddha expounds the Dharma, He must teach according to people’s capabilities. There are causes and conditions; depending on the kind of sentient being, the Buddha will apply His great compassion. The Buddha’s great compassion is the cause. Sentient beings’ sufferings vary greatly. Some suffer spiritually, some suffer because of their circumstances, some suffer physically. There are sufferings of body, mind, circumstances. The Buddha cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer so much internally and externally. Therefore, the stirring of His compassion is the cause. When the Buddha expounds the Dharma, there must be causes and conditions. The cause is the Buddha’s great compassion;

the conditions are sentient beings’ needs. How can the Buddha’s compassion resolve sentient beings’ doubts? How can He eliminate sentient beings’ ignorance? The Buddha’s compassion is the cause. But how He teaches this Dharma in a way that can enter sentient beings’ hearts depends on the conditions of sentient beings and their interests. Everyone needs to hear something different, so the Buddha teaches according to capabilities. Therefore, after attaining Buddhahood, He responded to sentient beings’ capabilities. He used different methods for over 40 years to adapt to sentient beings’ capabilities with skillful means like Vaipulya and Prajna teachings. Then came the Lotus Sutra teachings, which He wanted to teach in accord with their capabilities.

Though we say that the Buddha taught skillful means in the past, really everything He did was to share His spiritual state of mind. At the Avatamsaka assembly, the Buddha wanted to share this state with sentient beings. He hoped they could return to a Buddha-state of tranquility and clarity, a pure state that is not created or destroyed. He wanted to share this. But sentient beings lead hectic lives filled with all kinds of phenomena. The Buddha only wanted to tell us that our intrinsic nature is pure, that this state of no creation or destruction is wonderful. But no matter what the Buddha said, sentient beings could not understand. So, the Buddha had to respond to this reality. He had to use the proper skillful means and match sentient beings’ capabilities when He talked to them.

Sentient beings’ needs are the conditions. Depending on sentient beings’ capabilities and what they are seeking, the Buddha taught accordingly, adapting the Dharma to what they needed. Although these are skillful means, they are still the deep and wondrous Dharma, such as the Vaipulya and Prajna teachings. He analyzed things that [seem to] exist to a degree that breaks sentient beings’ attachments, so they would not cling to objects and appearances. This kind of wisdom is contained within the skillful means the Buddha used to suit sentient beings’ abilities so they can apply them. So, the Buddha discussed emptiness and existence. For over 40 years, the Buddha, in His compassion, taught emptiness and existence according to beings’ abilities and the conditions of their needs.

Thus, there are infinite analogies to present the Buddha-Dharma. Many parables can be used to teach the Dharma. People come in all different forms, with different lives. Stories about different people are used to educate those who have afflicted hearts, greedy hearts or ignorant hearts. With just a slight deviation, people may fall into the trap of a misguided life. In this world, people help people. Sometimes it is done directly. When people suffer a disaster, we help by directly giving them material goods. Some may suffer spiritually. We can lead them onto the right course. Sometimes we ourselves serve as role models. The accumulation of the work we have accomplished can influence deluded sentient beings. When they see us, they can quickly self-reflect.

In fact, the Buddha always uses all sorts of methods to teach and inspire us. We should follow His teachings and put them into practice. Thus, the Buddha constantly uses all kinds of methods to provide analogies. He uses very basic methods to show us that the Buddha-Dharma is just like this. This enables all sentient beings to realize and enter the Buddha’s wisdom. The various methods He uses remain in this world. We can also use all kinds of methods to guide people in their relationships with others. We guide them to see the Buddha’s wisdom.

Life in this world is inherently short and temporary. Can we waste such short lives? If we have realizations and apply the Buddha’s teachings to our lives right now, we can influence the future. When we apply them to ourselves, we can influence our surroundings. The Buddha appeared more than 2000 years ago. From the time He was born until He entered. Parinirvana, 80 years passed, but He influenced future sentient beings for countless kalpas. This also requires us all to continuously help the Buddha-Dharma remain in this world. We hope that the Buddha’s teachings and His views and knowledge can enter the hearts of all beings.

Thus the Buddha’s views and knowledge are the great causes for which He came to this world. If we can apply [His views and knowledge] in our daily living, then there will be no difference between the Buddha, the mind, and sentient beings. This is an impartial view. Therefore, the Buddha is a noble being, the role model for all noble beings. When we apply this model to ourselves, aren’t we seeking the Buddha-Dharma and practicing it every day and every moment? Therefore, we need to always be mindful.

Episode 83 – Enter the Dharma with a Pure Heart

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>> The World-Honored One wished to freely carry out the ideas He had long guarded, His original intent. But He thought to Himself that since. He had already expounded the Dharma for so long, others would not value this. Therefore, He manifested various auspicious appearances.

>> “The bright light from between His brows illumines the east, causing 18,000 lands all to take on a golden hue, from Avici Hell up to the summit of existence. All beings in the Six Realms of these worlds, their destinies within cyclic existence, their good or bad karmic conditions, their positive or negative retributions, can all be clearly seen.”

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When we engage in spiritual practice, our hearts must be pure and clear. If our hearts are pure, our surroundings will be peaceful. Then a thousand teachings can enter our hearts. In particular, as we listen to the teachings, our hearts need to be even more tranquil.

For the sake of ignorant sentient beings, He manifested and engaged in spiritual practice to attain perfect enlightenment. His first thought was to share this perfect enlightenment so everyone can fully understand the principles of all things in the universe. Originally, the true principles of all existence were already intrinsically possessed by everyone. When we say this to everyone, it sounds very simple! But when these simple principles are taught, does everyone accept them? It is simple for the teacher because he has already attained this realization. After realizing it, everything seems simple. But ordinary beings have not realized it yet, so it is not simple for them.

How then can principles that are not simple be taught? So, the Buddha kept these true principles hidden in His heart. He absolutely could not allow them to leak away. Ultimately, these principles must be passed down. So, He had to “express thoughts He had guarded for a long time.” He wanted everyone to thoroughly understand the pure, awakened nature He had been protecting. Everyone inherently has it; it is really that simple.

So for over 40 years, the Buddha kept these same principles in His heart. His every intention was to teach these principles so that everyone could understand them. But sentient beings had dull capabilities. Based on the level of their capabilities, He could not freely expound the great teaching. Because sentient beings could not comprehend, the Buddha had to continuously use skillful means. So, the Buddha guarded this intent for over 40 years. But now He was going to freely carry it out. Freely means without impediments, He could teach whatever He wished to teach.

But even though their capabilities had matured, and the time was right for Him to teach, the Buddha still reconsidered. For over 40 years, He had taught according to the understanding of the [ordinary] people of the world. He did this for over 40 years, which was a long time. Now, all of a sudden, the skillful means He used in the past had to be set aside for true principles to emerge. Would such a change be accepted by all? He contemplated this again and again. “What methods can I use to inspire everyone’s reverence?”

We have mentioned before that at this spiritual training ground, there were many miraculous appearances, especially of the Buddha Himself. In the past, when He taught sutras, He would first enter Samadhi. As people arrived, He remained in meditation. But it was different this time. While people arrived, the Buddha expounded the Dharma, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. So, as people kept arriving, the Buddha kept expounding and lecturing on the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. So at this assembly, this sutra was expounded completely. But people still kept arriving, one after another. Then the Buddha began to meditate. On one hand, He was contemplating the methods He would use to withhold the provisional teachings, the skillful means of the past. Though He was about to expound the true Dharma, He must also withhold past skillful means. So, the history had to be reviewed as. He revealed the truth at this moment. This was what the Buddha was contemplating.

The World-Honored One wished to freely carry out the ideas He had long guarded, His original intent. But He thought to Himself that since. He had already expounded the Dharma for so long, others would not value this. Therefore, He manifested various auspicious appearances.

So, the Buddha had to be contemplative, but He was still joyous. The time had come. People’s capabilities had matured, and there would be no more obstructions. At this moment, the Buddha’s heart was truly filled with excitement. How could He create a tranquil environment? How could He inspire a spirit of seeking in those who saw this environment?

When He “expounded Dharma first, then meditated second,” this created a totally different state. Though flowers rained down and the earth shook, the hearts of the people listening to the Dharma rested completely on the Buddha. Everyone’s eyes focused on the Buddha. At that time, a fine light radiated from between His eyebrows. This great light shone everywhere. From between the Buddha’s eyebrows, this light radiated and attracted people’s hearts. This great radiance pervasively illuminated a vast area. Not only could one see into it, one could see any and all states one desired.

So, that was the light. Though this great light shone widely, it also illuminated all the different states of everyone’s hearts, all their different ways of understanding. So, we use “18,000 lands” to refer to everyone’s states of mind. Some people are pure of mind, are able to comprehend the Dharma and become joyous and enthusiastic. When their hearts connected to the Buddha’s light [they were in] the realms of all Buddhas. Some people had questions, or perhaps frustrations, etc. That mindset [put them in] the Six Realms, either in the heaven, human, hell, hungry ghost or animal realms. The states [that appeared] depended on the state of their minds.

So, the light the Buddha radiated was not just a visible light, but also a light that was absorbed by the heart and had penetrated everyone’s minds. So, “this great light radiated everywhere.” In the surrounding environment, there were visible Mandarava flowers, large and small softening flowers of every color were spread around this place. Indeed, these flowers represent softness. [They are] softening because they can take on whatever color people needed to see; thus, entering everyone’s hearts and taming the stubbornness of sentient beings. So, coming in contact with these softening flowers could pacify aggressive minds.

There was “the fragrance of sandalwood.” Naturally, this fragrance was the fragrance of the virtue and the Way. In the fragrance emitted by the body of Buddha, everyone sensed the fragrance of the land, of the trees. They also sensed His spiritual fragrance. An aroma of sandalwood often came with the breeze. The beauty of this scene caused joy to arise in everyone’s hearts. They were happy to follow the Buddha so they single-mindedly watched Him. There were six kinds of shaking that all occurred at the same instant. Now we can comprehend that this was the spiritual state the Buddha inspired in everyone as He was about to give the teachings. So, now we should understand that next, the light will radiate from between the Buddha’s brow. The next passage of text is,

“The bright light from between His brows illumines the east, causing 18,000 lands all to take on a golden hue, from Avici Hell up to the summit of existence. All beings in the Six Realms of these worlds, their destinies within cyclic existence, their good or bad karmic conditions, their positive or negative retributions, can all be clearly seen.”

We can use this passage of the sutra to infer the Buddha’s age. When He started to expound the Dharma, He concealed the true Dharma in His heart. He protected this true Dharma that He awakened to while middle-aged. Continuously for over 40 years, He used skillful means to help sentient beings accept His teachings and understand the principles of life. It had already been over 40 years, so the Buddha had reached His old age by then. This whole process was like the sun rising in the east, climbing to the middle of the sky, and then setting in the west.

Look at the sun setting in the west; its light shines towards the east. The sun rises from the east and moves to the west. So, the sutras were obtained from the west; the Dharma was spread to the east. You see, the light illuminating the east revealed the “18,000 lands,” a vast realm where “all took on a golden hue.” The sun already has this golden hue. At this moment, the sun is not like the hot sun at midday, unbearable to sentient beings. That would be oppressive. The wisdom of the Buddha was such that He softened the Dharma so it could be accepted by everyone.

As this happened, the Dharma reached “from Avici Hell up to the summit of existence.” Suffering sentient beings were in urgent need of the Dharma at that moment. So it is often said, “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering beings.” The most miserable state for sentient beings is described as hell. So, the Buddha-Dharma really needs to be spread to places with the most suffering. That is where the Buddha-Dharma is most needed. So the Buddha’s light also shone down into Avici Hell and even up to the summit of existence. The summit refers to heaven. Heavenly beings need the Buddha-Dharma. Only with the Buddha-Dharma can heavenly beings maintain their existence, or else when they deplete their blessings, they will fall into the Three Evil Destinies. So the heaven realm also needs Buddha-Dharma.

“All beings in the Six Realms of these worlds, their destinies within cyclic existence, [and] their good or bad karmic conditions.” This lets everyone know that in all these worlds, whether in the heaven or the human realm, the ghost or animal realm, etc., all the beings in these Six Realms are in different states. But in the Buddha’s teachings, the Six Realms all exist in the human mind. So, people have “destinies within cyclic existence,” All things in the world are created and destroyed. Material things “form, exist, decay, disappear.” Humans experience “birth, aging, illness, death.” The mind’s thoughts “arise, abide, change, cease.” All things in the world are our “destinies within cyclic existence,” they are all “good or bad karmic conditions.” Good and bad [conditions] come from karmic connections.

In a past life, if we made a good karmic connection with a person, we are happy when we see him now, and we will listen to him no matter what he says. If we formed a bad connection with the person, even if he has a very kind heart and is a nice person, even if he earnestly tries to help guide us to the path of goodness, we will become unhappy at the sight of him. Do you remember the Buddha and Ananda’s karmic connection with the poor woman? The Buddha did not have good affinities with her, so this poor woman could not accept the Buddha’s teachings. When she saw the Buddha, she did not feel happy. But when she saw Ananda, she was joyous. Wherever Ananda went, she followed. Whatever Ananda told her, she accepted. Even someone who had attained Buddhahood still had past negative karmic connections.

Everyone, shouldn’t we heighten our vigilance? We need to make good connections with everyone. We should not hold any kind of attitude or take even the slightest action that would create bad affinities with sentient beings. Now the text of the sutra continues, “Their good or bad karmic conditions, positive or negative retributions, can all be clearly seen.” From here we can see it all. No matter how we create karmic connections with other people, the good and bad retributions we face in the future are a result of these past connections.

In this life, we need to immediately make an effort. If we created such connections before, in this life, we need to recognize the law of karma. We must quickly change the conditions of our lives. Even if we do not feel a positive connection with a person, we must quickly subdue our thoughts and change our views towards this person. Then we can turn bad conditions into good ones. In this life, someone may torment us. “[We suffer] positive or negative retribution.” Positive or negative is determined by the past. So, we need to change now [for the future].

If we can understand this state thoroughly, we will be able to change. If we do not understand fully, we can never truly change. If people tell us, “You are wrong in doing so,” and [we say] “I did not do anything wrong,” still refusing to admit fault, then we did not understand fully. If we can see everything clearly, which means having thorough understanding, [then we will say], “I was wrong.” This may not have been a mistake made in this lifetime, but in a past one. If we can think this way, we will know that if someone does not understand us it may not be due to something we did in this lifetime; we can then accept that it may be due to a mistake from a past lifetime.

So, we should all understand the law of karma. Karmic conditions, whether good or bad, if they were not created in this life, must have been created in a past life. Therefore, “[they] can all be clearly seen.” For us to [see them], we need to be mindful of our interpersonal relationships and what we experience in body and mind. We should self-reflect. If we never think that we may have done something wrong, then we will never correct ourselves.

Everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, we must be mindful. Only when we mindfully learn can the Buddha-Dharma enter our hearts. Only then can we connect with the Buddha’s mind. Only then can we follow in the Buddha’s footsteps, one step at a time. The manifested Buddha comes to the world to teach and transform. But we should return to the state of the intrinsic Buddha, which is our intrinsic Buddha-nature. So, we first follow the teachings of the manifested Buddha. We will follow Him so that we can reach the ultimate realm and return to the intrinsic Buddha, which is our intrinsic Buddha-nature. So everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 82 – Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Manifest in This World

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>> “All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifest in this world revealing the intrinsic and the manifest. They have long had intrinsic Buddha-nature and have recently manifested their cultivation of compassion and wisdom. Recent ones should ask, experienced ones should answer.”

>> “Manjusri, why did our guiding teacher, from the tufts of white hair between His brows, radiate a great light that shone everywhere?”

>> “There was a rain of Mandaravas and. Manjusaka flowers, and a breeze of fragrant sandalwood, which delighted the hearts of those assembled.”

>> “Through these causes and conditions, the earth is completely adorned and purified. And within this world, the earth trembled in six different ways. Then the fourfold assembly rejoiced together, happy in body and mind, having experienced what they never had before.”

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Whatever conditions each of us face, we need to still our mind. Our mind must be very pure and peaceful. ․Our mind must be very pure and peaceful. When we have that stillness and purity, and can perceive all things with a tranquil state of mind, everything is teaching us the Dharma.

Therefore,

“All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifest in this world revealing the intrinsic and the manifest. They have long had intrinsic Buddha-nature and have recently manifested their cultivation of compassion and wisdom. Recent ones should ask, experienced ones should answer.”

This tells us that when we hear [the teachings of] the Lotus Sutra, the state at the beginning of the sutra is very important. We must use our mind and our heart to connect with that state at the beginning of the teachings. We need to understand the original intent of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

All Buddhas refers to those of the past, present and future. We know that as the Buddha started to expound teachings, the light from between. His brows illumined 18,000 Buddha lands. Look at those many Buddha-lands. [From] the Saha World, the light from Sakyamuni Buddha’s tuft of white hair lit up so many lands. The term “all Buddhas” tells us that. Sakyamuni Buddha of Saha World was not the only Buddha; there are Buddhas everywhere.

But the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas we mention now have all manifested in this world. There is intrinsic, and there is manifest. The intrinsic refers every person’s inherent enlightened nature. But sentient beings are deluded and their minds are confused. Therefore, this causes chaos in the world. The Buddha wants to help sentient beings return to their true, intrinsic nature. To do so, the Buddha must reveal through manifestation. He has long had an intrinsic Buddha-nature, which does not arise or cease, does not increase or decrease. Does this clear and awakened intrinsic. Buddha-nature exist only in Sakyamuni Buddha? No. [It exists] in Bodhisattvas, too. Bodhisattvas also manifest in this world and also intrinsically have this clear and awakened Buddha-nature.

But according to worldly principles, an enlightened one of the Saha World is a Buddha. This Buddha’s land of transformation is the Saha World. There are also Bodhisattvas with the same vow and this clear, awakened and intrinsic Buddha-nature who manifested [in this world]. All Bodhisattvas have the same clear and awakened intrinsic nature as Buddha, and they come to assist Him in teaching and transforming sentient beings in the Saha World. So though they intrinsically have the same intrinsic enlightened Buddha-nature that has not arisen or ceased, increased or decreased for a long time, they still manifested in this world.

Manifestations are traces, like the footprints people leave behind them. Buddha-nature neither arises nor ceases, but when Bodhisattvas come to this world their time is limited. For example, did the Buddha only live for 80 years? No. But what He manifested began when He was born into the palace. And He left traces from this through the moment He attained enlightenment, up until He reached the age of 80. This happened according to the principles of this world; birth, aging, illness and death are also manifestations. [People] go through childhood, a period of youth, then middle age, and finally old age. This kind of impermanence is apparent in this world. No one remains an infant. Nor does one remain a youth. These [stages] pass with time. Therefore, these are called manifestations.

Manifestations also refer to a lifetime of spiritual cultivation that leads to realizations. This is a recent manifestation. Actually, this is recent relative to the universe. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas constantly come and go. Each time they come and go, they manifest lifetimes of spiritual cultivation. So these fragments, these lifetimes, are called manifestations.

When the Buddha expounded the teachings. [He taught] that since Beginningless Time and in past lives, there has been such a Buddha who appeared. A devoted spiritual practitioner like Him and the causes and conditions of His aspiration are also manifestations. Therefore, we can understand the meaning of the intrinsic and the manifest. The intrinsic and the manifest were originally the same. In order to teach and transform, they had to leave traces in this world. Therefore, this intrinsic Buddha-nature of the Buddha and all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas does not arise or cease. It abides perpetually. To inspire sentient beings to turn away from delusion toward awakening, they manifested spiritual practice.

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas show compassion and apply wisdom toward sentient beings. Because they were sympathetic toward deluded sentient beings, out of compassion all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifested their wisdom and their process of spiritual cultivation. This is a recent manifestation of their cultivation of compassion and wisdom. They revealed manifestations to teach us, to be our role models.

So recent ones should ask, experienced ones answer. Recent ones are those who say, “I have just begun my spiritual cultivation. I don’t know much about anything.” Do they really not know anything? If so, they would not be asking questions. Because they know things, they ask questions. Therefore, with their recent manifestations, they exercised both compassion and wisdom to find the appropriate responder. So Maitreya manifested questions. “I do not know, so I need to find someone to ask.” The person he turns to must have the same level of capability so that he can answer the questions.

Let us note that starting with the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha freely carried out His original intent. When the Buddha was in His old age, He had to prepare to pass things on. So He had to affirm His disciples’ practice. “I affirm that by pursuing this spiritual practice, these disciples will create certain karmic conditions and will attain Buddhahood at such a time and place.” He affirmed that they will complete their spiritual practice in the future. So, this sutra predicts that. Hearers will attain Buddhahood in the future. The Lotus Sutra includes the Chapter of Bestowing Predictions. So clearly, this is a Great Vehicle sutra.

In particular, certain Hearers would accept His predictions for attaining Buddhahood. In this state, if he was not the one to become the next Buddha, he would not have been able to ask. Who will become the next Buddha and succeed Sakyamuni Buddha? We should already know that the future Buddha of the world is Maitreya Buddha. After the Buddha’s teachings go through periods of Right Dharma, Dharma-semblance, and Dharma-degeneration, Maitreya Buddha will teach, transform and attain enlightenment in the Saha World. This will happen in the future.

In the era of Amoghasiddhi Buddha, some people had received predictions to be Buddhas. Sakyamuni would become a Buddha first, then Maitreya. According to the sequence of the predictions, Sakyamuni Buddha would be in the Saha World first, then Maitreya Buddha. Therefore, Maitreya Buddha is a future Buddha.

So, he brought up this question and asked it out of his compassion. Only one who had reached Buddhahood could answer. I have mentioned that. Manjusri Bodhisattva had attained Buddhahood. He was the Honorable Dragon King Buddha. Now he came here to assist Sakyamuni Buddha to transform sentient beings, so he manifested as a Bodhisattva. Not only was he a Buddha in the past, he was also the teacher of the seven ancient Buddhas. And in the Lotus of Sutra, he was the teacher of the eight princes, [sons of the last Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha,] who also attained Buddhahood one after another.

Therefore, Manjusri Bodhisattva had great wisdom and could answer the questions held by everyone at this spiritual training ground. Sakyamuni Buddha manifested extraordinary appearances to inspire questioning. Only when one has questions will one have a seeking mind. So there is a saying, “Great questions bring great awakenings.” But someone must first initiate these questions. So Buddhas and Bodhisattvas shared this common understanding; this was a wonderful state.

You may wonder why we have not delved into the sutra text yet and have kept talking about this Dharma-assembly. I think [these conditions] were wonderful. In particular, this state [balanced] movement and quietude, questioning and awakening. I want everyone to value these states. I hope that everyone’s minds are elevated to comprehend the meaning behind such states. Then we can truly comprehend and delve deeply into this sutra.

So in the questions and answers, Manjusri demonstrated great wisdom. Maitreya had only cultivated knowledge, Again, he manifested this state on purpose. He showed that this state could only be entered with wisdom. Without wisdom, we cannot delve deep into this state. It is only possible with consciousness. I often speak of the seventh, eighth, and also the ninth consciousnesses. The ninth consciousness is tranquil and clear and is as awakened as the Buddha’s. With just knowledge, one could not understand. Could all of these many meanings be explained in words? Only with true mindfulness can people understand. Only Maitreya Bodhisattva and Manjusri Bodhisattva could resonate with each other and ask and answer questions about the wonder and beauty of these states.

So at this point, if everyone knew what this state was like, why would they begin to describe it again? Do you remember what I have told you before about the meaning of “repeated verses”? “Repeated verses” take into consideration that if people arrive late and do not hear these wondrous teachings, then that is a great pity. Or perhaps they are listening but the teachings do not enter deeply their minds. These are the two reasons [for repeated verses]. Therefore, such an important sutra describes that kind of state of mind again. So, these are reasons “repeated verses” are used. They are recited on behalf of latecomers or for those who heard but could not thoroughly comprehend them. Thus, the meaning is restated.

In this case, the meaning [that is restated] refers to the state of mind [of the assembly]. The questions and answers are given in verses. The next passage of the sutra states,

“Manjusri, why did our guiding teacher, from the tufts of white hair between His brows, radiate a great light that shone everywhere?”

When we recite this section, do we recall the beginning of this sutra in our mind? It introduced bhiksus, Arhats, then Bodhisattvas, the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. Can we comprehend the grandeur of this gathering? Can we experience the Buddha’s state of mind after He finished teaching and entered Samadhi? In particular, after the Buddha finished teaching, a ray of light from the tuft of white hair between His eyebrows illumined 18,000 worlds. [Remember] that state of mind? And in that state,

“There was a rain of Mandaravas and. Manjusaka flowers, and a breeze of fragrant sandalwood, which delighted the hearts of those assembled.”

Can you feel what it was like at that moment when flowers rained down and the heavens and earth shook in six ways? You should be able to comprehend that state.

“Through these causes and conditions, the earth is completely adorned and purified. And within this world, the earth trembled in six different ways. Then the fourfold assembly rejoiced together, happy in body and mind, having experienced what they never had before.”

At that moment, everyone felt inspired and very joyous. Their joy was truly unprecedented.

Everyone, are you delighted upon hearing this? I do not know about everyone’s state of mind, but at least I am very happy. Such a state was supreme and unsurpassed, profound and wondrous. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on that occasion sought the wondrous Dharma, along with so many people. That kind of state of mind was very shocking and moving. There were six kinds of shaking. That state was truly marvelous, solemn, very dignified and very pure. Such a state is truly indescribable.

So, I hope every one of us are mindful when we are in this state of mind. When we hear the teachings, we need to remember our state of mind from when we were first inspired. This setting in the Lotus Sutra was truly meant to inspire sentient beings. We need to know that the Buddha’s original intent was His one great cause, to open and reveal, so that sentient beings could realize and enter Buddha’s wisdom and view. But the capabilities of sentient beings were dull. The Buddha expounded Dharma for over 40 years. It was truly very tiring. But time was limited, and. His manifested state was also limited. So in His old age, He had to freely carry out His original intent. So, He manifested a state of setting aside the provisional for the true teachings.

We also need to know that. He manifested extraordinary occurrences because He was worried that people would not be respectful or feel sincere faith. Therefore, under these conditions. He manifested extraordinary occurrences. These two Bodhisattvas, whether in the past or the future, intrinsic or manifested, were there to initiate this opportunity and inspire everyone’s reverence and faith. So everyone, we must be mindful. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are mindful. How can we who receive teachings not be mindful? Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 81 – Inspiring People by Hiding Understanding

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>> Using skillful means, he hid his understanding and manifested a lack of knowledge. A proper desire gave rise to great teachings; he created questions where there were none, created thoughts where there were none. This was done solely to stir up others and inspire questioning and the arising of faith.

>> “This brightness from the Buddha, these signs of spiritual powers, whom shall we now ask about them? At that time, Maitreya wished to resolve his own questions.”

>> “[He] observed the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, and upasikas, as well as heavenly beings, dragons, spirits and others.”

>> “[He] asked Manjusri: What are the causes and conditions for these auspicious spiritual signs?”

>> Thereupon, Maitreya Bodhisattva, wishing to restate his meaning, spoke these verses asking, “Manjusri, why did our guiding teacher, from the tuft of white hair between his brow, radiate a great light that shone everywhere?”

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Spiritual practice is related to time and our daily living. In life, people interact with each other and help one another succeed. This is also part of our spiritual practice of being good people. So it is said that when the Buddha was alive, He also lived in a monastic community. The way He lived and the Dharma He expounded also illustrate how important it is to respect each other when we are in a group.

The Lotus Sutra was expounded at Vulture Peak. Before the Buddha expounded the Dharma, this assembly was already quite spectacular. Bodhisattvas, bhiksus, Arhats, and even the eight classes of Dharma-protectors had gathered at this spiritual assembly.

There were countless beings at Vulture Peak.

Before the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra, the assembly gathered and. He began expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. Then He finished. In the past, once a sutra was taught completely, everyone would joyfully pay respect and withdraw. But the Buddha began to enter Samadhi. As soon as the Buddha entered Samadhi, they saw that His appearance was very dignified. A ray of light radiated from between His brows. There appeared to be of a ray of light coming from between His eyebrows.

Last time I mentioned that when the Buddha was expounding the sutra, the light of dawn, as the sun was rising, concentrated on the Buddha’s face. He manifested a transformed appearance. This appearance was truly magnificent. Moreover, different people saw His appearance differently. Seeing that brightness and sense of freedom, everyone felt joy and inspiration in their hearts. Everyone was inspired and joyful, but they did not know what the light meant. What kind of wondrous Dharma was it? There must be a meaning behind it.

“There must be some principle in it” was the thought that everyone shared. But they did not know what the principle was. So, everyone really wanted to ask questions. This is called yearning for the Dharma; everyone eagerly awaited the Dharma, which the Buddha would expound. But the Buddha still just sat there, continued to radiate light and manifest the transformed appearance. So many people were waiting. Maitreya Bodhisattva understood this frame of mind.

He was one of the Bodhisattvas who assisted. Sakyamuni Buddha in teaching in the world. So at this assembly, Maitreya Bodhisattva understood the Buddha’s appearance. The Buddha considered that people had been listening to the Dharma for the past 40-plus years, so they might be tired and may have become lazy and less diligent. Since the Buddha was about to expound the Great Vehicle Dharma, He changed His appearance to heighten everyone’s desire to seek [the Dharma]. He inspired their diligence so they would shake off their tiredness and laziness. This was the Buddha’s intention as. He was about to expound the Lotus Sutra.

Maitreya Bodhisattva surely understood this. How could he help the Buddha, who was in Samadhi, initiate this opportunity? So he looked around purposefully, saw everyone and sensed, “You all have questions. Yes, then, I have questions as well.” This was Maitreya “using skillful means to hide understanding and manifest lack of knowledge.” Maitreya Bodhisattva already understood, but he wanted to complement the Buddha and inspire everyone. So he said, “I do not know either.” If he had said, “I know why the Buddha is like this. Let me answer on His behalf,” then the Buddha would not have to expound Dharma. So he had to “manifest a lack of knowledge” and “hide understanding,” hide what he knew. “Using skillful means, he hid his understanding and manifested a lack of knowledge.”

He understood the Buddha’s intention, and so the mind of the sage complemented that of the noble being. Thus, he hid his understanding and said, “I do not know either.” Skillful means are provisional. Saying “I do not know” was a skillful mean to allow the great teachings to be taught. So, “proper desire gave rise to great teachings;” this was the beginning. If they thought that even Maitreya Bodhisattva did not know, they would imagine that the Dharma the Buddha was about to teach was indeed very wondrous. Then they would be even more inspired to seek it. “If even Maitreya Bodhisattva does not know, then I really want to know. Who should I ask? [He] created questions where there were none.”

If even Maitreya Bodhisattva does not know, then this Dharma must be wondrous. So everyone’s curiosity grew even more. With questions come realizations. Without questions, there are no realizations. Only when people have questions do they seek to know more and really want to understand. So “[He] created questions where there were none, created thoughts where there were none.” Some people thought, “I can just wait. Everyone else is still waiting here, so I will just wait.” If they just went with the flow and waited, a sense of respect would not arise in them. So those who just tend to go along with conditions must be inspired to seek [the Dharma]. It is not enough to just go along, we should also actively seek.

So “[He] created thoughts where there were none.” Some people thought, “If there is Dharma, I will listen. If there is no Dharma, forget it.” If they thought this, they would not be diligent. So, he created questions and thoughts in those who had none. They would then be curious, “What Dharma will the Buddha expound after manifesting such extraordinary occurrences?” These thoughts had to be initiated. This was to inspire people to seek the Dharma. He “inspired questioning and the arising of faith.” He caused everyone to have questions. When questioning, they would seek. Thoughts of seeking are very important.

These thoughts arose in them when they began to have questions on exactly what Dharma this would be. They had to quickly believe that the Buddha must have wondrous Dharma to share. The thought that He “must have wondrous Dharma” had to arise. This led to seeking. Where did these thoughts come from? They arose when the mind connected with conditions. The mind is there first, then thoughts arise. When our minds connect with the external conditions, thoughts arise. Consider the Chinese character for “thought.” The upper half is the character “now.” Under “now” is the character “mind.” This means that our minds are connecting with external conditions. If the Buddha is now manifesting a condition of extraordinary occurrences, these thoughts may arise in our minds. So when the mind connects with the conditions before us, what arises are “thoughts.”

So “the thinking that returns [to conditions] is called ‘thought.'” But if after the connecting conditions disappear, the mind returns to how it was before the conditions appeared, some will think, “That is what the Buddha is doing, so I will just wait.” If that is how we think we will not be diligent. So after the mind connects with these conditions, it goes back to pursue these external conditions again. This is called “thought.” At that moment, the Buddha really wanted everyone to focus their minds on pursuing those conditions together.

Using skillful means, he hid his understanding and manifested a lack of knowledge. A proper desire gave rise to great teachings; he created questions where there were none, created thoughts where there were none. This was done solely to stir up others and inspire questioning and the arising of faith.

So the sutra states,

“This brightness from the Buddha, these signs of spiritual powers, whom shall we now ask about them? At that time, Maitreya wished to resolve his own questions.”

As I just mentioned, Maitreya Bodhisattva did not really have questions but he hid his understanding. Actually, he manifested a lack of knowledge by saying, “I do not know either. I should seek and ask questions. Let me see who I should ask.” Maitreya Bodhisattva did this out of his compassion and wisdom.

So,

“[He] observed the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, and upasikas, as well as heavenly beings, dragons, spirits and others.”

On that occasion, besides the many Bodhisattvas, bhiksus and bhiksunis, there were the eight classes of Dharma-protectors, etc. The assembly also had the same questions. So in order to resolve everyone’s questions,

“[He] asked Manjusri: What are the causes and conditions for these auspicious spiritual signs?”

This is the passage we mentioned previously. He asked Manjusri Bodhisattva why the Buddha emanated this radiant light to illumine 18,000 worlds to the east. What were the karmic conditions?

In particular, there were these many lands, these 18,000 worlds. Each Buddha’s land was very magnificent. In particular, in those lands, those worlds, all the way up to heaven and all the way down to hell, everyone could see all different kinds of life. In addition, in every land there were Buddhas expounding the Dharma. Everything was clear and vivid within the radiance of the light emanating from the tuft of white hair between Sakyamuni Buddha’s eyebrows. It seemed that this had never happened before. Why was it happening now? So, Maitreya Bodhisattva found a partner, Manjusri Bodhisattva. This section is the introduction.

So, now we have finished explaining this prose section of the text. It was all describing that state in which. Maitreya Bodhisattva hid his understanding to express that he also had questions to ask. So he found a partner to ask. We know why he asked, but in case some people were still unclear, when they compiled the sutras, this very important passage was repeated. The questions that he asked were repeated. Why were they repeated? Sections of the sutras in verse form are called repeated verses. They restate the meaning. You will often read the term, “restating the meaning.” We should know that verses are repeated verses. They reiterate [the points of] the prose. Meanwhile, if something is not in the prose, these verses provide additional explanations. Because this Dharma is very important, it needs to be repeated with added explanations. Therefore, it is repeated in verse form.

There is actually another meaning behind these repeated verses. Perhaps they restated the entire text for those who were late to the assembly. Because people did not arrive all at once, when they came, the Buddha had already expounded that part; the Sutra of Infinite Meanings was halfway done, or had already started. So, they had not heard what the Buddha said earlier. They started to listen after they arrived, but since they did not all arrive at once, some only heard a part of it. There should have been many people like this. So for those who did not hear the entire lecture, in order for them to fully understand, He repeated the verses. He started from the beginning, using these metered verses.

This also means that although some listened from the beginning, they still did not have a full understanding. So when they hear everything in the verse again, those who did not really understand may then gain a better understanding. This was the conversation between. Maitreya Bodhisattva and Manjusri Bodhisattva.

Thereupon, Maitreya Bodhisattva, wishing to restate his meaning, spoke these verses asking, “Manjusri, why did our guiding teacher, from the tuft of white hair between his brow, radiate a great light that shone everywhere?”

These two Bodhisattvas were compassionate. In particular, Maitreya Bodhisattva had been practicing since Beginningless Time. Now he is in Tusita Heaven, preparing to descend to the human world to attain Buddhahood. He should already understand everything. We can also understand why Sakyamuni Buddha was given predictions to become a Buddha before Maitreya. It was because when they engaged in spiritual practice at the same time, only [Sakyamuni] practiced among people. With great compassion and benevolence, He created many good affinities and was endowed with all the right causes and conditions. Maitreya Bodhisattva was filled with wisdom, but he only focused on knowledge and wisdom, so he lacked affinities with sentient beings. It was clear he had abundant wisdom and knowledge. So, why did he say he had questions now?

Actually, this was out of his compassion. In order for future sentient beings to have a deeper understanding of Buddha-Dharma, he decided to “hide his understanding and manifest a lack of knowledge.” Manjusri Bodhisattva was “foremost in wisdom,” the teacher of the seven ancient Buddhas. Indeed, Manjusri Bodhisattva had wisdom. Maitreya Bodhisattva had compassion. Therefore, a compassionate Bodhisattva asked a wise Bodhisattva for teachings so that everyone there could have complete faith in and understanding of Buddha’s complete, Great Vehicle Dharma, a wondrous Dharma of both compassion and wisdom. At that time, as [the Buddha] was about to teach, [they helped] everyone become reverent.

Thus, with compassion and wisdom, Bodhisattvas revealed Great Vehicle Dharma for future sentient beings. So, we should mindfully comprehend the compassion of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They collaborated with each other to provide these causes and conditions for future sentient beings. So, we must give rise to a mindset that cherishes this Dharma because encountering it is rare. We should be very reverent, make good use of our time and always be mindful of the Dharma.

Episode 80 – Spiritual Light Shines Through 18,000 Lands

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>> Bodhisattvas had attained a thorough realization so they immediately knew that the 18,000 lands all exist in the states of the mind and could be seen in this radiated mind-light. With great compassion, Maitreya began asking. With great wisdom, Manjusri answered him.

>> “Then the bhiksus, bhiksunis, Then the bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas, as well as the heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts, gods and so on, all had this thought, ‘This miraculous appearance of light radiating from the Buddha, who should we now ask about it?'”

>> At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva, wishing to resolve doubts, observed the minds of the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas, as well as heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts, gods and others. Then he asked Manjusri, “What are the causes and conditions for these auspicious appearances of spiritual powers, the emanation of great light which illumines 18,000 lands to the east so that the majesty of all Buddha-worlds is fully seen?”

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Time continuously passes by with every minute and second. We need to always seize the moment. In particular, it is rare to encounter a grand assembly. If we have such an opportunity, we must seize it.

When the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra, it was at a grand assembly at Vulture Peak. There were many people at this Dharma-assembly. As the Buddha sat in Samadhi, everyone’s mind was filled with questions. How subtle and wondrous would the Buddha’s next teaching be? This was on everyone’s mind.

Meanwhile,

Bodhisattvas had attained a thorough realization so they immediately knew that the 18,000 lands all exist in the states of the mind and could be seen in this radiated mind-light. With great compassion, Maitreya began asking. With great wisdom, Manjusri answered him.

Although many people had their own speculations, the Bodhisattvas knew what was happening. They had already thoroughly penetrated the truth. Their clarity means they knew that these “18,000 lands all exist in the states of the mind.” They are all actually found in the states of our own minds. If everyone’s mind can be united with the Buddha’s mind, then the Buddha’s radiance, which everyone intrinsically has, can shine extensively and penetratingly through the Three Periods of Time. It can reach throughout the past, present, future. The Buddha’s wisdom can be this clear and thorough. It spreads extensively to worlds in all directions. The Buddha’s mind-nature, wisdom and light can clearly and thoroughly reach everything.

Actually, everyone innately has the same radiance and wisdom as the Buddha. Thus “all exist in the states of the mind.” These places do not exist elsewhere. They are found in the states of our minds. These 18,000 lands can be “seen in the radiated light.” This means our minds can also radiate [light] to reach the 18,000 worlds so we can thoroughly understand them. So, “With great compassion, Maitreya began asking. With great wisdom, Manjusri answered him.”

Now at this Dharma-assembly, Maitreya Bodhisattva was the initiator. When the Buddha was in Samadhi, everyone had their own views and actually, there were also people who had questions. Thus the sutra text says,

“Then the bhiksus, bhiksunis, Then the bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas, as well as the heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts, gods and so on, all had this thought, ‘This miraculous appearance of light radiating from the Buddha, who should we now ask about it?'”

This was everyone’s thought at that time. What were the causes and conditions for the Buddha to radiate light and manifest signs of miraculous appearance? At this assembly, the fourfold assembly of the Buddha’s disciples, bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, as well as heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts and gods, all had this common thought. Who should they ask? Questions began arising in their minds.

We have previously mentioned that there were those who were at or beyond the stage of learning. Some had already attained fruits and realizations. Some were just beginning to learn. They all gathered at this assembly. The Bodhisattvas all understood, but the beginning learners still could not comprehend. Those who had not yet reached the necessary state had no way to understand. So at that assembly, some people wondered what these auspicious appearances meant. Who should they ask? This was their question.

Everyone had these thoughts. With their minds on what had just happened, they returned to thoughts of the past. They thought back to the [start of the assembly,] when everyone began gathering as the Dharma-assembly was about to begin. People kept arriving, one after another. After they were seated, the Buddha began to expound [the Sutra of] Infinite Meanings. When He radiated light afterwards, those who understood knew that the Buddha’s meritorious practices of this life were complete, and He would soon enter Parinirvana. So, this was the time to carry out His original intent.

This signified that He would soon manifest complete and perfect Parinirvana. Thus they reflected back, from the present day to the beginning, when the Buddha was born. His lifetime of practice culminated in this moment. This was how they reflected on His life and what led up to this moment as. He was about to carry out His original intent. This was what the Bodhisattvas understood while others did not. So, everyone wanted to ask.

But who could they ask?

At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva, wishing to resolve doubts, observed the minds of the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas, as well as heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts, gods and others. Then he asked Manjusri, “What are the causes and conditions for these auspicious appearances of spiritual powers, the emanation of great light which illumines 18,000 lands to the east so that the majesty of all Buddha-worlds is fully seen?”

This section of the sutra helps us to gain a deeper understanding. At this time of the Dharma-assembly, the Buddha radiated a light from between His eyebrows. We can see that, because of the light He radiated, the assembly could see vast distances, including 18,000 worlds. Everyone, don’t you think that we could also see these 18,000 worlds in this light?

I previously explained what happens when we thoroughly understand the Buddha-Dharma. We previously used a mirror as an analogy. The function of a mirror is tremendous. Look at a mirror. Its surface is not very big but if we face it toward the mountains, it reflects the entire landscape, all the mountains and rivers. Perhaps there is a place that is dark, that cannot be reached by the sun. But if we turn a mirror toward the sunlight, as the light shines on the mirror, the mirror reflects the light on that dark place. It is as if the sun was directly shining into that dark place. The Buddha’s spiritual light is just like the sun. When the sun rises, its light illumines everything. Every place is illuminated by that light. The only exception is something that is covered. Then naturally the sun cannot illuminate it. What covers? Ignorance covers. I remember there was once a dust storm. When we woke up in the morning and looked up to the sky, it was completely gray. We could not see the sun when we looked up. When we looked straight ahead, there was definitely a mountain there but we could not distinguish its shape. This was the result of the dust storm. The wind blows the dust.

When the land is dry, with even a slight wind, the dust can be blown here from far away. Where did this dust storm in Taiwan come from? From Mongolia, Outer Mongolia or Inner Mongolia. Or perhaps from Xinjiang. It is so dry there that no trees or grass grow on the mountains. It is a vast desert. In that place, when a wind begins to blow, the dry sand gets caught in the wind, which develops into a dust storm. How far did it travel? Perhaps two or three thousand kilometers before reaching Taiwan.

This dust traveled for thousands of kilometers, flying through the air. Such a thick layer of sand even reached us here. So it could also be said that the ignorance in us sentient beings originated a very long time ago. Since Beginningless Time, one ignorant thought arose and opened the door to 84,000 worldly troubles. Why does this door to afflictions continue to remain open? That is because we lack rain and dew. We lack Dharma-water.

Perhaps we, unenlightened beings, countless kalpas ago, in some unknown period of time, gave rise to an ignorant thought. Then we turned away from enlightenment. Everyone originally had an awakened nature. But we have turned away from this awakening and have begun to walk away. Where are we going? Toward the dust of the world, the sensations of the mundane world. So, we ordinary people fell into ignorance, then had no way to turn back. Therefore, we have since turned away from enlightenment toward the mundane. Then for a very long time, we have spent life after life in the Six Destinies. We have sowed blessings, practiced the Ten Good Deeds, and been born in heaven. We upheld the precepts of the human realm, so we have come to this world [again].

Then by doing good deeds and having discipline, we fulfilled our responsibilities in this world. These causes and conditions allowed us to encounter the Buddha-Dharma. Yet we can fall into the trap of ignorance at any time and in any place. Ignorance still manifests constantly. If one thought goes astray, even if it is a slight deviation, we may depart from the human destiny again. We may even enter the animal destiny. If we do even worse things, we may fall into the hell destiny. Or if we are greedy and stingy in the human world, Or if we are greedy and stingy in this world, we may enter the animal, hungry ghost, or hell destinies. This all comes from the arising of one ignorant thought. When we try to return to our original state of mind, we find we are off course.

Thus, we need to learn from the Buddha. We must seize the moment when causes and conditions converge. When we listen to the Buddha-Dharma, it is as if a drought-ridden land is finally exposed to rain and dew. The rain and dew will slowly moisten the ground of our hearts. Remember, in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, “Drops of dew fall to immerse the dusts of desire.” If our hearts lack Dharma-water, naturally our hearts will experience drought. Just like the earth, if our hearts experience a drought, it does not matter if a good seed is planted in our hearts. The field in our hearts may lack moisture. There is soil, but with no rain or dew, the seed that is planted on this land cannot sprout and the seedling will not grow. It is impossible.

Similarly, if our hearts are not nourished by Dharma-water, even if we hear good words and wondrous Buddha-Dharma, even if we have these opportunities, we will not be able to apply the teachings. The Dharma will not be able to enter our hearts. Just like a seed that is left on the drought-ridden land, very soon, that seed will be unable to sprout. How can it possibly grow roots? Thus, the root of the path cannot grow in our hearts. If our hearts lack the root of the path, then the tree of awakening, the Bodhi tree, is not able to grow. So, our hearts need to be constantly nourished by Dharma-water. We must take good care of our hearts for a very long time.

We need to continuously eliminate afflictions and ignorance. Since we have sowed seeds in the field of our hearts, we need to keep removing the weeds. We need to carefully protect the thoughts of our awakened nature, our spiritual aspirations, and continuously remove discursive thoughts. We need to protect our aspirations and eliminate discursive thoughts. This is the moment we need to seize.

The [teachings of] all Dharma are not only about chanting the sutras. The Dharma needs to enter our hearts for us to advance the meaning of the teaching. Besides benefiting ourselves, we can also use various means to help everyone understand and apply it. This is truly allowing Dharma to enter our hearts so we can apply it in limitless situations. Then we can radiate the light within our hearts.

Although we sit here, “in each person there is a stupa on Vulture Peak.” The spiritual training ground at Vulture Peak exists in each of our hearts. We can be like the Buddha and unite with this state of mind to thoroughly understand the Dharma and the teachings expounded by Him in His lifetime. We can absorb these principles. When the state of our mind is this wonderful, a spiritual light emanates from our mind.

Thus, the light that radiates from between the Buddha’s eyebrows should shine into our minds. Our minds and the Buddha’s mind can become one. Then the 18,000 lands are all captured in our minds. So, a wonderful state of mind is really not far off. It is very close. It is within our minds.

In this spiritual training ground, we need to always be grateful. We need to constantly be like Maitreya and ask questions. Sometimes, when somebody asks about something, it creates an opportunity. There should be another [like] Manjusri, who can recount the path he has walked and repeat the words he has heard. We will always find [people like] this around us, whether like. “Compassionate Maitreya, who began asking,” or “Great Wisdom Manjusri, who answered him.” Actually, isn’t everyone like Maitreya, who can ask about the Dharma for us? Isn’t everyone like Manjusri, who can help us explain the Dharma?

Everyone, as Buddhist practitioners we need to protect and maintain our mental states. We absolutely cannot lose focus at all. We need to constantly seize the moment. In all things, please always be mindful.