Author: Scott Ogata

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Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
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Chapter 2

Episode 217 – Strengthen Resolve through the Four Noble Truths

>> “Thoroughly understand the meaning of
the Four Noble Truths.” This is the basis of learning the Buddha’s
teachings. “We must observe adverse and favorable conditions to resonate
with those principles. Penetrating the truth with sharp wisdom is a seeming
awakening. We must uphold our resolve and vow to practice the Six
Paramitas.”

>> “Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas, who have made offerings to
countless Buddhas, clearly understand the paths of truth and are able to
skillfully expound the Dharma, number as many as the rice, hemp, bamboo and
reed [plants], filling the ksetras in the ten-directions.”

>> Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas: Bodhisattvas at or before the first
ground, “joy.” They are recently inspired, but their Power of Faith
is not yet firm, solid and non-retreating.

>> The Bodhisattva’s Ten Grounds: The ground of joy, the ground of
freedom from defilement, the ground of radiating light, the ground of blazing
wisdom, the ground of overcoming difficulties, the ground of manifestation, the
ground of far-reaching practice, the ground of stillness, the ground of
excellent wisdom and the ground of Dharma-cloud.

The Buddha started teaching by turning the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths. We Buddhist practitioners should.

“Thoroughly understand the meaning of the Four Noble Truths.” This is the basis of learning the Buddha’s teachings. “We must observe adverse and favorable conditions to resonate with those principles. Penetrating the truth with sharp wisdom is a seeming awakening. We must uphold our resolve and vow to practice the Six Paramitas.”

If we can understand the Four Noble Truths, we will recognize the truth of suffering, its causation, its cessation and the Path to its cessation. The Four Noble Truths are found in our daily living. As we deal with people and matters, we can realize all kinds of principles. When we face adverse conditions, we must recognize that life is full of suffering. In this world, we suffer when we are parted from those we love and when we cannot attain what we desire. Under favorable conditions, we enjoy wealth, happiness, fame and status. These are all favorable conditions. However, we must recognize that within favorable conditions, there is still suffering.

Where there is love, there may be resentment. After we come together, inevitably we will suffer when we part. Basically, life is filled with so many conflicting emotions. As spiritual practitioners, we must understand that in our daily living, under both adverse and favorable conditions, we must reflect on the meaning of the Four Noble Truths. In doing so, our hearts will not waver. Then when we face adversities we will not be tormented, and when things are favorable, we will not be arrogant. This is why we must constantly, mindfully observe whether we are taking good care of our minds and whether the Four Noble Truths abide in our hearts.

So, previously, I kept talking about “the path of Infinite Meanings.” On this path of Infinite Meanings, we can thoroughly understand many teachings. When it comes to the various wondrous principles of the universe and the world, we can gradually understand, see through and penetrate them. To do this, we have to start from the foundation.

This is why I often mention the Four Noble Truths. [It helps us] deal with both favorable and adverse conditions. With this kind of understanding, we must work on comprehending our external conditions, so we can resonate with the principles. This means the principles can be internalized. When our minds are in line with the teachings, we have an unimpeded understanding. Once we fully understand a path, we will clearly know whether it is the path we should take, and whether the timing is right or not.

“Penetrating the truth with sharp wisdom is a seeming awakening.” Previously, we discussed having wisdom like Sariputra or or like the Pratyekabuddhas, the Solitary Realizers. By [observing] the world, they realized the principle of impermanence. These are people with sharp wisdom. They have penetrated the truth, which is the true principles. They already understand these principles,

and it seems like they have awakened, but this is not a full awakening. They still have slight bits of ignorance that have not been eliminated. So, their minds still constantly change because there are traces of ignorance. Therefore, as we engage in spiritual practice now, it is very important to “uphold our resolve and vow to practice the Six Paramitas.” We must practice the Six Paramitas.

In the Lotus Sutra, the Six Paramitas are the path the Buddha paved for us. First, He taught us about the path we have walked so far and how we have gradually drawn closer to arrive at our current state. To truly draw near to the Buddha’s state, we must walk the path of the Six Paramitas. They are the methods of the One Vehicle. The combination of the six is the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle, which can take us to the state of the Buddha.

So, earlier we talked about those who dwelled in their final bodies. These people of sharp wisdom, “put their minds together for billions of kalpas.” So many people with sharp wisdom gather, as numerous as bamboo in a bamboo grove. The ksetras (lands) in the ten directions are like bamboo groves. Each stalk of bamboo is like a Pratyekabuddha. Pratyekabuddhas have sharp wisdom. All of them may pool together to wholeheartedly comprehend the Buddha’s wisdom for a very long time, “for billions of kalpas.” [Even if they spend] a very long time, wishing to understand the Buddha’s true wisdom, “they would not understand the least bit of it.” Even if they do, they may only understand a very tiny bit of it. So, the Buddha’s wisdom is truly vast and boundless.

The Buddha’s wisdom is so wondrous, so we must learn the methods to comprehend it. This passage states,

“Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas, who have made offerings to countless Buddhas, clearly understand the paths of truth and are able to skillfully expound the Dharma, number as many as the rice, hemp, bamboo and reed [plants], filling the ksetras in the ten-directions.”

Even when many people with the sharp wisdom of. Pratyekabuddhas work together, they still cannot understand [His wisdom]. They can only know the least bit of it; they still cannot achieve complete understanding. So, Pratyekabuddhas still cannot do it. Next are those who formed Bodhisattva-aspirations. This verse is about [people who are] a step up from Pratyekabuddhas. They are newly-inspired Bodhisattvas.

Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas: Bodhisattvas at or before the first ground, “joy.” They are recently inspired, but their Power of Faith is not yet firm, solid and non-retreating.

Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas have resolved to diligently seek the Dharma, and have made offerings to countless Buddhas. “They clearly understand the paths of truth.” They already understand the Buddha’s meaning. The meaning behind His teachings is something they have begun to realize. Not only can they realize it, they can also “skillfully expound the Dharma.” People like this number as many as the rice, hemp, bamboo and reed [plants]. They are like stalks of rice in the rice paddy. They are also like the hemp that is planted in arid lands. In the past, people used hemp in their weaving, so they also grew it in large quantities. They are also like bamboo and reeds, which are even thinner and grow more densely.

Earlier a comparison was made to bamboo; now it is to reeds. So, now their numbers are even greater. There are so many Bodhisattvas, newly-inspired Bodhisattvas who are able to understand the Buddha’s intent and expound the Dharma. There are so many of them; they fill the ksetras of ten directions. So, we need to mindfully analyze these verses even more thoroughly.

Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas are those at or before the first ground, the ground of joy. Bodhisattvas [progress through] the Ten Grounds,

which we have discussed. When we begin to form aspirations, we must do so with joyful hearts.

The Bodhisattva’s Ten Grounds: The ground of joy, the ground of freedom from defilement, the ground of radiating light, the ground of blazing wisdom, the ground of overcoming difficulties, the ground of manifestation, the ground of far-reaching practice, the ground of stillness, the ground of excellent wisdom and the ground of Dharma-cloud.

If we want to be Bodhisattvas, we must happily and freely aspire to that state. Consider Tzu Chi volunteers. [People ask,] “Why are you working so hard? It’s not hard; it’s blessed work. Why are you doing those things? I do it willingly because it makes me happy.” So, they overcome all kinds of difficulties by doing the work joyfully.

We develop aspirations willingly. [The Chinese characters for willing] contain the character “sweet”, so when we give willingly, we do not feel the slightest bit of bitterness. We voluntarily formed these aspirations, so we willingly do this work. And because we do it willingly, we do not see it as hard work. When the work is done, we are very happy because we fulfilled our intentions by happily and willingly giving to others. We see others being influenced by the teachings. We can sense that they become happy because they are receptive to the teachings given, and those who give the teachings are also joyful. “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering beings.” When Bodhisattvas see sentient beings suffer, they cannot bear it, so they help them. No matter how difficult the situation is, they are willing to help others.

Let us continue talking about Bodhisattvas. We just talked about newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. They are just beginning to feel joyful and form aspirations. These Bodhisattvas are on “the ground of joy,” the first Bodhisattva ground. Next, true Bodhisattvas form great aspirations and seek the unsurpassed path for sentient beings. Thus, they are called Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas engage in spiritual practice not for their own sake, but for the sake of sentient beings; for them, they seek the unsurpassed path.

In the past I have also told all of you that, for the sake of sentient beings, the Buddha came to this world and manifested the attainment of enlightenment. He attained Buddhahood for sentient beings. Otherwise, since Beginningless Time, countless kalpas ago, the Buddha [had already attained liberation] with His Tathagata-nature and was beyond birth and death. Not only did He [eliminate fragmentary samsara] but transformational samsara as well. Why did He need to return to this world to engage in spiritual practice again?

Actually, this was not the work of one lifetime. Didn’t the beginning of the Lotus Sutra reference 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas? This already tells us that. Buddha-nature has existed for a very long time, for countless kalpas. So, He comes to this world for one great cause, to transform sentient beings.

All Buddhas come for this purpose, as do all Bodhisattvas. Even Manjusri Bodhisattva, who had already attained Buddhahood, and Guanyin Bodhisattva, who had already attained Buddhahood, followed the Buddha to this world. All Bodhisattvas come to assist at Dharma-assemblies and have returned on the ship of compassion to help Sakyamuni Buddha transform sentient beings. They are Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas, so they aspire to manifest in this world to guide people. These guides are called Bodhisattvas. By guiding people on the path to Buddha-nature and assisting at the Dharma-assembly, they are true Bodhisattvas.

Therefore, for the sake of sentient beings they seek the unsurpassed path. Even newly-inspired Bodhisattvas have this intention. This is what makes them Bodhisattvas.

As I have often explained, Bodhisattvas are “enlightened sentient beings.” As we awaken ourselves, we must awaken others too. “Enlightened sentient beings” are. Bodhisattvas who work with a multitude of beings. The Buddha manifested Parinirvana, but the world is still filled with Bodhisattvas. They are all among us. So, when people form aspirations, we call them Bodhisattvas. Indeed, among these Bodhisattvas, there are newly-inspired Bodhisattvas as well as. Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas who are firm in their faith.

Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas may not yet be firm in their spiritual aspirations. They are joyful and willing to act, but when challenges arise, they may lose their resolve. Sariputra also once formed great aspirations. When a man said to him, “I want your eye,” he actually took one out and gave it to him. But giving his left eye was not enough. The man said, “I didn’t want your left eye; I wanted your right eye.” So, he removed his right eye too.

Now Sariputra no longer had eyes. Then the man who asked for them complained about the foul smell of the eyes. He threw them down and stomped on them to show his dissatisfaction. Although Sariputra formed great aspirations in the past, when he encountered this challenge he vowed, “I just want to be a spiritual practitioner; I don’t want to be a Bodhisattva.” Therefore, for lifetime after lifetime, he remained a Hearer. Though he was foremost in wisdom, he had no desire to be a Bodhisattva. So, the Buddha acknowledged that. Sariputra was foremost in wisdom but lacked the desire to seek the unsurpassed path for sentient beings; he only sought it for himself.

Among Hearers, the Buddha’s disciples, there were others who formed aspirations but also later lost their will to practice. So, forming aspirations is very easy. This is what newly-inspired Bodhisattvas are like. They can understand principles, and they willingly aspire to draw near the Buddha’s mind. But their spiritual aspirations are not firm, so they may still retreat from the path.

Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas are different. They seek the unsurpassed path for all beings. This is what makes them Bodhisattvas, “sentient beings with minds of great enlightenment.” They use the path of all Buddhas to help sentient beings achieve awakening. Those who expounded the Buddha-Dharma to help sentient beings awaken are called Bodhisattvas.

There are Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas, as well as newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. In contrast, Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas steer the ship of compassion [back to this world]. Many Bodhisattvas, such as Manjusri, Samantabhadra, Guanyin, have already attained Buddhahood but have come back to this world to guide sentient beings in the right direction. This is what we must learn to do.

But to reach this state, we must [ask ourselves] if we have understood the meaning of the Four Noble Truths. Once we fully understand this foundation, we must then learn the Six Paramitas and the Four Infinite Minds. The Ten Paramitas are the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle, which we use to cross from this shore of ordinary beings to the state of noble beings and Buddhas. Therefore, I hope all of you will be mindful. Though we may be newly inspired, we must have a strong resolve. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

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Wisdom at Dawn
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Chapter 2

Episode 216 – Contemplate True Wisdom of the One Vehicle

>> “The universe is vast. The many stars in
the Milky Way are as numerous as the Ganges River’s sand. It is difficult to
estimate their count.”

>> So, “The Buddha’s disciples, filling the ksetras in the ten
directions, exhaustively contemplate and try to fathom the ultimate reality of
the One Vehicle.”

>> “If they put their minds together for billions of countless
kalpas, wishing to understand the Buddha’s true wisdom, they still cannot
understand the least bit of it.”

>> If they put their minds together: The mind-nature encompasses
everything and thoroughly understands the universe. Therefore, the good and the
evil, the ordinary and the saints, are all of this one mind. All teachings are
intrinsic to the mind, so it can accomplish all things.

>> Wishing to understand the Buddha’s true wisdom: This wisdom can illuminate
true nature. Principles that are not false are called true wisdom. Utilizing
this wisdom of reality as the path is the One Vehicle knowledge of reality.

“The universe is vast.
The many stars in the Milky Way
are as numerous as the Ganges River’s sand.
It is difficult to estimate their count.”

There were two astronomers who meticulously helped me understand what is in the skies. When they talk about astronomy, the [universe] truly seems vast and endless. They showed one picture after another of different galaxies. I asked them, “Does the Tzu Chi asteroid orbit the Sun?” He said, “Yes. That asteroid also orbits the Sun.”

So, I asked him, “Over 2000 years ago, the Buddha’s teachings talked about the universe. We, here on Earth, take 12 months to orbit the Sun. How long does the Tzu Chi asteroid take?” He said, “The time it takes for this asteroid to orbit the Sun is five times that of the Earth.” So, the more we continue to understand celestial bodies and galaxies, the more we believe in. Sakyamuni Buddha’s wisdom. Indeed, it is said a day in the Heaven of the. Four Heavenly Kings is 50 years in this world. This is something we can believe.

To sum up, in the universe, there are so many galaxies and stars; their number is incalculable. We know that this universe is broad, vast and endless, but just how big is it? He is an authoritative figure in astronomy, yet even he does not know. There are many people who specialize in analyzing such natures and appearances. This nature is vast and endless. How can we comprehend it? Basically, the celestial bodies in the universe contain many principles.

After showing one picture after another, at the very end, he had a picture that was completely dark. He said that in the sky, the universe, there is a section that is incredible. It seems completely empty, but they know there exists abundant “dark matter.” What kind of matter is this? We do not know. So, I said, “That is ‘true emptiness.’ In true emptiness there is wondrous existence. Wondrous existence is right here.”

So, Sakyamuni Buddha [applied His] wisdom to help us believe. How many stars are there in the sky? He used one descriptor, “as numerous as the Ganges River’s sand.” He compared it to the sands of the Ganges River to show us that the number is incalculable. Indeed, this is wondrously profound.

We humans live on this planet. So I asked, “Is there life on other planets?” He said, “There may be. They may have existed longer than we have. Perhaps they are more advanced than we are and may be a higher life form.”

In other words, [this is like what the Buddha told us]. He told us there are 20 trillion Buddha-lands and an unknown number of Enlightened Ones spread throughout those Buddha-lands. “Buddha” means “enlightened one,” and each “land” is a world. Within the universe, there are infinite worlds in the ten directions, 20 trillion Buddha-lands. This is something we can believe because astronomers say that other planets may have more advanced life forms than us human beings.

In summary, this is something we need to understand. Therefore, I keep saying [we are] “unable to fathom the Buddha’s wisdom.” We must believe that only Buddhas can thoroughly understand the worlds in the universe, the true principles of the One Vehicle.

So, “The Buddha’s disciples, filling the ksetras in the ten directions, exhaustively contemplate and try to fathom the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle.”

We see that celestial bodies and the universe cannot be understood even by experts who specialize in them. Therefore, the odds that we ordinary people can understand the Buddha’s wisdom are indeed very miniscule. So, we need to focus on contemplating and understanding the ultimate reality of One Vehicle. Buddha-nature is truly vast and endless.

In conclusion, in this world, many things are worthy of our continuous contemplation. We must exhaustively think and pool our abilities. Although we are not as wise as Sariputra, as long as we engage in mindful contemplation, we may approximate his wisdom. There is still quite a distance between. Sariputra’s [state] and the Buddha’s [state]. But when we strive for Sariputra’s wisdom, we come a bit closer to the state of the Buddha. Our goal is still the same as Sariputra’s, to seek the Buddha’s wisdom.

In summary, we must continue to collectively contemplate this wisdom. If we have time, after listening to the Dharma, we must pool our abilities to contemplate it. Then we can assess the depth of our understanding. “I heard this phrase, and this is how I understand it.” Perhaps your understanding and others’ understanding can be combined to form a deeper understanding. We need to pool our abilities and contemplate together [because] the Buddha’s Dharma is indeed very profound.

So, as we have said before, “Pratyekabuddhas [have] sharp wisdom and [are] without Leaks, in their final bodies.” This means that they have already ended their fragmentary samsara. But, [there is still] transformational samsara. They still have small bits of ignorance. These beings fill ksetras in the ten directions and are as “numerous as bamboo in a bamboo grove.” Many beings have already ended their fragmentary samsara, such as Pratyekabuddhas. They realized the impermanence of the world but were still unable to truly comprehend the ultimate reality of the Buddha’s One Vehicle. This nature of True Suchness is something they still cannot fully comprehend. So, even though their number, when they gather from all directions, is as many as the bamboo in a bamboo forest,

“if they put their minds together for billions of countless kalpas, wishing to understand the Buddha’s true wisdom, they still cannot understand the least bit of it.”

There are so many Pratyekabuddhas in the worlds of ten directions. If each one is like a stalk of bamboo, then they were gathered like bamboo groves. This is how “they put their minds together. For billions of countless kalpas” refers to the length of time spent on contemplating this, which is countless kalpas. A kalpa is a unit of time. We cannot use billions of years to describe that span of time. Indeed, [we have to use] countless kalpas, a much longer period of time.

“Wishing to understand the Buddha’s true wisdom they still cannot understand the least bit of it.” So, many Pratyekabuddhas of sharp wisdom gathered to contemplate the Buddha’s wisdom. But they “could not understand the least bit of it.” To understand even the slightest bit of His wisdom is still very difficult. Therefore, we must truly put our hearts into it.

When we say, “If they put their minds together,” what do we mean? “The mind-nature encompasses everything and thoroughly understands the universe.”

If they put their minds together: The mind-nature encompasses everything and thoroughly understands the universe. Therefore, the good and the evil, the ordinary and the saints, are all of this one mind. All teachings are intrinsic to the mind, so it can accomplish all things.

If we really want our minds to completely understand the Buddha’s wisdom, we really have to attain the [state] in which the mind can encompass everything. That means knowing all things about celestial bodies and the universe. This is what our minds encompass. We also “thoroughly understand the universe.” In the vastness of space, even though that last picture [they showed me] appeared to be completely empty, there is an abundant and vast quantity of [dark] matter. However, we still do not know what that really is. But the Buddha “understands the universe,” [which is that vast empty space]. In that true emptiness, there is wondrous existence. Therefore, He “thoroughly understands” the wondrous existence of this kind of matter. It must contain something we ordinary people cannot comprehend.

So, “thoroughly understanding the universe” means that the mind-nature can encompass everything in the universe; there is nothing it cannot thoroughly understand.

“Therefore, the good and the evil, the ordinary and the saints, are all of this one mind.” Now I need to tell you all not to be discouraged. We must understand that even if we are of one mind and this is what our mind-nature is like, to understand the Buddha’s mind-nature is indeed not easy. Although there are so many Pratyekabuddhas, and they have reached this stage of ending fragmentary samsara, they still have a ways to go to comprehend the Buddha’s wisdom. But they still have a little bit of understanding, and only a few people can even reach that.

Though we are all ordinary people, we need to understand ourselves well. Whether we are good or evil, ordinary people or saints, we all have this same mind-nature. This is what the Buddha means when He says, “[The nature] of the mind, Buddhas and sentient beings are no different.” Whether we are good or evil, [that potential] is contained within our minds. All sentient beings’ minds are the same, but when it deviates just a little, it diverges into good or evil. Some people are focused on doing good deeds. That is goodness.

Good people know to pursue the truth and to understand morals and ethics. This knowledge of true principles is something they have to understand. If they are evil, they deny the law of cause and effect, so they commit all sort of wrongdoings. Indeed, this happens because of the mind.

Within evil people there is still goodness. “Human natures are inherently good; their natures are similar,” but “their habits differ greatly.” The more habitual tendencies influence them, the more their habits differ. Therefore, He emphasized again that the good and evil, the ordinary and saints, are all of this one mind. This does not only apply to humans, but all life. Therefore, we must have faith in ourselves, focus our thinking and really pay attention to our views and understanding, our thinking and so on. We really need to always be aware of our minds.

So, “all teachings are intrinsic to the mind; it can accomplish all things.” The mind can accomplish many things. Aren’t all these things in the world created by humans? Therefore, we must always be mindful. When we are mindful, we will contemplate and accomplish this thing, or accomplish that thing. So, the mind “can accomplish all things.” Therefore, we have the potential to commit evils, evil practices, evil deeds and goodness, virtuous practices, good deeds. Therefore, all things come from the mind.

So, we wish to understand the Buddha’s wisdom, the “wisdom that can illuminate true nature.”

Wishing to understand the Buddha’s true wisdom: This wisdom can illuminate true nature. Principles that are not false are called true wisdom. Utilizing this wisdom of reality as the path is the One Vehicle knowledge of reality.

Those “wishing to understand” are these Pratyekabuddhas. All these people have already ended fragmentary samsara. But, they still have the delusional thinking of those in transformational samsara, just a little bit. Even though there is just the slightest bit, for them to attain understanding of the Buddha’s understanding and views, the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle, will still take some time.

So, “This wisdom can illuminate true nature. Principles that are not false” are called true wisdom. Right now we are only discussing how. Pratyekabuddhas wish to understand true wisdom. What is true wisdom? It is the wisdom that can illuminate true nature. Illuminate means to understand completely.

Take lights for example. At night, when all the lights are off and something is placed in front of us, we cannot see it at all. When the lights are on, we can see what it is and how far it is from us. Our awareness comes from this illumination. So, this kind of wisdom is called discerning wisdom. We know how to discern what is in front of us and how far away it is.

And with “principles that are not false” means we understand what it is, what characteristics it has, whether it is hard or soft and so on. We can make these discernments because we understand principles. The characteristics of this object are qualities we see and can recognize. Right now, we are talking about the discerning wisdom we ordinary people have. If we were in the state of Buddhas, we would already thoroughly understand all celestial bodies in the universe. This is called true wisdom.

And “utilizing this wisdom of reality as the path is the One Vehicle knowledge of reality.” This knowledge of reality is used to pave a path. He hopes we can all fully understand the teachings of this Path. This is what is called true wisdom. “Utilizing this wisdom of reality as the path” is called the One Vehicle. To use this Dharma is to use the One Vehicle. It is just like a great ship. We want to make use of this ship to get to the other shore. This is called a vehicle. This “vehicle” is the tool that we need to use to get there. So, we must comprehend the wisdom of reality and practice these teachings of the path.

These teachings of the path, [including] the Four Infinite Minds, Six Paramitas, are all methods. They are necessities. So, we “wish to understand the Buddha’s true wisdom.” So many have already eliminated ignorance, so why can’t they understand? I continue to emphasize to everyone that these people have only attained the final bodies of their fragmentary samsara. But, do you remember that. I previously told all of you that there is still transformational samsara. There are still slight bits of ignorance in their hearts; their minds have not entered the state of extinction.

So, when we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we put our hearts into learning it. There is a lot we need to understand. So, we need to cherish our time. Thus, we must always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0215

Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
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Chapter 2

Episode 215 – Transform Worldly Consciousness into Wisdom

>> “The Dharma is unsurpassed, extremely
profound, subtle and wondrous. The teachings of the Path are a
difficult-to-measure ocean of wisdom. Worldly matters in this time, space and
Dharma-realm can become worldly Dharma when consciousness is turned into
wisdom.”

>> “Even if the world was filled with those like Sariputra, who
thought exhaustively and pooled their abilities, they still could not fathom
the Buddha’s wisdom.”

>> The Buddha’s wisdom: It is His true nature that always understands
everything and can penetrate infinite states and conditions. So, it is said
that the Buddha’s wisdom can penetrate infinite states and conditions.

>> “Even if the ten directions were filled with people like
Sariputra, and if the remaining disciples filled all the lands in the ten
directions, and if they thought exhaustively and pooled their abilities, they
still could not understand it.”

>> Even if the ten directions were filled: The lands in the ten
directions are also called the ksetra of the ten directions. Even if people in
the ksetra of the ten directions had sharp capabilities like Sariputra, they
would still find it difficult to fathom the Buddha’s wisdom.

>> “If Pratyekabuddhas, of sharp wisdom and without Leaks, in their
final bodies, also filled the ten directions, as numerous as bamboos in bamboo
groves….”

“The Dharma is unsurpassed, extremely profound, subtle and wondrous.
The teachings of the Path are a difficult-to-measure ocean of wisdom.
Worldly matters in this time, space and Dharma-realm
can become worldly Dharma when consciousness is turned into wisdom.”

This is indeed unsurpassed, extremely profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma. Every day, we discuss the Dharma. How can we actually find the most subtle and wondrous Dharma? What does the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle actually look like? How can we comprehend it? This is the teachings of the Path: “The teachings of the Path are a difficult-to-measure ocean of wisdom.”

As we have discussed earlier, the Avatamsaka assembly, the state of Avatamsaka, was very magnificent. It was tranquil and clear, like a boundless universe. Similarly, the Dharma is as vast as the ocean. This is what the Buddha’s wisdom is like. How can you measure it? It is as extensive as the Dharma-realm in terms of space and time. Time has existed since Beginningless Time throughout the present and extends long into the future. Although the realm of time and space is so vast, it is intimately connected to worldly matters. As we are amongst people, as long as we can put our hearts into comprehending the principles behind everything, indeed, this subtle, wondrous, unsurpassed and extremely profound Dharma will be found in this world. If we can transform consciousness into wisdom, we can [realize] worldly Dharma.

This is as if the Dharma is already in our minds and is then pulled out to be [used] in the world. This really vast world is inseparable from people. The Dharma is just like this. We can thoroughly understand it. After we thoroughly understand worldly and world-transcending Dharma, our realizations must be applied in this world. Worldly wisdom can help us realize our intrinsic nature of True Suchness and the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle, which is the Dharma. Thus, we must be mindful.

Earlier we said the Dharma is profound and subtle. Indeed,

“Even if the world was filled with those like Sariputra, who thought exhaustively and pooled their abilities, they still could not fathom the Buddha’s wisdom.”

Sariputra’s wisdom was foremost among the Buddha’s disciples. If the world was filled with people like Sariputra, they could focus their wisdom, “think exhaustively and pool their abilities.” Using this kind of strength and wisdom, they can try to fathom the Buddha’s state of mind, but they still cannot fathom it. Could it be that difficult? “Only the person who drinks the water knows if it is hot or cold.”

Everyone, each of us has our own state of mind. No one else can fathom it. No one else can fully understand the consciousness within our minds. There is a common saying, “We keep our minds to ourselves.” We each have our own perspective. We each have our own state of mind. For us ordinary beings to fathom each other is already not very easy. So, for us to fathom the Buddha’s wisdom is even more difficult. The Buddha’s wisdom, His understanding and views, is truly difficult to fathom.

What is the Buddha’s wisdom?

The Buddha’s wisdom: It is His true nature that always understands everything and can penetrate infinite states and conditions. So, it is said that the Buddha’s wisdom can penetrate infinite states and conditions.

The Buddha’s wisdom is His true nature, the True Suchness of His intrinsic nature. This has already been awakened, so He “always understands everything.” He knows about everything.

The Buddha completely understands the nature and appearance of all things in the world. Is there anything He does not know? Therefore, He can “penetrate infinite states and conditions.” The Buddha’s wisdom is like this; how could ordinary beings fathom it? It seems that even Sariputra’s wisdom cannot fathom it, either. Thus,

“Even if the ten directions were filled with people like Sariputra, and if the remaining disciples filled all the lands in the ten directions, and if they thought exhaustively and pooled their abilities, they still could not understand it.”

The “ten directions” refer to north, south, east, west, southeast, northwest and so forth. These are the lands of the “ten directions,” all of time and space put together.

If people, over such a long time and across such a vast space, get together to understand the Buddha’s wisdom, they still will not be able to understand it.

Even if the ten directions were filled: The lands in the ten directions are also called the ksetra of the ten directions. Even if people in the ksetra of the ten directions had sharp capabilities like Sariputra, they would still find it difficult to fathom the Buddha’s wisdom.

In “the ksetra of ten directions, ksetra” means “caturdisa,” or “land.” This word “caturdisa” means a temple. Thus, “even if people in ksetra of ten directions” means even if the wisdom of all the practitioners from all the monasteries in all the lands are combined, they are still incapable of understanding. Even if these people had sharp capabilities, with wisdom like Sariputra, they will still find it hard to fathom the Buddha’s wisdom.

This section of the sutra goes on to say, “and if the remaining disciples filled all the lands in the ten directions, and if they thought exhaustively and pooled their abilities, they still could not understand it.” All the spiritual practitioners in the world could collectively put their wisdom together, and think exhaustively to try to understand [the Buddha’s wisdom]. To “think exhaustively” is to try to fathom. Even if the wisdom of all these wise people is combined to try to fathom it, “they still could not understand it.” It is not possible.

This is because we are ordinary beings. Ordinary beings are still a long way from the [state of] the Buddha. Thus, we need to be more mindful and diligent to really return to our intrinsic nature. We have to work hard to follow the Buddha’s teachings and faithfully accept and practice them. Thus, we must have faith. This “faith” must fill our minds, so we trust what the Buddha taught us.

In the past few days, we have been discussing how the Buddha’s wisdom is profound and vast. If the wisdom and knowledge of everyone across time and space was pooled, they still could not fathom it. Take Sariputra for example. He was foremost in wisdom among all disciples and was constantly praised by the Buddha. Unexpectedly, at this time when the Buddha was “opening the provisional to reveal the true,” the Buddha kept using. Sariputra’s wisdom to make an analogy. When He said that even if everyone had wisdom like Sariputra’s and their wisdom were to be pooled together, He was not just referring to those at Vulture Peak. If, from all worlds of ten directions, the wisdom of all spiritual practitioners was pooled together, they still could not understand it.

We only constantly think to pool [wisdom] and keep looking for external sources to fathom something outside of ourselves. Why do we not return to our intrinsic nature and try to fathom ourselves? As the next section of the sutra states,

“If Pratyekabuddhas, of sharp wisdom and without Leaks, in their final bodies, also filled the ten directions, as numerous as bamboos in bamboo groves….”

Pratyekabuddhas’ wisdom [reflected] very sharp capabilities. Pratyekabuddhas’ wisdom was developed in an era without Buddhas. They were called Solitary Realizers. They naturally attained realizations, but what they realized was limited to this world. They were aware of the four seasons and how day and night [cycled,] how time passes. As the sun and moon rotate, hours become days, days become months. This is how time passes. What are the causes and conditions of this cycle?

They contemplated and realized that nothing really stays the same; time just passes continuously. As time passes, nothing abides forever. Nothing in the world with a physical appearance can last forever. Indeed, the nature and appearance of all things cannot be ever-abiding. For example, we humans all have an intrinsic Buddha-nature. This intrinsic nature is always with us, in the past, present and future.

But our appearances are not this way. The appearance of a newborn baby gradually matures. Actually, our nature is also maturing along with our appearance. Our nature, like our appearance, is continuously influenced throughout different eras. Our intrinsic nature has been with us from ancient times until now and has changed under the culture of every era. Our intrinsic nature has constantly been influenced during these eras.

While our intrinsic nature remains the same, as time passes, it also has no fixed appearance as time passes it, also has no fixed appearance. It is ever-changing. This was why. Pratyekabuddhas could only realize impermanence and recognize that nothing is ever-abiding. So, Pratyekabuddhas’ wisdom was very sharp. Without listening to the Buddha-Dharma, they could understand impermanence.

Why is it that impermanence makes us feel that our lives are beyond our control? In our lives, we still have to go through birth, aging, illness and death and deal with the way sentient beings in the world continuously accumulate collective karma. How can we realize how this actually came about? The collective karmic retribution of all beings could not be understood by Pratyekabuddhas. Therefore, though they had sharp wisdom, they were still very limited.

So, [the sutra passage] speaks of, “Pratyekabuddhas, of sharp wisdom and without Leaks, in their final bodies,” They recognized the suffering that comes from impermanence. They knew to seek their own liberation, so they could attain a state free of Leaks and not be defiled by impurities of this world. They could purify their own minds. “Without Leaks, in their final bodies,” was only [the end of] fragmentary samsara. They could only reach this state. They still could not attain the ultimate, Parinirvana, a state without arising and ceasing. Because they feared cyclic existence,

Pratyekabuddhas were still. Small Vehicle practitioners. They focused on protecting themselves because they feared cyclic existence. Yet, the Buddha wants us to take the next step and go among people and return on the ship of compassion. But Pratyekabuddhas are stuck in a state of ending fragmentary samsara and purifying their minds. They purified only themselves and did not care about other people. They want to eliminate fragmentary samsara, so they attained their “final body.”

“Also filling the ten directions,” [they are] “as numerous as bamboos in a bamboo grove.” Their wisdom was already at this level. If people with wisdom as sharp as Pratyekabuddhas were all gathered, so many of them, “as numerous as bamboos in a bamboo grove,” they still could not fathom Buddha’s wisdom.

Being “without Leaks, in their final bodies” means they were in their “final existence.” Here, “existence” means afflictions. By eliminating their afflictions, they purified their minds. This was what Pratyekabuddhas did. They could also be called Bodhisattvas. Similarly, when we see people who have just resolved to learn the Buddha’s teachings, we call them “Bodhisattvas.”

So, a “final-body Bodhisattva” is not a Bodhisattva in name only. They are also engaging in spiritual practice, and “in their cyclic existence, they are in their very last incarnation.” These Bodhisattvas in their last incarnation are very mindful like Pratyekabuddhas. Yet, they still have not eliminated the state of arising and ceasing, the state of true emptiness. Because they have not attained true emptiness, how can they attain or realize wondrous existence? We need to engage in spiritual practice until we realize true emptiness; then we can converge with wondrous existence.

Although ordinary beings may form aspirations to have wisdom like Sariputra and sharp wisdom like Pratyekabuddhas and may constantly engage in spiritual practice, they still come up a little short. Although they are in their final bodies of fragmentary samsara, if they can take the next step and understand the law of arising and ceasing, then they will realize true emptiness and will truly discover wondrous existence, their Buddha-nature. Thus, after we form aspirations, we must always be mindful.

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Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
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Chapter 2

Episode 214 – Believe in the Teachings of Ultimate Reality

>> “The Avatamsaka state is infinitely
magnificent. The perfect ocean of fruitions is clear and unobstructed. A mind
filled with faith understands the wondrous Dharma. The absolute mindset is in
sync with ultimate reality.”

>> “The assembly of the Buddha’s disciples have made offerings to
all Buddhas. [They] have ended all Leaks and are living in their final bodies.
But, even people such as these do not have the power required.”

>> “Even if the world was filled [in ten directions] with people
like Sariputra, who thought exhaustively and “pooled their abilities, they
would not fathom the Buddha’s wisdom.”

>> “Sari” is the Sanskrit word for mynah. Therefore, he was
given the nme “Son-of-Sari,” or Sariputra, according to his mother’s
name. Sariputra clearly understood all teachings, so he was foremost in wisdom.

“The Avatamsaka state is infinitely magnificent.
The perfect ocean of fruitions is clear and unobstructed.
A mind filled with faith understands the wondrous Dharma.
The absolute mindset is in sync with ultimate reality.”

This tells us that the Avatamsaka state is infinitely magnificent. What is the Avatamsaka state? The state of the Buddha’s mind in the instant He attained enlightenment, the moment His mind converged with that star. That is the Avatamsaka state. He clearly saw His intrinsic nature, its tranquility and purity. This kind of state is infinitely magnificent. It is incredibly magnificent. Comparing it to other states is very difficult. Rarely can we come across it. From the Buddha’s mind arose this magnificent state. This is the “perfect ocean of fruitions.”

The “perfect ocean of fruitions” is our perfect and harmonious intrinsic nature. This seed gives rise to an ocean of fruitions. So, this seed, this core [of enlightenment] is spread extensively; it extends across [the universe], so we can thoroughly understand everything. This expansion of the mind is truly infinite and boundless, so this state of mind is clear and unobstructed. We must understand this state, and our faith must also be firm.

“A mind filled with faith” means our thinking must always be in harmony with our faith. We must be firm in our faith, so we will not allow deviant thinking and thoughts to influence and confuse our right faith and right thinking. Therefore, we must believe in the Buddha’s teachings, especially the One Vehicle, the Great Vehicle. The True Dharma of the One Vehicle is something we must believe in.

So, in our state of mind, if we lack faith, we cannot achieve complete understanding. Therefore, “a mind filled with faith understands the wondrous Dharma.” Our minds must be one with the conditions for us to be in sync with ultimate reality.

Ultimate reality is intrinsic to our minds. However, we have allowed our minds to scatter. Now we must unite our minds with conditions and return to our intrinsic nature. Then we can be in sync with ultimate reality. So, the Lotus Sutra definitely teaches us to use skillful means to return to our true nature. This must begin with a sense of deep faith. We must be focused so that we can return to our intrinsic pure and undefiled Avatamsaka state. Then this magnificence is something we can realize.

Earlier, we spoke about how,

“The assembly of the Buddha’s disciples have made offerings to all Buddhas. [They] have ended all Leaks and are living in their final bodies. But, even people such as these do not have the power required.”

The disciples of past Buddhas and the present Sakyamuni Buddha have put their hearts into making offerings to, being near and serving all Buddhas. They do this lifetime after lifetime. Their level of practice has reached a state where “[they] have ended all Leaks.” They have eliminated all afflictions and are “living in their final bodies.” This is their last instance of fragmentary samsara.

Though they have engaged in spiritual practice, ended all Leaks and “are living in their final bodies, even people such as these still do not have the power required.” So, even if we are all completely within the Dharma-vehicle, we still do not have enough power to return. Thus, we “still do not have the power required,” and we cannot truly realize the state in which the mind converges with the universe.

Then the sutra states,

“Even if the world was filled [in ten directions] with people like Sariputra, who thought exhaustively and “pooled their abilities, they would not fathom the Buddha’s wisdom.”

Sariputra, among the Buddha’s disciples, was foremost in wisdom. But even if [people] with Sariputra’s wisdom “thought exhaustively and pooled their abilities,” they would still be unable to attain realizations. Therefore, we must really put our hearts into this and work very hard.

“Even if the world was filled [in ten directions].” When we talk about the world, we are talking about both space and time.

Time refers to the past, present and future. The past goes back to Beginningless Time. We are in the present, which continuously becomes the past. Then there is the future, which stretches endlessly before us. So, the past, present and future are all part of time. Time refers to the past, present and future from all the way back to Beginningless Time to the present and into the future, This is all part of our sense of time.

East, west, south, north, above and below are all part of space. East, west, south, north, above, below, southeast, northwest and so on are called the ten directions.

When we talk about time and space, we are talking about the world. We consider our universe to be the space between heaven and earth; that is the world we live in. The space between heaven and earth is the space we consider our universe. So, what is the universe, heaven and earth? They are the same; they are different names for the same thing. They refer to the Earth. We [define] the world through the time and space of this planet. We live on this planet, Earth. This is the world we humans live in.

We must understand that this world is not only made up of humans. There are myriad forms and things of all shapes and sizes, as well as mountains, rivers and land, on Earth. All sentient beings rely on this, “the realm of physical existence.”

The myriad forms we see, the things we need to live etc., everything contained in this world is “the realm of physical existence.” For example, right now, we abide in our spiritual practice center. I am here speaking, and you are there listening. This is also “the realm of physical existence.” These myriad forms and this piece of land allow us to create this spiritual practice center. We depend on this place for our spiritual practice. [In a similar way,] sentient beings depend on the universe and the earth; all of which are “the realm of physical existence.” Everything we now depend on is a part of the realm of physical existence. When we study the Buddha’s teachings, this is something we must understand.

We rely on this world with its myriads of things, which give rise to different environments that support us in different ways. Then there are sentient beings, which are living beings, including humans and animals. All sentient beings dwell here and create karma together.

Where does karma come from? Sentient beings and humans all have different habitual tendencies and behaviors, both good and evil. Doing [good deeds] creates a world of blessed retributions. What about doing [bad deeds]? When beings collectively create bad karma, they cause many natural and manmade disasters. These are all created by sentient beings.

Why do they create [karma]? Because of ignorance. How does ignorance arise? It begins with an ignorant thought that gives rise to greed, anger and delusion. This leads them to create karma. The collective karma of sentient beings leads to disasters. Natural and manmade disasters come from collective karma.

When we come to this world, we are bound to die. While we are here, we [create] a mix of good and bad karma. Some people aspire and vow to do good deeds. But their minds waver, so they give rise to [discursive] thoughts, which lead to greed, anger and delusion. So, in sentient beings, good and evil coexist. Therefore, we continue to have a physical form in this cyclic existence. Thus, we live in the world of sentient beings. The relationships between people or animals, or between people and animals etc., are part of “the world of sentient beings.”

As “sentient beings,” we can discern hot from cold and what we like from what we do not like. This is what sentient beings do. But we sentient beings in the human realm are lost, so we must engage in spiritual practice. We must awaken and become “enlightened sentient beings.” We must learn what the Enlightened One practiced and the roads He walked. So, we must aspire and vow to be enlightened sentient beings.

Earlier we mentioned, “Even if the world was filled [in ten directions] with people like Sariputra.” By saying if people are like Sariputra, the Buddha was praising him as the disciple foremost in wisdom. He also wanted us to know that even if we all had wisdom like Sariputra and tried to understand the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle, even if we focused all our thinking, that still would not be enough. Clearly, the Buddha is telling us that to achieve the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle, which is His spiritual state, we still have a long way to go. So, He encourages us to be more diligent.

Among the Hearers, Sariputra was foremost in wisdom. At the Lotus Dharma-assembly, he was the first one who realized the One Vehicle. He understood that the Buddha had to set aside provisional teachings of the past. Now, He would directly expound from His heart the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle. Sariputra was the first one to realize this. So, in the Chapter on Parables, Sariputra was the first among His disciples to receive predictions of Buddhahood.

Sariputra is a Sanskrit name which means Son-of-Sari. This signified that his mother was very beautiful, intelligent and wise. Part of her beauty came from her clear eyes, like those of a sari (myna bird). Therefore, people called his mother “Sari.” When Sariputra was born, he was named after his mother. So, “Sariputra” means “Son-of-Sari.”

“Sari” is the Sanskrit word for mynah. Therefore, he was given the name “Son-of-Sari,” or Sariputra, according to his mother’s name. Sariputra clearly understood all teachings, so he was foremost in wisdom.

In this world, he could understand all kinds of the Buddha’s various teachings. He had clear understanding, but for his mind to [return to] its intrinsic nature, for it to converge with the Buddha’s mind, which is the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle, he still had quite a ways to go.

In short, in the Chapter on Parables, Sariputra was about to receive the Buddha’s prediction for his attainment of Buddhahood. Therefore, we must put our hearts into attaining “the Avatamsaka state” that is “infinitely magnificent. The perfect ocean of fruitions is clear and unobstructed.” We must know and understand this and focus our faith. So, when our “mind is filled with faith, [we] understand the wondrous Dharma. The absolute mindset is in sync with ultimate reality.”

Everyone, we must have “a mind filled with faith.” We must all be mindful of ourselves and contemplate our faith. We must study the principles of the Lotus Sutra, though they are very profound. The Buddha keeps telling us they are like this, but we still cannot comprehend them. Yet we must know without a doubt it is possible. As long as we can focus our faith and completely instill it in our thinking and actions, we can understand the Buddha’s wondrous Dharma. We must have faith in ourselves.

As long as our minds can constantly converge with external conditions, [we can see] that everything contains the wondrous Dharma. We need to expend more effort to experience all things in the world. In this world, “the Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from worldly teachings.” To seek the Dharma apart from this world is like trying to find fur on a turtle shell or trying to find horns on a rabbit’s head. Those things are impossible.

So, the Buddha Dharma must be united with the way we live in the world. Since the Buddha came for one great cause, to expound teachings in this world, His Dharma must be [applied here]. This is something we must believe. Even though [His teachings] are very profound, nothing is difficult as long as our will is strong. So, “all things are created by the mind.” Everyone, please always be mindful.

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Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
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Chapter 2

Episode 213 – Make Offerings with Utmost Sincerity

>> “Listening to the Dharma and
encountering Buddhas is difficult. Listening, contemplating and practicing, and
“having faith, vows and actions is difficult. Respecting and drawing near
[Buddhas] is difficult and practicing even more so. With utmost respect in body
and mind, we make offerings through actions.”

>> “The assembly of the Buddha’s disciples have made offerings to
all Buddhas. [They] have exhausted all Leaks and are living in their final
bodies. But even people such as these do not have the power required.”

“Listening to the Dharma and encountering Buddhas is difficult.
Listening, contemplating and practicing, and “having faith, vows and actions is difficult.
Respecting and drawing near [Buddhas] is difficult and practicing even more so.
With utmost respect in body and mind, we make offerings through actions.”

This tells us that listening to the Dharma is really not easy. There are billions of people in the world, but how many have a chance to listen to the Dharma? To be able to live in the same era as the Buddha is even more difficult. Yet, the Buddha-Dharma remains in the world. When we listen to the Dharma, we need to do so respectfully. After listening to it, we must also contemplate what it is really trying to tell us and how it can help us walk this broad path that the Buddha is teaching us. If we can make this vow, we need to accept and practice His teachings. Therefore, as we listen and contemplate, we must also engage in spiritual practice.

In our practice, one thing we cannot lack is “faith.” We need to have faith; we need to make vows and we need to put them into practice. This is how we truly listen, contemplate and practice. Some people may listen to teachings and then contemplate them. Not only do they contemplate them, they write commentaries about them. By listening, contemplating and writing, they show that they are studying the Dharma. But they need to ask themselves, is it out of right faith or for academic purposes that they listen, contemplate and then write such commentaries?

Those who write commentaries may not necessarily be people who have faithfully accepted and practiced [the teachings]. They may not have made vows and are only working hard for academic achievement, so they are not spiritual practitioners. Although you can listen to the Dharma and contemplate its meaning, you may not have established faith, vows and practices. This is why “having faith, vows and practices is difficult.” To listen and to contemplate are relatively easy, but to put it into practice is not easy at all. The value is in the physical practice. So, we choose to

“be respectful and draw near the Buddha.” Although it is also not very easy, it is at least easier than actual practice. Some may seem to have deep faith in the Buddha because they often visit temples and make offerings to Dharma masters. They do all kinds of things except putting the teachings into practice. At the temple, [they are asked,]. “It’s noon; will you stay to eat with us? No, I already have a date with friends.” [They find] eating even a single vegetarian meal very difficult. This type of person is not a minority. They draw near temples, but are not practicing in their internal training ground. Externally, they appear respectful and are always visiting spiritual training centers. Internally, they are unable to make progress. Therefore, “practicing is more difficult than being respectful and drawing near.”

“With utmost respect in body and mind, we make offerings through actions.” More importantly, when we go to temples and pay respect to the Three Treasures, we must engage in spiritual practice. With utmost sincerity of body and mind, we make offerings of conduct. Offerings of conduct are more important than material offerings. So, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must always listen with our hearts. In listening, we must be very respectful, feeling how very precious it is to encounter the teachings. As for the Dharma, after listening, we must utilize and practice it.

Although encountering the Buddha is difficult, if there is Dharma in our hearts, we can then realize the Buddha within. And if the Buddha is in our hearts, naturally there will be Dharma in our actions. So, the Buddha and the Dharma must remain in our hearts. If we respect them, the Buddha and the Dharma will always be with us and in our actions as we go about our days. Then, encountering the Buddha is not difficult.

We can listen, contemplate and practice. As long as we have faith, make vows, take actions, in every moment, we are listening to teachings. The following verses in the sutra states,

“The assembly of the Buddha’s disciples have made offerings to all Buddhas. [They] have exhausted all Leaks and are living in their final bodies. But even people such as these do not have the power required.”

“The assembly of the Buddha’s disciples….” This is the Buddha speaking to. His disciples at the Lotus Dharma-assembly. “[They] have made offerings to all Buddhas.” These disciples, in the past, had [good karmic] affinities with all Buddhas. Likely, they made offerings to all Buddhas or had followed Them in spiritual practice when. They were in this world previously.

Making offerings to and serving all Buddhas means they draw near to and respect Them. Material offerings are not a necessity. The most important way to make offerings is to practice with utmost sincerity.

Of course, when the Buddha was living in this world, He also needed life-sustaining goods, So, offering things to sustain His life was called an offering of wealth. At the same time, they were not only contributing material goods; they also made offerings of respect and courtesy. This manifested through their bodies and minds, through heartfelt sincerity and physical displays of respect. They aspired and vowed to practice [teachings] in their dealings with people and matters. This is putting the Dharma into practice, which is an offering of the body and mind.

So, there are offerings of wealth, of reverence and of conduct. These are the three types of offerings. When these three are offered together, that is indeed an offering of utmost sincerity.

Even if there is no “wealth,” no offering of material goods, it does not matter. In the past, in India, there were many poor people, but they drew near the Dharma with great reverence. They made their offerings through reverence. When we enter a monastery, we respectfully prostrate to the Three Treasures to show our respect for. Dharma masters and spiritual practitioners. This is also [an offering]. And when we treat everyone and all living beings with the same respect, it is also [an offering of reverence]. This is because we all have the Three Treasures in our self-nature, and we all have the chance to attain Buddhahood. Didn’t Never-Slighting Bodhisattva [believe] this?

So, “reverence” is very important. In addition to respecting the Three Treasures, we treat everyone with respect and courtesy. I often say, “Courtesy is a principle.” If we truly want to comprehend principles, we need to be courteous in our actions. Therefore, respect and courtesy are very important.

We do not necessarily need to make material offerings. More important are offerings of conduct and reverence. Our reverence and our will to walk the Bodhisattva-path are more important. Thus, among the three types of offerings, reverence and conduct of the body and mind are more important than anything else.

So, in our daily living, can we practice the Four All-Embracing Virtues in society as we go about our work? Yes, we can awaken our kindness and give charitably. We can also work collaboratively and help each other. This is also giving of one’s strength. We must choose the courses of action that benefit others. This is the giving of wealth.

Furthermore, speaking kind words is also a form of giving. We can speak a little softer and choose to say positive things that may encourage people to work together and help each other. We must often speak in this way. As we work with others, we must help and guide each other, so we can recruit Living Bodhisattvas. The Four All-Embracing Virtues can give rise to all this. This is also a form of offering. When we live in society, we are constantly making offerings. So, making offerings is important.

“[They] have exhausted all Leaks.” Leaks are afflictions. “Ending all Leaks” means that when all afflictions are eliminated, we can thoroughly understand everything. So, we must “eliminate afflictions of the Three Realms.”

In the desire realm, there are afflictions of views. In the form realm, there are afflictions of thinking. In the formless realm, there are afflictions of delusions. The afflictions of the Three Realms arise from the mind. With these afflictions in our minds, if we want to end all Leaks, we must eliminate delusions of views and thinking. To do this, we must eliminate afflictions of the Three Realms. After we thoroughly eliminate these delusions of views and thinking, what principles won’t we thoroughly understand?

If we just make offerings to all Buddhas, will we thoroughly understand all principles? Not yet. If we only make offerings but do not eliminate ignorance and delusions of views and thinking, how will we thoroughly understand the principles? The only way to understand and thoroughly realize the Buddha’s profound, wondrous Dharma is to completely end our Leaks. Only by completely eliminating our afflictions can we achieve thorough understanding.

Therefore, Arhats have already thoroughly exhausted these delusions of views and thinking. Nothing in the world troubles them, so they do not have afflictions and have attained the fourth fruit of Arhatship, no longer trapped in samsara in the Three Realms. They have also attained spiritual powers.

[Transcending] samsara in the Three Realms means being free of delusions of views and thinking. They can eliminate thoughts that arise and cease in their minds, so they are no longer subject to cyclic existence in the Three Realms. They have also attained spiritual powers, such as “the power of ending all Leaks.” They have already eliminated these delusions, the obstruction of “knowledge.” They ended all Leaks and eliminated afflictions, so they could attain the fourth fruit of Arhatship.

“Living in their final body” means that this physical body is their last form of “existence.” I have spoken about fragmentary samsara. We experience cyclic existence in fragments because the law of karma leads us to this world for decades at a time. This is called fragmentary samsara. During fragmentary samsara, the law of karma is not within our control. But Arhats are engaged in purifying practices. They thoroughly understand the Four Noble Truths, so they have begun to purify their body and mind. They can eliminate and wash away the greed, anger and ignorance in their minds. So, this is their “final body” because they will completely eliminate these afflictions.

There are also “final body Bodhisattvas” who are experiencing their last lifetime in cyclic existence. There are also newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. They are all engaged in spiritual practice. Whether they are Arhats or newly-inspired Bodhisattvas, they believe that by following the Buddha, they are “living in their final body.” This is what they believe, but there is still a long way to go. This final body has not yet achieved the Buddha’s universal enlightenment.

But Bodhisattvas of equal enlightenment and the enlightened Buddhas will not abandon sentient beings. They take the next step of returning to this world and form great aspirations and vows. So, Bodhisattvas have formed the resolve, “I vow to deliver countless sentient beings and. I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.” They must have this level of [commitment]. This is not about their fragmentary existence. To just say, “I have thoroughly understood everything. I am free from afflictions. I have accomplished my attainment.” This is still not enough.

Although they are “living in their final body, even people such as these do not have the power required.” What are they still incapable of? Of accepting great teachings. In their wisdom, they still cannot comprehend the most profound Dharma in the Buddha’s heart. They still cannot comprehend it. Although they are getting closer, cycle by cycle, this part of the sutra states, “even people such as these do not have the power required.”

It is difficult to teach this Dharma, to demonstrate this Dharma to everyone, even though it is within you and me, within all of us. We engage in spiritual practice, and we think “I already know [everything],” but what we know are external principles. We still have not looked within and found principles of the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle. We are not there yet, so we “do not have the power required.”

Therefore, we must put our hearts into this, always be mindful and consistently make progress. Then we can reach the stage where we can listen to the Dharma and unite it with our minds. This is why we must mindfully listen to the Dharma. When listening, contemplating and practicing, we need to have faith, make vows and take action. We need to respectfully draw near the Dharma so that the Dharma will not leave our hearts. We must practice it, in body and mind, with utmost sincerity. We also need to make offerings of conduct.

The offerings I just mentioned are offerings made through our behavior. We must deeply respect everyone because we are encountering future Buddhas and past Bodhisattvas all around us. All in all, if we constantly cultivate this reverence for people and matters, naturally we will respect the Buddha and Dharma. This utmost sincerity is an offering. Alright everybody, as we learn from the Buddha and listen to teachings, we must always be mindful.

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Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
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Chapter 2

Episode 212 – Solidify the Power of Faith

>> “To seek teachings of the path, engage
in spiritual practice. To seek Bodhi, be courageous. To uphold purifying
practices, diligently cultivate faith and precepts. To have firm powers, uphold
vows and follow the Way.”

>> “This Dharma cannot be demonstrated; the appearance of language
cannot be used. Among all kinds of living beings, there are none who can
understand it, except Bodhisattvas who are firm in the power of faith.”

>> Bodhisattvas are enlightened sentient beings. They are great sentient
beings who have realized everything. The Six Perfections are their mode of
transport for ferrying sentient beings to the other shore.

>> Those with firm power of faith will grow their root of faith and
destroy all evil beliefs. With faith in the Right Path, we will not be
influenced by small deviations. Thus, this is the power of faith. Spiritual
practitioners cannot progress without the power of faith.

>> Those with a firm and solid power of faith are like a tree with roots
that cannot be uprooted. This is known as “firm.” Having an
unaffected original state means we are “solid.” If our mindsets do
not change or stir, they are solid and firm.

“To seek teachings of the path, engage in spiritual practice.
 To seek Bodhi, be courageous.
To uphold purifying practices, diligently cultivate faith and precepts.
To have firm powers, uphold vows and follow the Way.”
This is homework for our minds each day as we practice spiritual cultivation.

The goal of engaging in spiritual practice is attaining Buddhahood. To attain Buddhahood, we must seek the Buddha-Dharma. So, when we seek the Buddha-Dharma and walk the path to Buddhahood, we must be courageous and diligent. We must have courage to walk toward this Bodhi-path.

So, we diligently cultivate faith and precepts. I often say, “Faith is the source of the Way and the mother of merits”; it can nurture our roots of goodness. So, our faith must be firm. With faith, we learn the Dharma. We must also uphold precepts. Not only must we uphold precepts, we must persevere in purifying practices. For us to truly enter the Buddha’s teachings, we must practice the Six Perfections, which are six ways to walk the Bodhisattva-path. They are giving, [upholding] precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. As we practice the Six Perfections,

we must cultivate purifying practices. When we practice giving, it must be done very purely. What does it mean to practice pure giving? It means to give unconditionally, without attachments and with gratitude. We must give with gratitude, without seeking recognition or benefits. This is how we [uphold] purifying practices.

This also applies to upholding precepts. In our Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind, we must remain firm and not commit violations. We must not say things we should not say, do things we should not do, or give rise to even the slightest thoughts of greed, anger and ignorance. If we do not commit these violations, we are practicing purifying practices.

This applies to giving and upholding precepts as well as patience and diligence. Therefore, we must “uphold purifying practices, diligently cultivate faith and precepts.” This is very important and is something we Buddhist practitioners must do.

Then, “to have firm powers, uphold vows and follow the Way.” We must be firm in our spiritual aspiration and uphold our vows. If we can uphold our vows well, our powers will be firm.

The Buddha is compassionate. For us ordinary beings to really comprehend. His state of mind is truly not easy. Thus, it is said,

“This Dharma cannot be demonstrated; the appearance of language cannot be used. Among all kinds of living beings, there are none who can understand it, except Bodhisattvas who are firm in the power of faith.”

Bodhisattvas are the exception because they have already aspired to practice. They have vowed to engage in spiritual practice, to truly learn from the Buddha and walk toward the path of enlightenment. Those who have truly formed aspirations are the assembly of Bodhisattvas. This also implies that if we do not truly want to engage in spiritual practice, then we are counted “among all kinds of living beings.”

When we are learning from the Buddha and forming aspirations, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path. Then we are part of the assembly of Bodhisattvas. No sentient beings can understand, except for Bodhisattvas. Not only do they aspire to walk the Bodhisattva-path, they must also be firm in their power of faith. Only this kind of people can comprehend the Buddha’s intent. Thus, we say “except Bodhisattvas.”

Bodhisattvas are enlightened sentient beings. They are great sentient beings who have realized everything. The Six Perfections are their mode of transport for ferrying sentient beings to the other shore.

“Bodhisattva” is a Sanskrit word, and when translated it means “awakened sentient being.” They are sentient beings who have awakened. “Sentient beings” are living beings. “Awakened” [beings] are different from ordinary sentient beings. Thus, we call them “awakened sentient beings” because they have realized all things.

This world is indeed [filled with] suffering. It is a state of suffering, emptiness and impermanence. Once our minds go astray, the law of karma goes into effect. After we know these things, we must promptly engage in spiritual cultivation and be cautious of the law of karma when we are among people. We must seize the moment and diligently move toward the path to enlightenment. This is what it means to be great sentient beings who have realized everything. “Great sentient beings” are those who have realized everything and then have formed great aspirations.

Thus, Bodhisattvas use the Six Perfections as their mode of transport. The Six Perfections are six different methods to transform sentient beings. This is the Great Vehicle Dharma for transforming sentient beings. [To practice it,] we cannot lack even one of the Six Perfections. Thus, we must be replete with the Six Perfections, which combine to form the Great Vehicle Dharma. Therefore, the Great Vehicle Dharma is used “for ferrying sentient beings to the other shore.” They must cross from this side to the far shore. The opposite shore is a state of purity and liberation. The most important reason for Buddhas and. Bodhisattvas in coming to this world is to help sentient beings cross [to the other side].

Since we have the karmic conditions to have. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the world, we must quickly strengthen our faith to learn from them. The Buddha attained Buddhahood as a human, and Bodhisattvas also became Bodhisattvas by starting out as humans. So, we must be firm in our power of faith.

As I mentioned previously, to have great strength, our roots must be deep, broad and long. If our root of faith does not extend nor deepen, the tree will not grow big. If the tree’s roots are not long or deep, a gust of wind will topple it. Thus, when planting a tree, the roots must extend. In its natural environment, it must learn to withstand strong winds and heavy rain. It treats strong wind as assisting conditions, accepts heavy rain to solidify its foundation and uses the warmth of the sun to remain healthy and reinforce its roots and trunk.

This is similar to our aspirations to walk the Bodhisattva-path. We have to withstand the tests of dealing with people and matters. Then we can “grow in wisdom with experience.” For our wisdom-life to truly develop, we must go among people and face challenges to strengthen our root of faith. With each test, our root of faith extends farther, grows deeper. We Buddhist practitioners must have this kind of spirit.

Those with firm power of faith will grow their root of faith and destroy all evil beliefs. With faith in the Right Path, we will not be influenced by small deviations. Thus, this is the power of faith. Spiritual practitioners cannot progress without the power of faith.

Then, we can “destroy all evil beliefs.” The root of faith can destroy all evil beliefs, as long as we are on the correct [path]. Our faith must include right faith, right thinking, right mindfulness and so on. Of course, when we are among people, many deviant or superstitious beliefs may disturb our minds. So, we absolutely cannot become superstitious nor can we have evil beliefs. We must have faith in the Right Path, so “we will not be influenced by small deviations. Deviation” means we have deviated from the Right Dharma. “A slight deviation causes a great divergence.” We may seem diligent, but we may have already deviated and may easily enter an evil path.

For example, among Sakyamuni Buddha’s Sangha, there was a man named Devadatta, who was a member of. Sakyamuni’s lay family, a cousin. When he became a monastic, he was also among the Sangha seeking the Dharma from the Buddha. But his mind deviated toward arrogance and pride. He thought he already understood everything. He saw all the respect and the offerings that the Buddha received from people and felt, “I am not that different from Him.” So, his mind began to deviate. Thus, he left the Buddha’s Sangha to form his own. He was very proud, arrogant and so on.

Many sutra texts mention how Devadatta slandered the Buddha’s teachings, discredited His Sangha, persecuted the Buddha and so on. This was because a slight deviation in thought caused a great divergence. Perhaps because this deviant view arose in him, he nearly destroyed all of the Buddha’s teachings.

Therefore, we must be cautious and have right faith. Not only must we have right faith, we must also have the power to remain firm. Thus, we talk about “firm power of faith.” If we really want to comprehend the Dharma, we must form great aspirations, make great vows, walk the Bodhisattva-path and even have “firm power of faith.”

Those with a firm and solid power of faith are like a tree with roots that cannot be uprooted. This is known as “firm.” Having an unaffected original state means we are “solid.” If our mindsets do not change or stir, they are solid and firm.

As I just said, this is like the root of a tree. If we put down [deep] roots, they cannot be pulled up. If the roots are deep and long, pulling them up will be very difficult. This means we are “firm.” Having an unaffected original state means we are “solid. Solid” means that its form and shape are impossible to change. What in the world is impossible to change? Only true emptiness and wondrous existence. If our root of faith is very firm and solid, unaffected and unchanged by others, then it is called “solid and firm.”

All things in the world [change], so we must remain firm in our minds. Only our minds can remain firm. If our minds are firm, no one can influence us. This is true emptiness. Something that is invisible and intangible cannot change nor be influenced unless our minds are not firm and our faith is incorrect. This all depends on our minds. If our minds are unwavering, they are said to be “solid and firm.” This is called firm and solid faith.

With our minds, we must aspire to walk the Bodhisattva-path, to be true Buddhist practitioners and walk the Bodhisattva-path. Only people firm and solid in their faith can understand the infinitely, extremely profound, wondrous Dharma of all Buddhas. With firm and solid faith, they can understand and also share [their realizations] with others.

One day during the Buddha’s time, in the Kingdom of Sravasti at the Jeta Grove, a disciple came before the Buddha. He told Him, “Venerable Buddha, there is a bhiksu named Vaisakha at the lecture hall right now. Bhiksu Vaisakha has assembled everyone to recount the Buddha’s teachings again and also to share His intent with everyone. Everyone is joyful after listening to him.”

The Buddha was joyful when He heard this. “This is very good! Vaisakha, you should continue to give teachings unconditionally, not for the sake of benefits or recognition. You must share the joy that you feel after listening to the Dharma with everyone. You must be mindful when you are sharing; do not become arrogant or proud, nor think of yourself as a teacher who shares with others. You must not become arrogant.”

This was the Buddha’s reminder for Vaisakha. I think this was because of the precedent of Devadatta. [Devadatta] understood the Buddha’s [teachings] and had listened and taken them to heart. But because of a slight deviation in thought, he became arrogant and proud, so he began to exhibit incorrect, evil thoughts. Thus, when the compassionate Buddha heard about a disciple who could perfectly convey. His teachings and share them joyfully, He was very happy. However, the Buddha still reminded him not to think of himself as someone giving teachings or become arrogant and proud.

So, we must all emulate Vaisakha. If we take [the Dharma] to heart, we will be firm and solid in our faith. We must be able to comprehend it and joyfully share it with everyone. This is helpful for our own memory and can help others understand as well. These are very good things. So, we must form Bodhisattva-aspirations, be firm and solid in our power of faith and always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0211

Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
>
Chapter 2

Episode 211 – Reach Understanding with Firm Faith

>> ”Tranquil and clear, with vows as vast as the
universe, having lightness of body and peace in our hearts we attain great
freedom Without faith, it is difficult to enter this subtle and wondrous
state”.

>> ”Under the guidance of countless Buddhas, He fully acquired and
practiced all paths”.

>> ”The profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma that is hard to see and
understand For immeasurable millions of kalpas, He has been practicing these
paths”.

>> ”In this spiritual training ground, He attained the fruit He had
already seen and known all completely”.

>> ”Such is this great karmic retribution and the meaning of all natures
and appearances that I and Buddhas of the ten directions alone can understand”.

>> Spiritual training ground: The place where the Buddha was enlightened.
In the central Indian kingdom of Magadha, by the Nairanjana River and under the
Bodhi tree, is the Vajra-throne.

>> Natures and appearances: Appearances are forms, something we can
visibly recognize. So, unconditioned Dharma is nature, conditioned Dharma is
appearance. The conditioned and unconditioned both have natures and
appearances.

>> ”This Dharma cannot be demonstrated; the appearance of language cannot
be used” “[to describe] stillness and extinction Among all kinds of living
beings, there are none who can understand it, except Bodhisattvas who are firm
in the power of faith”.

>> Still and extinct is Nirvana. The essence is tranquil and still and
transcends all appearances. Therefore, it is still and extinct.

”Tranquil and clear,
with vows as vast as the universe,
having lightness of body and peace in our hearts
we attain great freedom
Without faith, it is difficult to enter
this subtle and wondrous state”.

These verses are sharing a state of being. Most of us are caught up in our surroundings, in people and matters around us, entangled in this impurity. Actually, we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, but our minds are bound by afflictions and ignorance. If our minds can be tranquil and clear, we will thoroughly understand our surroundings. Then naturally the afflictions that bind us will be completely cast off and discarded. No longer will afflictions entangle our minds. Then we will naturally have lightness in our body and peace in our hearts and feel great freedom

”Isn’t that easier said than done?”. You are probably all thinking something like this. Indeed, this is by no means easy, because we cannot yet thoroughly understand our afflictions nor can we completely let them go. We just are not able to do that yet.

Once afflictions arise, firmly believing in and understanding the Dharma is not that easy. And if we cannot do that, then the subtle and wondrous state [it contains] cannot enter our minds. So it says, “Without faith, it is difficult to enter this subtle and wondrous state”. So “tranquil and clear, with vows as vast as the universe” is a very subtle and wondrous state. If we cannot remain firm in our faith, we definitely cannot enter this subtle and wondrous state.

As I have already mentioned before,

”Under the guidance of countless Buddhas, He fully acquired and practiced all paths”.

This was the process of His spiritual practice. Thus [He practiced].

․”the profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma that is hard to see and understand For immeasurable millions of kalpas, He has been practicing these paths”.

When He engaged in spiritual practice, He deeply penetrated and practiced the paths taught by all Buddhas. So, that kind of profound and wondrous Dharma could only be realized by spiritual practitioners. There is a saying, ”Only the person who drinks the water knows if it is hot or cold”. This is also a very simple analogy. So, we must engage in spiritual practice ourselves to truly attain realizations.

The Buddha was speaking from His experience to help us understand firstly that we have a Buddha-nature equal to the Buddha’s. Then, secondly, that He has already drawn near to countless Buddhas and practiced Their teachings of the path. These are things He wanted to help us understand. Thirdly, He wanted to let us know that all. Buddhas’ teachings of the path are in His heart, and He has thoroughly awakened to them. So, [He] “fully acquired and practiced all paths of the profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma”. This is what the Buddha Himself has thoroughly understood. But for ordinary people, it is “hard to see and understand”

”For immeasurable millions of kalpas, He has been practicing these paths”. In another words, we ordinary people have only been listening to His teachings for the span of this lifetime. Of course, in our past lives we have formed a karmic affinity with the Buddha. That is why we can listen to His teachings. However, we lack the sense of determination. We do not put the teachings into practice, nor do we remain firm in our faith ”Without faith, it is difficult to enter this subtle and wondrous state”. If we do not remain firm in our faith, we cannot enter this state.

Therefore, lifetime after lifetime, we just form affinities with the Buddha and listen to His teachings. As for a sense of determination and vows as vast as the universe, we have not yet established those. Thus, how can we realize the state of tranquility and clarity? To be in a tranquil and clear state, we must have vows as vast as the universe. We must have great vows and great aspirations to thoroughly understand all Dharma.

Next, we talk about His spiritual training ground. He had encountered countless Buddhas and absorbed Their teachings. Then over 2000 years ago, He was born as the crown prince of Kapilavastu and aspired to engage in spiritual practice. He spent five years seeking answers and then six years in ascetic practice. Later Prince Siddhartha realized that only by experiencing the truths of nature could he thoroughly understand worldly matters. So, he abandoned ascetic practices and came to the Nairanjana River to wash the filth off of His body. Afterwards, He became very weak, and fainted there. A shepherdess offered some goat milk to help Him recover His strength. After He recovered, He came across a Bodhi tree. He chose to face a certain direction, sat on a rock and began to make vows. From the moment He sat down, He was determined to realize all truths of the universe before leaving this spiritual training ground.

His spiritual training ground was where He engaged in spiritual practice and set His mind on the road toward enlightenment. The starting point for the road we pave is our spiritual training ground. The inward cultivation of our minds must be connected to our external conditions. The place where we exert our effort and our mind is called the spiritual training ground.

”In this spiritual training ground, He attained the fruit He had already seen and known all completely”.

Because He sat in meditation there, on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month, in a state of stillness and tranquility, He looked into the sky and saw the morning star. His mind connected with the universe, so ”in this spiritual training ground, He attained the fruit”

”He had already seen and known all completely”. This happened in that instant when. He came in contact with the universe and saw and understood all truths of the cosmos. Everything in world was seen and known by the Buddha.

”Such is this great karmic retribution and the meaning of all natures and appearances that I and Buddhas of the ten directions alone can understand”.

When He came in contact with all truths in the universe, in that state, at that moment in time, His pure intrinsic nature was suddenly awakened. The “I” in this passage is Sakyamuni Buddha referring to Himself. I, Sakyamuni, and the Buddhas of the ten directions are the only ones who can understand the appearances of these conditions and the principles of all things. Only Buddhas can achieve complete understanding.

As just mentioned, Sakyamuni Buddha found a spiritual training ground after He abandoned acetic practices. He stilled His mind and sat under the Bodhi tree on the Vajra-throne. That was His spiritual training ground.

Spiritual training ground: The place where the Buddha was enlightened. In the central Indian kingdom of Magadha, by the Nairanjana River and under the Bodhi tree, is the Vajra-throne.

Therefore, engaging in spiritual practice requires a training ground. This was the case for all Buddhas in the past. And now? In our current environment, engaging in spiritual practice also requires a training ground. We must stabilize these internal and external training grounds. Our external training ground is a physical place we can rest and rely on. Our internal training ground is the Dharma we can rest and rely on. So, a training ground is the place where our body and mind abide. We must practice by following the Dharma; this is our spiritual training ground.

Next, I will speak of “natures and appearances”.

Natures and appearances: Appearances are forms, something we can visibly recognize. So, unconditioned Dharma is nature, conditioned Dharma is appearance. The conditioned and unconditioned both have natures and appearances.

We should know about natures and appearances. We must deal with tangible appearances, which are “things we can visibly recognize”. This is a training ground we can rest and rely on, as it has a physical appearance.

Unconditioned Dharma is nature, and conditioned Dharma is appearance. Unconditioned Dharma is what we are born with. Since Beginningless Time, along with our nature, it has followed us lifetime after lifetime. This is called “nature”. When this nature is pure, it is Buddha-nature. When it is defiled, it is unenlightened. So, it says that nature is unconditioned Dharma. Not only do humans have natures, truly all things in the universe have a fundamental nature.

Externally created form is an appearance. What does our nature look like? Actually, if we are asked to show it to others, we cannot show them any form. But when we look at a person, we can see a form ”So, this is this person’s form When he walks, by looking at his back, I can recognize him”. The way he typically walks can be easily recognized by others. This is called an “exterior appearance”. The way a person looks and behaves are all part of the appearance. But within these appearances is the nature we all intrinsically have. So, “our natures are similar, but our habits differ greatly”.

Our nature is actually very similar to the Buddha’s nature. But because of an ignorant thought, we fell and became ordinary people. As such, different habitual tendencies have come to fruition in us. So, our karmic retribution is related to our nature and appearance. Therefore, conditioned Dharma is appearance, and unconditioned Dharma is then called nature. Thus, the conditioned and unconditioned both have natures and appearances. This is what we must thoroughly understand.

Next, the sutra states,

”This Dharma cannot be demonstrated; the appearance of language cannot be used” “[to describe] stillness and extinction Among all kinds of living beings, there are none who can understand it, except Bodhisattvas who are firm in the power of faith”.

This enhances our understanding ”This Dharma cannot be demonstrated,” this unconditioned Dharma is a nature that we cannot see. The ultimate reality of the One Vehicle is a Dharma that completely describes our nature. All things in the world are created by the mind. The nature of our minds creates all appearances so that we can see all phenomena. But, True Dharma is said to be in our minds, so “this Dharma cannot be demonstrated”. I cannot physically show it to you as an object. Because it cannot be seen, how can we demonstrate it? Since it really cannot be seen, we have to use various skillful means to make analogies. So, I cannot show you ultimate reality, but. I can use analogies to help you understand.

Therefore, “the appearance of language cannot be used [to describe] stillness and extinction”. This tranquility and clarity has to be transformed into language so people can understand it. We use various conditioned phenomena in this world as analogies. The only thing we can do is to use language and appearances. But ultimately, [true nature] is still and extinct, so we try to convey this tranquil and clear state through appearances and language

”Among all kinds of living beings there are none who can understand it”. Once again, this indicates that people find this hard to understand, ”except Bodhisattvas”. Only Bodhisattvas who are firm enough in their faith can really understand this.

Next, I will explain “stillness and extinction”. That is a state of Nirvana. Nirvana is a state of tranquility and clarity. A world like that is also called the land of tranquil illumination. Where is this tranquil and clear state? It is in our minds. So, the “essence is tranquil and still” refers to the state of Nirvana and how its embodiment is tranquil and still. It transcends all appearances.

If we [analyze] all appearances, in the end they break down to nothing. All things in the end each return to their original nature. Everything is composed of earth, water, fire and air. Lumber comes from trees, and trees are inseparable from the land, from moisture, from sunshine and from air. This is the union of the four elements. This applies to trees. The same goes for concrete. It is also extracted from mines in the mountains. If we analyze all these appearances, we can break them down to their original natures. When we discuss nature, we really need to transcend the appearance of all things and understand that all things break down to nothing. This is the state of tranquility and stillness.

Still and extinct is Nirvana. The essence is tranquil and still and transcends all appearances. Therefore, it is still and extinct.

Dear Bodhisattvas, when it comes to understanding this “still and extinct” state, we are still very far away from it. As I shared in the beginning, ”without faith, it is very hard to enter” this subtle and wondrous state. Therefore, we must establish a true and firm faith so that we can enter a subtle and wondrous state and feel light in body and peaceful in heart and gain great freedom. Only then can we truly experience a state of mind that is tranquil and clear, with vows as vast as the universe. In conclusion, we must always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0210

Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
>
Chapter 2

Episode 210 – Cultivate Purifying Practices

>> “After the Buddha attained
enlightenment, He used skillful means to teach according to sentient beings’
capabilities and desires. He joyfully spoke teachings to transform sentient
beings by expounding immeasurable Dharma.”

>> “The Buddha’s power is fearlessness. Liberation, Samadhi and all
His other realizations”

>> “Originally, under the guidance of countless Buddhas, He fully
acquired and practiced various ways, profound, subtle and wondrous doctrines
that are hard to see and understand. For immeasurable millions of kalpas, He
has been practicing these ways.”

>> Four essential methods of spiritual cultivation: conduct, livelihood,
precepts and views. Those who are replete in all four cannot be surpassed by.
Hearers and Solitary Realizers. Thus they are called superior in repletion.

>> Conduct refers to purifying practices of the Six Perfections.
Livelihood refers to pure right livelihood. Precepts refer to major and minor
rules. Views refer to purifying right views.

“After the Buddha attained enlightenment,
He used skillful means to teach according to
sentient beings’ capabilities and desires.
He joyfully spoke teachings
to transform sentient beings
by expounding immeasurable Dharma.”

After the Buddha attained enlightenment, He kept that compassion in His heart. He hoped we can all be like Him and comprehend the truths of all things in the universe and all teachings of the path. But this is very difficult, so what could He do? He had to use skillful means to teach according to sentient beings’ capabilities.

Sentient beings’ desires are endless, so. He had to teach according to their desires. With a sense of joy, He taught tirelessly and happily. We sentient beings live in this world and face interpersonal conflicts without being able to break through our ignorant views and understandings. But the Buddha still has great patience. He treats us as newborns, teaches us the way kindergarten teachers do. So, we must be very grateful for the Buddha’s compassion and seek to repay Him. How do we express our gratitude and repay Him? By always being mindful and reflecting upon our nature. Within ourselves, we need to find that newborn-like purity.

Previously, we have already discussed how. “The Buddha’s power is fearlessness. Liberation, Samadhi and all His other realizations”

“cannot be fathomed by anyone.”

We still do not have the ability to fathom His vast, great, limitless teachings. These deep principles of the One Vehicle are truly very difficult [to understand].

So now, the Buddha wanted to help everyone further understand that,

“Originally, under the guidance of countless Buddhas, He fully acquired and practiced various ways, profound, subtle and wondrous doctrines that are hard to see and understand. For immeasurable millions of kalpas, He has been practicing these ways.”

These teachings of the Buddha are vast, great, profound and far-reaching. They originate from countless past Buddhas, with whom He earnestly and diligently learned the teachings of the path. These are the teachings of all past Buddhas. We must know why sentient beings still could not fathom the true and wondrous principles within clever and skillful means. Why couldn’t they do that? Because the Buddha’s wisdom is vast, great, profound and far-reaching and arises from “the guidance of countless Buddhas.” The breadth and depth of the Buddha’s principles come from countless Buddhas in the past. He has already been diligently practicing and has “fully acquired and practiced various ways.”

Since Beginningless Time, He has fully acquired and practiced each Buddha’s teachings of the path. He has practiced them perfectly. So, He has “fully acquired and practiced various ways, profound, subtle and wondrous doctrines, profound, subtle and wondrous doctrines.” The minds of ordinary people are still covered by ignorance, so “they [find them] hard to see and understand.”

Let us study this phrase again. “He fully acquired and practiced various ways. Fully practiced” refers to four essential methods. The course of all Buddhas’ spiritual cultivation is inseparable from these four essential methods.

Four essential methods of spiritual cultivation: conduct, livelihood, precepts and views. Those who are replete in all four cannot be surpassed by. Hearers and Solitary Realizers. Thus they are called superior in repletion.

The four are conduct, livelihood, precepts and views. First is to be “replete with conduct.” Next is to be “replete with livelihood, replete with precepts” and “replete with views.” We must be perfectly replete with them. This perfection is not something that Hearers and Solitary Realizers can understand or perfectly attain. It is difficult. Why? Why are they unable to accomplish this and be replete with [these practices]? Let us take a look at these four things we must accomplish.

Conduct refers to purifying practices of the Six Perfections. Livelihood refers to pure right livelihood. Precepts refer to major and minor rules. Views refer to purifying right views.

First, our conduct must be perfect. The Buddha teaches us to transform ourselves and others. Therefore, we must put His teachings into practice. Aside from putting our hearts into our own spiritual practice, we must benefit others as well. To benefit others, we must practice the Six Perfections, giving, [upholding] precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. Bodhisattva-practitioners cannot lack these six practices. But Hearers and Solitary Realizers cannot accomplish the Six Perfections.

This is because listening to teachings alone will not result in thorough understanding, so they cannot accomplish them. Hearers and Solitary Realizers sense that life is impermanent and will seize the time they have to benefit and liberate themselves. They do not have time to also go among others. Therefore, they are not replete with conduct.

To the Six Perfections, we also need add “purifying practices.” There are many loving people in society who are willing to give, but their affections may be defiled by the desire for others to see them as good people, to think well of them. [By thinking] “I am a good person,” they are defiled by their egos. Walking the Bodhisattva-path means giving unconditionally and with gratitude. Suffering sentient beings are our spiritual training ground. We must recognize suffering to develop a sense of compassion.

We must not allow our expectations to hinder our purifying practices. Our minds must constantly remain very pure and undefiled. We must elevate our wisdom to understand the karmic law of cause and effect. So, let us not have expectations such as. “If I do this, then the eight classes of Dharma-protectors will protect me.” So how should we protect ourselves? The best way is to heighten our vigilance and not allow our minds to lose focus. Regardless of how diligent we are, there will be many challenges. We can overcome each one as long as our spiritual aspirations are firm. Naturally, with time, all these challenges will be overcome.

So, purifying practices are cleansing. Regardless of the challenges that arise, we must quickly use Dharma-water to wash away any discursive thoughts. So, in [practicing] the Six Perfections, we must cultivate purifying practices. We cannot take issue over or pursue things. We should only focus on upholding our fundamental duties.

Next is to be “replete with livelihood.” This is to have right livelihood, which is also a purifying practice. Since we are in the human realm, we have this precious body, a vessel for spiritual practice. The world is our spiritual training ground, and we spend this lifetime using our body to engage in spiritual practice. This is all related to purifying practices. We must make sure our lives remain very pure. Therefore, I often tell everyone that we must not become defiled. We must become a benefactor for others as a way of having self-respect. This is called right livelihood.

Next, we must be “replete with precepts.” Precepts refer to both major and minor rules. Regardless of scale, we must firmly [abide by them]. We cannot violate even the most minor of precepts. When we go to an ordination hall, we receive the complete precepts. Then we know what things we should not take. Even an object of very slight [value], a piece of paper, is not something we can take without first asking for permission. We must protect our minds by following even the most minor of rules. Does taking something small count as greed? Yes, if others do not know we are using it, and we have taken something that is not ours.

As for precepts, we cannot even violate the ones that govern the most subtle of thoughts. That is what it means to be “replete with precepts,” to remain pure by upholding major and minor rules. This is also called a purifying practice.

To be “replete with views” is to have right views, which are pure. Having right views means that we are undefiled and have correct views and understanding. Since Beginningless Time, the Buddha has served all Buddhas. He served one Buddha and countless Buddhas. Previously, I explained what it means to “serve.” To “serve” means to follow the Buddhas’ practices and teachings and respect Them. This is how we serve all Buddhas.

In order to practice according to His teachings, we must very clearly understand. His understanding and views. So, our understandings and views must be correct because His are profound and far-reaching. Since we are learning from the Buddha, we must deal with things in the world by applying very correct understandings and views. We must have right views because those pure views are what the Buddha taught. He constantly taught this to. His monastic disciples.

Once, the Buddha was at. Kalandaka’s Bamboo Grove in. City of the House of Kings. He saw how a new monastic disciple had developed aspirations after [his ordination]. In front of everyone, He praised this new bhiksu and said, “Look at this new bhiksu. After becoming a monastic, he has been very diligent in doing good deeds. In dealing with people and matters of courtesy, he strictly abides by the teachings.”

“The way he is practicing these good deeds is like the new moon at the beginning of a [lunar] month, when the crescent moon first appears. He is continuously diligent. Each day, He is like the moon that continuously becomes fuller over time as his purifying spiritual practices develop. [He practices by] maintaining a dignified demeanor and abiding by the Sangha’s rules. When he is among people, he is gentle and compliant.”

“This newly ordained bhiksu is skillful in training his body and mind. He is like a person with clear vision. When he walks, he is careful. He would never fall into a deep well and avoids the edge of a cliff and other dangerous places.” So, he strives to walk on a wide, spacious and stable path.

After making this point, He turned to another topic and said, “Consider Venerable Kasyapa. Though he is a leader in the Sangha, his actions are still like [this bhiksu’s]. He is the same as he was in the beginning and is skillful in his practice. He is dignified among the Sangha and gentle and compliant among the people. He strives to choose a truly broad and level path. He would not take dangerous paths that may damage his spiritual aspirations.” This is the duty of a spiritual practitioner.

See, the Buddha used His compassion to compare the attitude of a new monastic to that of an elder among the Sangha. They have the same spiritual aspiration, which is like the beginning of a new moon. This is what we must keep in mind. The Buddha teaches all of us to have spiritual aspirations like those of “a newly ordained monastic. Then [we] can certainly attain Buddhahood.”

After the Buddha achieved Buddhahood, He used skillful means to teach according to sentient beings’ capabilities and desires. Why do sentient beings have so many desires? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were like a new-born child? If our aspirations are like the new moon that becomes rounder as the days go by, if our spiritual practice can be like this, that would be wonderful. This is why the Buddha hoped that, in our spiritual practice, we will always be like the new moon, and continuously and steadily grow on this path of practice. So, the Buddha still very mindfully gives teachings. To transform sentient beings, He gives countless teachings.

Therefore, we must always be mindful. “He fully acquired and practiced various ways.” By following many Buddhas in the past, the Buddha compiled their teachings of the path. So, He was already replete with the teachings He was about to give, the Six Perfections and four essential methods. We should learn all this because profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma is difficult to encounter and understand. This journey took Him a very long period of time, so when He gives these teachings, we must all put our hearts into understanding His path. Indeed, we must always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0209

Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
>
Chapter 2

Episode 209 – The Buddha’s Power Is Fearlessness

>> “Sentient beings are stubborn and
foolish. All Dharma is extremely profound. All Buddhas tactfully use
extraordinary skillful means to enable all sentient beings to reverently accept
and practice these teachings.”

>> “The Hero of the World is unfathomable. Among heavenly beings and
humans of the world, among all sentient beings, none can understand the
Buddha.”

>> The Buddha’s power is fearlessness. Liberation, Samadhi and all His
other realizations cannot be fathomed by anyone.

>> The Buddha’s power is fearlessness: It is said the Tathagata attained
unsurpassed enlightenment and was endowed with unsurpassed wisdom. Among all
beings, He roared like a lion, turned the wondrous Dharma-wheel and attained
great freedom.

>> Liberation: Sentient beings are trapped in cyclic existence, so they
cannot attain liberation. Noble beings have attained liberation, so they are
not trapped in cyclic existence. Liberation means freedom.

>> Samadhi: A tamed, straight and settled mind. With focused and tranquil
thinking, we settle the mind on one place. With focused thinking, we can single-mindedly
abide by our resolve and spiritual aspirations.

>> So, “tranquil thinking is clear and open. Being clear, our serene
wisdom is illuminating. Being open, there is nothing we cannot penetrate.”

“Sentient beings are stubborn and foolish.
All Dharma is extremely profound.
All Buddhas tactfully use extraordinary skillful means
to enable all sentient beings
to reverently accept and practice these teachings.”

This helps all of us self-reflect. Among the many kinds of sentient beings, we are fortunate to attain human form. Even more fortunately, we have listened to the Buddha’s teachings. However, we are still confused and foolish. All the Buddha’s teachings are very profound. We keep feeling that they are very profound. Actually, the original [teaching] is very simple. But because we sentient beings are lost and unawakened, we cannot realize the Buddha’s original [teaching].

So, the Buddha used the Dharma to pave a path for us to go from [the state of] ordinary people to that of enlightenment. However, our faith is still insufficient, so we dare not go forward. Therefore, all Buddhas have used many skillful means to teach extensively, all to enable sentient beings to attain realizations.

So, [we must be reverent]. As long as the mind is wholly sincere, it becomes our spiritual training ground. Since we believe the Buddha’s teachings, if we sincerely accept and practice them with a straightforward mind, we will make progress. Of course, this requires reverence. So, [we must] “respectfully believe and practice the teachings.” I hope we can all receive the Buddha-Dharma with this mentality.

The Buddha already used the Dharma to pave a path, so we must have faith and walk forward, step by step. If we do not have faith, even if the most precious, true, wondrous Dharma appears before us, we will not have the confidence to take in this Dharma. So, in the Sutra of 100 Parables, one of the passages contains this short story.

There was a very poor person. He was so poor that he wholeheartedly wished for just one thing, to attain worldly treasures. One day, while walking in the open fields, he came across a chest. He gently opened it just a crack and saw that it was filled with priceless jewels, so he was very happy. He looked around to see if someone had lost it and was coming back to look for it.

He waited, but no one came looking for it. So, he thought, “Perhaps I can take these jewels with me.” So, he flipped the lid of the chest wide open. Opening it, he saw that underneath the cover there was a person inside. He hurriedly stepped aside and immediately said, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I did not know that the jewels in this chest are yours. I did not realize you were in the chest.” He kept apologizing and then ran away.

Actually, this is an analogy. The jewelry was just jewelry. The cover was just a cover. How could a person be hidden inside? It was simply a mirror. The mirror was in the cover [of the chest]. Once we open the chest, the mirror appears and reflects our image. However, we do not recognize ourselves, we do not realize the mirror is reflecting our image. This man saw himself as a stranger, so he could not claim those treasures. His own appearance was unclear to him, as well.

We ordinary people are like this, are we not? We do not even recognize ourselves. Our true self is the clear and awakened Buddha-nature, which is equal to all Buddhas.’ I often speak of “great perfect mirror wisdom.” Inside our hearts, there is a mirror like this. But we allow this mirror to become blurry, and we do not regularly look in this mirror, so we do not know who we really are.

Actually, all Dharma is also within us. Wisdom is stored in our intrinsic nature. This analogy should be very obvious, so we can understand it.

Earlier, I also discussed,

“The Hero of the World is unfathomable. Among heavenly beings and humans of the world, among all sentient beings, none can understand the Buddha.”

For us sentient beings, the Buddha clearly manifested in the world and taught us the [truths] He realized after. He attained enlightenment. When He first became enlightened, the Dharma He expounded could not be realized by heavenly beings or humans. So, how could that be possible for ordinary sentient beings? Sentient beings, all living beings, cannot even fathom it. So, we must be very mindful. Humans and heavenly beings are closest to Buddhas, particularly humans. If we fall and become other kinds of sentient beings, then accepting the Buddha-Dharma will be even harder. We must treasure this life that enables us to encounter the Dharma.

As for the Buddha, we must be very grateful that. He continuously returns to the Saha World to deal with stubborn sentient beings. He has to have the power of great patience. Without great patience, how could He transform sentient beings? So, “the Buddha’s power is fearlessness.”

The Buddha’s power is fearlessness. Liberation, Samadhi and all His other realizations cannot be fathomed by anyone.

Though sentient beings are stubborn, though humans, heavenly beings and living beings still cannot realize the Buddha’s [Dharma], the Buddha’s power is still fearless. He still stands in front of multitudes of sentient beings to give teachings.

The Buddha’s power is fearlessness: It is said the Tathagata attained unsurpassed enlightenment and was endowed with unsurpassed wisdom. Among all beings, He roared like a lion, turned the wondrous Dharma-wheel and attained great freedom.

The Tathagata truly has supreme, universal enlightenment and unsurpassed wisdom. Among all beings, He roared like a lion. By expounding the Dharma, He turned the wondrous Dharma-wheel and “attained great freedom.” He is already at peace and at ease. Therefore, “the Buddha’s power is fearlessness.” He is endowed with a mind that is at ease and free of hindrances.

Because if we have hindrances and are already difficult to transform and so unyielding, how long will it take? In this era, we see formation, existence, decay and disappearance. There are increasingly more sentient beings, more turbidity, stronger afflictions, more natural and manmade calamities. After all, sentient beings are still lost. So, what is there to do? The Buddha does not worry about these things. He just has compassion and unlimited patience. Therefore, He still remains “among all beings [and] roars like a lion.” He still loudly proclaims the Dharma so pervasively that everyone can hear it.

Not only can everyone hear it, they can feel it and find it useful. This is from the Buddha’s power of fearlessness. He continuously “turns the wondrous Dharma-wheel and attains great freedom.” Certainly, He has a great sense of freedom. Therefore, “the Buddha’s power is fearlessness.”

[However difficult] sentient beings are, from the Buddha’s [perspective], He is at ease through being understanding. The Buddha is very understanding. What does it mean to be understanding? Being understanding gives us the strength to become liberated. Right now, we multitudes of sentient beings have many afflictions. Today, if we hear someone criticize us, we feel very uncomfortable because we are unable to be understanding toward this. Clearly, we were [fine], how could this person say we were not? We find this unfair, so afflictions arise and we create bad affinities with that person. If people talk behind our backs, the next time we see them, we will become unhappy. This cycle of resentment arises because we ordinary beings cannot be understanding.

Since we do not have understanding, how can we attain liberation? Therefore, we cannot be liberated. But the Buddha is liberated and at ease, so He has the power of fearlessness. He has this power because. He has wisdom and understanding and is thus at ease and liberated.

Liberation: Sentient beings are trapped in cyclic existence, so they cannot attain liberation. Noble beings have attained liberation, so they are not trapped in cyclic existence. Liberation means freedom.

We ordinary people all transmigrate within the Six Realms and cannot be liberated. Even if we are born in heaven and are immersed in pleasures, once we deplete our blessings, we will still have to face our retributions. Karma comes from humans, ordinary beings. We ordinary beings are the source of all negative karma. Because we create a lot of bad karma, we habitually end up in the hell, hungry ghost, animal and asura realms. This is what we ordinary people do. We create [karma], so we cannot be liberated from cyclic existence.

“Noble beings have attained liberation, so they are not trapped in cyclic existence.” Those who are already noble beings have attained liberation and will not travel through cyclic existence again. As for Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, there are many Bodhisattvas who return on the ship of compassion. Many of them have already become Buddhas, but they come to this world to assist at. Sakyamuni Buddha’s Dharma-assembly to help and save sentient beings.

We need to know. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are all noble beings, not trapped in cyclic existence. But they are sympathetic and compassionate toward sentient beings and cannot bear to let them suffer. So, it is not cyclic existence that brings them back to this world. They are no longer subject to it; they are liberated and free. So, “the Buddha’s power is fearlessness.” He is liberated and free, so His strength is fearlessness. So, “the Buddha’s power is fearlessness,”

“[with] liberation and Samadhi.” To be liberated, one must have Samadhi.

Samadhi: A tamed, straight and settled mind. With focused and tranquil thinking, we settle the mind on one place. With focused thinking, we can single-mindedly abide by our resolve and spiritual aspirations.

Samadhi is about “taming, straightening, settling.” Taming is about controlling our minds. Sentient beings have monkey-minds and thoughts that run all over the place like wild horses. Therefore, our minds cannot settle down. So from the beginning, we must learn to rein in our wild and unruly minds. A genuine mind is a spiritual training ground. If our minds can be tamed, we can believe and accept the Buddha-Dharma.

So, we must be focused. “With focused and tranquil thinking, we settle the mind on one place.” Our minds need to be focused on cultivating the fields of our minds. I often say the Chinese character for “thinking” is [the characters for “field” and “mind”]. We must work hard to clear the weeds from a field just as we must clear discursive thoughts from our minds. The mind really needs to become tranquil and clear so that it can settle on one place. This is how we “tame and straighten.” If our thinking can be focused, we can then “single-mindedly abide by our resolve and spiritual aspirations.”

As for our resolve, since we have formed these aspirations and want to engage in spiritual practice, we must make great vows. This resolve is something we must hold on to and constantly be mindful of. So, “tranquil thinking is clear and open.”

So, “tranquil thinking is clear and open. Being clear, our serene wisdom is illuminating. Being open, there is nothing we cannot penetrate.”

If our thinking can really be tranquil and clear, our minds will become illuminated. We can be like the person who opened the treasure chest. When we see ourselves in it, won’t those jewels be ours? Our reflection has always been in this mind’s mirror, but we just have not realized it. So, when our “tranquil thinking is clear and open, our serene wisdom is illuminating.” Naturally our minds will be very calm and still. It is like a mirror that is very clear. “Being open, there is nothing we cannot penetrate.” Out of all the things in the world, what can’t we understand completely? So, as we are learning from the Buddha, we must always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0208

Posted on by Scott Ogata
Wisdom at Dawn
>
Chapter 2

Episode 208 – Diligently Practice All Teachings of the Path

>> “Spiritual practice is the work of great
people. They can clearly understand their course, clearly distinguish right
from wrong, walk the difficult-to-walk path, sever things that are difficult to
sever, let go of thoughts that are difficult to let go, realize the Dharma that
is difficult to realize.”

>> “At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate this
meaning, then spoke in verse.”

>> “The Hero of the World is unfathomable. Among heavenly beings or
humans of the world, among all sentient beings, none can understand the
Buddha.”

>> “Hero of the World” is another name for Buddhas. This means
that in this world, a Buddha is a noble hero among the people who has
eliminated all afflictions.

>> “If they learn the path but do not practice it, that is the same
as not learning it. As they begin to serve a Buddha, they must exhaustively
practice His infinite teachings of the path. Serving countless Buddhas and
exhaustively practicing infinite practices to enlightenment of countless
Buddhas is being courageous and diligent.”

>> No one can understand the Buddha: With the causes the Buddha created
in the past, He never parted from Buddhaskalpa after kalpa and constantly
learned from Them. For hundreds, thousands, millions of [lives], at the sides
of countless Buddhas, He diligently cultivated teachings of the path

“Spiritual practice is the work of great people.
They can clearly understand their course, clearly distinguish right from wrong,
walk the difficult-to-walk path,
sever things that are difficult to sever,
let go of thoughts that are difficult to let go, realize the Dharma that is difficult to realize.”

As we engage in spiritual practice, we must have this kind of determination. If we are not determined, the path will be difficult to walk.

Since we are determined to engage in spiritual practice and have formed aspirations and vows to walk the Bodhisattva-path, we must have the mind of a great person. Since ancient times it has been said, “Spiritual practice is the work of great people; it is difficult even for great leaders.” Not everyone who wants to engage in spiritual practice is capable of doing so. Thus, we should know to respect ourselves because we have already chosen this direction. Furthermore, within our lives, this is the most proper direction. So, we must “clearly distinguish right from wrong.” Since we have chosen this direction in this present era in which people’s lives are very complicated, as spiritual practitioners, we must maintain our direction by clearly distinguishing right from wrong. This is very important for spiritual practitioners.

Moreover, it is “the work of great people.” When we walk the difficult-to-walk path, we need to eliminate things that are difficult to eliminate. We have much greed, anger and ignorance and create interpersonal disputes over people and matters. We need to very clearly distinguish right from wrong. When something is right, we cannot be afraid of difficulties. If something is wrong, we must end it promptly. So, we must dare to act, take up responsibility. As for things that are wrong, we must dare to end them immediately. To eliminate things that are difficult to eliminate,

we must really train our minds well. With clear minds, we can quickly decide whether to hold on or let go. What we should hold on to, we must take responsibility for. If we should not hold on to it, we must quickly let it go.

So, we must let go of things that are difficult to let go. We should not be attached to things that we should not hold on to, so we must quickly relinquish them. In summary, regardless of how difficult it is to relinquish people, matters or objects, we need to learn how to let go. Only then can we return to “nature, form, embodiment and power” and create “causes, conditions, effects, retributions and the ultimate [wholeness] from beginning to end.” This is the work of a great person and is very important for our spiritual practice. Thus, we must be very mindful.

Next is a section of verses. The prose above has come to an end, so what follows are “repeated verses.” They are repeated because of concerns that after listening to the teachings, we allow them to leak out and forget them, with no way to keep the principles in our minds. So, when the sutras were compiled, the very important points were repeated in verse form.

“At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate this meaning, then spoke in verse.”

This helps us understand even more clearly that what was explained before is now repeated in short verses that are easier to memorize, recite and understand. So it says,

“The Hero of the World is unfathomable. Among heavenly beings or humans of the world, among all sentient beings, none can understand the Buddha.”

Haven’t I explained this earlier? Sakyamuni Buddha’s understanding and views cannot be fathomed by us ordinary people because there are infinite, countless teachings. For 40-plus years, He used wondrous provisional teachings and wondrous wisdom to teach according to capabilities. Therefore, He used a variety of methods to establish skillful means.

Then at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, He changed the topic and put aside skillful means for direct teachings. He became very direct. As for the 42 years of skillful teachings, He told them that they were provisional and that He would now expound the True Dharma and freely express the One Vehicle teachings He had originally intended to teach.

The Buddha wanted to gather and direct people of various capabilities in the same direction, so they could all experience the same thing. What they experienced was the first thing the Buddha said after achieving Buddhahood. “How amazing! All beings possess the Buddha’s intrinsic nature.” This one sentence is what He said now at the very end as a thesis to help everyone clearly understand that they all have this intrinsic Buddha-nature. Thus, this is the true path of the One Vehicle.

But this is difficult to know and understand. Though the Buddha had spoken for a long time, did people really know and understand what was said? Did it really stay in people’s minds? Are they diligently walking forward on this path? We ourselves can self-reflect and ask, “Over time, have I been more diligent? Or, after starting out diligently, have I slowed down or stopped?” Is this the case? “Only the person who drinks the water knows if it is hot or cold.”

So, we know the Buddha is “the Hero of the World.”

“Hero of the World” is another name for Buddhas. This means that in this world, a Buddha is a noble hero among the people who has eliminated all afflictions.

Earlier we also discussed “the Six Unenlightened and Four Noble Realms.” In the Ten Dharma-realms, He is the most noble, so He is called a “hero, Hero of the World.” He is the most noble of heroes and has already eliminated all afflictions. We have countless, boundless afflictions, including root and branch afflictions etc. The Buddha has surpassed all these afflictions. By eliminating all afflictions, He is the most noble among those in “the Six Unenlightened and Four Noble Realms.”

So,

“If they learn the path but do not practice it, that is the same as not learning it. As they begin to serve a Buddha, they must exhaustively practice His infinite teachings of the path. Serving countless Buddhas and exhaustively practicing infinite practices to enlightenment of countless Buddhas is being courageous and diligent.”

We all know that in learning from the Buddha, if we do not earnestly practice the Dharma the Buddha taught, that is the same as not learning it at all. Do you recall [this passage]? The Buddha drew near to countless Buddhas and diligently practiced each of. Their teachings of the path. In the past I have said, if we learn Buddhism but do not learn or walk His path, that is the same as not learning it at all.

All the other four kinds of noble beings, Hearers, Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas, must also learn His teachings of the path. If they do not learn, aren’t they no different from those in the Six Unenlightened Realms? So as we begin to learn, we must give rise to the mindset of a great person. Since we have vowed to follow the Buddha, we must learn His teachings of the path and walk the road He walked.

“As they begin to serve a Buddha” is when one starts drawing near to a Buddha and practicing His teachings. This is “serving,” drawing near to, following and practicing the path. So, whoever draws near to a Buddha should “exhaustively practice His infinite teachings of the path.” Each Buddha has infinite teachings of the path. Thus, when we “serve a Buddha,” we must “exhaustively practice His infinite teachings of the path. Serving countless Buddhas and exhaustively practicing infinite practices to enlightenment”

refers to how Sakyamuni Buddha drew near to countless Buddhas. Each Buddha had infinite teachings of the path, all of which He diligently practiced. Moreover, practicing countless Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the path is all part of our courageous and diligent spiritual practice.

Thus, the sutra text states, “Among all sentient beings, none can understand the Buddha.” We sentient beings are in the Six Unenlightened Realms. We cannot comprehend just how high, vast and great the Buddha’s wisdom is. Nobody can understand it, even Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas. Even Bodhisattvas fall a little short, let alone Pratyekabuddhas and Hearers.

No one can understand the Buddha: With the causes the Buddha created in the past, He never parted from Buddhaskalpa after kalpa and constantly learned from Them. For hundreds, thousands, millions of [lives], at the sides of countless Buddhas, He diligently cultivated teachings of the path.

Thus, “no one can understand the Buddha. With the causes the Buddha created in the past.” Here, “in the past” is since Beginningless Time. As I have been telling everyone recently, that length of time is incalculable. It is also impossible to calculate the number of teachings the Buddha practiced. Thus, “kalpas” are used to describe the immeasurable, limitless time in which. He never parted from Buddhas. In every one of His lifetimes, He was never apart from Buddhas. Thus, lifetime after lifetime, He remained inseparable from Buddhas. He diligently practiced. Their teachings of the path. So, He treated Buddhas as. His teachers and learned from them. This is how He attained Buddhahood.

This happened in the past. For hundreds, thousands, millions of [lifetimes], at the sides of countless Buddhas, He diligently cultivated teachings of the path. Under many Buddhas, He continuously, diligently practiced Buddha’s teachings. Thus, we should understand that it is not easy to attain the Dharma, so this path is difficult to practice. Yet, what is hard to practice can be practiced. Therefore, we must engage in spiritual cultivation.

When the Buddha was in the world, how did He guide sentient beings? One day, Venerable Kasyapa asked Buddha a question, “Venerable Buddha, in the beginning there were few spiritual practitioners. You also established few rules. At the beginning there were no rules. Or, when there were, there were only a few. But now there are many more monks, and. You have gradually established more rules. Yet as the number of rules increases, there are fewer people who follow them. It seems those who obey You are few. Since so many people are not following what You have said to do, must there still be precepts?”

The Buddha responded, saying, “The lives of sentient beings have become more and more turbid. The turbidity is getting worse. There are also many bonds and instigators, which also bring turbidity. Bonds” are afflictions. There are so many afflictions in this era and in future kalpas. In the future, as sentient beings have more opinions, their afflictions will also increase. Thus, during the kalpa of turbidity, there will be many changes and disasters. Thus, future sentient beings living in this turbid, chaotic kalpa will have serious defilements and be more troubled. The pollution in their minds will worsen, because the Right Dharma is gradually changing.

Since the Buddha had established many rules and few people were following them, there were not many people faithfully practicing the teachings. This was what causes the era of Right Dharma to. become the era of Dharma-semblance, which then becomes the era of Dharma-degeneration. This happened as humans’ afflictions and defilements increased and they committed more transgressions. And with more people doing evil deeds, there needed to be more rules. Nothing can be done about this. Thus, from the era of Right Dharma till the era of Dharma-degeneration, there is even a greater need for precepts.

As I said earlier, “Spiritual practice is the work of great people; it is difficult even for great leaders.” Since this is the work of great people, even if a ruler in power was asked to engage in spiritual practice, he would not dare. Thus, we spiritual practitioners must have the strength to shoulder all things in the world. So, we must clearly understand “embodiment, power, nature and form.”

Because we understand the law of karma, what we must seek in this world of Dharma-degeneration is a return to the pure source of the Tathagata, which is the Buddha-nature inherent in all of us. Thus, we must clearly identify our direction and clearly distinguish right from wrong. We want to practice the difficult-to-practice path. This is what the Buddha told us. If after listening, we refuse to practice, it is like never having heard the Dharma. Since we are all engaging in spiritual practice, we must cultivate purifying practices. Thus, I hope everyone will always be mindful.