Author: Scott Ogata

Become a person more actively involved in aiding their community.

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Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
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Chapter 2

Episode 237 – Eliminate Doubts to Give Rise to Faith

>> For all of us, “big mistakes are easy to
correct, habitual tendencies are difficult to eliminate. Attachment to the
small, bias toward emptiness lead to doubts about the One Vehicle Dharma. They
had happily received the Dharma and intended to only benefit themselves. Small
Vehicle practitioners have strong attachments and deep doubts.”

>>”At that time in the assembly, there were Hearers, Arhats, who
ended all Leaks, Ajnata Kaundinya and others, 1200 in all.” These people
numbered 1250 in all. Aside from these people, there were also many. Hearers
and Pratyekabuddhas.

>> The fourfold assembly consists of bhiksus and bhiksunis, upsakas and
upsikas. They “each had the following thought.”

>> Bhiksus: Also called almsmen. “Alms-” means they are seeking
something “-Man” makes this a refined title. They seek the Dharma to
nurture their wisdom-life. They seek food to nourish their physical life. A
pure life is what they live.

>> Almsmen are also Blessed Field Sangha. “They benefit sentient
beings, eliminate their own arrogance and are humble and self-effacing. Thus,
they achieve refined virtues.”

>> Bhiksuni has the same meaning as what is above. It is the term for
female monastics who have taken the complete monastic precepts.

For all of us,
“big mistakes are easy to correct, habitual tendencies are difficult to eliminate.
Attachment to the small, bias toward emptiness lead to doubts about the One Vehicle Dharma.
They had happily received the Dharma and intended to only benefit themselves.
Small Vehicle practitioners have strong attachments and deep doubts.”

In other words, it is easy to correct big mistakes. Killing, theft, sexual misconduct, lies, etc., are very obvious transgressions. In the past, [those who made] these kinds of mistakes in front of others [confessed] and changed their ways. [Although] there were many like this, it is eliminating our minor habitual tendencies that is truly not so easy.

[This is because] we are born with them, and they continuously influence us, life after life. So, changing these small habitual tendencies is not that easy. But one who is willing to change is a great person. Great people have everlasting resolve. Since they have vowed to change, they will constantly be vigilant of whether their behavior is right or wrong. If it is right, they [continue to] diligently improve. If it is wrong, they immediately correct it.

Thus, big mistakes are easy to change, but habitual tendencies are hard to eliminate. When we ordinary people know we have done a great wrong, we must repent [in order to be] purified. But does this truly cleanse us? [Actually], we still have our minor habits, so it is not easy to quickly and completely wash away all of our mental defilements.

If we have grievances in our hearts, even though we do not say them out loud, we will still continue to accumulate them. This also leads to afflictions and is also a habitual tendency. We know that we should not take issue with others. And though we may not visibly do so, in our minds we are often constantly taking issue with others. This also leads to afflictions and is also a habitual tendency. So, as we learn the teachings of the Buddha, we need to be vigilant of this.

If we ask ourselves, “Have I changed?”, [we may think,]. “Yes, I have changed a lot already.” What we should really ask ourselves is, “Have I eliminated my habitual tendencies?” This is most important. So, we must be vigilant of our tendencies and avoid giving in to them.

Many of us are attached to the Small Vehicle and biased toward emptiness. Some have attained a high level in their spiritual practice but are just focused on benefiting themselves. “If we do not contend with other people, we will all be at peace. If we have no conflicts over matters, everything will be tranquil.” By applying this perspective, they feel they do not need to contend with the world. This being attached to the Small Vehicle, only looking after oneself.

So, we must broaden [our perspective]. We cannot only focus on our own spiritual practice and just refrain from hurting others. we also have to guide others to do the same thing. We must transform ourselves and others. We must purify our minds and teach others to do the same.

We should know that if only one person becomes good, the world will still be in disarray. There needs to be many good people in this world for it to be peaceful. If we only focus on ourselves, we feel detached from everything else. So, that is bias toward emptiness, which [causes us to] “doubt the One Vehicle Dharma.”

The Buddha was starting to set aside the provisional teachings, the skillful means He taught in the past, for He about to teach the wondrous One Vehicle Dharma. But those attached to the Small Vehicle and biased toward emptiness began to have doubts. “Isn’t my spiritual cultivation good enough? What else do I need to practice? Isn’t my mind tranquil and still, in a state of Nirvana? In my state of mind, I no longer have any conflicts with others. Worldly matters have nothing to do with me. Isn’t my mind already tranquil and still? Is there really a state that is higher than this state of tranquility and stillness?”

In the past, as they cultivated Small Vehicle teachings, they had become very happy. “They had happily received the Dharma.” They felt they had no conflicts with others, for they only sought to benefit themselves. They no longer had afflictions that entangled them with other people and no longer planted evil karmic causes or formed negative conditions. Therefore, they felt that their minds were already tranquil and still.

But even if we do not plant negative causes, are we creating blessed conditions? We must create blessed karmic causes and conditions. Not having negative causes and conditions is a good thing, but we must still plant blessed causes and create blessed affinities. Only then can we cultivate both blessings and wisdom.

When we cast off negative causes and conditions, we are cultivating wisdom. But, we still need to [do good deeds to] create blessed causes and conditions. That is how we cultivate blessings. When we go among people and practice giving, we are creating blessings for them; we cannot just focus on benefiting ourselves.

So, “Small Vehicle practitioners have strong attachments and deep doubts.” They are firmly attached to. Small Vehicle teachings. Now that they were asked to go to the next stage to practice the wondrous One Vehicle Dharma to return to their intrinsic Tathagata-nature, they instead had doubts in their minds. These doubts and worries go very deep. This happened as His teachings were in the transitional stage. So, as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must always keep an open mind and not be attached to any one stage.

The previous sutra passage said,

“At that time in the assembly, there were Hearers, Arhats, who ended all Leaks, Ajnata Kaundinya and others, 1200 in all.” These people numbered 1250 in all. Aside from these people, there were also many. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.

When the Buddha taught, the fourfold assembly always gathered. Aside from bhiksus and bhiksunis, there were lay practitioners, upasakas and upasikas, male and female devotees. They were also at the Dharma-assembly, listening to the Buddha-Dharma. The capabilities of some of these lay practitioners were very great. After listening to teachings, they also intensely contemplated them, so they could realize [the truth of] the Dharma. Thus, they could also be considered. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas. They had the same knowledge, so they were like Hearers, who ended all Leaks. Even if they did not become monastics, they still listened to and understood the Dharma and were mindful of all things in the world. Take the lay practitioner, Vimalakirti, as an example. His wisdom was not inferior to Arhats or bhiksus.

Thus, upasakas and upasikas were also there. The fourfold assembly consists of.

The fourfold assembly consists of bhiksus and bhiksunis, upsakas and upsikas. They “each had the following thought.”

They all had doubts, so “the following thought” refers to their doubts.

They had grown used to the Buddha’s previous teachings. They had made the improvements to their minds they needed to make. Since they no longer had conflicts with others, their hearts were very pure; what else did they need to do? What was this wondrous One Vehicle Dharma? Not only were monastic disciples doubtful, but the lay disciples also had the same doubts. So, they “had the following thought.”

We will now discuss those who felt this way, starting with Ajnata Kaundinya. What does it mean to be a bhiksu? We have to first understand [the word] “bhiksu.”

In Chinese, it means “almsman.”

Bhiksus: Also called almsmen. “Alms-” means they are seeking something “-Man” makes this a refined title. They seek the Dharma to nurture their wisdom-life. They seek food to nourish their physical life. A pure life is what they live.

“Alms-” means they seek something from others, meaning they ask and beg for things “-Man” indicates refinement. So, they are called almsmen

“-Men” is a suffix in Chinese that expresses a sense of refinement and status. In Chinese, one with a doctorate is called a “man of abundant knowledge.” One with a master’s degree is a “man with extensive knowledge.” When we call someone a “gentleman,” we indicate that his character is very disciplined, noble and courteous. It is an elegant title, so the suffix “-man” is used.

So, almsmen are people who “seek the Dharma to nurture their wisdom-life.” From whom do they seek teachings? From the Buddha. Some monastics [in the Buddha’s time] were from [wealthy families] and had lived in luxury, yet they abandoned that life to become monastics with only three pieces of clothing and an alms bowl. But for the sake of their spiritual cultivation, they felt it was very important to seek the Dharma from the Buddha.

So, when we learn the Buddha’s Way, we are not just trying to transform in this life, just temporarily. No, we want to develop our wisdom-life. So, if we do not seek the Dharma, that is like eliminating our source of food. If we stop eating, we cannot stay alive. So, we must seek the Dharma to nurture and grow our wisdom-life. [This is why] we seek the Dharma.

We must also seek food. We “seek food to nourish our physical body.” Our body needs nutrients to sustain itself. Only when we are well-nourished can we seek the Dharma to grow our wisdom-life. So, “almsmen” are those who seek the Buddha-path, the teachings of the Buddha. We also seek food to nourish our body, to sustain our pure living.

In particular, we must know that begging for food is a way to make connections. Monks, after receiving Dharma from the Buddha, went to people’s homes to make connections. People would immediately make offerings of food with great respect. Then the monks would give teachings to the laypeople. This was how they passed on the teachings and made connections.

During the Buddha’s lifetime, this was how the monastics lived, so “bhiksus are also called Blessed Field Sangha.” They sought the Dharma from the Buddha and then passed it on to laypeople. And when laypeople saw monastics, they felt joy and could practice giving. Benefiting sentient beings is blessing and helping others. How does this practice affect us? It eliminates our arrogance and pride.

For monastic disciples, whether bhiksus or bhiksunis, since they live in a monastic community, the first step in their practice is to eliminate arrogance and pride. Some of them were the Buddha’s royal relatives. When royalty engaged in spiritual practice, if they were still proud and arrogant, how could they succeed? So, in the Buddha’s Sangha, everyone was equal. Each had three robes and one alms bowl. To eat, they had to beg for alms and go door to door to benefit others and eliminate their arrogance. This was a way to be humble and self-effacing. They had to diminish their egos and be humble. [Eliminating] arrogance and pride is the foundation of spiritual practice.

“Thus, they achieved refined virtues.”

Almsmen are also Blessed Field Sangha. “They benefit sentient beings, eliminate their own arrogance and are humble and self-effacing. Thus, they achieve refined virtues.”

This describes bhiksus. They are male monastic practitioners. There are also bhiksunis.

Bhiksuni has the same meaning as what is above. It is the term for female monastics who have taken the complete monastic precepts.

The meaning of bhiksuni is the same as [bhiksu]. Bhiksunis must also eliminate their arrogance and pride. In the Buddha’s Sangha, everyone was equal. There were bhiksunis with very high status, such as the Buddha’s aunt, or Yasodhara, etc. They all became monastics. In the royal palace, they had enjoyed luxuries and high status. Now that they were practicing in the Sangha, could they still live like royalty? Of course not.

So, as part of our spiritual practice, we must cultivate the concept of equality. Therefore, they are almswomen, bhiksunis “-Ni” connotes female, hence the terms bhiksus and bhiksunis.

Fellow Bodhisattvas, in learning the Buddha’s Way, particularly as monastics, we must be very mindful. As we benefit sentient beings, we must also tame our arrogance. We cannot be attached to the Small [Vehicle] and biased toward emptiness. So, we must go amongst people. This is the wondrous One Vehicle Dharma that the Buddha taught His disciples. Therefore, in our daily living, we must realize the wondrous One Vehicle Dharma. There is no need to doubt it. So everyone, we must always be mindful.

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Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
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Chapter 2

Episode 236 – Contemplate the Four Truths, Attain Nirvana-joy

>>”To contemplate the Four Noble Truths,
and thus transcend cyclic existence to attain Nirvana-joy, this is the
Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.”

>>”At that time in the assembly, there were Hearers, Arhats, who
ended all Leaks, 1200 in all.”

>> The Hearer Vehicle: The Four Noble Truths is their vehicle, which
allows them to attain the fruit of Arhatship. The Solitary Realizer Vehicle:
The 12 Links of Cyclic Existence is their vehicle, which allows them to attain
the fruit of Pratyekabuddhas.

>>”With sincerity and diligence, they seek wisdom in nature,
joyfully awaken themselves to attain Nirvana and penetrate causes and
conditions of all things. This is the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.”

“To contemplate the Four Noble Truths,
and thus transcend cyclic existence
to attain Nirvana-joy,
this is the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.”

We are constantly discussing the principles behind [the practices of]. Hearers and Solitary Realizers. We should also know that when it came to spiritual practice, the Buddha guided them in an attentive and patient manner. He taught all sentient beings according to their capabilities. To spiritual practitioners, He emphasized that they must all contemplate the Four Noble Truths,

which are the fundamentals of Buddhism and the foundation for the Bodhi-path we want to pave. So, the Buddha’s opening teachings were on the truth of suffering, its causation, cessation, and the path to cessation. He taught us to understand them and helped us heighten our vigilance. Every word we say, every action we take, is subject to the law of karma.

We amass various karmic conditions as [we interact with] people, matters and things, and this will affect us, lifetime after lifetime. Both positive and negative [conditions] are continuously being accumulated. Thus, we create our own suffering and joy. If we have created suffering, this was because we planted negative causes and formed many negative conditions. That is why we face so many negative retributions. This principle is correct.

If we planted seeds of bad karmic causes and form bad karmic conditions, we reap bitter fruits. Of course, the Buddha then taught us how to create good causes and form good conditions that will naturally yield blessed retributions. This is why, when the Buddha first gave teachings to sentient beings, He began with the Four Noble Truths.

Ordinary lay practitioners must also really understand the principles of the truth of suffering, causation, cessation and the path. Moreover, as we begin our spiritual practice, we must [choose] the correct starting point and the right course to follow. We must be even clearer, so we can understand the Buddha’s teachings, only then can we pass them on to all people in the world. Therefore, we spiritual practitioners must really value and be mindful of the Four Noble Truths. So, I keep reinforcing this perspective for you, as the Buddha did in His lifetime.

After the previous section of verses, this section of prose begins with,

“At that time in the assembly, there were Hearers, Arhats, who ended all Leaks, 1200 in all.”

This represented the many people [at the assembly]. Among them, the Buddha sought suitable people to turn from the small to the great. The suitable people were. Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas and so on. They had worked hard on their spiritual practice, but they also needed a shift in their perspective. So, I hope you can all earnestly understand the teachings and principles the Buddha used to directly appeal to people with limited and average capabilities.

Both Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas had to begin [their practice] by diligently learning the Four Noble Truths. Then naturally, they transcended cyclic existence. They thought, “I understand how cyclic existence works.” Aside from the Four Noble Truths, these Realizers of Conditions also [knew] the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. We have also previously discussed the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, how each stage leads to the next until we are born to this world and then experience aging, illness and death. The beginning of our life is beyond our control. Our affinities with our parents were formed in a past life. After going through the stages of “feeling, craving, grasping” and so on, we will keep coming back to be born in this world and encounter people. This causes us to continually replicate our ignorance and afflictions, which leads us to our next rebirth.

How many people are actually fortunate enough to receive the Buddha’s principles? How many people get to listen to His teachings? After listening to the Buddha-Dharma, how many can actually take it into their hearts? Then, out of the very few people who can take the Dharma into their hearts, how many people can truly put the Dharma into practice, plant good causes, form good conditions and continue to walk the Bodhisattva-path? Therefore, it is rare for people to encounter the Dharma, not to mention put it into practice. However, in the Buddha’s time, His monastic retinue numbered some 1200 people. Some of them were Hearers who had attained the fruit of Arhatship. There were also others who had attained the fruit of Pratyekabuddhas.

The Hearer Vehicle: The Four Noble Truths is their vehicle, which allows them to attain the fruit of Arhatship. The Solitary Realizer Vehicle: The 12 Links of Cyclic Existence is their vehicle, which allows them to attain the fruit of Pratyekabuddhas.

The Hearers’ fruit of Arhatship came from earnestly practicing according to the Four Noble Truths. They were very vigilant of not accumulating more worldly connections that would entangle them in subsequent lifetimes. This kind of Hearer, an Arhat, constantly heightened his vigilance. As for Solitary Realizers, they delved even deeper into the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. They used this framework to always contemplate how life began and proceeded. This was what Solitary Realizers did. They believed that if they could constantly contemplate and work to understand the Four Noble Truths and. Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, they would naturally transcend cyclic existence. Then they could stop transmigrating and

achieve a tranquil state of mind, which is Nirvana-joy. “When the mind is without hindrances, there is no fear.” If they can reach this mental state where their minds are no longer influenced by the environment, that is Nirvana-joy.

I often mention “non-arising and non-ceasing.” What is non-arising? It means not to give rise to cravings, desires and greed. Naturally, if we experience no arising, there will be no ceasing. If we had no greed and desires, why would we even need to practice? This is what “non-arising and non-ceasing” means. If we have no greed and desires, we will not come to this world to create conflicts and afflictions with other people.

If we do not contend with people, they will not harm us. If we do not want to seize other people’s good fortune, we will not create enmity or resentment. So, if we can live this way, we will have no afflictions. Isn’t this how monastics live? They have no conflicts with people, over matters or with the world. So, by transcending confusion and delusions, naturally, they can attain Nirvana-joy and be in the land of calm illumination.

A state of mind that is always pure and luminous is Nirvana. Nirvana is not what comes after people die. No, [Nirvana is when] our minds can transcend the cycle of arising and ceasing at all times and avoid things that cause us to waver or be uneasy. [Achieving this practice] is the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.

As we discussed before, “[There were] those who aspired to be Hearers.” The Buddha had a retinue of 1200, including those who aspired to be. Hearers and Solitary Realizers.

The 1200 that we just spoke of were the five bhiksus to whom the Buddha first taught, plus the 50 friends of Yasas, the 1000 disciples of the three Kasyapa [brothers] and 200 disciples of Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. Altogether, there were 1255 people. These people, over five years, were transformed by the Buddha, and then they followed Him. So, we speak of the “1250 people.”

“[There were also] those who aspired to become. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.” Besides these 1250 people, there were countless, innumerable Hearers, who had already formed aspirations and mindfully listened to the Dharma. In addition, after hearing the Dharma, they would listen, contemplate and practice it. Those who would also connect it with phenomena in the world to penetrate the Buddha’s teachings more deeply were called Pratyekabuddhas. There were countless people with such resolve.

We mentioned previously that the Four Noble Truths are truly very important. [They are principles that]. Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, and even Bodhisattvas, must understand.

In Kasyapa Buddha’s time, there was a novice monk who followed a bhiksu in spiritual practice. One day, the young novice heard a commotion in the market outside and told his master, “Out in the market, things are bustling about. We should go out right now and ask for alms. Most likely it will not take long for us to fill our alms bowls. [Then we can] return fully laden.” His master told him, “It is still early, the time has not yet come. Wait a while and remain mindful.”

He could not bear it, so he ran outside again. Seeing so many people, he quickly ran back in and told his master, “Master, we can go out now.” His master, the bhiksu, told the novice, “Wait a moment, it is still too early.” But the novice could not bear it any longer, so he became angry and resentful and cursed his master, saying, “How can you be so stubborn? Just die!” Then he grabbed his alms bowl and rushed outside to beg for alms.

But as he walked, he felt troubled and very unhappy. He became very repentant, so he turned around and made his way home on his knees. Thus, he knelt in front of his master and expressed his remorse. His master did not reproach him and just let it pass.

Because of this incident, the novice fell into the evil destinies for 500 lifetimes, during which he experienced all kinds of suffering. Although he suffered extensively, he did not create more karma. He constantly reminded himself to be vigilant. After those 500 lifetimes, he was born into the family of a Sravasti elder. Within his consciousness, the idea remained that samsara, cyclic existence, is immense suffering. Therefore, soon after he was born, he said, “Samsara is immense suffering.” Yet he did not know how suffering came about. Later, he had the chance to become a monastic [with Sakyamuni Buddha]. His mind was inherently pure, so he could quickly take the Dharma to heart. Thus, he quickly attained the fruit of Arhatship.

Pratyekabuddhas [practice] the Middle Vehicle, one level above the Small Vehicle. Upon hearing all sounds and seeing all phenomena, they could analyze them and attain realizations. This is what Pratyekabuddhas do. So, the Chapter on Parables contains the following section of text,

“With sincerity and diligence, they seek wisdom in nature, joyfully awaken themselves to attain Nirvana and penetrate causes and conditions of all things. This is the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.”

This tells us that those who deserve to be called Pratyekabuddhas must be “sincere and diligent” and strive to seek wisdom in nature. They mindfully analyze all natural phenomena they encounter. From the Buddha’s words, they learn the teachings for Hearers and understand them. Then by analyzing natural phenomena, they realize many principles. So, they “joyfully awaken themselves to attain Nirvana.” They seek to awaken only themselves. The more they understand the law of karma, the more they heighten their vigilance. They dare not create affinities with others, so they are called Solitary Realizers, Realizers of Conditions or Pratyekabuddhas.

They engage in their own practices and avoid creating any further karmic affinities. They can penetrate the causes and conditions of all things. This “reveals the meaning of solitary realization.” They already have a thorough understanding of the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, so they are very vigilant. So, Realizers of Conditions already understand the principles of causes and conditions, the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. They are Pratyekabuddhas,

those who are replete with the wisdom of both Hearers and Solitary Realizers. Thus, they are called Pratyekabuddhas. They listened to the Buddha teach and understood the law of karma. So, all these factors combined make them Pratyekabuddhas.

Fellow Bodhisattvas, indeed there is Dharma in all places. No matter what kind of sound we hear, when we listen mindfully, everything is a teaching. Therefore, we must be mindful. Every word we speak creates karma. Because of the law of karma, we must indeed always heighten our vigilance and always be mindful.

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Wisdom at Dawn
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Chapter 2

Episode 235 – Hearers Diligently Eliminate Habitual Tendencies

>>”What the Tathagata taught was heard by
the assembly. The Buddha expounded the One Vehicle Dharma verbally. By
listening to it, sentient beings attained realizations; this is called
hearing.”

>> [There were also] those who aspired to be. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas,
bhikshus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas. Each had the following thought.

“What the Tathagata taught
was heard by the assembly.
The Buddha expounded
the One Vehicle Dharma verbally.
By listening to it, sentient beings attained realizations; this is called hearing.”

We know about Hearers. For us to understand the teachings, we have to take it in through our ears. In the past, the Buddha used His speech to expound the Dharma to sentient beings, who then used their ears to listen to teachings. So, “what the Tathagata taught was heard by the assembly.” The Buddha had to speak, so people could have the opportunity to listen. The Buddha taught according to capabilities and gave teachings that sentient beings could accept. This demonstrated the Buddha’s wisdom and the pains He went through to transform people.

Time waits for no one, and the Buddha’s heart had guarded the teachings He wanted to give ever since He attained enlightenment. After 40-plus years, He had to share it. So, the Buddha taught the One Vehicle, which is singular [truth]. As we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we really only have one goal: to realize the true wondrous Dharma. So, the Buddha wanted everyone to know that the ultimate goal in learning His teachings is to realize the teachings of the One Vehicle, the ultimate truth. So, the Buddha taught the One Vehicle teachings.

This was His voice. The skillful means of the past were also spread through His voice and wisdom. The words came out from His mouth for everyone to hear and accept. And at this moment, when He was giving the One Vehicle teachings, He also taught verbally, so sentient beings could take them in and attain realizations and understanding. After listening to it and saying, that we know [this teaching,] we must also understand it. So, we must listen, contemplate and practice. After listening to and taking in [the Dharma,] we must really contemplate it, so we can completely realize it. This is learning.

Initially after the Buddha attained enlightenment, the first time He expounded the Dharma was to transform the five bhiksus. The teachings they received from the Buddha began with the Four Noble Truths. But this was not the Buddha’s original intent. Yet, it came from His wisdom. He originally intended to tell these five people, “I have attained enlightenment and realized wisdom as boundless as the vast universe. My present state of mind is like the Avatamsaka Dharma-assembly, a state of tranquility and clarity.” But the Buddha [knew] that these five people could not accept that; this consideration revealed His wisdom.

We often tell the story of the five bhiksus, of how it all started. After Sakyamuni Buddha left home, the king [was worried about Him]. So, he quickly sent five people to persuade the prince to return. Yet, Prince Siddhartha was firm in his resolve to be a monastic. No matter what his five elders said to him, his spiritual aspirations remained firm. On the contrary, when he told them about the true principles he wanted to pursue, these five were drawn in. So just like that, they became determined to follow him in they became determined to follow the prince in seeking out these ideal true principles.

They visited many [teachers]. They spent five years trying to understand the true principles. But, after the first five years [of traveling], they realized they were not finding the ideal teachings that the crown prince sought. So, they then followed the prince as he gave up asking [these teachers] and went to find a place to engage in spiritual practice. So, these were the six years of ascetic practices.

After six years, the prince also felt these ascetic practices would not help him understand how all things in the world seem to conceal and contain both existence and non-existence, true “existence” and impermanent, empty “non-existence.” He just could not overcome this small hurdle. Once Prince Siddhartha felt that this was wasting time, he decided to abandon ascetic practice and find a different path.

But first he had to wash away the dust and dirt that had accumulated from the many years he spent in ascetic practice. After so many years of ascetic practice, he had exhausted his physical strength. So, when he stood up after bathing, he fainted. Then he accepted some milk from a shepherdess. With this goat milk, his strength was restored.

To help him, the shepherdess pulled him up and gave him a bowl of goat milk. As the prince gratefully accepted it, those five people came upon him. From afar they saw their young prince accepting offerings from a woman. The two were very close together. So, when the five saw them, their minds became doubtful. They started to look down on and feel disrespect toward the prince they had been following.

Therefore, the five of them left the prince and agreed to find a place where they could continue their spiritual practice. The place they found was Deer Park. The five people stayed there and continued their spiritual practice. When Prince Siddhartha saw from a distance that the five had turned and left, he knew what was happening. He felt that engaging in spiritual practice alone would free him of burdens. So, he found a place near the Niranjana River, under a big tree. He chose a rock and vowed, “If I do not penetrate the truths of all things in the universe, if I do not attain perfect enlightenment, I will never leave this place.”

This was how he began to continuously contemplate and carefully ponder the various principles behind all things in the natural world. After a period of 21 days, suddenly, before daybreak, he opened his eyes and looked straight at a star in the sky. His mind connected with the star, and he became enlightened.

After [attaining enlightenment], He really wanted the eight classes of Dharma-protectors to realize His state of mind, but they could not. So, in that instant, He thought about entering Parinirvana. If heavenly beings and Dharma-protectors could not comprehend His state, how could ordinary people? He might as well enter Parinirvana.

As He was thinking this, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas immediately manifested to comfort Him. They told Him this happened to past Buddhas, too. To teach the Dharma in the world, They had to exercise wisdom and establish skillful means. Since Beginningless Time, this has been the path of all Buddhas. Because of this, He changed His mind and went to Deer Park.

When He arrived at Deer Park, the five people saw from a distance that their crown prince had returned. They chose to pay no attention to Him. They slighted their prince. But as He came closer, an indescribable feeling came over them. The five people could not help but approach the Buddha. Together, they knelt and prostrated.

They reverently asked Him to give them teachings. “What wondrous principles have you realized? Venerable prince, please tell us.” From the start, He talked about suffering. So, the truths of suffering, causation, cessation, and the path were taught at this time.

The Buddha told them, “I have attained perfect, universal enlightenment. I have realized Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, supreme, perfect and universal enlightenment. I am the Great Enlightened One, no longer the crown prince from Kapilavastu.” From then on, everyone called Him the Great Enlightened One, the Buddha or the World-Honored One. This was when He began

teaching the Four Noble Truths and gave three turns of [the Dharma-wheel]. Ajnata Kaundinya was first to attain realizations. So, this passage once again describes the karmic conditions between the Buddha and Ajnata Kaundinya.

The sutra always mentions “1250 people.” As I have said, the Buddha, over five years, transformed 1255 people. Among them, five were. Ajnata Kaundinya and his companions. In the second year, He transformed Yasas, the third year, the three Kasyapa brothers, and the fifth year, Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. So, over five years, “1250 people” joined the Buddha’s retinue.

Thus, the Tathagata gave teachings suitable for sentient beings’ capabilities. He had to do this even for. Yasas, the three Kasyapa brothers and. Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. They were representatives of spiritual practitioners of that era. When Yasas was a layperson, he was a young man from a wealthy family and really wanted to pursue true principles. He brought 49 friends with him to take refuge in the Buddha-Dharma. The three Kasyapa brothers were well-respected in their country. Altogether, they led 1000 disciples in taking refuge. Maudgalyayana and Sariputra each had 100 disciples. Though they were foremost in wisdom, even spiritual practitioners such as them yielded to the Buddha’s wisdom and came to take refuge with the Buddha.

So, He was gradually followed by both Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas. So, we commonly use “1250 people” to represent the Sangha. This is how it is often recorded in the sutras. No matter how many people there were, it just mentions “1250 people.”

At this time, there were also many. “Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.”

[There were also] those who aspired to be. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas, bhikshus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas. Each had the following thought.

Besides the 1250 people, there were many who formed aspirations and became Hearers in order to comprehend the Buddha-Dharma. There were also others who did not achieve understanding only through listening. They used their wisdom to meticulously contemplate the principles of the world and gradually realize them. They were Pratyekabuddhas. People who made these aspirations, whether seasoned or newly inspired, gradually joined the Sangha. They were all Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.

Who were these Hearers? Hearers were those who listened to the Buddha verbally give teachings. Perhaps they “used the Four Noble Truths as their vehicle.” Their way of engaging in spiritual practice was to use the Four Noble Truth as their foundation.

Every single Hearer, when they listened to teachings, used the Four Noble Truths as their foundation. So, they “used the Four Noble Truths as their vehicle,” the truths of suffering, causation, cessation and the path.

Life is really full of suffering, and we accumulate the causes of many difficulties. Now that we are engaging in spiritual practice, we know these true principles. We recognize the truth of suffering. It comes from the accumulation of causes. “Causation” is a result of the law of karma. What method can we use to bring about the “cessation” of this suffering? What method can we use to cultivate the path to its cessation? [When sentient beings suffer,] they continuously recreate their sufferings, afflictions, and the sources of karmic forces. These are being continuously replicated. This is why humans suffer.

The Buddha comes to the world solely to help people understand this matter. This teaching is something we all think we know. But knowing it is one thing, thoroughly comprehending it is another. So, we still cannot change ourselves completely because changing habits is very difficult. So, fellow Bodhisattvas, as we listen to the teachings every day, we must improve every day. Even when the teaching is the same, we must continuously deepen our understanding. That is the correct attitude toward listening to the teachings. So, we must always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0234

Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
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Chapter 2

Episode 234 – Teaching Ultimate Reality through Skillful Means

>>”The wisdom of all Buddhas is vast
and profound. They have achieved rare and difficult-to-understand Dharma. But
based on the various capabilities of the Three Vehicle practitioners, They
taught ultimate reality through dependent truths.”

>>”At that time in the assembly, there were Hearers, Arhats who
ended all Leaks, Ajnata Kaundinya and others.”

>> Besides these 1200 bhiksus, there were people who aspired to be.
Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas. Bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, and upasikas

“The wisdom of all Buddhas is vast and profound.
They have achieved rare and difficult-to-understand Dharma.
But based on the various capabilities of the Three Vehicle practitioners,
They taught ultimate reality through dependent truths.”

In this time, we continue to hope that everyone will develop great faith. Therefore, we must believe that the wisdom of all Buddhas is vast and profound and that They have achieved rare and difficult-to-understand Dharma.

We have been continuously discussing these passages. This is also what the Buddha taught before He taught the Lotus Sutra to the Three Vehicle disciples, Hearers, Solitary Realizers and newly-inspired Bodhisattvas.

The Three Vehicle teachings are different and are for those with different karmic conditions. The Buddha taught them the principles that they could understand. So, those are called “dependent truths. Dependent” refers to how they are suited for their different capabilities. Small Vehicle practitioners, or Hearers, rely on listening to achieve understanding. When they first listen to teachings, based on their capabilities, He taught them principles they could understand. These are “dependent” and are “truths.” Based on their karmic conditions, He taught them principles they could understand.

Realizers of Conditions, Solitary Realizers and. Pratyekabuddhas have the same capabilities. These names mean the same thing. For these practitioners of average capabilities, He taught based on their capabilities and spoke of what they could understand and contemplate deeply. These are also “dependent” and are “truths.” These principles suit their capabilities and understanding.

Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas know that they should not only focus on their own self-awakening but must also awaken others. They must transform themselves and also aspire to transform others. Bodhisattvas who have just made such aspirations are called newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. To these people who have just formed aspirations, based on their capabilities, He taught principles that would help them remain inspired. These are also “dependent” and are “truths.”

“Truths” refers to principles. “Dependent” refers to the karmic condition of their capabilities. Thus, “They teach ultimate reality through dependent truths.” Based on the capabilities they began with, He continually gave them teachings that they could understand to [guide them from] the simple to the profound. Regardless of their capabilities, they would continuously advance from the simple to the profound. Now, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, everyone’s capabilities and conditions should be suitable for the Buddha to give them the great teachings. It is time [to teach] what He had been carrying in His mind for over 40 years, which is the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle. This is how He “teaches ultimate reality through dependent truths.” At this time, He was about to reveal the ultimate.

The next verse of the sutra states,

“At that time in the assembly, there were Hearers, Arhats who ended all Leaks, Ajnata Kaundinya and others.”

This is the moment the Buddha was about to speak. The previous sections were given in verse. Now that we are finished with these verses, the next section is in prose. This new passage describes the Hearers in the assembly. They were wondering, “What Dharma will the Buddha expound? Aren’t the teachings we have been listening to the Buddha-Dharma?”

In the assembly, there were people with the capabilities of Hearers, Arhats who had ended all Leaks. We know what Hearers and Arhats are like. Hearers rely on listening to teachings to understand the Buddha-Dharma. By realizing truths, they attain liberation. But, this is a limited liberation. In this way, when people with small capabilities listen to this Dharma, they become open and understanding. This is the level of the Buddha-Dharma that they can understand; these are Hearers. Among the noble beings of the Three Vehicles, Hearers have the most limited capabilities.

Though they have limited capabilities, by aspiring to engage in spiritual practice they have already eliminated their afflictions and are no longer entangled by worldly affections. So, they are also considered noble beings. They are called Hearers. Arhats have ended all Leaks. Having ended all Leaks means that at their stage, they have already eliminated greed, anger and ignorance. By listening to the Buddha’s teachings, they have completely eliminated their doubts and afflictions, particularly their greed. Therefore, spiritual practitioners must be content and have few desires. [By developing that mindset,] they are on their way to becoming noble beings.

Among them was Ajnata Kaundinya. These people were now thinking, “We have already attained liberation with the teachings the Buddha taught in the past. Why is He now giving more teachings? In the past, He taught skillful means. Now, He is going to teach the ultimate truth of the One Vehicle. Why is He doing that?” The 1200 people at the [Lotus Dharma-assembly] had these doubts.

In the sutra, a large group of people is often referred to as 1200 people. In Buddhist classics, we often see the number “1250 people.” This number refers to the Buddha’s retinue; here, they were represented by Ajnata Kaundinya. Because those 1000-plus names could not be listed one by one, Ajnata Kaundinya was used to represent them.

When the Buddha first attained enlightenment, He gave His first teaching at Deer Park. For the five bhiksus, He taught the Four Noble Truths. The principles of the Four Noble Truths are the truth of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. I have often talked about this before. After He taught them the Four Noble Truths, they attained liberation. But He had to repeat this one teaching three times.

The first time He taught it, Ajnata Kaundinya was the only person to realize it. The other four were still confused. Out of His compassion, the Buddha explained the Four Noble Truths again. “Do you understand now?” Two more disciples said, “I now understand the principles You have taught.” But there were still two who did not. So with compassion and wisdom, He explained the Four Noble Truths again.

The same principles had to be explained three times for five people. He had to turn the [Dharma-wheel] three times. We all should know that the. Four Noble Truths had to be taught three times just for the five bhiksus to understand. Only then were the Three Treasures of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, complete. This was accomplished at Deer Park.

After they realized the Four Noble Truths, they began to put the principles into practice. After understanding and realizing the teachings, they became liberated. After their minds attained the Dharma, their bodies and minds were liberated through realization of the Four Noble Truths. At this moment, the Buddha told everyone that the provisional teachings He gave in the past were not perfect. It was inevitable that at this point, they would all have questions.

These 1250 [did not join Him all at once]. After He attained enlightenment, [the first time He taught,]. He transformed five people, Ajnata Kaundinya and the four other bhiksus. In His second year, He transformed 50 people, Yasas [and his friends].

Yasas was the son of an elder. He came from a very affluent family. His parents were still living, and he had 49 very good friends. These 50 people felt, “We were born to such noble families, and our lives are filled with blessings. But look at how much other people suffer. What is the difference between us and them? How come we are so blessed? Let us all make a promise to each other to search for the true principles. If we find the true principles, then we will have something we can rely on.”

So, these 50 fine young men very much wanted to understand the true principles of the world. “Let’s promise that if we find true principles, we will practice them together.” This was their agreement.

One day, Yasas heard someone mention, “The Buddha is one who attained great liberation and great enlightenment.” Thus, he went to the abode to seek the Dharma. The Buddha gave him teachings that helped him understand the impermanence of life and how everyone has the same Buddha-nature, so he should search for the wondrous Dharma of True Suchness. So, he shared these principles with his friends. He also had 49 friends to share them with.

He invited his friends by saying, “We should take refuge with the Buddha.” His friends all agreed with him, These 50 people were the disciples that the Buddha accepted in the second year after He attained enlightenment. These 50 monastics, along with the first five people, were the 55 disciples.

He transformed the three Kasyapa brothers, and they led all of their followers to take refuge with the Buddha-Dharma. Therefore, in the third year, the largest number of people took refuge with Him, 1000 in total.

During the fifth year, He transformed Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. We all know that they were transformed because of Bhiksu Asvajit’s dignified demeanor.

As the two of them engaged in spiritual practice, they felt that within all things in the universe, there still seemed to be very wondrous and subtle principles that they had not yet penetrated. So, [they agreed that] if they came across principles that could help them understand even the smallest thing that they did not understand, they would tell each other and take refuge and learn together.

So one day, when Bhiksu Asvajit was walking on the street, Sariputra saw him from afar and wondered, “How does someone [acquire] such a dignified appearance? The way he walks and moves, his every gesture is so dignified. What kind of teachings is he practicing that enables him to have such a dignified appearance?”

So, Sariputra hurried to him for advice. “What practices are you cultivating?'”Who is your teacher?” Bhiksu Asvajit’s response greatly satisfied Sariputra, so he shared it with Maudgalyayana and the two decided to go to the Buddha to seek teachings. The Buddha taught them the true principles, the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. This gave them a deeper understanding to why things happen in life. Aside from suffering, causation, cessation and the path, with the principles of the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, they further understood how life comes and goes. So, the two of them brought their 200 disciples with them when they took refuge in the Buddha-Dharma.

Adding these four groups together totals 1255 people. But when we read the sutras, the beginning only mentions “1250 people.” The phrase does not say “55 people,” but says “1250 people.” This was the Buddha’s retinue. The beginning of every sutra mentions these followers because they were frequently by the Buddha’s side. Sometimes they have the karmic conditions to travel far away to transform sentient beings, but they also often return to the Buddha’s side. So, the “1250 people” refers to the Buddha’s retinue.

The sutra frequently mentions. Ajnata Kaundinya and 1200 others. The exact number is “1255 people.” What the sutra uses is only a symbolic number for the number of people who had questions.

Besides these 1200 bhiksus, there were people who aspired to be. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas. Bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, and upasikas

all had these same doubts.

They were very mindful, so at the assembly, they were all curious about what the Buddha was going to teach. What is “the ultimate truth of the One Vehicle”? How subtle and wondrous were the teachings the Buddha guarded in His mind? This was what they were all wondering. We also have the same questions. So, we must have great questions to attain great realizations. Therefore, we must still always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0233

Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
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Chapter 2

Episode 233 – With Strong Faith We Resonate with the Truth

>> We must “believe that our minds are no
different from the Buddha-mind. When the mind and phenomena are one, we are in
sync with the ultimate truth. With wisdom and compassion, the Tathagata gave
both provisional and true teachings. When power of faith solidifies, it brings
us closer to the Buddha’s understanding and views.”

>>”The Buddha used the power of skillful means to reveal the Three
Vehicle teachings so that sentient beings, who are attached to everything, may
be guided and released.”

We must
“believe that our minds are no different from the Buddha-mind.
When the mind and phenomena are one, we are in sync with the ultimate truth.
With wisdom and compassion, the Tathagata gave both provisional and true teachings.
When power of faith solidifies, it brings us closer to the Buddha’s understanding and views.”
This tells us that we must have faith, we must believe. By giving rise to great power of faith, we will believe that our minds are no different from the Buddha-mind. [The nature] of mind, Buddhas and sentient beings are no different. So, the Buddha’s mind and sentient beings’ minds are the same. We must have faith in ourselves and believe that our intrinsic Tathagata-nature is also equivalent to the Buddha’s.

If we have this kind of faith, the mind and all phenomena become one, and we can return to our pure intrinsic nature. Then our capabilities will be in sync with true principles. So, we become “in sync with the ultimate truth” when our capabilities connect with these principles. Whether we can do this or not depends on whether we have great faith.

If we have great power of faith, we will absolutely believe what the Buddha has told us about everyone intrinsically having Buddha-nature. We must believe this. Having “great power of faith” means we have great self-confidence. We must have great self-confidence. Then we will have great capabilities and powers, and we can be in sync with true principles. So, “when the mind and phenomena are one, we are in sync with the ultimate truth.” This is how we elevate ourselves.

Because the Buddha has compassion and wisdom, He exercised both simultaneously and came to this world for one great cause. The Buddha is both compassionate and wise. If He was not compassionate, He would not return. But because He is replete with compassion, He cannot bear to let sentient beings experience such great suffering in their cyclic existence in the Six Realms. He cannot bear to let them cause imbalance in the [natural world] through their collective karma. For so many people to be suffering is something Buddhas and Bodhisattvas cannot bear.

They cannot bear it because they have “universal compassion.” Therefore, the suffering of sentient beings is the suffering of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. This “universal compassion,” when exercised, awakens wisdom. Then with wisdom, they teach according to capabilities in this world. This is what it means to “exercise both compassion and wisdom.” So [Buddhas are called] Tathagatas (Thus Come)

because they come to this world by the True Dharma of the One Vehicle. They come to this world with this teaching to exercise and spread their compassion and wisdom. Because sentient beings have varying capabilities, the Buddha has to give wondrous provisional and wondrous true teachings. He does this out of both compassion and wisdom. He “gives both provisional and true teachings.”

So, we must give rise to a great power of faith and work to further strengthen it. Momentary faith is of no use, so we must reinforce it. Earlier I spoke of how the root of faith must be deep and extensive, so we can strengthen our power of faith. By doing this, we can be “closer to the Buddha’s understanding and views.” To learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must first establish faith.

We all know that the Buddha was born on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. When Buddhism spread to China, that day was celebrated as the Buddha’s Birthday. But the times are continuously changing, and agricultural societies are a thing of the past. When the Dharma came to China from India, people used the lunar calendar because they lived in an agricultural society. But in modern times, internationally we use the [Gregorian calendar]. So, here in Taiwan we also started thinking that we should globalize [the Buddha’s Birthday].

Look at how Christmas is a global holiday, [popular] even in Taiwan. So, of course, we must also globalize. Sakyamuni Buddha’s Birthday. Thus we established the second Sunday of May as the Buddha’s Birthday. This way, we can all celebrate it together.

On this day, in every region around the world, things are very festive from morning to night. In Hong Kong alone, their [2012] Buddha-bathing ceremony was very touching. The Hong Kong branch office space is very small, so [volunteers] applied to the government to use Da Tong Road in the Central District, which is a major road downtown. This is typically the busiest street in Hong Kong, with a lot of traffic. It is really a bustling city center.

We applied to the government to close the street for one day on May 13 from nine o’clock in the morning till five o’clock in the afternoon. It would be closed off this whole day, so Tzu Chi could hold our Buddha-bathing [ceremony]. Originally, the weather forecast said there would be heavy rain. And, incredibly, it rained and rained in the early morning, but when the preparations were about to begin, the rain stopped.

Then, we started to set up and rehearse. Because the ceremony was to begin at 10am, the road was not sealed off until 9am. There was such a large area to decorate, so while some people were setting up, others were rehearsing at the same time. The loudspeakers played the music for the ceremony. On the sidewalks, there were many pedestrians who were out shopping, including many foreigners. When they heard this beautiful music and saw that area being decorated, many shoppers came to see what was going on.

When they saw the Buddha statue and the setup, they could not help but put their palms together. As volunteers rehearsed and decorated, more and more people gathered and held their palms together. There were both foreigners and locals. That scene was very beautiful and orderly.

When the official ceremony began, we saw such magnificent scenes. They were very dignified in their [formations]. Some foreigners asked, “Can we join in bathing the Buddha?” Tzu Chi volunteers who were maintaining order sincerely invited them to join in. Soon, foreigners continuously streamed in, as did locals, both young and old. They all came to bathe the Buddha.

We also heard about another incredible thing. There was a group of demonstrators protesting inflation and [low] wages, etc. In Hong Kong, there are also such protest groups. When this group came near [the ceremony], our Tzu Chi Commissioners very sincerely approached them with palms together and invited them, saying, “Your protests cause your emotions to fluctuate. Come, we welcome you to bathe the Buddha. When we bathe the Buddha together, our minds become very peaceful.”

Incredibly, many of the protestors, after hearing our sincere invitation and music, felt that they should join us. They put their palms together and calmed their hearts to bathe the Buddha. This was indeed very amazing. Protestors nearby saw how reverent we were, and this calmed their minds. Though they were dissatisfied with the government and resentful of society, they were able to calm their minds.

“With wisdom and compassion, the Tathagata gave both provisional and true teachings.” When the Buddha comes to the world, He has to use provisional, skillful means that suit the situation and time in order to teach and transform sentient beings. Even now, over 2000 years later, as long as we, Buddhist disciples, have the will to understand the Buddha-Dharma and are strengthening our great power of faith, even if we are in another country and do not have a venue, we are able to borrow one from the government, so we can purify people’s minds.

Because we have faith, regardless of what the weather forecast said, amazingly, the rain stopped that morning as we were about to decorate the site. For that entire day, it remained very cool, so people were amiable and things were peaceful. With this sense of harmony, the Buddha-bathing was completed. This was very incredible.

So, we must understand that, to learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must have faith. So, we must “believe that our minds are no different from the Buddha-mind. When the mind and phenomena are one, we are in sync with the ultimate truth.” We can elevate our capabilities as long as we have faith. The Buddha exercises compassion and wisdom in this world, so we can definitely purify people’s minds, ensuring that there will be harmony in society. With strong power of faith, naturally we can be close to the Buddha’s understanding and views. Earlier, I mentioned that,

“The Buddha used the power of skillful means to reveal the Three Vehicle teachings so that sentient beings, who are attached to everything, may be guided and released.”

Remember, we sentient beings truly form attachments to all things. Previously, I have said, “There is nothing we are not attached to. There is nothing we do not crave.” For humans, for all sentient beings, when we give rise to greed, we experience anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt. This leads to many calamities in the world. So, the Buddha used His wisdom to give provisional teachings. To teach us, He used skillful means,

the teachings of Three Vehicles. The Small Vehicle refers to Hearers. The Middle Vehicle refers to Solitary Realizers. For Small and Middle Vehicle practitioners, as well as sentient beings in the Six Realms, the Buddha teaches various skillful means solely to enable them to eliminate the entanglements of suffering. This is the Buddha’s goal in coming to this world. He hopes everyone can further cultivate the Six Paramitas,

which are giving, upholding precepts, patience diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. The Buddha hopes Small Vehicle practitioners can turn from the small to the great. As for the last teaching the Buddha gave in the world, the Lotus Sutra is the ultimate truth of the One Vehicle. He wanted to help Small Vehicle practitioners realize that His past teachings were just the fundamentals for [learning] the Dharma. Those teachings helped us cleanse our hearts and eliminate our ignorance, as well as our habitual tendencies.

As He taught skillful means in the past, He was actually cleansing our hearts. When our hearts are cleansed, we can turn our thinking around and return to our intrinsic nature. Our pure and undefiled intrinsic nature will then manifest. With that undefiled nature, we will awaken ourselves and others at the same time. Multitudes of sentient beings are still in cyclic existence in the Six Realms, so He needs everyone to form great aspirations and vows to return to the Saha World.

Although the Buddha wants to transform us so we can transcend the Three Realms and the Six Destinies, He still needs people to return to the Saha World, this world of endurance, to transform others. So, we must turn from the small to the great.

After we clean the mirror of our minds, we must examine ourselves. Once our hearts are clean, we can turn this mirror to reflect others, so they can also see their true nature. Then we can ask them, “Can you see yourself in this mirror? Yes, we can. Actually, you have such a mirror, too.” When we take out our mirrors, it may not yet reflect things clearly. We need to find a way to wipe it clean, so the surface will be clear and bright. Then naturally we can use it to reflect ourselves, as well as other people. This is how we awaken ourselves and others.

All sentient beings originally had a pure, undefiled great perfect mirror wisdom. We all have this great mirror. It is called great perfect mirror wisdom.

The Buddha used many methods to enable us to escape painful entanglements so that, according to the verses, we “may be guided and released.” Since we are “attached to everything.” He finds ways to guide and release us from our many sufferings. Helping us transcend suffering is why the Buddha comes to the world and exercises both compassion and wisdom. So, we must put our hearts into giving rise to great power of faith and mindfully understanding how the Buddha exercises compassion and wisdom. We must always be mindful.

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Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
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Chapter 2

Episode 232 – Draw Near to the Buddha’s Understanding and Views

>>”The Buddha’s grace and Dharma-essence
nurture our wisdom-life, so we can readily attain the wondrous Dharma of the
One Vehicle. [Cultivate] precepts, Samadhi, wisdom and always be mindful of the
Buddha’s teachings. By developing our understanding and views, we can return to
our true nature.”

>>”The Buddha used the power of skillful means to reveal the Three
Vehicle teachings so that sentient beings, who are attached to everything, may
be guided and released.”

>> Sentient beings are attached to everything: Sentient beings
transmigrate in the Six Realms and cannot transcend because they are attached
to all things. Attachments give rise to delusions, karma and suffering, which
lead to cyclic existence. When the heart is entangled with things, it is attached
to them and cannot leave them. Craving, clinging and unwillingness to let go
are all attachments.

>> The Buddha “extensively proclaimed teachings. With countless
skillful means, He guided sentient beings, leading them to transcend all
attachments.”

“The Buddha’s grace and Dharma-essence nurture our wisdom-life,
so we can readily attain the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle.
[Cultivate] precepts, Samadhi, wisdom and always be mindful of the Buddha’s teachings.
By developing our understanding and views, we can return to our true nature.”

We must always keep the Buddha’s grace in mind, It is what nurtures our wisdom-life. This is like being grateful to our parents for nurturing our physical life. We must recognize that our parents gave us life and acknowledge their kindness in raising and caring for us throughout this lifetime. The Buddha gives us wisdom-life, which lasts life after life and can help us thoroughly transform ourselves. This means He helps us to completely eliminate all ignorance and afflictions in our minds and return to our pure intrinsic Buddha-nature. Then we can reach a pure and undefiled state of non-arising and non-ceasing. This is what we must be grateful for.

So, the Buddha kindly gives us Dharma-essence to nourish our wisdom-life. “So, we can readily attain the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle.” If we can be more mindful, we can give rise to great Power of Faith and really believe in the Buddha’s teachings, faithfully accepting and practicing them. If we can do so, in our daily living, we can change our habitual tendencies and return to our pure intrinsic nature. If we do this, we will soon be able to encounter and help each other connect with the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle and return to our pure intrinsic Buddha-nature. Hence, “we can readily attain” the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle.

Of course, we must cultivate “precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.” We must uphold precepts and maintain Samadhi. Following rules is very important. If we want to drive a car, we need a road. If we want to drive a bigger car, then we need to choose a wider road. So, we must uphold precepts, because precepts are the roads we follow. If we have this great enlightened Bodhi-path, naturally we can advance in our practices. What do we practice? Samadhi.

Our mind is never stable and constantly fluctuates. This is the nature of unenlightened beings. Because our minds contain ignorance, affliction, greed, desire and so on, our minds cannot be at peace. Now that we have found our direction a nd this broad path to enlightenment, our minds need to be at peace. By being in a state of Samadhi,

we can determine our future direction. The open road is already there; we just need to decide on our direction. Then we will not keep wondering, “Should I go in this direction? Or, that direction?” We may feel uncertain about our direction, and with even the slightest deviation, we can end up far off-course. This all depends on our minds. If a single thought deviates, we will lose our power of Samadhi. So, we must remain in Samadhi.

The word “Samadhi” does not only apply to sitting meditation. Not at all. “Precepts” guide our actions in daily living. “Samadhi” is the state of peace we maintain as we interact with people. In our daily living, we cannot deviate from our path, the wide road of precepts. If we want to drive, we need a road; if we want to engage in spiritual practice, we need precepts.

Then we must choose which practices to cultivate. If we only seek to awaken ourselves, then we have limited capabilities and wisdom and are on a narrow path. If we want to awaken ourselves and others, to benefit not only ourselves but others as well, then we must have great capabilities and must walk a broad path by upholding great precepts.

How do we uphold them? With every single thought, we uphold precepts in our daily living. With every thought, we uphold precepts as we deal with people and things. As we interact with people, do we abide by precepts? When we hear displeasing words, do we commit the [evils] of speech? Do we treat others with contempt, with a mindset of pride or arrogance? Only by interacting with people can we engage in spiritual practice to train our minds. We must always be vigilant of our perception of people, matters and objects. Are our hearts and thoughts on the right path? This will allow us, as we interact with people, to uphold the great precepts in our minds.

This also applies to Samadhi. When we encounter external phenomena, are we tempted by those objects of desire? When we see people with great power, influence and money, do we give them preferential treatment? Do we flatter them? If we do, that is not right.

Do we look down on those who ask for our help or purposely ignore them? Do we not greet them? If we refuse to greet or pay attention to them, this is also not right. We must “show compassion to all equally.” Because we are compassionate, whether we encounter the poor or the rich, we must quickly reach out to them with our sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness. This is how we transform sentient beings as we interact with them. For the poor, we must make an effort to uplift their hearts, so they will not lose their will or feel self pity. By elevating them in this way, we help them realize that they all intrinsically have Buddha-nature and that the poor have the same power as the rich.

When we encounter the rich, they may be conceited and arrogant. We must find a way to help them realize that the rich can be poor in other aspects of life. Rich people may be lacking in many other respects. How can we help them realize their abundance, and that if they feel rich, naturally they will have the power to help others? This is also a way we can reach out to and transform others. This is how we “show compassion to all equally.”

To have this kind of power, we cultivate “precepts, Samadhi, and wisdom. Wisdom” can be used to discern. Part of wisdom is discriminating wisdom. In this world, in all things, we use wisdom to discern right from wrong. After we clearly understand the matter at hand, we develop and elevate our wisdom. So first, we analyze matters, then we elevate our understanding to deal with them impartially. Then we can return to our pure intrinsic nature. This is the power of “precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.”

For us to attain precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, the only way is to “always be mindful of the Buddha’s teachings.” All we need to do is to practice according to the Buddha’s teachings. When we do this, we “develop our understanding and views.” We want our understanding and views to be on par with the Buddha’s.

As mentioned in previous texts, the reason our understanding and views are so distant from the Buddha’s is because we still have not put [His Dharma] into practice. We have not yet exercised our great capabilities and wisdom. Therefore, from now on we must remember to [cultivate] precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. In every moment, we must take the Dharma into our hearts. Not only that, we must steadily practice it and move forward, step by step. This is how we can come closer to having the understanding and views of the Buddha. So, we must “develop our understanding and views.”

How can we achieve this? What skills do we need to develop? This goes back to the same saying, “Return to our true nature.” We live in a very complicated world. After we understand His teachings, [we realize] He is telling us that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. So, we need to quickly reflect on ourselves and take care of our pure Buddha-nature.

Our nature has been covered by ignorance. So, when we go back to look for it, we must brush aside our ignorance. Previously, the sutra stated,

“The Buddha used the power of skillful means to reveal the Three Vehicle teachings so that sentient beings, who are attached to everything, may be guided and released.”

Indeed, sentient beings, “are attached to everything. Attached to everything” means no matter what we see, what circumstances we are in and so on, all our attachments lead to afflictions. Whether we cling to fame, money, affections, cravings or interpersonal relationships, we have many attachments.

Our intrinsic Buddha-nature is the same; it is just like a small mirror. If we clean its surface, we can use it to reflect our surroundings as they are. However, it is still relatively small. If we have a great big mirror and wipe it very clean, what it can reflect becomes broad. Our surroundings are the same, but if our mirrors are small, you may reflect one part of the surroundings and. I may reflect another part of the surroundings. We all reflect a different part because we do not all have the same focus. This is why we each have a different state of mind, and we each have different attachments.

So, “sentient beings are attached to everything.” In all matters, we are attached to our point of view. So, to begin our spiritual cultivation, we must first let go of our attachments. If we can all let go of our attachments, we will see what the Buddha realized, the truths of all things the universe. So, when our minds are equal to the Buddha’s, it can reflect all truths like a great mirror.

So, “sentient beings are attached to everything. Sentient beings transmigrate in the Six Realms and cannot transcend them because they are attached to all things.”

Sentient beings are attached to everything: Sentient beings transmigrate in the Six Realms and cannot transcend because they are attached to all things. Attachments give rise to delusions, karma and suffering, which lead to cyclic existence. When the heart is entangled with things, it is attached to them and cannot leave them. Craving, clinging and unwillingness to let go are all attachments.

We cannot transcend cyclic existence because we each have our own ideas, understandings and ways of thinking. Therefore, we each create our own karma. We deviate from the path and often create bad karma, which results in many afflictions. Therefore, we cannot attain liberation. This is because we “are attached to everything.”

Because we have attachments, we will continuously give rise to delusions, karma and suffering. When we cannot resolve our delusions, we wonder, “How can this be? Clearly, I did things to get this result, but why did it turn out that way instead?” We do things a certain way because of our attachments. Because we are attached to the wrong things, the results will not go our way. So, because of our attachments, we create karma out of ignorance, and as a result, we suffer.

Our suffering then gives rise to more suffering. Because we are unwilling [to let go,] we give rise to even more suffering. How do we transcend this cycle? All of this has to do with our daily living and our thinking and understanding. When we have emotions, they entangle and bind us tightly, so we cannot open our hearts.

This comes down to our hearts and affections. The affections in our hearts are like ropes; they are very complicated. They constantly tie us down. So, what do these ropes tie us to? To people, matters and objects. Therefore, we cannot escape or be freed.

So, the sutra states that, for people like this,

The Buddha “extensively proclaimed teachings. With countless skillful means, He guided sentient beings, leading them to transcend all attachments.”

By giving different kinds of teachings and using many skillful means, He guides people who are set in their ways and heading in the wrong direction.

So in summary, we must all be mindful in our daily living. We must all cultivate precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. When we interact with others we must uphold great precepts, cultivate great Samadhi and develop great wisdom. To do this, we must have a great root of faith. In learning Buddhism, this is the best way to draw near to Buddha’s understanding and views. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0231

Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
>
Chapter 2

Episode 231 – Pure Nirvana Is Perfect and Unhindered

>>”Pure Nirvana is replete with an infinite
number of subtle and wondrous merits. It is non-arising and non-ceasing, as
pure as the endless void. All sentient beings are equal and all have such
intrinsically tranquil nature. This is the state of Nirvana.”

>>”The Buddha used the power of skillful means to reveal the Three
Vehicle teachings so that sentient beings, who are attached to everything, may
be guided and released.”

>> The Buddha used the power of skillful means: He cleverly gave
provisional teachings. The Tathagata said: Those who practice giving attain
great wealth. Those who uphold precepts are reborn in heaven. Those with
patience are freed of anger and hatred. Those who are diligent will be replete
with all merits. Those with Samadhi can eliminate all distractions. Those with
wisdom can let go of all afflictions.

>> Thus, the practice of giving can actually transform the stingy and
greedy. Upholding precepts can transform transgressors. Patience can transform
the angry. Diligence can transform the lazy. Samadhi can transform the
distracted. Prajna, wisdom, can transform the ignorant.

>> Revealing the Three Vehicle teachings: When expounding the Three
Vehicle teachings, He was still giving provisional teachings and had not yet
expounded the True Dharma. Sentient beings linger on small attainments and take
no pleasure in going toward the Great Vehicle. Therefore, the Buddha guides
them with the great Dharma.

“Pure Nirvana is
replete with an infinite number of
subtle and wondrous merits.
It is non-arising and non-ceasing,
as pure as the endless void.
All sentient beings are equal and all have
such intrinsically tranquil nature.
This is the state of Nirvana.”

The Buddha taught us solely because He hoped we could all realize that our intrinsic nature was originally pure. So once again, I want to share the concept of pure Nirvana with everyone. Nirvana is always pure and

“replete with an infinite number” [of wondrous merits]. Those with this pure nature indeed have a broad and spacious [state of mind]. No matter how many of us exist, our individual worlds do not hinder each other’s. Thus, we should understand that within you and me, he and you, within all of us we each have a pure state of mind, an intrinsic Buddha-nature. This comes from subtle and wondrous merits and is “non-arising and non-ceasing, as pure as the endless void.” Our intrinsic nature has always been like this, in a state of non-arising and non-ceasing. How do we attain this state? By engaging in spiritual practice and accumulating an infinite number of merits.

Perhaps all of you still remember that the Buddha Himself once said. He drew near countless Buddhas and diligently practiced, lifetime after lifetime. This creates subtle and wondrous merits. No matter how many Buddhas there are, each one of these infinite Buddhas shares the same path and teaches skillful and suitable means. This is because. Buddhas meet the world’s needs. They come to this world in different time periods and circumstances. Every Buddha, in dealing with different eras, gives sentient beings different skillful means.

Thus, every Buddha [teaches] “skillful means suitable for capabilities.” Their teachings suit that time period and the capabilities of those sentient beings. This comes from Their infinite and countless subtle, wondrous merits. If we can persist in spending such a long period of time being taught by each Buddha, continuously accepting and realizing Their teachings, we will accumulate many merits.

Perhaps you may wonder, “Sakyamuni encountered so many Buddhas, but what about us?” We have no idea whether we have even met one. We also do not know which [Buddha’s] teachings we can practice. If we wonder about such things, then I must tell you to treat every single person as a Buddha.

Truthfully, each person has suitable wondrous Dharma. If we listen mindfully to their perspective and the way they deal with things, they are constantly teaching us. If we treat others with respect, we will certainly encounter Buddhas because every person will be a Buddha to us. Therefore, we must constantly cultivate our sense of respect.

Therefore, to make offerings to countless Buddhas is not very difficult. And to learn the Dharma from these Buddhas is also very simple. This is how we can accumulate infinite, countless subtle and wondrous merits.

In this world, where can we find so many Buddhas to make offerings to? Each of us has the Three Treasures in our nature. Every interaction is an opportunity for us to practice reverence and respect, to engage in spiritual practice. Therefore, our hearts must always remain pure. Having a pure heart is to be in a state of Nirvana. When we are in harmony with people and matters, we are in harmony with [true] principles. This is true, wondrous Dharma. When we deal with external phenomena with a pure heart, we can be in harmony with everything. This is called pure Nirvana, which is also as pure as the endless void.

Our hearts, our Buddha-nature, are indeed as pure as the endless void. All sentient beings are equal; all life forms are equal. This applies to all beings, not just humans. So, [encounters with] all sentient beings are opportunities for spiritual practice, let alone those with other humans. So, we all have the same pure, intrinsic Buddha-nature. All sentient beings are equal because [they have] “an intrinsically tranquil nature, which is called Nirvana.”

Nirvana means harmonious, tranquil and still, pure and unhindered. So, if we clearly understand the principles of Nirvana, we can apply these principles at all times in our daily living. So, if we can always face everything with reverence and a pure mind, we can [practice], life after life, as Sakyamuni Buddha did.

What is meant by life after life is the past, present and future. We can also say that in “life after life,” the past could be a previous life, or yesterday. There is not much difference between the two. This lifetime and today are also the same. Our next life is the same as all future lifetimes. As long as we have a pure heart, we can recognize that because of past causes and conditions, in this lifetime, we are able to form good causes and conditions with the same people again. So, we can joyfully interact with each other and pool our strengths to complete tasks. So, pure causes created in the past led to the pure effects of the present, so now we can create blessed causes together to form good conditions and effects for the future.

If every one of us faces every day and every matter with this mindset, then we have found our intrinsically tranquil nature. We can all attain this nature because we all originally had this pure, tranquil and still Buddha-nature. So, Nirvana is our pure intrinsic nature.

We have to be mindful. Learning the sutras goes beyond just the words. After we understand the meaning behind them, we must apply them to our daily living. This is how the Dharma-marrow can penetrate our wisdom-life. With this marrow, we create the blood cells that sustain our wisdom-life. So, I hope everyone can apply every word of the teachings to their interactions with other people.

Moreover,

“The Buddha used the power of skillful means to reveal the Three Vehicle teachings so that sentient beings, who are attached to everything, may be guided and released.”

The Three Vehicle teachings are for. Hearers, Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas. They have different capabilities so the methods for teaching them must also be different. When it comes to Hearers and Solitary Realizers, the Buddha has said that they “are attached to everything.” Even these spiritual practitioners are attached to many things, biased toward the small and attached to emptiness, not to mention ordinary people who do not engage in spiritual practice. They are even more stubborn.

The Buddha told Hearers and Solitary Realizers, “You must realize this is how sentient beings are. They are attached to everything.” Here, “attached to everything” means at all times and in all places, they form attachments to all things. Thus, “Sentient beings, who are attached to everything, may be guided and released.” The Buddha comes to guide sentient beings solely to eliminate their attachments. This is the reason the Buddha comes to teach skillful means in the world.

So next it says, “The Buddha used the power of skillful means.” Skillful means are easy methods. These are simpler teachings that suit these people’s capabilities and are easier for them to understand. So, they are called skillful means and are how He “cleverly gave provisional teachings.”

The Buddha used the power of skillful means: He cleverly gave provisional teachings. The Tathagata said: Those who practice giving attain great wealth. Those who uphold precepts are reborn in heaven. Those with patience are freed of anger and hatred. Those who are diligent will be replete with all merits. Those with Samadhi can eliminate all distractions. Those with wisdom can let go of all afflictions.

The Buddha preached virtuous, skillful practices to teach according to capabilities. This means the Buddha was telling us, “Those who practice giving attain great fortune” because we sentient beings cling to the idea of wanting everything to be as we wish it. We want to be rich and very wealthy, so if by giving we can attain wealth, we will willingly practice giving.

The Buddha said, “Those who uphold precepts are reborn in heaven.” People who uphold the Five Precepts and do the Ten Good Deeds will certainly be born in the heaven realm. When people hear this, they believe that they must quickly begin upholding precepts. In this world, wealth and life are short-lived, so they want to go to heaven, where life is long and joyful. So, in this lifetime they will make haste to uphold precepts and do the Ten Good Deeds.

The Buddha also said, “Those with patience are freed of anger and hatred.” We all frequently lose our tempers, but that will only bring us suffering. After we lose our tempers, we will feel very unhappy and uneasy. The Buddha then told everyone, “If you want to be broad-minded and happy, you must have patience.” Take a step back to see the big picture. Then patience can overcome anger and rage.

“Those who are diligent will be replete with all merits.” By being diligent, we can create a lot of merits. Then we are like the Buddha, who made offerings to countless Buddhas and practiced Their teachings to accumulate merits. This is a way to demonstrate diligence. Therefore, by being diligent, we can be replete with merits.

He then talked about Samadhi. “Those with Samadhi eliminate all distractions.” Sometimes we want to engage in spiritual practice, but we cannot seem to concentrate; our minds are full of distractions. So, the Buddha taught us to cultivate a state of Samadhi, to practice sitting or breath-counting meditation. By focusing on the nose, we focus our minds. There are many methods.

However, we have to be careful in how we enter Samadhi; it requires a certain method. Indeed, the greatest state of Samadhi is doing everything in a meditative state. This means that, whatever our bodies are doing, our minds are completely focused on it. If we become distracted, who knows what kind of harm we could cause. So, no matter what we are doing, we must be in a state of Samadhi.

“Those with wisdom can let go of all afflictions.” The Buddha taught that, with wisdom, we can shed all afflictions. Therefore, we must learn to practice self-control. When we do things, we must be focused, and we must use wisdom to analyze all situations. This is also a skillful means taught by the Buddha. These are all suitable skillful means that. He established for ordinary people.

For Buddhist practitioners, He opened the Dharma-door of the Six Paramitas. These are six methods, each more profound than the previous, each more beneficial to this world. These are the skillful means of the Buddha. He used various skillful means to teach sentient beings, solely to enable them to transcend this endless cycle of suffering. This is why the Buddha used skillful Dharma to gradually help everyone become more diligent.

With only these Six Paramitas, these six methods, He began with the most unreceptive people, to teach them so they would understand, “Those who practice giving attain great wealth.” Actually, what is wealth? I often say that wealth is a state of mind. But we sentient beings are stubborn, so He has to keep guiding us in this way until we can finally understand His principles. Then He tells us that there are those who are wealthy among the poor, people who happily practice giving even though they do not have much money.

Thus, the practice of giving can actually transform the stingy and greedy. Upholding precepts can transform transgressors. Patience can transform the angry. Diligence can transform the lazy. Samadhi can transform the distracted. Prajna, wisdom, can transform the ignorant.

These are skillful means the Buddha had taught sentient beings according to their capabilities. So, He “revealed the Three Vehicle teachings.” Those were all provisional teachings skillfully given. These cannot help us reach the ultimate, wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle. This is why the Buddha had to spend so much time bringing those of the Three Vehicle capabilities to the same level. This helps us all realize that we cannot linger on Small Vehicle attainments. We must joyfully move toward the Great Vehicle.

Revealing the Three Vehicle teachings: When expounding the Three Vehicle teachings, He was still giving provisional teachings and had not yet expounded the True Dharma. Sentient beings linger on small attainments and take no pleasure in going toward the Great Vehicle. Therefore, the Buddha guides them with the great Dharma.

This is what the Buddha wants to teach us. He guides us all to enter the great Dharma, the principle of “the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle.” These teachings are not designed with any specific person in mind. They are not. Right now, we must all share the same perspective. In our hearts, we all have the boundless. Buddha-nature, a broad and open mind. This boundless heart and pure, undefiled Buddha-nature are what we all intrinsically have. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0230

Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
>
Chapter 2

Episode 230 – Escape Suffering to Attain Jo

>>”Once good or evil actions are committed,
the retributions that come to fruition are hard to escape. With such causes and
conditions come such retributions, and such effects.”

>>”He told the assembly of Hearers and those who seek the Solitary
Realizer Vehicle, ‘I will enable you to cast off the bonds of suffering and
readily achieve Nirvana.'”

>> These three sufferings are the suffering of suffering, the suffering
of decay and the suffering of action.

>> The suffering of suffering: the suffering that arises from mental or
physical pain. The second is the suffering of decay. This suffering of decay is
the suffering that arises from the loss of a temporary state of happiness.

>> It is suffering that arises from the impermanence of all actions,
endless transience and constant change without rest.

>> The desire realm: contains all three sufferings. The form realm:
contains the suffering of decay and of action. The formless realm: only
contains the suffering of action.

>> What is Nirvana? Nirvana means “crossing into extinction,”
as well as “perfect stillness, perfect rest” and “perfect
tranquility.” It is also called an “unconditioned” state or a
state of “peace and joy” or a state of “liberation.” All
these terms can be used to describe Nirvana.

“Once good or evil actions are committed,
the retributions that come to fruition are hard to escape.
With such causes and conditions come such retributions,
and such effects.”

This tells us what happens once good or evil actions are taken. If we committed [evil actions] in the past but more reverently [do good] now, can all our past karma be cancelled? Is this possible?

We reap what we sow. This is a definite principle. So, the Buddha continuously reminds us to be vigilant of the law of karma. The cause we plant will definitely yield a certain kind of effect. After we understand this, we must quickly alert ourselves and willingly accept the retribution of our past karma. For the sake of the future, we must be willing to act quickly so that we will be satisfied with our future and will joyfully accept it. Thus we need to understand the law of karma.

Right now you are very willing to do this because doing this makes you happy, but what about the future? Through the good deeds you have done, you have attained the Dharma, so you are filled with Dharma-joy. This is all there is to the law of karma. So, we must always remain vigilant.

Some people say, “I’ve never done anything bad in my life, so why do I suffer so much? Why do so many things not go my way?” Yes, you did not do [bad things] in this life. You must know that what you are reaping now is due to what you sow in the past. Therefore, “the retributions that come to fruition are hard to escape.” In the past, we acted in this way and created this karma, so the retribution we now face is hard to escape.

So, “with such causes and conditions come such retributions.” This is a definite principle. Once we have planted causes and conditions, we will certainly face retributions. This is definite. So, whatever happens to us in our daily living, we must gratefully accept it. We just need to get through it peacefully.

What if we do not feel at peace? If we are not at peace, we must patiently endure it. No matter how much we usually help others, when things do not go our way, we must exercise patience. We have to find a way to be patient, so we can diligently continue on this path. When we learn the Buddha’s teachings, this is what we must thoroughly understand.

So as the verses below state,

“He told the assembly of Hearers and those who seek the Solitary Realizer Vehicle, ‘I will enable you to cast off the bonds of suffering and readily achieve Nirvana.'”

Earlier, we talked about. Hearers and Solitary Realizers. Now the Buddha stated, “‘I will enable you to cast off the bonds of suffering and readily achieve Nirvana.'” Sakyamuni Buddha was telling. Hearers and Solitary Realizers that, although they are mindfully practicing, they still have not attained the principles of the “ultimate reality of the One Vehicle.” They are still in the Six Unenlightened and. Four Noble Realms. Although they eliminated fragmentary samsara, they still experience transformational samsara and have the slightest afflictions. Therefore, they must keep progressing to reach the “ultimate reality of the One Vehicle.”

So, the Buddha Himself said, “‘I will enable you to cast off the bonds.'” Because these disciples were still within the Six Unenlightened and. Four Noble Realms, the next step was to completely transcend that last bit of ignorance. So, they must cast off those bonds of suffering. Therefore, they must mindfully listen to what He was about to say now.

The Buddha began teaching when He expounding the Dharma to the five bhiksus. The first time He gave teachings, He taught the Four Noble Truths, which are about suffering. The first sentence of Dharma He expounded was about suffering. He taught them the principles of suffering.

What kinds of suffering are there? There are generally three kinds.

These three sufferings are the suffering of suffering, the suffering of decay and the suffering of action.

First is the suffering of suffering. We face suffering upon suffering. Being human is already painful enough, but as we live our lives, we create more karma. The karma we create leads us to go through cyclic existence in the Six Realms; we can never escape it. This is the suffering of suffering. We do not know why we became human, and if we do not learn [the right] principles, we will keep creating karma. This leads to suffering of suffering.

The suffering of suffering: the suffering that arises from mental or physical pain. The second is the suffering of decay. This suffering of decay is the suffering that arises from the loss of a temporary state of happiness.

The suffering that comes from loss is the suffering of decay.

First, we lose what we can do as humans. Originally, we could have been touched by the Buddha-Dharma and then practiced it. Once our human form is lost, it may take kalpas to regain it. Once this body decays, regaining that opportunity is not very easy. The human realm is only one among the six, so there is a one in six chance.

Some people think, “Losing human form is not a problem. I can be reborn in heaven. The lifespan in heaven is longer.” Everyone, didn’t I tell you earlier that the seeds you planted led you to be born human? If you did not create any good causes or any blessings, how could you be reborn in heaven? If you do not have the prospect of going to heaven and have [gone against] the principles of being a good person, that also leads to the suffering of decay.

Perhaps in this life we had the opportunity to experience fame, wealth and status. Extreme pleasure brings sorrow. If we suddenly lose all the things that made us happy, that great pleasure brings sorrow. That is also the suffering of decay.

The third is the suffering of action.

It is suffering that arises from the impermanence of all actions, endless transience and constant change without rest.

We often say, “The Five Aggregates are all empty.” Among them is the aggregate of action. I often tell all of you that we are unaware of the aggregate of action. As I just walked out, I looked at the sky. The sun had not come out yet. Then I continued into our main hall and sat down. In front of me, I see that sun has already risen above the rooftop. See, this happened while I was unaware. It is the result of very subtle actions, rotations.

This is how the universe (the macrocosm) works. The Earth revolves and rotates, very smoothly and without pause. It continuously rotates. This is the way the universe works. As humans, we do not feel it. We cannot feel the passing of each second. In the microcosm of our body, we are also unaware of the ceaseless process of birth, aging, illness, death. [This cycle happens] without our awareness. This is the aggregate of action.

So, this is the suffering of action. Therefore, we must comprehend “the suffering that arises from the impermanence of all actions.” Whether we are talking about instability in the planet or in our bodies, all things in the world go through the aggregate of action. Nothing can escape impermanence; everything is in a state of constant flux. Thus it is endlessly transient. Look at the way water keeps flowing; it is also endlessly changing. Because of the aggregate of action in our lives, everything is constantly changing without rest, which leads to suffering.

Some people, when they are young, feel that life would be great if they could always remain young. When they reach middle age, they think staying at middle age would be very satisfactory, too. Can we ever be satisfied? There is no way for this to happen. Middle-aged people eventually grow old. But some people do not live to an old age.

Some may not live to middle age, or even through their teenage years. Some die as a child or as an infant from congenital problems. They never know youth, middle age, old age. This is what life is like. We are born according to our karma; retributions of suffering will make our lives unbearable and retributions of happiness will easily cause us to become lost. Therefore, we must engage in spiritual practice and constantly heighten our vigilance.

The desire realm: contains all three sufferings. The form realm: contains the suffering of decay and of action. The formless realm: only contains the suffering of action.

The desire realm contains all three sufferings. If we are human, we are in the desire realm. Desire is a craving for external phenomena. In society, there has to be desire and hope; this is how society is set up. This is how we live, how we pass our days. Everyone is troubled by their greed. Those with strong desires create a lot of karma. So, the desire realm is replete with the Three Sufferings.

Where do desires come from? When we see something, we crave it. Then we want to grasp it. Following desire and ignorance, we create more karma. This is the desire realm, which is filled with all kinds of tangible things that cause the mind to give rise to thoughts.

When we are in the formless realm, our thoughts may go anywhere, [giving rise to] discursive thoughts and delusions. Because we have not yet eliminated ignorance, there is still the suffering of action in the formless realm.

So at this moment, the Buddha wants us to quickly cast off the bonds of suffering that entangle us. So, the Buddha wants to quickly transcend this suffering. Therefore, He hopes that we can realize the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle. Some Hearers and Solitary Realizers believe they are almost the same as the Buddha and have obtained Nirvana.

What is Nirvana? Nirvana means “crossing into extinction,” as well as “perfect stillness, perfect rest” and “perfect tranquility.” It is also called an “unconditioned” state or a state of “peace and joy” or a state of “liberation.” All these terms can be used to describe Nirvana.

This tranquility and clarity is called “perfect stillness.” There is nothing left because after all afflictions have been eliminated, no more karma will be created. Without greed, anger, ignorance, pride and doubt, we will not create more karma. These are all gone, completely eliminated. So, if we can achieve this state, we have completed our spiritual cultivation in this world.

“Perfect tranquility” comes after we enter Parinirvana. A state without arising and ceasing is unconditioned. It cannot be created. It is natural, very natural. What is this natural unconditioned state? It is our pure intrinsic nature. So, if we can return to our pure intrinsic nature, we can clearly understand all principles. Then even when we see a lot of suffering in this world, it will not defile our minds.

Then even if we see many various kinds of objects of desires nothing can cause our minds to waver. Right now, we must cultivate a mind that is unconditioned, free of desires, and liberated, with no more afflictions to defile us again, If our minds are pure, they are instantly unconditioned, peaceful and joyful. No matter what happens in the world, when it reaches our heart, we can be more understanding. Then nothing will affect our minds. This peace and joy is called liberation.

This is what it means to “readily achieve Nirvana. Readily achieve” refers to people who can attain it very quickly. This refers to Hearers and Solitary Realizers because they were already practicing according to the Buddha’s teachings. They had already mindfully, thoroughly observed the world and understood its principles. To be able to transcend time and space to a state of True Suchness is what it means to truly achieve Parinirvana. Those who were just arriving at that stage were. Hearers and Solitary Realizers. So, the Buddha directed teachings at them. He spoke in the hopes that. Hearers and Solitary Realizers could take the next step in their practice and be more diligent. Then they could reach the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle.

Fellow Bodhisattvas, what we all want to strive for is the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle. If we can comprehend the law of karma, naturally we will realize that if we keep walking according to this Dharma, we will indeed reach a tranquil, still and undefiled state. But how long will it take? We should really start now and see if, in this perfectly tranquil state, we can attain the unconditioned state of peace, joy and liberation. So, we must hurry and work hard. Now, we must quickly and mindfully attain realizations. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0229

Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
>
Chapter 2

Episode 229 – Recognizing Suffering, We Practice Diligently

>> “Cyclic existence in the Three Realms is
actually a state of great suffering. In transmigrating through the Six
Destinies, there is much suffering and unease. Having recognized suffering and
understood its truths, we are cautious of accumulating causes of karma.”

>> The first is ignorance, the condition that leads to volitional
formation, which then leads to consciousness, which leads to name and form,
which leads to the six entrances, which leads to contact, which leads to
feelings, which leads to cravings, which leads to grasping, which leads to
becoming, which leads to birth. Then birth is the condition that leads to
aging, illness and death. These are the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence.

“Cyclic existence in the Three Realms is
actually a state of great suffering.
In transmigrating through the Six Destinies,
there is much suffering and unease.
Having recognized suffering
and understood its truths,
we are cautious of accumulating causes of karma.”

This is to tell everyone that we must know that cyclic existence in the Three Realms is essentially a state of great suffering. In the desire, form, and formless realms, the desire realm contains the material things we encounter in our daily living. How we perceive things and what we come in contact with are all affected by the temptations from objects of desire around us. So, we are constantly connecting with them, continuously giving rise to thoughts and always expanding our desires. So, we constantly push forward to strive for them. This leads us to create boundless karma.

Some of us know not to seek ill-gotten wealth. But external phenomena such as fame, wealth and status generate sounds, forms and appearances, so they cause us to give rise to afflictions. When we engage in spiritual cultivation, we see through these things, so there is no need to crave fame and wealth. The ignorance in our minds is intangible, so even in the formless realm, where there are no objects of desire and thus no temptations from external phenomena, there is still a trace [of afflictions]. In addition to fragmentary samsara, we also experience transformational samsara. These afflictions of the mind have not been completely eliminated. So, in the Three Realms, we ordinary people suffer the most.

We remain trapped in cyclic existence in the Six Destinies. We experience much suffering and unease. Though heavenly beings enjoy pleasures, once they deplete their blessings, they will also fall. Asuras have heavenly blessings, but there is still much ignorance, affliction, hatred and suffering in their minds. In the human world, many are born not only without blessings, but with much suffering.

In terms of relationships, there are many children born to test their parents’ patience. There are also couples who are loving and affectionate. But when their affections change, it leads to enmity and resentment, which brings great suffering. We commonly see cases like this in our world. The hell, hungry ghost and animal realms are filled with even greater suffering. So, “in cyclic existence in the Six Destinies, there is much suffering and unease.” It is very painful, This is the truth of suffering; it is the most true and real principle.

For the sake of sentient beings immersed in suffering, the Buddha returns life after life. For this one great cause, He comes to this world. When sentient beings do not recognize suffering, they do not fear or try to avoid it. Because they do not recognize suffering, they are not afraid of it, and thus they [continue to] create much karma. For this reason, the Buddha comes to the world to keep teaching sentient beings the truth of suffering.

So, we must be very cautious of accumulating karmic causes. If we do not know the truth of suffering or its principles, then we do not know to be cautious.

We are still unenlightened beings. [The analogy is that] the Three Realms are like a burning house. There are still children in the house, foolishly playing around because they think it is fun to play with fire. We are those children. We do not know that the Three Realms are completely immersed in the evil world of Five Turbidities, where everything is tattered and dirty. Thus, there are still people chasing after their desires, causing their bodies to catch fire. The Buddha cannot bear to see sentient beings like this, so He continuously returns to the world.

One time, while the Buddha was at the Jeta Grove, the Buddha said to Kasyapa, “Kasyapa, you know that I will continue to give teachings for a long time. I hope you can do the same thing and aspire to also teach and train these bhiksus.”

Kasyapa said, “Venerable Buddha, since this is what You have instructed, I should put it into practice. But I do not know how to give teachings.”

The Buddha then said, “You can go to sparsely populated or rural places to teach people that life is full of suffering and [tell them about the truths of] impermanence, suffering, emptiness and no-self. People must respect one another and remind one another to be vigilant. These are the teachings you must quickly proclaim to everyone.”

Kasyapa followed the Buddha’s directions. Upon seeing people, he would tell all of them that desire for anything in the world is the source of suffering. All interactions among people in the world happen according to karmic affinities. Therefore, people must interact harmoniously and be cautious of the law of karma.

Many people listened to Kasyapa’s teachings and felt that, indeed, life is full of suffering. People go against one another simply for the sake of theire desires. So, they gave up their desires and focused on spiritual cultivation. Many people left their families, status, fame and wealth to engage in ascetic practices.

The Buddha then said to Kasyapa, “Kasyapa, you must know that some who were born to well-off families still enjoy luxuries even after becoming monastics. Others see these fortunate bhiksus and seek to be a part of their luxurious communities. If they keep enjoying pleasures after becoming monastics, that will destroy their spiritual [aspirations]. So Kasyapa, you must make an effort to understand monastics who continue to enjoy pleasures.”

From this story, I sense that in the Buddha’s era, expounding the Dharma was also very difficult. Leading the Sangha was really not that easy. The Buddha also needed to find people to help Him teach the monastic community. But Kasyapa, a senior monastic, did not dare. “The monastics in this Sangha are difficult to train and not receptive.” When I read this passage, I feel it deeply. Things were already like this in the Buddha’s era. When we consider the present, isn’t spiritual cultivation difficult?

Birth and death in the Three Realms ultimately lead to suffering. After becoming monastics, should we still be immersed in the Three Realms? Or, in material goods? Or, in fame, wealth or status? Aren’t we afraid of cyclic existence in the Six Destinies? Perhaps we have not completely understood the principles of suffering, so we do not live cautiously and continue to accumulate causes of suffering.

Sometimes, we wonder why people are still immersed in so much suffering in their lives. The Buddha comes to this world to pull us up. However, are we willing to extend our hands? Are we willing to accept [His help]? This depends on how vigilant we are.

Earlier, we discussed Solitary Realizers. They are the most vigilant, and they observe their surroundings to understand the impermanence of life. The phenomena of nature include the rivers and lands of the world, as well as the human body’s birth, aging, illness and death. There are many phenomena of impermanence, so Solitary Realizers earnestly work hard to fully understand the origins of life and the interactions between causes and conditions. By very mindfully observing [the world], [they realize] the Twelve Links. Through this practice, they gain realizations that are biased toward emptiness.

What are the twelve? In the past, we have discussed them.

The first is ignorance, the condition that leads to volitional formation, which then leads to consciousness, which leads to name and form, which leads to the six entrances, which leads to contact, which leads to feelings, which leads to cravings, which leads to grasping, which leads to becoming, which leads to birth. Then birth is the condition that leads to aging, illness and death. These are the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence.

All it takes is for one ignorant thought to arise. So, I often say, “An ignorant thought creates the Three Subtleties. External states lead to the Six Coarse Marks.” Once we give rise to greed, we want to pursue things. When we pursue things, eight out of nine times, things do not go our way. When that happens, what arises in our minds? Anger. When we do not get what we want, we get angry. Once desire arises, if we do not get what we seek,

our anger will give rise to interpersonal disputes. On a larger scale, this causes war among countries. On a smaller scale, this causes a disruption in society. On an even smaller scale, this causes disharmony in families. This is all due to one thought of greed, which becomes ever more deeply entrenched. This creates a snowball effect as afflictions continuously multiply. This is delusion.

So, an ignorant thought creates the Three Subtleties. They continue to extend and grow, leading to actions that create a lot of karma. After we take action, that consciousness becomes a habitual tendency.

We often discuss what kinds of practice to engage in. Indeed, we intrinsically have Buddha-nature. But we have internalized defiled desires, which manifest in our actions and are the conditions that leads to form. Form refers to coming in contact with the Six Sense Objects, which then cause our Six Roots to create [karma]. All this results from delusion. So, when the link of consciousness arises, it is already an ignorant consciousness. That consciousness is the condition for “name and form.” After being lost and confused for an entire lifetime, where do we go when we die? When our consciousness leaves the body, it goes to where our affinities lie. This is not something we can control.

When we go where our affinities lie, we develop a body, or “the Six Roots.” With advancements in modern technology, we can see if the fetus is healthy while it is in the mother’s body. We can constantly [check]. So, at this time, the Six Sense Organs, our Six Roots, head, feet, hands and organs slowly take shape. This is called the six entrances.

Everything becomes completely formed, We were originally in our mother’s womb, but once we are born, we come into contact with the outside world and feel a deep pain down to our bones, all over our body; this is the condition of “feeling.” After we suffer this pain [of birth], we continue to age. Regardless of the condition we are in, every day we experience external phenomena, and our greed continuously multiplies. Since we brought this consciousness with us, we repeat the same habitual tendencies, and

our feelings lead to “cravings.” Cravings lead to our “grasping.” Once we grasp we fight and create karma again. When we create the karma for “becoming,” will this karma lead to sufferings or blessings? At the stage of “becoming,” this is fixed. We have created so much karma, both good and bad. It already exists; it is fixed. Therefore, we are “born,” and then we will experience “aging and death.” These are the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence.

Fellow Bodhisattvas, we must make Bodhisattva-aspirations and not stagnate at the stage of having limited capabilities and wisdom. The Buddha has already told us this, and. Solitary Realizers are willing to accept it. That is right; the Twelve Links are true principles. The Four Noble Truths, Six Paramitas and. Twelve Links are all principles we must mindfully analyze. We must clearly understand the Four Truths. We must practice the myriad actions of the Six Paramitas. This is the Bodhisattva-path. The Six Paramitas are six ways to transform ourselves and others. We must thoroughly understand the origins of life, so we must understand the Twelve Links.

Though in the past the Buddha taught with skillful means, He was always teaching us to recognize suffering and understand its truths. To understand suffering, we must understand principles and quickly engage in spiritual cultivation.

All in all, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, time keeps passing. We must not waste our time. The Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence teach us about how we come and go. With the causes we created in the past, we go from ignorance, volitional formation, consciousness, name and form up through to this moment. If we keep living like this, what will become of our next life? In the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, we are reaching the stage of aging and death. How can we not be earnest? How can we not be mindful? So, every one of us must always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0228

Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
>
Chapter 2

Episode 228 – Solitary Realizers Contemplate the Twelve Links

>>”The Six Senses are endowed with good
potential. The eyes read Buddhist sutras and the ears listen to the Dharma. One
realizes the truth from connecting with and observing surrounding conditions.
By listening, one understands and approaches the Buddha’s wisdom.”

>> He told Hearers and those who sought the Solitary Realizer Vehicle,
“I will enable you to cast off the bonds of suffering and achieve
Nirvana.”

>> Those who “realize the truth through observing the causes and
conditions in their surroundings.” They are Solitary Realizers, Solitary
Realizer Vehicle: By observing the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, they
realize the fruit of true emptiness and Nirvana. They are stubbornly biased
toward emptiness and do not seek the path to Buddhahood. Therefore, they are
called Solitary Realizers.

>> The wisdom of Solitary Realizers: They observe the Twelve Links of
Cyclic Existence, also called Twelve Links of Dependent Arising, which are the
originating conditions for sentient beings to go through the Three Periods and
transmigrate in the Six Realms.

“The Six Senses are endowed with good potential.
The eyes read Buddhist sutras and the ears listen to the Dharma.
One realizes the truth from connecting with and observing surrounding conditions.
By listening, one understands and approaches the Buddha’s wisdom.”

We should all know what the Six Senses are, the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. By opening our eyes, we open the gateway to eye-consciousness. What kinds of things do we see? What kinds of thoughts arise in our minds? This is what happens when we open a sense gateway to see what is outside. Based on this principle, can we give rise to wisdom when our eyes connect with external conditions? Or, will our minds give rise to desires when we see external conditions? Of course, we engage in spiritual practice in hopes that we can be more understanding.

No matter what we see with our eyes in our external conditions, we must quickly be understanding of it. Then when we observe people’s facial expressions, they will all look agreeable to us. When we see smiles and friendliness, we are grateful that we have encountered someone we have affinity with. If we see anger and resentment, we are still grateful that we have met this beneficial friend. If we can practice this kind of understanding, as every sense gateway opens, we can practice and attain understanding. If we can do this, then the Six Senses are being used to their full potential.

For example, we read sutras with our eyes. Those in the Buddha’s era were more blessed. They saw the Buddha with their own eyes and their ears took in His Dharma when. He manifested in this world. Hearers, Solitary Realizers, Bodhisattvas and the people in India at that time were indeed very blessed to have lived in the same era as the Buddha and personally saw Him and listened to His teachings. In that time, was everyone blessed [to see and hear Him]? Did everyone who listened to His teachings accept and put them into action? Actually, without the right karmic conditions, one could not see the Buddha, even if one wished to. So, even with the Six Senses, it is not easy to encounter the Buddha-Dharma.

What happens in an era without Buddhas? The way Solitary Realizers perceive and understand the world is different from normal people. They have greater wisdom, so they themselves can realize the impermanence and cycles of life. They watch the rising and setting of sun and moon, the waning and the waxing of the moon, so they can comprehend that the conditions of nature are not fixed. By being mindful of natural phenomena, they can realize impermanence. They are more advanced than those who do not know anything until after hearing it from the Buddha. [Then they say,] “Oh yes, I know it now.” Solitary Realizers have higher capabilities than these people.

They connect with external conditions and then intently contemplate the conditions. So, they are very mindful of the principles of the world. And when they do listen to the teachings, they can also become understanding. But to even slowly reach the level of the Buddha’s wisdom is indeed not easy. They are still [just focused on] themselves, encircling themselves with a barrier to protect and benefit only themselves.

So now, the Buddha [addressed] these Hearers and Solitary Realizers. Aside from helping them listen to the Dharma more deeply, He also wanted the Dharma to penetrate their minds and actions. These Solitary Realizers had already been mindfully analyzing everything from the universe to their bodies, and they [realized] the principle of impermanence. However, they were focused on their own practice. They were attached to the small [vehicle] and biased toward emptiness as well as their own awakening. So, the Buddha used these teachings to keep reminding everyone, “You have already realized and understood the principles I have taught and shown you. Now you need to keep moving forward. In the past, you reached conjured cities that were created for you to have somewhere to briefly rest. Now that you have recovered from the fatigue, you must keep moving forward.”

This is how the Buddha-Dharma works. Indeed, it is inseparable from the way we live. In the past, the Buddha only used worldly teachings to guide people to realize the basis of the principles. So, these principles all teach people to refrain from all evils and do all good deeds, practice kindness and form good karmic affinities. In Buddhist teachings, it is said that without forming good affinities with people, there is no chance to attain Buddhahood. So, before attaining Buddhahood, we must first create good affinities. We create them by doing good deeds, which brings joy to others, resolves their troubles and helps them. Only by doing this is it possible to attain Buddhahood. So, the Buddha teaches us to do all good deeds, and at the same time, subdue unwholesome thinking and end all evils.

Through the Six Senses, our eyes see the sufferings of life. Thus, we must activate our loving hearts to quickly help others and tame the greed in our minds. This is what He taught us with skillful means. But these are based on worldly principles. So, He had to carefully guide us and inspire us to act out of love, form good karmic connections, and eliminate all unwholesome behavior to subdue our minds.

Though these skillful means are considered clever and provisional, they are still wondrous and based on true principles. These skillful means are used to treat all sentient beings’ mental ailments.

All things, including sentient beings’ suffering, arise from the deviation of one thought, which spreads negative thoughts in all directions. Don’t greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt all arise from that one thought? In order for each of us to subdue these thoughts, we must eliminate evil. To eliminate evil, we must do good deeds. Therefore, our Six Senses are endowed with good potential. Whether we see something through our eyes, speak it through our mouths or hear it through our ears and so on, everything is a teaching for our bodies and minds. Everything starts with the Six Senses.

So, through these senses, we must listen to wholesome principles, allow them to penetrate our minds and manifest through our actions. Otherwise, even if we live in the Buddha’s era, see Him and listen to His teachings in person, if the Dharma does not penetrate our minds, it is useless.

So, when the Buddha comes to the world, His first vow is to take this love and spread it widely among all sentient beings so that we will recognize that our intrinsic nature is one of compassion and benevolence. This is the Buddha’s wish. If we listen without practicing, it is as if nothing happened. Whether we are Hearers or Solitary Realizers, we must all open up our intrinsic nature to move closer to the Buddha’s wisdom.

He told Hearers and those who sought the Solitary Realizer Vehicle, “I will enable you to cast off the bonds of suffering and achieve Nirvana.”

This next passage says, “He told Hearers.” Hearers are those with limited capacities who followed the Buddha and became monastics. “Those who seek the Solitary Realizer Vehicle.” Solitary Realizers are a step above Hearers in wisdom. When immersed in an environment, they constantly, intensely contemplate all things in the world. People, matters, objects, principles are all subjects of their mindful contemplation. They are Solitary Realizers,

Those who “realize the truth through observing the causes and conditions in their surroundings.” They are Solitary Realizers, Solitary Realizer Vehicle: By observing the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, they realize the fruit of true emptiness and Nirvana. They are stubbornly biased toward emptiness and do not seek the path to Buddhahood. Therefore, they are called Solitary Realizers.

The Solitary Realizers observe the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. The Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence describe the way we come to and depart from our physical bodies. Those steps are the Twelve Links. So, after realizing and understanding the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, they attain the fruits of true emptiness and Nirvana. But they are still biased toward emptiness. Through the true Buddha-Dharma, we realize that everything is empty and all things return to nothingness. But we should know that within this, there are still wondrous principles. Solitary Realizers are not yet at this state, so they have only penetrated the principles of emptiness. Thus, they are “biased toward emptiness.”

They “do not seek the path to Buddhahood. Therefore, they are called Solitary Realizers.” They only know the first part, but not the second. The Buddha is the Two-Footed Honored One. To only [develop] wisdom but not create blessings is an incomplete practice. So, Solitary Realizers are biased toward emptiness.

The wisdom of Solitary Realizers: They observe the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, also called Twelve Links of Dependent Arising, which are the originating conditions for sentient beings to go through the Three Periods and transmigrate in the Six Realms.

The Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence are also called Twelve Links of Dependent Arising. We should understand how our lives came to be. This is related to the Three Periods of Time. [Our present lives] are affected by our past lives, and the causes and conditions we created, which led us to come to this world. “Understand that the retributions of this life are the results of what we did in previous ones.” Why do we face these retributions in this life? Some people are born to a comfortable life. Others may not be born to good conditions, but they have a karmic affinity with these parents and this family. So, their arrival in the world changes the family’s circumstances, and things go smoothly for them as they grow up. These are good causes and conditions.

How are they so blessed to go through life so smoothly? We often hear stories like this in our society. Such-and-such famous people grew up in such negative conditions. Before they were born, their parents’ circumstances were so poor they had to beg. After the child was born to this family, they became very fortunate and everything went smoothly. Look at those who are among the wealthiest in the world, have very successful businesses and so on. [Their current situation] depends on their past, the blessings they created, the seeds they planted and the affinities they formed. Thus everything in their life is smooth sailing.

This is what happens if we have created blessed causes and conditions. What if we created evil causes and conditions? A person may be born to a distinguished family that is very successful. Then as he grows up, the family experiences impermanence. “Riches do not last longer than three generations” is what the ancients say. He is born to such a family, which then slowly declines and deteriorates. By the time he is a teenager, even attending school regularly is problematic. The environment pressures him into shouldering heavy responsibilities and doing very hard work. This can be attributed to his past life. The karmic retributions he created [led to] the events of this lifetime.

There are also ordinary families. The parents are not bad, but the children refuse to behave. Due to their negative affinities with the parents, they are disobedient and do all sorts of evil deeds. They cause their parents to worry and create disturbances in society. There are people like this, too.

So, this is how sentient beings go through the Three Periods of time. The causes created in past lifetimes result in the retributions in this lifetime through the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, or Twelve Links of Dependent Arising. We all have these originating conditions in our past, present and future. They lead to our cyclic existence through their sequential arising, so this is the teaching of Dependent Arising. Thus, we are very blessed to engage in spiritual cultivation. If we want to know how our bodies came to be, this is tied to the Twelve Links. So, we should all be ready to put our hearts into understanding how we come and go.

The wisdom of Solitary Realizers allows them to intensely contemplate how this life came to be. They can also realize the Buddha’s teachings. So, in addition to listening with our ears, we must also carefully contemplate His teachings. So, we must always be mindful.