Scott Ogata – Page 12 – Dharma As Water

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Posted on October 3, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Episode 381 – Relieve Suffering through the One Vehicle

>> The Buddha-nature and Dharmakaya are ever-abiding. The path to enlightenment and the true principles do not change. With these, [the Buddha] gave teachings according to the people, time and place to transform and return our minds to true nature.

>> All of those World-Honored Ones gave teachings of the One Vehicle Dharma to transform countless sentient beings and lead them to the path to Buddhahood.

>> All of those World-Honored Ones: All Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, of the past, present and future manifested in this world for sentient beings. They felt compassion for those who were drowning in the sea of afflictions and could not save themselves.

>> [They] gave teachings of the One Vehicle Dharma: To relieve the suffering of sentient beings, They taught the principles that pervade all Dharma-realms, that are harmonious and all-encompassing, that are applicable to all places. This is the complete, One Vehicle doctrine.

>> [This] leads them to the path to Buddhahood: This path is the Bodhi-path. All Buddhas verbally gave provisional or true teachings according to capabilities. Sentient beings who take the Dharma they hear to heart will diligently practice and enter the path to Buddhahood.

The Buddha-nature and Dharmakaya are ever-abiding.
The path to enlightenment and the true principles do not change.
With these, [the Buddha] gave teachings according to the people, time and place
to transform and return our minds to true nature.

Within our minds, the “the Buddha-nature and. Dharmakaya are ever-abiding.” We must trust that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature and our Dharmakaya is ever-abiding.

Don’t we constantly talk about this? The Sutra of Infinite Meanings begins, “With tranquility and clarity, and vows as vast as the endless void.” This describes the state of our pure nature. It is not created in any way; it has existed from the beginning. So, it is considered “Dharmakaya.” It is as pure as the endless void, and just as tranquil and clear. It is non-arising and non-ceasing. Since it does not cease, it does not need to arise. So, this nature is pure in that it is non-arising and non-ceasing. This is a true principle we must realize.

The path to enlightenment is understanding; it is the Bodhi-path. It is the path to attaining Bodhi. We must really understand that this road is the true path. We need to reverently and diligently walk this Bodhi-path to be able to truly realize the truth, the unconditioned true principles of.

Here “true” refers to ultimate truth and “principles” are the workings of things. The true principles of Bodhi “do not change.” The “Dharmakaya” of the mind was originally clear and awakened. We were originally on the Path, but one [ignorant] thought led us astray. So, we have deviated from that course. Now we need to return to the path to enlightenment in our minds. The Dharmakaya is composed of true principles, and if we can really understand them, we will be in this ever-abiding and unchanging state. We are all equal to the Buddha; we have the same pure intrinsic nature of True Suchness. This is ever-abiding and unchanging.

The Buddha used this principle and His own realizations to awaken others. With this principle, He taught and transformed. But we are ordinary people, not easy to teach because we have different habitual tendencies. Since we each have different habitual tendencies, the Buddha gave teachings according to the people, time and place.

He teaches according to their capabilities for the sole [purpose of] helping them return to their nature of True Suchness. This is the only reason. For a very long and incalculable period of time, which goes back into the past without end and goes into the future without end, He has been in this world, transforming sentient beings and hoping they will all return to True Suchness. This is the compassion of the Buddha.

As we have discussed earlier, “World-Honored Ones such as these utilized various conditions and analogies.” They used causes and conditions as analogies, because in the past, infinite Buddhas have crossed into Parinirvana. They were born and then entered Parinirvana according to the needs of the people at the time. [Since Beginningless Time,]. He learned from the countless. Buddhas who have come into this world and entered Parinirvana. So, it says They used various causes, conditions, analogies and the infinite power of skillful means to explain the various appearances of things. Actually, everything has the same nature of True Suchness, but ordinary people have different habitual tendencies. So, He taught the Dharma according to capabilities and conditions. This is what we discussed earlier.

All of those World-Honored Ones gave teachings of the One Vehicle Dharma to transform countless sentient beings and lead them to the path to Buddhahood.

Let us discuss, “all of those World-Honored Ones.” In the past, countless Buddhas have come to this world. Then based on those times and the way people of that ethnicity lived, They gave Their teachings accordingly. They taught in different ways, but always taught the same One Vehicle Dharma. So, this was to “transform countless sentient beings and lead them to the path to Buddhahood.” For example, right now, to teach the Dharma, we need to use more than one language. Sakyamuni Buddha was born in India. There were many languages and dialects in India. No matter what language was used to explain, I trust that though the language was different, the principles were the same.

For example, right now (2012), every morning during our Volunteer Assembly, we are connected to Suzhou via videoconference. In our Suzhou Preventive Health Center, there are people from Nanjing and Suzhou. These doctors and technicians come from various places, so when they speak to us via videoconference, sometimes they speak their own dialect. When they speak, I have to listen very carefully. It can be quite challenging to understand them clearly.

So, the languages are different, but the Buddha-Dharma is the same. This is how Buddhas “gave teachings of the One Vehicle Dharma.” No matter where They were born, They still taught the One Vehicle Dharma, the same principles.

So, to “transform countless sentient beings,” these principles cannot only be [taught or] written in Chinese. If we go to the US or UK, not only would the spoken language be a barrier, writing would be, too. In Africa, even if we speak English, there may still be a language barrier. Across this world, in many places and countries the spoken and written language may be barriers. But if we know that particular language and can translate the Dharma, this will still lead us back to the One Vehicle Dharma.

All Dharma [performs the same function]. For example, to clean something, we need to use water. Wherever we go in this world, water is a necessity. Water cleanses dirty and filthy things. Water nourishes the land to grow crops. For humans, everything, from our greater environment to our bodies, is all dependent on water. So, “water” can be translated into different written words or into different spoken languages, but water is still water. The Dharma is like water. When Buddhas came to this world in the past, They wanted to teach what we humans needed most, something that could cleanse and bring harmony to our minds. Furthermore, these principles already exist; they are not newly-created principles.

“All of those World-Honored Ones gave teachings of the One Vehicle Dharma.” They used various methods to teach the Dharma. So, to “transform countless sentient beings,” there is only one Dharma. They hoped countless sentient beings

could realize and understand it. Therefore, at this time, we must unceasingly spread the Dharma. In different nations and in different languages, we must do everything we can to translate it.

For example, when global Tzu Chi volunteers came to Taiwan to be certified [as Commissioners], we had to have a place for people who could translate whenever needed. They had to speak another language well enough to provide simultaneous interpretation. Sometimes [the Dharma] had to be translated by two or three translators for people to understand. No matter how many translators it went through, it was still the same Dharma [taught by] all of those World-Honored Ones who came to this world. Nowadays, if we want to spread the Buddha-Dharma, we must translate it into various languages. This is “giving teachings of One Vehicle Dharma.” Only these principles can “transform countless sentient beings and lead them to the path to Buddhahood.” We can all enter the path to Buddhahood and return to our pure intrinsic Buddha-nature.

Who are “all of those World-Honored ones?” Let us understand Them better.

All of those World-Honored Ones: All Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, of the past, present and future manifested in this world for sentient beings. They felt compassion for those who were drowning in the sea of afflictions and could not save themselves.

When we talk about all Buddhas of the past, present and future, [what we are saying is that,] in addition to those called. Great Enlightened Ones, we all actually have the Three Treasures in us. We should look at all people with this mindset.

We are all Buddhas by nature, but we are “Tathagata-in-bonds.” Currently, we are Tathagatas who have been entangled by afflictions. Of these myriad sentient beings of the past, the present and future, with regards to the Dharma that the Buddha taught, some have had very profound realizations, while others have had very simple realizations. For those with profound realizations, they are able to draw near the Buddha’s principles and gradually approach the Bodhi-path. Through true principles they clearly understand. This was the case in the past, it is the case now and will still be the case in the future. So, they [may become] “World-Honored Ones.”

Those we now call World-Honored Ones have already attained enlightenment. For the sake of sentient beings, They manifest in this world because sentient beings have covered up [their pure intrinsic nature]. All Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, manifest in this world out of compassion because they see that sentient beings are drowning in the sea of afflictions. So, these Buddhas are not afraid of hard work. They leave and come back to this world, solely for the purpose of teaching sentient beings. This is why all the awakened ones come to this world and “give teachings of the One Vehicle Dharma.”

[They] gave teachings of the One Vehicle Dharma: To relieve the suffering of sentient beings, They taught the principles that pervade all Dharma-realms, that are harmonious and all-encompassing, that are applicable to all places. This is the complete, One Vehicle doctrine.

The Great Enlightened One wanted to save sentient beings, so He used their suffering to teach the principles that pervade the Dharma-realms. “Pervading all Dharma-realms” means He wanted all of us to know that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. The embodiment of Buddha-nature and the nature of True Suchness is the Dharma-realm; it pervades all Dharma-realms. If we all unlock our wisdom, we can encompass the universe and pervade all Dharma-realms. Our intrinsic nature is just so free and at ease.

So, we have always said that the Buddha is the Great Enlightened One of the Universe. Thus He can encompass the universe and pervade all Dharma-realms. But we are always constraining ourselves with our own afflictions. We know how to love, but if we only love ourselves, this limited love will constrain our great love. If we can transcend this limited love, then we will be able to develop and extend compassionate great love so we can encompass the universe.

Take the Buddha’s compassion for the countless sentient beings in the Six Realms. The Buddha spreads His love and compassion across all the beings in the Six Realms. So, to relieve the suffering of sentient beings, He teaches the principles that encompass the universe and pervade all Dharma-realms. He uses various analogies and causes and conditions to teach the Dharma solely to help people understand it.

Perhaps people feel that every day is the same. Indeed, every day passes in the same way. How much do we really know? Every day, we need to eat. Every day, we say we are hungry. The same applies to teachings. How can we completely take in these principles so they can fill our minds? Every day is the same; we ourselves must attain the wisdom that can encompass the universe and pervade all Dharma-realms, that does not grow or diminish in our living, and is always free and at ease. The principles of Dharma-realms are harmonious and all-encompassing, applicable to all places. Regardless of the country, language or dialect, the principles are always the same. The principles are the same wherever we go, like water is to our bodies and our environment.

Thus, this is known as the “One Vehicle doctrine.” It is a complete teaching. The One Vehicle Dharma is a complete teaching. The greater can encompass the smaller. The smaller cannot encompass the greater. So, if our nature is still unenlightened, it is very small and we are attached to selfish desires. If we are awakened, we will let go of selfish desires and open up our hearts and minds so we can encompass the universe and all Dharma-realms, be harmonious and all-encompassing, in all places. This is how we can completely transcend selfish love, and broaden it into great love.

So, “[This] leads them to the path to Buddhahood.” The Buddha hoped everyone could eliminate selfish and small desires, open up their ignorant minds, and enter the path to Buddhahood. That is the great awakening.

[This] leads them to the path to Buddhahood: This path is the Bodhi-path. All Buddhas verbally gave provisional or true teachings according to capabilities. Sentient beings who take the Dharma they hear to heart will diligently practice and enter the path to Buddhahood.

The principles that lead to great awakening are the “path.” This “path” is the Bodhi-path; “Bodhi” means awakening. All Buddhas verbally gave provisional or true teachings according to capabilities. The Buddha taught [in the same way]. These principles have always been in us, but we have not been able to understand them. So, He had to verbally teach these principles. This is why He gave teachings. It required time and various methods to teach the provisional and the true. The Buddha continuously and patiently guided us all without departing from the Dharma and true principles.

In Taiwan, there is a child who watched Da Ai TV when he was two years old. At that time, Master Yin Shun had just passed away. While the child was watching [the program about Master Yin Shun,] he just kept crying. His grandma thought he did not like the program, so she quickly changed the channel. Not only did he keep crying, he cried even louder and jumped up and down, until his grandma changed the channel back. He then put his palms together. After this, he watched Da Ai TV every day.

This began when he was two or three. When he was four, he started kindergarten. One day, his teacher gave him fish porridge. He ate some, but then he spit it out. He just refused to eat it, he kept spitting it out. From then on, his grandma realized this child would not eat meat, so she began to cook him vegetarian food.

He kept watching Da Ai TV every day. One day, when he was four, he told his grandma, “Grandma, Grandmaster is working hard to save people. Why don’t you go and help her save people?” His grandmother actually came to join us. Now his grandma has been certified [as a Commissioner]. She says, “I was transformed by my grandson.”

As we can clearly see, Buddha-nature is something we are born with. Is this “provisional” or “true”? It is really “true.” Everyone is born with Buddha-nature. So, when the Buddha comes to this world, He uses all kinds of verbal teachings to explain the provisional and the true. If sentient beings can hear the Dharma and have the affinity to take it to heart, they can diligently practice the path to Buddhahood. If they can understand and take it to heart, then they can enter the path to Buddhahood.

For all sentient beings, these various methods are simply ways to make it easier to reveal True Dharma. This helps us all enter the state of the Buddha, our intrinsic Buddha-nature. So, I hope everyone can really understand that the profound Buddha-Dharma is actually very simple. We just need to take the Dharma to heart. So, we must always be mindful.

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Posted on October 3, 2024October 3, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Wisdom at Dawn

Chapter 2

Episode 380 – Be Replete with Virtues, Compassion and Wisdom

>> [The Buddha] is adorned with all virtues, and replete with compassion and wisdom. With Infinite Meanings He teaches True Dharma. Thus we must respect the wondrous Dharma.

>> “Throughout countless kalpas in the past, infinite Buddhas have crossed into extinction. There were billions of different kinds; Their number is incalculable.”

>> “World-Honored Ones such as these utilized various conditions, analogies, and the power of countless skillful means to explain the appearance of all Dharma.”

>> World-Honored Ones such as these: The Buddha is replete with all virtues and is admired by everyone. Thus He is the World-Honored One. The Buddha is also replete with the Three Virtues the virtue of wisdom, of ending and of grace. First is the virtue of wisdom.

>> With wisdom, we can “penetrate all ignorance to be replete with unsurpassed Bodhi.”

>> Second, the virtue of ending: We end all afflictions and are replete with unsurpassed Nirvana. These two [virtues] are benefits for ourselves.

>> Third, the virtue of grace: Replete with great compassion, we save all sentient beings. This is the virtue of benefiting others.

>> [He] utilized various conditions and analogies: The matters and principles in the world are hard to explain without giving examples. When the Buddha observes the world and all worldly appearances and matters, He knows them as well as an object in His palm. Through conditions and analogies, He explains the principles.

>> The power of countless skillful means: Skillful is another way of saying suitable. Suitable teachings come from exercising wisdom. There are not three kinds of true principles. But in order to apply skillful means, the Buddha spoke of the Three [Vehicles]. They are “skillful and suitable.”

>> [He] explained the appearance of all Dharma: All Dharma harmonizes and connects with itself. It does not interfere with itself. Dharma is explained in countless different ways. All Dharma arises from the temporary union of causes and conditions; it has no fixed appearance. This is the appearance of all Dharma.

[The Buddha] is adorned with all virtues, and replete with compassion and wisdom.
With Infinite Meanings He teaches True Dharma.
Thus we must respect the wondrous Dharma.

As Buddhist practitioners, whether we are speaking or silent, moving or still, we must pay attention to our Four Demeanors. Whether we are speaking or taking action, we must be mindful of the way our body moves and the way our mind gives rise to thoughts. This is cultivating our mind and body.

We often speak of “internal cultivation” and “external practice.” Internal cultivation is about taking good care of our minds and paying attention to every thought that arises. We must look after our external appearance and demeanor. We must cultivate “all virtues.” Whatever the Buddha teaches, we must faithfully accept and practice. Learning the Buddha’s teachings means learning to be like the Buddha. In addition to being adorned with all virtues, we must be replete with compassion and wisdom.

What is [the guide for] our daily practice? [The Sutra of] Infinite Meanings. Have we acted according to the teachings in the sutra? Have we become boatmen or great master boatmen? Have we vowed to deliver all sentient beings? Although this is hard work, we can overcome all kinds of difficulties and still aspire and vow to steer the ship of compassion through the endless sea to deliver all sentient beings. Have we done this?

If we have, we must constantly share the teachings we have learned from the Sutra of the Infinite Meanings and work to help other people. This is “[teaching] with Infinite Meanings.” Even if the Dharma we have realized is intangible, we must constantly share it with others. We must also teach according to conditions. We share these conditions as we work together. As we work alongside each other, we have a chance to share with each other. Through our tangible actions, we share the intangible teachings that we have experienced. Thus, “with Infinite Meanings [we] teach the True Dharma.”

Intangible teachings are “unconditioned Dharma”; they are principles, but are taught through “conditioned phenomena,” the conditioned things around us. These principles are the True Dharma.

“Thus we must respect the wondrous Dharma.” Our [speech] and actions must not leave the Dharma. By doing this, we show respect to the Dharma. We must always have respect for the Dharma. We keep Dharma in our hearts and in our actions; we must not depart from it.

For a period of time, the Buddha was [teaching] at Jeta grove. He wanted all of His disciples to cultivate loving-kindness and compassion, so He used Sakro-Devanam Indra as an example. One time, the asuras challenged. Sakro-Devanam Indra, a heavenly lord. So, Sakro-Devanam Indra and the asuras fought against each other. But Sakro-Devanam Indra believed that he must not cause harm to others. Therefore, he quickly retreated and tried his best to avoid the asuras. He led his army in retreat

until he saw a very tall tree. He knew that there was a nest in the tree, and that the birds were up in it incubating eggs. He thought to himself, “This is about the time for baby birds to break out of their shells. If we frightened the birds or if the nest fell to the ground, would the baby birds be injured?” Once he realized this, he wanted to avoid disturbing the nest; he wanted to keep it safe.

With this change of thought, he told his horse’s groom. “Quickly! Quickly! Turn around!” The groom for his horse replied, “But the asuras are right behind us!” Sakro-Devanam Indra said, “As the World-Honored One tells us, we must respect the lives of all sentient beings. Thus, we cannot harm the nest. I’d rather turn and confront the asuras.” He continued to insist on turning back.

So, his troops turned around and charged in the opposite direction. The asuras became frightened and assumed that Sakro-Devanam Indra’s retreat had been a deceptive tactic, and perhaps now he was returning with an even greater force. Frightened, the asuras scattered and left the battlefield. This is how things ended.

So, the Buddha told His bhiksus, “Sakro-Devanam Indra is a heavenly lord but he yielded to the asuras out of compassion. As spiritual practitioners, it is our duty to maintain both our compassion and our wisdom. We must be compassionate and wise and always protect the lives of all sentient beings. This is our goal as spiritual practitioners.”

Thus, “We must respect the wondrous Dharma.” We must develop respect and admiration for the Dharma taught by the Buddha. The Lotus Sutra also contains similar teachings. Although for the previous 40-plus years, the Buddha taught all kinds of skillful means, His goal was to teach compassion and wisdom. To inspire compassion and unlock wisdom, the Buddha used analogies, expressions and all kinds of skillful means to teach sentient beings. These were His life’s teachings, where He taught Infinite Meanings to sentient beings.

Previously, we discussed this passage in the sutra.

“Throughout countless kalpas in the past, infinite Buddhas have crossed into extinction. There were billions of different kinds; Their number is incalculable.”

Over such a long period of time and across such as a vast space, in any nation, a Buddha may emerge. There have truly been many of Them. So [the text] says, “Throughout countless kalpas in the past, infinite Buddhas have crossed into cessation.”

Next, we will discuss how,

“World-Honored Ones such as these utilized various conditions, analogies, and the power of countless skillful means to explain the appearance of all Dharma.”

“World-Honored Ones such as these” echoes how throughout countless kalpas in the past, infinite Buddhas have crossed into extinction. All those World-Honored Ones in the past “utilized various conditions, analogies.” They used causes and conditions as analogies to teach all sentient beings so that everyone would be oriented toward goodness and awaken their love to benefit others. We also need to use all kinds of methods to help everyone take the Buddha-Dharma to heart. This takes “the power of countless skillful means.” There is great power to applying various skillful. This is what the Buddha mindfully taught us.

“He explained the appearance of all Dharma.” He applied various methods to tirelessly and unceasingly talk and teach to help everyone understand. As I previously mentioned, “With Infinite Meanings, He teaches True Dharma.” By teaching the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, whatever sentient beings experience, and whatever suffering they undergo, we can give them the appropriate teaching. This is “the power of countless skillful means.” This is something we must keep in mind. Teaching according to conditions is a type of power. So, “He explained the appearance of all Dharma,” all the appearances of different teachings.

With “World-Honored Ones such as these,” we must realize They have perfected all virtues; virtue is apparent in Their spiritual cultivation and practice. They are admired by all people in the world, thus, They are called World-Honored Ones. The Buddha is replete with the Three Virtues. Which three virtues? To be replete with all virtues, we must know the three most fundamental virtues.

World-Honored Ones such as these: The Buddha is replete with all virtues and is admired by everyone. Thus He is the World-Honored One. The Buddha is also replete with the Three Virtues the virtue of wisdom, of ending and of grace. First is the virtue of wisdom.

We need to unlock our wisdom.

With wisdom, we can “penetrate all ignorance to be replete with unsurpassed Bodhi.”

Wisdom and delusion are opposites. If delusion surfaces in our minds, it will cloud our wisdom. If wisdom surfaces in our minds, it eliminates ignorance. We can then attain unsurpassed Bodhi, which is enlightenment. If we penetrate ignorance, we will be awakened.

Second is the virtue of ending, which is to end all afflictions.

Second, the virtue of ending: We end all afflictions and are replete with unsurpassed Nirvana. These two [virtues] are benefits for ourselves.

Afflictions are greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, doubt and so on. These are the fundamental afflictions. We must eliminate them in order to eliminate our ignorance. We must completely eliminate afflictions to be in a state of non-arising and non-ceasing. This is the state of Nirvana.

Nirvana is a state of non-arising and non-ceasing. It also means we have eliminated all afflictions without giving them any chance of arising again. This is a state where afflictions have been completely eliminated. Once all the seeds of affliction are eliminated, we can return to our pure intrinsic nature and be “replete with unsurpassed Nirvana.”

Third is the virtue of grace.

Third, the virtue of grace: Replete with great compassion, we save all sentient beings. This is the virtue of benefiting others.

The virtue of grace is having the great compassion to save all sentient beings. This is the virtue of grace; it comes from showing grace to sentient beings. On the other hand, we must also be grateful for the grace of sentient beings, of our parents and of the Three Treasures. Once we are replete with grace, we repay them.

In the Buddha-Dharma we often speak of “dedicating merits” which is dedicating the grace and virtue we receive from the Buddha’s teachings to repay the kindness we have received. We repay the grace of our parents and the Three Treasures. Saving all sentient beings is the virtue of benefiting others.

The virtue of grace benefits others while the virtue of wisdom and the virtue of ending benefit ourselves. In our daily living, can’t we attain these three virtues?

The Buddha has the great virtue of wisdom and the great virtue of ending. We can at least have a limited virtue of wisdom. We must start by taking good care of our minds and quickly acting to eliminate these afflictions. Then our minds will be clear and we can see the Bodhi-path in front of us. Only then can we benefit all sentient beings.

We use various conditions and analogies because the Buddha had also taught the Dharma by drawing analogies to causes and conditions. All Buddhas share the same path, so “World-Honored Ones such as these utilized various conditions and analogies.”

[He] utilized various conditions and analogies: The matters and principles in the world are hard to explain without giving examples. When the Buddha observes the world and all worldly appearances and matters, He knows them as well as an object in His palm. Through conditions and analogies, He explains the principles.

Causes and conditions are the workings of matters and principles in this world. Without using these analogies, we cannot explain the principles. So, we have to use analogies as the Buddha did when He taught His disciples to be compassionate and respect all living things. The Buddha brought up Indra as one who respected and accepted the Dharma, and even cherished the lives of birds. This form of teaching is through an analogy. So, principles must be explained with examples. The workings of matters and principles are hard to explain without drawing analogies. They must be explained through analogies with people, matters and objects.

So, “the Buddha observes the world and all worldly appearances and matters.” All appearances and worldly matters are as clear to Him as the lines on His palm. The Buddha’s wisdom is of such [clarity]. But in order to teach the Dharma, He must use various methods to draw analogies. Through conditions, He explains how things work. Through causes and conditions as well as matters, He explains principles.

This is “the power of countless skillful means.” Skillful is another way of saying suitable. Suitable teachings comes from exercising wisdom.

The power of countless skillful means: Skillful is another way of saying suitable. Suitable teachings come from exercising wisdom. There are not three kinds of true principles. But in order to apply skillful means, the Buddha spoke of the Three [Vehicles]. They are “skillful and suitable.”

We must skillfully utilize wisdom to apply the Buddha’s wondrous Dharma in the world. Then we have power to accomplish good things. This can only be achieved by applying wisdom in skillful and suitable ways.

“There are not three kinds of true principles.” There is only one true principle, not three. There is no Small Vehicle or Medium Vehicle, just the One Great Vehicle. But sentient beings cannot really understand the One Great Vehicle. So, the Buddha had to use various skillful means. This is why He taught the Three Vehicles. Originally there was only the One Vehicle, but because sentient beings cannot understand, He had to teach the Three Vehicles. This is called “skillful and suitable.”

“He explained the appearance of all Dharma.” All Dharma harmonizes and connects with itself.

[He] explained the appearance of all Dharma: All Dharma harmonizes and connects with itself. It does not interfere with itself. Dharma is explained in countless different ways. All Dharma arises from the temporary union of causes and conditions; it has no fixed appearance. This is the appearance of all Dharma.

Actually, all Dharma is interconnected. Dharma is often compared to water, [which can take the shape of all containers]. It can fit a square, rectangular, round or triangular container. Water, like Dharma, can harmonize with itself without any hindrance.

“Dharma is explained in countless different ways.” There are very many ways, all of which are different. So, there are distinctions between them, but because they are distinct, the Buddha can explain them in many ways. It is a temporary union of causes and conditions. These unions are temporary. He wants to explain how each thing comes about because of various kinds of unions.

This table comes from a tree. That tree came from a seed. The seed had to be sown in the land. Then there had to be sunlight and water for it to grow. The tree then had to be shaped by humans to become a table. These are all temporary unions of causes and conditions. In which step does it show its real appearance? Throughout this process, all kinds of causes and conditions had to come together. [It is the same for] “appearance of all Dharma.” We can call this table a tree since it was originally a tree. But it was not only a tree, it was also a seed. If the seed was not planted and there was no sunlight or water the tree could not have grown.

In conclusion, many causes and conditions come together to create an appearance. The purpose of the Buddha-Dharma is to help us thoroughly understand this. After we understand, we must accept and practice in order to truly show respect to the Dharma. We need to respect all appearances as well as respect and cherish all objects. We must not be like the people who use resources wastefully; that is wrong. We can learn many such Dharma in our daily living. Thus, we must always be mindful.

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Posted on October 3, 2024October 3, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Wisdom at Dawn

Chapter 2

Episode 379 – Countless Buddhas of the Past

>> “All the World-Honored Ones teach the One Vehicle Path. Now all those assembled here should resolve all their questions. The teachings of all Buddhas are the same; there is only One Vehicle, not two.”

>> “Throughout countless kalpas in the past, infinite Buddhas have crossed into extinction. There were billions of different kinds; their number is incalculable.”

>> Throughout countless kalpas in the past: [Countless refers to] asankya, which is a very large number. Ten thousand times ten thousand is one hundred million. Ten thousand times one hundred million is one trillion. One asankya is like ten million times many tens of thousands of trillions. In the world, each era is unique. The customs of different ethnic groups are not the same. We cannot count how many there have been over a very long time. This is inconceivable. The number is immeasurable.

>> “Crossing into extinction” also means “eliminating all obstacles and transcending suffering of fragmentary samsara and transformational samsara.”

>> This is truly inconceivable. It cannot be contemplated, cannot be discussed, cannot be said, cannot be measured and cannot be understood through words or analogies. Thus, it is incalculable.

As Buddhist practitioners, we must practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. By establishing faith, vows and practices, our minds can be at peace. In our daily spiritual practice, we must always take good care of our minds and remind ourselves that we are practitioners of the Dharma. Thus, we must be mindful and make a vow to steadfastly practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.

Precepts can protect our wisdom-life. Samadhi can solidify our vows. If we aim ourselves in the right direction and do not deviate at all, we are in Samadhi. Once we can practice precepts and Samadhi, we will naturally develop wisdom. If we can head in the direction of our wisdom, we can naturally liberate ourselves and be free from afflictions and the obstructions of karma. So, as we engage in spiritual practice, we need to develop the Fivefold Dharmakaya. You should still remember what this is.

When we recite the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, we always read about precepts, Samadhi, wisdom, liberation and liberated understanding and views. This is the Fivefold Dharmakaya. How can we develop our wisdom-life? We must utilize these five things. We must practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom in order to attain liberation. Only after being liberated from afflictions can we draw near the Buddha’s understanding and views. This is the Fivefold Dharmakaya. This is how our wisdom-life develops. So, we must establish faith, vows and practices.

Recently, in central Taiwan, we started our series of annual Year-End Blessings. At this Year-End Blessing, there was an air of spiritual refinement. Everyone joined the Musical Sutra Adaptions to comprehend the great path and “remain unwavering for countless eons.” [All the participants,] even the medical staff, including the doctors, demonstrated this great reverence. From Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital,

40 doctors participated in the event. The superintendent, vice superintendent and the heads of the various departments led the staff and doctors in this performance. The men performed “From Vow to Action.” The “Dharma-ship” they formed was magnificent and their movements were in perfect unison. Their performance of “From Vow to Action” showed great power and unity as they moved together in their “ship.” The boldness and courage we felt from them was truly astounding. In addition, there were nearly 30 nurses who performed “Questioning Karmic Connections.” These songs are all from the musical about. Venerable Master Jian Zhen’s arduous journey from China to Japan.

Master Jian Zhen had such a strong determination to learn and practice the Buddha-Dharma and his resolve to spread the Dharma was very firm. He personally cultivated precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. His purpose in traveling to Japan was to transmit the precepts and the Dharma, so his [resolve to cultivate] precepts, Samadhi and wisdom was strong. He also maintained his faith, vows and practice, so his mind was unwavering. Regardless of how dangerous this journey was he continued with his efforts, again and again, each time facing dangers and difficulties. He kept this up for many years; these challenges never weakened his spiritual aspirations. In the face of these difficulties, he renewed his will to practice. Every difficulty strengthened his faith. Every difficulty helped him develop his blessings, wisdom and perseverance. With this unwavering mindset, he did not allow the dangers surrounding him to affect his spiritual aspiration and his vow to practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. So, his mind was always in a state of peace and stability.

This spirit also [guided] our medical staff. The superintendent, assistant superintendent and department heads led doctors from various departments in rehearsing again and again; this was hard work. They had to practice until all of them could move in unison with the music and lyrics and have the same attitude, the same expression in their eyes. This was incredibly hard! Throughout the rehearsals, they experienced. Master Jian Zhen’s resolve in going to Japan along with his unwavering spirit. Afterwards, they wanted to apply this resolve and unwavering spirit to the way that they practice medicine. When I went to [Central Taiwan], this is what they shared with me.

They even praised each other, telling me such and such doctor was determined and worked very hard. Despite foot pain, lumbar pain, skin lesions, blisters, bleeding, etc., they were wholeheartedly determined [to do this]. One of them, Dr. Shi, is a department head. He himself is suffering from Osteoarthritis, which is degenerative form of arthritis. He is a 60-year-old doctor who came back from the United States. He was determined to rehearse with everyone else. He said that it had been painful, but he was determined to keep going. He bought six packs of patches for pain relief and kept changing them. During rehearsals, though he was in pain, he “remained unwavering.” Other people shared this story of Dr. Shi’s determination with me.

Vice Superintendent Chen said that after these rehearsals, he had a better understanding of the difficulty of this kind of rehearsal. This was very exhausting. Though it was extremely painful for him, he felt that this was the exact mentality required for those who use their life to save others’ lives. No matter how many difficulties doctors face, they must always have this mindset and this unwavering determination to safeguard lives and to remain loving. This is what Vice Superintendent Chen learned.

What about Superintendent Lai? He said, “I now have a deeper and clearer understanding after going through these rehearsals for quite a bit of time. For this boat to sail, in unison and with vigor, across the wide sea of afflictions we must all work together in harmony. Our medical staff from every department of the hospital, all of our colleagues, must work together to take good care of people’s lives.”

As they rehearsed, the Dharma became ingrained in their minds, so they realized the spirit of “remaining unwavering.”

When they took the Dharma to heart, they were able to really remain steadfast. How do we develop our wisdom-life? How do we overcome the difficulties we face in this world? As long as we take the Dharma into our hearts and manifest it in our actions, with Dharma in our hearts and actions, we can overcome anything. This was so touching!

To “enter the sutra-treasury,” they had to work in unity, harmony, mutual love and concerted effort, which is not easy. After seeing the strength of their spiritual aspirations, I was truly moved and happy. We Buddhist practitioners must practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, and establish faith, vows and practices in order to obtain stability in our minds. These are what we must persist in cultivating in our spiritual practice.

We have previously discussed this passage from the Lotus Sutra,

“All the World-Honored Ones teach the One Vehicle Path. Now all those assembled here should resolve all their questions. The teachings of all Buddhas are the same; there is only One Vehicle, not two.”

The next passage states,

“Throughout countless kalpas in the past, infinite Buddhas have crossed into extinction. There were billions of different kinds; their number is incalculable.”

“Throughout countless kalpas in the past.” In “throughout countless kalpas,” everybody knows that “kalpa” [is a Sanskrit word] which means a long period of time.

Throughout countless kalpas in the past: [Countless refers to] asankya, which is a very large number. Ten thousand times ten thousand is one hundred million. Ten thousand times one hundred million is one trillion. One asankya is like ten million times many tens of thousands of trillions. In the world, each era is unique. The customs of different ethnic groups are not the same. We cannot count how many there have been over a very long time. This is inconceivable. The number is immeasurable.

Asankya means very, very long. How large is this quantity? As we discussed yesterday, time is a very long [river]. It extends endlessly into the past and endlessly into the future. It is truly very long. “Ten thousand times ten thousand is one hundred million. Ten thousand times one hundred million is one trillion.” But we cannot calculate this even in trillions. We cannot say that one asankya kalpa is 1000 [trillion years]. One asankya kalpa alone is like “ten million times many tens of thousands of trillions.” This much time seems incalculable. This is how long an asankya kalpa is. So, even without calculating a number, we know this is an extremely long period of time, one that cannot easily be described.

In this world, each era is unique. For a very long time, an seemingly incalculable number of years, ․people have lived in this world. The Chinese characters for “world” are those for “time” and for “space.” In the time and space of this universe, across all these eras, how many changes have there been? We are the product of generations of humans carried on up till now. Many eras have passed and the times have changed. Over this very long period of time, in this place, people and matters constantly change. In addition to that, all the various ethnic groups also have different customs. Take the small island of Taiwan, for example. There are Hokloh, Hakka and indigenous tribes. Each group’s customs are different,

and each way of life has a long history. My ancestors, the Hokloh, had their own customs. The Hakka also have their own customs. During the lunar new year, we can see that it is celebrated in many different ways. And across the world, many different ethnicities and religions have been, and will be, passed on.

“This is inconceivable.” There are truly so many ethnic groups and each has very old customs, as well as new ones. New customs will then be passed on and become old, then there will be more new ones. In this time of plentiful customs, we cannot conceive of how many there are. Our minds cannot understand all these customs, ethnicities, era, time and space, etc. The number is immeasurable. We cannot calculate in numbers how much time has passed or how vast space is. Across these clans, ethnicities and tribes, there are so many different ways of life and various different habits.

“Infinite Buddhas have crossed into extinction” means that from a long time ago to the present, the Buddha has lived in this world and, like a normal human, has gone through birth, aging, illness and death. He was born in this world to guide sentient beings in the right direction. He also experienced aging like other humans and eventually He also crossed into extinction. Therefore, [His life] between birth and death is a “conditioned phenomenon.” With causes and conditions, conditioned phenomena will arise and cease. In the vast expanse of time and space, there is no way to calculate the number of “infinite Buddhas [who] crossed into extinction,” They arise and cease; once They arise, They will cease. So, we do not know how many Buddhas have appeared in this world. Many Buddhas have already crossed into extinction.

“Crossing into extinction” is the “everlasting extinction of the great liability.” In the Enlightened One, all afflictions have already been eliminated and the subtle and wondrous principles that remain in His mind are wisdom. He has returned to His Tathagata-nature and with the Dharmakaya of the Tathagata, He expounded the Dharma in this world according to people’s needs. So, He gave teachings of worldly Dharma and lived the way humans did. The Buddha actually no longer has to go through birth and death; He has already transcended cyclic existence. However, for His one great cause, He manifested in this world. Even though we say He “crossed into cessation,” all Buddhas have actually already eliminated. Their afflictions and the great liability of cyclic existence.

In the past, we often discussed how people have a great liability because we have a physical body. With a body we have feelings and will feel pain. So “crossing into cessation” means the everlasting cessation of the great liability. No Buddhas [suffer] from the great liability of cyclic existence. They only manifest in this world in order to teach sentient beings. So, when the Buddha says, “everlasting cessation of the great liability,” He also means “entering into cessation,” which is the elimination of all afflictions.

“Crossing into extinction” also means “eliminating all obstacles and transcending suffering of fragmentary samsara and transformational samsara.”

In the past, I have told all of you about “fragmentary samsara.” The way Small Vehicle practitioners and ordinary people live is one fragment at a time. Each lifetime is a fragment. We go from childhood to now, then on to old age. Ultimately, this fragment ends. This is called “fragmentary samsara.”

“Transformational samsara” is experienced by beings who understand principles but still have small remnants of afflictions. This applies to Arhats and Pratyekabuddhas. They still undergo “transformational samsara” because they have not eliminated all their afflictions.

“There were billions of different kinds; their number is incalculable.” This is referring to Buddhas. Countless numbers of Them have come and manifested birth and death in this world. From a human perspective, we see Buddhas coming into this world and then crossing into extinction. But actually, to Buddhas, the Enlightened Ones, there is no birth and death. However, from the view of worldly phenomena, people have seen countless Buddhas come to this world. “Throughout countless kalpas in the past,” there have been many. “Buddhas who have crossed into extinction.” How many? “There were billions of different kinds.” They were born in different ethnic groups

over a long period of time. They were not necessarily born in India, nor in China, nor in the United States, nor in any specific place, not at all. A Buddha can be born in any ethnic group. In other words, all of us intrinsically have Buddha-nature, regardless of our ethnicity. Therefore, He said, “There were billions of different kinds.” Buddhas can be born in any ethnic group and become enlightened through spiritual practice, then teach and transform sentient beings. So these are the “billions of different kinds.”

“Their number is incalculable.” This means we cannot comprehend the size of that number. Over a very long period of time, many Buddhas were born into many ethnic groups, so They taught and transformed sentient beings according to different customs.

This is truly inconceivable. It cannot be contemplated, cannot be discussed, cannot be said, cannot be measured and cannot be understood through words or analogies. Thus, it is incalculable.

“Their number is incalculable;” it is very great.

Therefore, as Buddhist practitioners, we must exercise utmost reverence. We must practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom and establish faith, vows and practices so our minds can be calm and stable. By establishing faith, vows and practices, we can be at peace and our spiritual aspiration can be firm.

Everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, we must orient our minds toward the Buddha. Then from this external Buddha, we can return to the pure Tathagata-state in our minds. If we can do so, we can diligently move forward without deviating. This depends on whether we can always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0378

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Wisdom at Dawn

Chapter 2

Episode 378 – The One and Only Vehicle

>> We, as Buddhist practitioners, must “uphold precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, and establish faith, vows and practice. Thus our minds can be at peace and we can walk the path of the One Vehicle.”

>> [All Buddhas] teach the One Vehicle Path: The One Vehicle Dharma is what the Buddha originally intended to teach and is the ultimate teaching, which is today’s Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra.

>> The nine divisions of Dharma are also the nine divisions of teachings, generally called the nine kinds of sutras. They are: sutras, geyas, gathas, previous lives of disciples, or of Buddhas, things that have never been, causes and conditions, analogies, and upadesa.

>> Now all those assembled here. At the Vulture Peak assembly, all those listening to the sutras had utmost sincerity. They are those who faithfully accepted the Dharma they heard.

>> [They] should resolve all their questions: Those who did not plant good seeds in past lives will have doubts about the Buddha-Dharma and not enjoy listening to Right Dharma. Thus, they doubt the true principles and are confused, unable to discern right from wrong.

>> The World-Honored One reminded them: On Vulture Peak, the assembly listening to the Dharma must have deep faith and not give rise to doubt. If they have any remaining doubts or worries, they should resolve all their questions.

>> So, “the teachings of all Buddhas are the same; the path of all Buddhas are the same.” This is what the Buddha called the heart of the Tathagata-garbha.

>> So, the Diamond Sutra states, “the Tathagata is one who speaks the truth, who speaks the actual… who does not speak what is false, who does not speak what is not so.”

>> There is “only the One Vehicle Dharma,” which “is the true Bodhi-path.” So, the Two and Three Vehicles are just skillful, provisional teachings. “The Dharma of Buddhas of the ten directions is just the One Vehicle,” so the Two Vehicles are skillful means.

>> “A straightforward mind is where we practice the path. A meticulous mind is the entrance to the path. A humble mind is how we abide by the path. A wondrous mind is the wisdom of the right path.”

>> Deeply attached to illusory things, they cling firmly and cannot let go. With self-arrogance, they brag of their loftiness. They are flatterers, their hearts insincere. Throughout ten billion eons, they never hear the Buddha’s name.

>> We must control and train our sense organs and eat and drink the right amount. At the beginning, middle and end of the night, we must diligently practice and cultivate the supreme state of mind, just as Nanda did.

>> Those who can control their sense organs well can also control how much they eat and drink. Thus they are considered people of wisdom. They well understand the substance and appearance of the mind. Nanda is someone I praise; all of you should learn from him.

>> “With self-arrogance, they brag of their loftiness. They are flatterers, their hearts insincere. Throughout ten billion eons, they never hear the Buddha’s name.”

>> “Nor do they hear Right Dharma. Such people are difficult to transform.”

>> Nor do they hear Right Dharma: It is difficult to be born in an era with a Buddha. Perhaps our karmic connection with Him is poor. When we are physically obstructed, we cannot hear Right Dharma. When the mind-root is foolish or dull, we will hear but not understand Right Dharma.

>> After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, there may be places where Right Dharma is taught. But we may be physically constrained from going there and listening. Or perhaps we give rise to deviant views and can listen but not faithfully accept it. Thus, listening to the Right Dharma is hard.

As we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must practice according to the teachings.

“A straightforward mind is where we practice the path. A meticulous mind is the entrance to the path. A humble mind is how we abide by the path. A wondrous mind is the wisdom of the right path.”

If we can all have this mindset, then naturally we will draw closer to the Buddha’s understanding and views. So, we must have “a straightforward mind” where we can “practice the path.”

As we have said, “The great Bodhi-path is direct.” Bodhi is “awakening” and an awakened mind will not go astray. As we realize the Buddha-Dharma, we start as ordinary people and walk directly toward the Dharma the Buddha taught. Following the path is the right thing to do. Therefore, we must always be attentive and hear the subtle [details] in the Dharma. We must listen to the Dharma very carefully. After we listen, we must deeply experience it.

Though the words spoken by the Buddha are “conditioned phenomena” and can be seen and heard, more importantly, with “conditioned phenomena,” He guided us to “unconditioned Dharma.” The “unconditioned Dharma” is very subtle, smaller than the tiniest hair. It cannot be measured; it is really very subtle. True principles are like this. So, True Dharma is very subtle and is present in all places; it is widespread and pervasive. No matter how small something is, it contains principles.

So, “a humble mind is how we abide by the path.” We must be very unassuming and follow our spiritual aspirations. Our every thought, down to the tiniest one, must abide by the Path. Only in this way can we draw near to “a wondrous mind,” which is “the wisdom of the right path.” Once we take in the principles, we can exercise their wondrous applications. In doing so, from “unconditioned Dharma” we again manifest the principles of “conditioned phenomena,” using analogies, causes and conditions and verbal teachings to guide sentient beings.

There are myriad of sentient beings in this evil world of Five Turbidities. If we go among people, we must teach with the “wisdom of right path” while remaining unaffected by them. Then we have a “wondrous mind.” If we can learn the Dharma in this sequence, the Dharma can truly exist forever.

Deeply attached to illusory things, they cling firmly and cannot let go. With self-arrogance, they brag of their loftiness. They are flatterers, their hearts insincere. Throughout ten billion eons, they never hear the Buddha’s name.

In the past few days, haven’t we been talking about how people are “deeply attached to illusory things”? This means their minds are not in Samadhi, nor straightforward, subtle, humble or wondrous. They lack these qualities.

The Buddha also said of them, “with self-arrogance, they brag of their loftiness.” We can see there are many people like this, too. They think, “I am more educated. I am a cut above everyone else.” These people cannot work with others, comfortably interact others or benefit others. This also leads them to have many afflictions and is very painful.

In the Buddha’s lifetime, He had a [half-]brother named Nanda. I have mentioned Nanda to you before. Because the Buddha half-forced him to join the Sangha, his spiritual aspirations were not firm. He still had many desires and had lofty views of himself. He had “self-arrogance and bragged of his loftiness,” that kind of mindset.

One time, he donned beautiful monastic robes and carried a beautiful alms bowl to ask for alms among the nobles. When people saw this, they said, “Isn’t that the Buddha’s brother? His monastic life is so luxurious. He still wears such beautiful clothing, eats such delicious food, and socializes with many nobles all in very high-class places.”

These comments reached the Buddha. Once the Buddha heard about it, He summoned Nanda. “Nanda, you made a mistake. Although you are engaging in spiritual practice, You have not cut off your desires at all. If you practice in this way, not only will you not attain any virtue, you are contriving connections with others. You also have ‘self-arrogance and brag about your loftiness’ because you think you will always be a noble. This mentality is a great mistake and your wrongdoings caused others to create karma of speech.”

After hearing this, Nanda felt very remorseful. He asked the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha, how can I eliminate greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance from my mind?” The Buddha answered, “Go and don some discarded rags.” Discarded rags are simple and crude clothing. “Practice in the cemetery so you can repent and control your mind. Go experience the lives of those who live below the cemetery.” Nanda obeyed the Buddha’s teachings so he actually went to the cemetery

and stayed there for four months, over 100 days. The Buddha frequently sent bhiksus to the cemetery to observe the state of Nanda’s spiritual practice. As they walked by every day, they saw Nanda practicing diligently. He ate very simply because he begged for alms in the impoverished neighborhood near the cemetery. So, there was not much food in his alms bowl. After eating this, he behaved very properly and began to sit in meditation.

The Buddha saw that his resolve to engage in spiritual practice was very firm; truly he was completely different from before. Although he was now thinner, he exuded an air of spiritual cultivation. So, his mind was straightforward, meticulous, humble and wondrous. He had put his heart into entering the path, even into practicing wholeheartedly, and also obeying the Buddha’s teachings. So, the Buddha was happy. He praised Nanda, saying, “We must control and train our sense organs and eat and drink the right amount.”

We must control and train our sense organs and eat and drink the right amount. At the beginning, middle and end of the night, we must diligently practice and cultivate the supreme state of mind, just as Nanda did.

Our “sense organs” are eyes, nose, ears, tongue, body and mind. We must completely and meticulously control them. Without inflating our minds, we can take in the subtlest details and principles of entering the path. “At the beginning, middle and end of the night, we must diligently practice.”

We can see how diligent he was. Over the course of a day, he dared not waste any time. He did not let even a second pass in vain. While he rested at night, whether it was at the beginning, middle or end of the night, his mind was very collected and focused. He used this earnest diligence “to cultivate the supreme state of mind.” What he cultivated was a mind of the highest level. This supreme state of mind is the “wondrous mind.” The Buddha told him, “Nanda, thus you are considered a person of wisdom.”

Those who can control their sense organs well can also control how much they eat and drink. Thus they are considered people of wisdom. They well understand the substance and appearance of the mind. Nanda is someone I praise; all of you should learn from him.

We ordinary people often cannot control the arising of our thoughts, but Nanda could already “well understand the substance and appearance of the mind.” He was able to control his mind as it stirred. As his mind stirs, because he understands its substance, appearance and function, he knows how it can be applied to each situation, and which appearances require which methods. By knowing his mind’s substance and appearance, he has already realized true principles.

So, Nanda had attained this state. The Buddha said, “I am very happy.” The Buddha was happy, so He told all the bhiksus, “All of you should learn from him.” This is how everyone should learn.

Though he had made mistakes in his spiritual cultivation, he was able to immediately reflect and repent and could still do so well in his practice that the Buddha praised him. So, the Buddha uses various methods according to the time and the person to give teachings. Therefore, we should immediately accept them.

This was the previous passage in the sutra,

“With self-arrogance, they brag of their loftiness. They are flatterers, their hearts insincere. Throughout ten billion eons, they never hear the Buddha’s name.”

This was mentioned in the previous passage. The next section adds,

“Nor do they hear Right Dharma. Such people are difficult to transform.”

If people have “self-arrogance and brag of their loftiness” or are “flatterers with insincere hearts,” these kind of people over a long time, ten billion kalpas, will find it hard to encounter the Buddha or hear His name. Without knowing the Buddha, how could they know the Dharma? So, “they do not hear Right Dharma.”

“Such people are difficult to transform.” People like this are hard to transform, which greatly concerned the Buddha. How many people are like Nanda? The majority of people have improper thoughts, views and practices, or cannot tame their habitual tendencies. If we cannot find a way to do this, even if the Buddha appears before us, we will be difficult to transform. As the Buddha said, “nor do they hear Right Dharma.”

Nor do they hear Right Dharma: It is difficult to be born in an era with a Buddha. Perhaps our karmic connection with Him is poor. When we are physically obstructed, we cannot hear Right Dharma. When the mind-root is foolish or dull, we will hear but not understand Right Dharma.

Why could they not hear Right Dharma? “It is difficult to be born in an era with a Buddha.” And even if we are in the same era as a Buddha, “perhaps our karmic connection with Him is poor.” People like this are very arrogant and egotistic. People who are arrogant cannot accept the Buddha’s teachings.

Also, when people want to [become monastics], I often hear vigorous opposition from parents. When parents want to [become monastics], their children may also strongly oppose this. In conclusion, whether we are connected to a person as family, as friends, or as an acquaintance, the causes and conditions of these relationships may obstruct our practice.

Or, when we begin to learn the Buddha’s teachings, something happens around us that demonstrates the impermanence of life. Then we become afraid [and think], “I had just formed aspirations, why is my family, my career, or so on, not going well lately? Is it because I am following the Buddha? Is this the wrong thing to do? Did my karma bring maras to test me?”

I often hear people say, “This is because the Buddha is testing you.” The Buddha would never test people like this. This comes from our own minds. Have we really taken the Buddha into our hearts? Do we firmly hold on to our awakened minds? If we do, then no matter what challenges we encounter, we will be able to overcome all of them.

No matter what this severe karma is, as long as we want to repent, as long as our minds are resolute, then with time, these karmic obstacles will dissipate. This is the meaning behind “eliminating karma through conditions.” Even if things do not go our way, we can further strengthen our resolve. If these things cause us to lose our spiritual aspiration, then we are being obstructed.

If we remain obstructed, our karmic obstacles may grow. As time passes, our karma grows. Our karma grows with every second as our ignorance and afflictions multiply. Then we will create more bad karma. This is how it grows. Sometimes, our connections with family, friends and unwholesome people obstruct us. At other times, life events obstruct us, preventing us from hearing Right Dharma. “We cannot hear Right Dharma” because of various causes and conditions.

“When the mind-root is foolish and dull, we will hear but not understand Right Dharma.” Some people are not obstructed by external conditions or matters, so they can listen to the Dharma as they wish. However, their mind-root is foolish and dull. If, in the past, we built up too much ignorance and afflictions, our present mind-consciousness and -root may be rather foolish and dull. We can hear but cannot understand Right Dharma. Sometimes we hear Right Dharma but turn it into delusion, so we become even more deluded.

Some people may be Buddhists, but they do not properly understand principles. Upon [reading] the Earth Treasury Sutra, they say, “The Buddha said that there are water gods, stone gods, tree gods, plant gods and so on. So, I am very afraid of them. So, everywhere I go, I must pay my respects with joss paper and incense before I dare go forward. If there is a rock, I am afraid to step over it because there is a stone god.”

Consider this. In the Earth Treasury Sutra, the Buddha did say that in the dimensions of this world there are different beings in charge of different things, many ghosts and spirits and so on. But if we return to Right Dharma, to the principles of the Great Vehicle, [we will know] that the Buddha said this because when He began teaching, there were more than 90 religions in India. So, He had to adapt to the sentient beings and [beliefs] at that time. He used provisional teachings to help people draw near and understand, so they could first put aside those over 90 kinds of improper thinking and teachings. He first accommodated their capabilities so they would follow Him.

The Earth Treasury Sutra is a sutra about filial piety and making great vows. He gradually led people to see filial piety as the foremost of all good deeds. With the concept of filial piety, he guided all sentient beings to see all elders as their parents and all young people as their children, then expand their vow to cover the world, all sentient beings and all those in hell. This is how the Buddha patiently guided them. He waited until the end to teach the One Vehicle Dharma, when He wanted everyone to bring all the teachings back to their mind.

After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, there may be places where Right Dharma is taught. But we may be physically constrained from going there and listening. Or perhaps we give rise to deviant views and can listen but not faithfully accept it. Thus, listening to the Right Dharma is hard.

So, some people encounter all kinds of obstacles or are obstructed by their dull capabilities. These people existed during the Buddha’s lifetime, not to mention after He entered Parinirvana. There are places where Right Dharma is taught, “but we may be physically constrained.” All kinds of obstacles constrain us, preventing us from listening.

After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, there have been places that teach Right Dharma. People who want to go and listen may face all kinds of difficulties. Some people are physically constrained by others so they cannot listen to it. Others, having heard it, still cannot accept Right Dharma. For them, having listened to it is the same as not having listened at all. Perhaps they partially comprehend it, or take things out of context. When this happens, they might as well not have heard it. So, “nor do they hear Right Dharma. Such people are difficult to transform.”

As Buddhist practitioners, we must be mindful and faithfully accept and practice it. Only with a straightforward mind will we not stray. We must enter the Path with a meticulous mind so we can truly take Right Dharma to heart. “A humble mind is how we abide by the path.” Only by following the teachings can our every thought be in line with the path. Only then can we [succeed].

If we can accept and practice teachings from the start, that is the best way. But if we already started listening to and practicing the Dharma, yet still allowed our mind to waver, in the end, we have a chance to turn back and make vows. Then as with Nanda, the Buddha will be happy and praise us. Listening to Right Dharma and engaging in proper practices are what we must work hard to do; we must never stop doing this. Therefore, we must always be mindful.