Author: Scott Ogata

Episode 1259 – Revealing What Is True and Not False

>> “At the Vulture Peak Assembly, [the Buddha] opened the provisional to reveal the True [Dharma], which is not false. Great wisdom is innate enlightenment. The spiritual training ground is pure True Suchness. The impartial Dharma of great loving-kindness does not discriminate between high and low. Humans intrinsically possess the same nature. The true principles are contained within all consciousnesses.”

>> The provisional teachings of the past contained the truth, just as a lotus flower contains the lotus pod. Opening the provisional to reveal the truth is like a lotus blooming to reveal the lotus pod. Outside of the lotus flower, there is no other lotus pod. With the provisional opened and the true revealed, we see the Middle Way in all Dharma.

>> “All those banners and canopies were made from the Seven Treasures, gold, silver, crystal, mother-of-pearl, chalcedony, pearl and rose stone. The stupa was so tall that it reached the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 11 – Seeing the Stupa of Treasures]

>> “From the Heaven of the Thirty-three, there fell a rain of Mandarava flowers in offering to the stupa of treasures. All the various heavenly beings, nagas, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and non-humans, trillions in all….” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 11 – Seeing the Stupa of Treasures]

>> The Heaven of the Thirty-three: On Sumeru, in each of the four directions, there are eight heavens, and Indra resides in the center, thus making Thirty-three heavens. In terms of the Dharma, these represent the 52 stages of Bodhisattvas.

>> Trayastrimsa Heaven: This is the Heaven of the Thirty-three. It is the second heaven of the desire realm, located on the summit of Mt. Sumeru. Sakra’s Heaven is at the center, and in each of the four directions there are eight heavens, thus forming the Heaven of the Thirty-three.

>> There fell a rain of Mandarava flowers as an offering to the stupa of treasures: All heavens rained down flowers to make offerings to the stupa of treasures. This shows their hearts’ wholesome practices which dignify the Dharmakaya.

>> In terms of worldly appearances, these are the eight groups of Dharma-protectors. In terms of the Dharma, they are inseparable from one mind.
>> The two classes of heavenly beings and nagas have good hearts. The remaining classes of yaksas and others have always had evil hearts. Because of their superior roots of goodness, they controlled all their evil thoughts, countless trillions of them, and transformed them into goodness.

“At the Vulture Peak Assembly,
[the Buddha] opened the provisional to reveal the True [Dharma], which is not false.
Great wisdom is innate enlightenment.
The spiritual training ground is pure True Suchness.
The impartial Dharma of great loving-kindness
does not discriminate between high and low.
Humans intrinsically possess the same nature. The true principles are contained within all consciousnesses.”

We must be mindful! The Dharma requires us to mindfully experience it. Only when we are able to actualize the Dharma in our daily living will this be the True Dharma. “At the Vulture Peak Assembly, [the Buddha] opened the provisional to reveal the True [Dharma], which is not false.” This means that after the Buddha attained enlightenment, He began to think about how to help people experience and awaken to their nature of True Suchness. This is the Buddha’s original intent. However, this is easier said than done. The Buddha resolved to patiently guide sentient beings according to their capabilities. Beginning at Deer Park, He started to give teachings, explaining that the world is full of suffering, that everyone is equally [subject to] birth, aging, illness and death. Even people of wealthy families or kings are unable to predict how long they will live; they cannot make such predictions.

So, the Buddha analyzed the cycle of birth, aging, illness and death in the world so that everyone could comprehend that the cycle of birth and death is impartial. He then analyzed the disparities between the poor and the rich, those of high status and low. With different social classes, why are some people born into poverty? On top of poverty they experience illness, on top of illness, disability. Some are born with missing limbs or are born suffering from illnesses. There is suffering from illnesses, suffering from hardships and poverty and suffering from birth, aging, illness and death. He also analyzed the suffering from the world’s natural disasters, caused by the accumulation of many karmic forces. These are the appearances of suffering that He analyzed.

The Buddha then analyzed the imbalance within people’s minds. The way people live gives rise to afflictions and results in man-made disasters. Small disasters affect a family, medium disasters bring chaos to a society and large disasters drive a country into war. This arises from a single thought. So, a single thought creates all the suffering in the world. The Buddha patiently [analyzed] each layer to help everyone recognize suffering and cultivate blessings. Cultivating blessings also happens during this cycle of birth, aging, illness and death. We must seize our time and our karmic conditions to understand the principles and quickly cultivate wisdom and create blessings. He even taught us how to transcend this cycle of birth and death and no longer return to cyclic existence in this world. From the simple to the profound, from the obvious to the subtle, He explained one layer after another, even how people come [to be born]. It is through the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence.

Starting with a thought of ignorance, we are led by karmic forces to a certain household, a certain pair of parents. We follow our affinities there. No matter what kind of environment we end up in, we may be born without all of our limbs, certain to be physically impaired. In this life, regardless of whether we are born into a poor or wealthy family, our situation may be complicated; we may be rich but suffer illness and so on. This is the workings of karma. Born among the rich, we can benefit others and further add to our blessings. This is all demonstrated through [the workings of] karma. All of this is the Dharma.

The Buddha, starting at Deer Park, taught everyone this path of spiritual practice. Everyone needed to have faith in and understand it and put it into action. He helped all people accept it, whether deeply or more shallowly. Some people had a very deep feeling about how the suffering of the world originates in ignorance. Ignorance is found in the world, in the way people interact with one another, affecting one another and mutually creating karmic forces. “I’m afraid! I should just avoid people and focus on engaging in spiritual practice. By ending my interactions with people, I can focus on my practice. I do not want to add to my karma; I want to escape the cycle of birth and death.” They think that by doing this they can transcend samsara. Actually, they have not put an end to their past karmic conditions. However, the Buddha did not say this to them. “Good! Everyone has come to engage in practice. First we should all calm our minds and thoroughly understand the Dharma.” This was how the Buddha taught in the Agama period. In His 42 years [of teaching], He spent 12 years giving the Agama teachings. He repeatedly taught this to everyone because. He worried they would overlook it and forget.

Throughout these 12 years, the Buddha guided everyone in this way to find ways to eliminate their afflictions and refrain from creating more negative karma. They must “practice all that is good and refrain from all that is evil” and form good affinities. Having gone through the Agama period in this way, everyone already understood. The teachings of the Four Noble Truths, the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence and many other Dharma-doors were clear to them. They were alert and knew to distant themselves from these causes and conditions. They refrained from creating negative affinities; they knew to distance themselves from that, to guard against life’s afflictions and ignorance. The Buddha was aware of this, so He entered the Vaipulya period. Over eight years, the Buddha taught the Vaipulya teachings. He gradually guided everyone. “Besides benefiting yourself and maintaining the purity of your self-awakening, you still have unresolved karmic affinities, karmic affinities you formed in past lives. You still need to care about the matters of the people of this world and try to understand them.”

But everyone feared being entangled in karma. So, they were a bit hesitant about the Vaipulya. However, the Buddha used wisdom to draw them in and guide them and help them accept the Vaipulya teachings, going one step further with these skillful means to go among people to care for them. Once the Buddha opened up this concept, [people began to] create blessed causes and conditions. Everyone understood and no longer rejected this. They understood their karmic causes and conditions and their causes, conditions, effects and retributions with other people. But the Buddha then went another step further. He spent 22 years discussing the Prajna teachings. The past teachings were about “existence,” the existence of suffering and conditions. They were all part of the truth of suffering, the principles behind suffering, and the principles behind the interaction of causes and conditions. Everyone understood this very clearly by now. After that, He used the Prajna teachings.

The Prajna teachings discussed “emptiness.” Everything that has “existence” has come together, but in the end, it is all ultimately empty. After hearing the Prajna teachings, everyone clearly understood that, indeed, everything in life is ultimately empty. Through birth, aging, illness and death, we pass through our life in this way. Won’t everything completely disappear in the end? Just what kinds of things will happen in future lifetimes? In future lifetimes, the karmic retributions will be even more frightening. They were clearly aware of the workings of karma, but they still treated them as empty. They did not want to contrive any more affinities. So, they stopped at [teachings of] “emptiness” and feared “existence.” They were afraid.

So, in this process, the Buddha knew the time had come. Since they understood that “existence” is the source of karmic forces and since they knew about “emptiness,” they should no longer be attached to the two teachings of emptiness and existence. Everyone was clear. Because of this, at the Vulture Peak Assembly, the Buddha began to open up the provisional to reveal the True Dharma. In the past, He did not tell anyone, “It was because of your capabilities that I guided you with skillful means.” He did not say this in the past. Everyone thought, “If I practice this way, I will transcend the cycle of birth and death.” So, when the Buddha taught skillful means at that time, whether He was discussing emptiness or existence, he left that door closed. Everyone thought that was the way things were. “We will practice what the Buddha teaches.” Now, He took the “provisional,” which is the skillful means, and opened that door so we could all see the ultimate truth, the True Dharma inside. This is just like taking us into the storehouse of treasures. In that storehouse, we see this treasure and that treasure, There are many treasures, and we see them all. In fact, in this storehouse, there is still one more treasure chest. This most exquisite treasure chest has yet to be opened. So, all that people could see was the exterior of the treasure chest.

At this time, He truly opened the lid of the treasure chest. After the skillful, provisional teachings, He opened the next set of doors. This is “opening the provisional.” Within the provisional, there is the True Dharma. So, the “provisional,” the skillful teachings, these doors, had now been opened by the Buddha. “Look, inside here you can find the True Dharma, the True Dharma of the One Vehicle. This is everyone’s treasure. Earlier, I helped you understand the Five Roots and Five Dusts. I told you all that the eye-root connects with the form-object, and the ear-root connects with the sound-object.” He explained them all to us one by one. Later He explained what we take in, the convergence of the Roots and Dusts. He used these principles to explain that when the Roots and Dusts converge, it is our consciousness that makes contact. Our mind, our consciousness, makes contact with external conditions. He helped us understand this, layer by layer.

When ordinary beings’ minds make contact with external conditions, the [sixth] consciousness considers good and bad actions. The [sixth] consciousness is where we have dust-like delusions. We take in so many states from the outside world. This is the sixth consciousness, the sixth consciousness before the seventh. What we take in from the Five Roots and Five Dusts is given to the sixth consciousness. After we categorize this signal, [we think,] “I really love this thing, how can I obtain it?” This signal, this information, is then contemplated by the [sixth] consciousness. This results in the consciousness of afflictions, in dust-like delusions. In this process, afflictions lead us to create karma. This is also where those who are sharp and clever act from.

Then, we take action with our bodies to create much karma. Once karma is created, [the process repeats;] the sixth consciousness feels that momentary happiness. Then the seventh consciousness thinks, “I now possess this!” Since we possess, have obtained it, it is then taken into the eighth consciousness. This is how the Buddha, layer by layer, helped us comprehend and understand. The eighth consciousness is where everything is stored, our karma, all our afflictions, all our ignorance and our karmic consciousness. After we take action, everything returns to the eighth consciousness; all the karma we create is stored in the eighth consciousness.

So, ordinary beings stop at this point. We bring our eighth consciousness with us, without any control. We may go anywhere; if we created blessings, our blessed karma may take us to an ideal family, an ideal country, an ideal environment. In the place our direct and circumstantial retributions take us, we will gradually grow up in that place and live an easy and happy life. We will spend our entire lives like this. This is how unenlightened beings transmigrate.

If we bring ignorance along with karma, even if we are born into a life of wealth, we also bring with us greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt and continue to create ignorance in that place, continue to form negative affinities. This makes us “the poor among the rich.” In a world of riches, we do not know to cherish our blessings and still continue giving rise to thoughts of greed. We do not know to do good deeds and instead stop at no means [to get what we want]. Out of greed, we create karma. We may be considered rich, but still continue to create karma. Thus, it continues accumulating, and returns to our karmic-consciousness.

There are also “the rich among the poor.” Although they did not create blessings in their past lives, they have good affinities. They come here with their karma and are born into poverty and suffering. In this state of poverty and suffering, they experience all the sufferings of life. However, because they had thoughts of goodness and good affinities, naturally those affinities will lead them to create blessed karma amidst their poverty.

Take those in Africa, for example. Their circumstantial and direct retributions brought them much suffering. Many people experience suffering and hardship. But among those suffering are a group of seeds who have good thoughts; they are “the rich among the poor.” With that spiritual wealth, they can be very happy. They are happy every day. Every day they walk the Bodhisattva-path and walk it happily. Whether they are climbing over mountains, whether they are making long journeys over streams or muddy roads, even though it is hard on them, they still want to deliver provisions to families that are suffering more than they are. These are the rich among the poor.

Even though their circumstantial and direct retributions in this life have brought them to this impoverished place, they have these good karmic conditions, so naturally they can open up their hearts and make use of their collective strength. They can make use of these karmic conditions to help people and are very happy when doing so. This is the result of the different karma that each person creates. We must believe this. This is how the Buddha, while giving provisional teachings, was actually teaching us the True Dharma. This is because we still have one door [to open]. The True Dharma is in the ninth consciousness. We ordinary beings are only using up to our eighth consciousness. The positive and negative karma we create are stored in the eighth consciousness.

If we can create good karma, we should create pure karma. Right now, what the Buddha is teaching us is to be pure, to do good and be pure. This pure good karma can enter the ninth consciousness, which is our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. This is the True Dharma. This is the last door in the storehouse. This door has opened. So, He “opens the provisional.” The previous teachings were part of the process. The door at the end [leads to] the True Dharma. These are the pure seeds of goodness. This is the One Dharma, which is not false. Everyone intrinsically has the nature of True Suchness; we are all equal to the Buddha. If we just push aside all of our afflictions and ignorance, then this pure, wholesome Dharma, our nature of True Suchness, will manifest. This is the True Dharma of the One Vehicle.

The Buddha’s perfect and harmonious teachings, the Lotus Sutra that He taught on Vulture Peak, are for the purpose of revealing the True Dharma. So, He unlocked “great wisdom [which] is innate enlightenment. The spiritual training ground is pure True Suchness.” From this we should be able to understand that everyone has wisdom equal to the Buddha’s. Everyone intrinsically possesses the nature of True Suchness, wisdom which is equal to the Buddha’s. This is our innate enlightenment. Where is this spiritual training ground of innate enlightenment? It is our nature of True Suchness. Where is our nature of True Suchness? It is at the Vulture Peak Assembly. At the Vulture Peak Assembly, the Buddha opened up our innate enlightenment of True Suchness, which is our great wisdom. This is our spiritual training ground.

Though the Buddha is more than 2000 years removed from us, we should know by now that the spiritual training ground of the Vulture Peak Assembly has never disappeared. It is in our hearts; it is everlasting. This Dharma-assembly must continue; we have to walk this road in order to arrive. We clearly know that everyone intrinsically possesses the nature of True Suchness, but our afflictions still exist. So, we must engage in practice and make use of other people’s strength. We make use of people’s afflictions and suffering, by going among people [to help].

So, we [apply] “the impartial Dharma of great loving-kindness.” We go among people with great loving-kindness and compassion. All sentient beings are our family members. They are the same, so all sentient beings are equal. We often see Living Bodhisattvas going among people, people whom they do not have any prior relationship with. These people are suffering, but after much effort, we finally overcome many difficulties to reach these people affected by disasters and suffering. Just as if seeing loved ones who are suffering, we embrace them and give them love. We have sympathy and universal compassion. Isn’t this the impartial Dharma of great loving-kindness? “Great compassion is the abode, [and] gentleness and patience are the clothing.” This gentleness is like a loving mother caring for her child; when she sees the child wronged or suffering, she will always go to comfort the child. This is the “impartial Dharma of great loving-kindness,”

“which does not discriminate between high and low.” There is no difference between high and low. The world is filled with disasters. Italy suffered this major disaster, an earthquake [in 2016]. It was only magnitude 6.2 on the Richter scale, but because the epicenter was shallow, thousand-year-old structures were destroyed in an instant. Tourists all over the world visited these places. Look at these places of historical significance, these buildings. They were leveled, completely destroyed.

It spanned three peaks, three mountain ridges, and numerous ancient buildings that were all listed as the world’s treasures were all destroyed in an instant. Think about it; this is life’s impermanence. The mansions nearby were likewise destroyed in an instant. Tzu Chi volunteers in countries throughout Europe, whether from Germany, France, Great Britain and so on, had already begun to strategize how they were going to get together and take action. This is because in each of these countries, there are not that many Tzu Chi volunteers. Italy only has three certified commissioners and four to five who are still in training. These are the Tzu Chi volunteers of Italy. Because they do not have enough manpower, they must have Tzu Chi volunteers from other countries come and join them.

This is the impermanence of the world. Regardless of how nice the conditions are, how stable the structures are, buildings that have stood strong for over hundreds or thousands of years still could not withstand this earthquake. A magnitude 6.2 earthquake decimated everything just like that. Life is impermanent. No matter how nice the conditions are, how precious [the buildings are], even if they are internationally- or nationally-treasured buildings, the same thing happened to them. There is no difference between the high and low; none at all.

So, “Humans intrinsically possess the same nature. The true principles are contained within all consciousnesses.” Human nature has been exactly the same since Beginningless Time. This is what the Buddha told us. We are equal to the Buddha. “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in their nature].” We are equal to the Buddha. We all intrinsically have this. All living beings are like the Buddha; they possess the Tathagata-nature. “Humans intrinsically possess the same nature. The true principles are contained within all consciousnesses.” All sentient beings’ nature of True Suchness, the “true principles,” these truths and principles, are all the same. They are all stored in this consciousness. The consciousnesses of ordinary beings, whether it be the sixth, seventh or eighth consciousness, all contain these true principles. The purest of true principles is our nature of True Suchness, the ninth consciousness, the amala consciousness. This is the ultimate state, the Buddha-consciousness we reach upon awakening. The Buddha-consciousness is pure and undefiled, and is one with the universe. This is the true principle that everyone intrinsically possesses.

So, in the past, “The provisional teachings of the past contained the truth.”

The provisional teachings of the past contained the truth, just as a lotus flower contains the lotus pod. Opening the provisional to reveal the truth is like a lotus blooming to reveal the lotus pod. Outside of the lotus flower, there is no other lotus pod. With the provisional opened and the true revealed, we see the Middle Way in all Dharma.

The Buddha taught the provisional. Even though what He taught in the past were skillful means, the true was actually hidden in those skillful means. The True Dharma is like the bud of a lotus flower. The lotus seeds are already inside. Once the flower blooms, we will see this fruit. The lotus seed is concealed within the lotus bud. When the flower blossoms, the fruit will appear. So, opening the provisional to reveal the true is like the lotus flower blossoming. We will see the lotus pod. We will see the lotus pod, and the seeds are in there. So, “It is like a lotus blooming to reveal the lotus pod.” The principle is the same.

The teachings the Buddha taught in the past were not a waste of time. They all contained the True Dharma; it is just that. He did not make it transparent to everyone. [To reach] the True Dharma, we must brush aside our ignorance and go among people. We make use of others’ strength to refine ourselves. When we brush aside our ignorance, we will manifest the True Dharma within us. This is cultivating both blessings and wisdom. This is reaching the perfect teachings. This is the time when the Lotus teachings arrive.

So, “Outside of the lotus flower, there is no other lotus pod.” Apart from this lotus flower, there are no other lotus pods. The lotus flower and lotus pod are joined together. So, when the provisional is taught, it actually contains the True Dharma. When the flower blossoms, we see the fruit. So, it is called the “Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower” because it has the fruit and flower at the same time.

“With the provisional opened and the true revealed, we see the Middle Way in all Dharma.” We bring all the Dharma back to the Middle Way. He discussed emptiness and existence. He discussed emptiness in the Prajna period and existence during the Agama period. So, He taught existence and emptiness. Now, the Lotus Sutra collects both these topics; it is the Middle Way. This is like when a lotus flower blossoms, the lotus pod is in the middle. The principle is right here. We must truly be mindful. The Lotus Sutra is the Middle Way between emptiness and existence, the True Dharma.

The previous passage says,

“All those banners and canopies were made from the Seven Treasures, gold, silver, crystal, mother-of-pearl, chalcedony, pearl and rose stone. The stupa was so tall that it reached the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings.”

The next sutra passage says,

“From the Heaven of the Thirty-three, there fell a rain of Mandarava flowers in offering to the stupa of treasures. All the various heavenly beings, nagas, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and non-humans, trillions in all….”

Where is the Heaven of the Thirty-three? It is on the summit of Mt. Sumeru. Mt. Sumeru’s summit is the highest place of all. “In each of the four directions, there are eight heavens.” In the east, west, south and north, in each of those directions there are eight heavens in all and eight heavenly palaces. Four times eight is thirty-two, but in the center, there is the place where Sakro-devanam Indra lives. It is called the City of Good Views, and it is in the center. All of these together make up the Heaven of the Thirty-three. If we express this in terms of the Dharma, it is an analogy for the 52 stages of Bodhisattvas. We will explain this later on.

The Heaven of the Thirty-three: On Sumeru, in each of the four directions, there are eight heavens, and Indra resides in the center, thus making Thirty-three heavens. In terms of the Dharma, these represent the 52 stages of Bodhisattvas.

The Heaven of the Thirty-three is also called Trayastrimsa Heaven. It is the second heaven of the desire realm. It is still in the desire realm, because those in the Trayastrimsa Heaven still have their family and retinue. [In the desire realm,] there is also the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings. [The Trayastrimsa Heaven] is the second heaven of the desire realm, and it is on the summit of Mt. Sumeru. Everyone should know that in the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, one day there is equal to 50 years in this world. One day in Trayastrimsa Heaven is equal to 100 years in this world. This means that it is very far away from our solar system. Indra’s Heaven is in the center, and “In each of the four directions there are eight heavens.” So, combined together they comprise the Heaven of the Thirty-three.

Trayastrimsa Heaven: This is the Heaven of the Thirty-three. It is the second heaven of the desire realm, located on the summit of Mt. Sumeru. Sakra’s Heaven is at the center, and in each of the four directions there are eight heavens, thus forming the Heaven of the Thirty-three.

First, we must understand its environment and its distance from our world. One day in Trayastrimsa Heaven is 100 years for us; this is such a great distance. From such a high place in the sky, there fell a rain of Mandarava flowers as an offering to the stupa of treasures.

We discussed the stupa of treasures previously. Because Sakyamuni Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra, the stupa of treasures emerged from the ground. Because the stupa of treasures appeared, Mandarava flowers rained from the sky. Those in Trayastrimsa Heaven and the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Beings all came to make offerings. Along the way, flowers rained down to help highlight the magnificence of this spiritual training ground. So, “All heavens rained down flowers to make offerings to the stupa of treasures. This shows their hearts and wholesome actions.” This shows the wholesome practices from our hearts; this wholesomeness is supreme and unsurpassed. This is also a metaphor. Everyone expressed their wholesome intentions, which were supreme and unsurpassed. They came to “dignify the Dharmakaya.” They used this supreme and unsurpassed spiritual state to dignify these true principles. With the true principles, we all must engage in practice with reverence. We engage in uninterrupted practice, practice with nothing further, extended practice, and also practice with reverence. We must always have reverence toward the true principles. These are supreme and unsurpassed wholesome actions.

There fell a rain of Mandarava flowers as an offering to the stupa of treasures: All heavens rained down flowers to make offerings to the stupa of treasures. This shows their hearts’ wholesome practices which dignify the Dharmakaya.

So, “All the various heavenly beings, nagas, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans and non-humans, trillions in all….”

There were so many of them. These are the eight classes of Dharma-protectors, heavenly beings and nagas and so on. They all have been transformed by the Buddha and came together to protect this training ground. In terms of worldly appearances, “These are the eight classes of. Dharma-protectors,” the heavenly beings and nagas of the eight classes and so on; they have all gathered together. In terms of the Dharma, this means it is “inseparable from one mind.”

In terms of worldly appearances, these are the eight groups of Dharma-protectors. In terms of the Dharma, they are inseparable from one mind.
Although we talk about the Heaven of the. Four Heavenly Beings and Trayastrimsa Heaven, heavenly beings and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors, when we analyze this in terms of the Dharma, we find that it is inseparable from our one mind. When it comes to our one mind, whether we are from the Heaven of the. Four Heavenly Beings, or Trayastrimsa Heaven, everything is inseparable from our minds. This is all virtuous Dharma; it was the same for the Dharma-protectors like heavenly beings and nagas.

The two classes of heavenly beings and nagas have good hearts. The remaining classes of yaksas and others have always had evil hearts. Because of their superior roots of goodness, they controlled all their evil thoughts, countless trillions of them, and transformed them into goodness.

The two classes of heavenly beings and nagas have good hearts. They all have cultivated blessings. This is goodness. These two classes, heavenly beings and nagas, represent goodness. They are fundamentally good.

“The remaining classes of yaksas and others…..” Yaksas, gandharvas and so on are evil. They are normally evil, just like the asuras and so on, just like animals. The appearances they manifest are considered evil. However, they were transformed by the Buddha, and likewise have the roots of goodness. Since they still have the roots of goodness, this means they were transformed to become good and have become Dharma-protectors. So, “They controlled all their evil thoughts, countless trillions of them, and transformed them into goodness.”

This is how the Buddha-Dharma is the medicine capable of curing the world. Our minds are just like that of the the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. Whether they are on Mt. Sumeru, or in Trayastrimsa Heaven, heavenly beings represent the peak. Not matter how high they are, the Dharma can reach that height. The height of their heart of goodness is the same. Even with everyone’s ignorance, the Dharma can likewise tame our minds and transform [ignorance] into good thoughts. This is how we explain this in terms of the Dharma. The Lotus Sutra is so perfect and harmonious. Through appearances, it manifests the principles. As long as we mindfully comprehend it, at any time in our lives, we will be in constant contact with the Dharma. We simply must keep the Dharma in our hearts and always be mindful.

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Posted on June 23, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Episode 1258 – Banners and Canopies of Seven Treasures

>> “The surrounding railings are a metaphor for the Dharma’s protecting of retaining and upholding. The countless chambers are a metaphor for the room of compassion. The draped strings of jewels represent the supreme, magnificent Dharmakaya.”

>> Retaining and upholding: This means retaining goodness so it is not lost and upholding not letting any evil arise. We must take our thoughts, Samadhi and wisdom as our body. The thoughts, Samadhi and wisdom cultivated by Bodhisattvas are replete with these merits and virtues.

>> Those who uphold and retain uphold virtue so it is not lost and seize evil so it will not arise. To forget nothing is known as retaining. The Bodhisattvas’ virtue of upholding and retaining is limitless.

>> “Trillions of precious bells hung from it. From all four sides, it emitted the fragrance of tamalapatra and sandalwood which pervaded the world.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 11 – Seeing the Stupa of Treasures]

>> “All those banners and canopies were made from gold, silver, crystal, mother-of-pearl, chalcedony, pearl and rose stone, the Seven Treasures. The stupa was so tall that it reached the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 11 – Seeing the Stupa of Treasures]

>> All those banners and canopies: and canopies of treasures were used to dignify the top [of the stupa]. They represent the Buddha’s merits and virtues. Banners and canopies: They represent His virtue of benefiting all beings. There is nothing they do not cover.

>> [They] were made from gold, silver, crystal, mother-of-pearl, chalcedony, pearl and rose stone, the Seven Treasures: In terms of representations of the Dharma, since gold is firm and resilient by nature, it represents the wisdom of firmness. Silver is pure and white by nature, so it represents purifying practices. The translucence of crystal represents the wisdom of thorough understanding. The smooth curls of mother-of-pearl represents a mind that yields. The multicolored chalcedony represents a mind that takes all actions in response to change. Round and bright pearls represent a mind that is clever and wise. Rose stone is a kind of jade that represents a gentle mind. All these virtues serve to dignify, thus, it says “made from the Seven Treasures.”

>> Those banners and canopies were made from the Seven Treasures: This is a metaphor for being replete with the Seven Noble Treasures. The Seven Noble Treasures are seven kinds of Dharma-wealth: The seven kinds of treasures are the Dharma-wealth of merit and virtue attained by noble beings who have awakened to the Path.

>> The Seven Noble Treasures: The treasure of faith: Faithfully accepting the Right Dharma. The treasure of the precepts: Upholding the laws of the Dharma. The treasure of listening: Being able to hear the correct teachings. The treasure of remorse: Feeling remorse for oneself. The treasure of contrition: Feeling contrite toward others. The treasure of renunciation: Renouncing all things and remaining undefiled. The treasure of wisdom: Illuminating matters and principles with wisdom.

The teaching of these virtues is called the Seven Noble Treasures. The sentient beings who do not retain these are said to be extremely impoverished.

>> It stood tall and reached the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings: This indicates that all these virtues are exceptional and respected. The Four Heavenly Kings dwell in the belly of Mt. Sumeru. The stupa of treasures was so high that it stood equal to the heavenly palaces. The Fourfold Mindfulness protects the mind just like the heavenly kings.

>> The stupa was so tall that it reached the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings: This is an analogy for transcending the Four Forms of Birth. The Four Forms of Birth: Womb-born: Contained before birth. Egg-born: Developed within a shell. Moisture-born: In need of moisture for birth. Transformation-born: Transforming into existence from nothing.

“The surrounding railings
are a metaphor for the Dharma’s protecting of retaining and upholding.
The countless chambers
are a metaphor for the room of compassion.
The draped strings of jewels
represent the supreme, magnificent Dharmakaya.”

We must be mindful! The stupa of treasures appeared solely to express the Dharma through appearances. We must mindfully seek to comprehend this Dharma. The stupa’s dimensions were 500 yojanas high and 250 yojanas wide. A yojana is 40 li, so we know it was 20,000 li high; this is very high. Its height represents breaking through the Five Realms. I hope everyone will be able to understand and remember this. This is something we must commit to memory. The Five Realms is the place where the beings of the Five Destinies coexist. In this world, there are people with both good and evil. If we do good, we will have blessed retributions, such as the reward of being born in heaven, enjoying wealth and nobility. [This happens] in both the heaven realm and the human realm.

In the human realm, there is also poverty and hardship. [People suffer from] illness and disability, and some suffer from poverty as well as disease and disabilities. This kind of life is like living in hell. That is to say nothing of the actual hell realm. The hell realm is one of uninterrupted suffering; it is truly extreme suffering. There is also the hungry ghost realm, where Maudgalyayana rescued his mother and where Bright-Eyed Girl rescued her mother and so on. These filial sons and daughters had mothers who created karma in the human realm. They went to hell or the hungry ghost realm to save their mothers. We have spoken about this before, about the suffering in the hell and hungry ghost realms. We cannot see the hell or hungry ghost realms, but in this world, there are so many [people who suffer from] starvation and poverty. Their bellies are very bloated due to a lack of nutrition. Their necks are tiny and their limbs are thin. They are all shriveled up; they are just skin and bones, with a great big belly. These are scenes straight out of the hungry ghost realm. This is suffering; it is unbearable suffering.

We can also see the animal realm. It is all around us. All animals belong to the animal realm. Look at hell on this earth. There are so many in the hell of cesspits. They are surrounded by garbage and filth. Most people would not get dare get close, but those people live among garbage day after day. Or they depend on garbage to stay alive, eating from garbage piles. This is something we often see. Whether around the world or here in Taiwan, Tzu Chi volunteers often go to clean up for them. They are living just like in the hell of cesspits. They are poor, ill and disabled, and moreover live in this kind of environment. Their minds are truly as if in hell or in the realm of hungry ghosts or the animal realm, which is everywhere around; there are all kinds of animals. This is beyond their control. These are the Five Realms.

Since we engage in spiritual practice, we must seek to understand this. These are all living beings. The Buddha taught and strongly affirmed that all living beings have the Tathagata’s nature of wisdom, His enlightened nature; we all intrinsically have this. It is just that we unenlightened beings are lost in confusion. We are unable to see things clearly, so they entangle our minds. Why is that? We cannot turn [our thinking] around, so we experience so much suffering.

The stupa was 500 yojanas [high]. A yojana is 40 li 500 yojanas is equal to 20,000 li. This represents actualizing blessings and wisdom in 10,000 actions. As we [practice] the Six Perfections, we actualize blessings and wisdom in 10,000 actions. Is it really only in 10,000 actions? It must be in every action. Blessings and wisdom are created among people. So, the purpose of the stupa was to exhibit these virtues, to exhibit these qualities and virtuous practices, This requires us to take action.

The Six Perfections are giving, upholding the precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. These six things can deliver us from this shore to the other shore. This is what it means to cross to the other shore. If we want to cross to the other shore, we must use these six methods. We must go among people and create countless blessings. Through the ignorance of sentient beings we temper our wisdom. This is the meaning of blessings and wisdom. Blessings and wisdom follow [our practice of] the Six Perfections. In this way, we will constantly keep advancing. This is the meaning of “in all actions.”

[This is the purpose of] the stupa of treasures. So vertically, in terms of height, it was 500 yojanas high. In terms of width, its foundation was 250 yojanas wide. This is 10,000 li. This represents us unenlightened beings. Unenlightened beings start out with so many afflictions and ignorance. So, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas come to this world in order to transform sentient beings. This is why they need to open the Dharma-doors to teach sentient beings with all kinds of Dharma. They begin with the ignorance of sentient beings’ in the “25 forms of existence” and from there continue to analyze for us the names and appearances of the 108 afflictions. We have accumulated such an array of afflictions; it is so wide and vast. The Buddha had to [teach] in accord with sentient beings’ limitless [afflictions]. He thus opened His Dharma-doors to us. By teaching us according to our capabilities, He enables us to engage in spiritual practice.

Engaging in spiritual practice is like climbing a stupa, level by level, step by step. The higher we get, the more we need railings. There needs to be railings all around, or else it will be dangerous; we will easily fall. So, for safety, the stupa had railings all the way around it. They surrounded it. This is “a metaphor for the Dharma’s protecting of retaining and upholding.” [The Buddha] used all kinds of Dharma as analogies to teach us and help us protect our body of precepts, so we will not go astray. As we engage in spiritual practice, we must take care to maintain our body of precepts. So, we must “retain and uphold,” retain all goodness so it is not lost and uphold not letting any evil arise. This is the meaning of “retaining and upholding.”

We must also take care to guard our thoughts. We must take “Samadhi and wisdom as our body.”

Retaining and upholding: This means retaining goodness so it is not lost and upholding not letting any evil arise. We must take our thoughts, Samadhi and wisdom as our body. The thoughts, Samadhi and wisdom cultivated by Bodhisattvas are replete with these merits and virtues.

As we engage in spiritual practice, our minds must be focused and resolute. As we give rise to each thought, we want every thought to be on the Dharma. [With the] Dharma, we actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions and adapt to the capabilities of sentient beings. Times are changing. People’s minds are unstable. Living among these changes and this instability, spiritual practitioners must have firm faith. Therefore, we must “take thoughts, Samadhi and wisdom as our body.” As we engage in spiritual practice, this must be our body; we must put [the teachings] into action. As for our aspirations and our power of thought, we must very mindfully preserve these. We have to travel along the Bodhisattva-path. So, “the thoughts, Samadhi and wisdom cultivated by Bodhisattvas are replete with these merits and virtues.”

[To cultivate] Samadhi and wisdom, we must work hard. By working hard, we will be able to exhibit virtue. If we do not work hard, how will [our virtue] be visible? Spiritual practitioners must have the resolve of spiritual practitioners. This resolve must be put into action. We must express our perseverance and express our power of wisdom. Our minds must be firm, so that we will not be led astray by external conditions. So, this Dharma is an analogy for the protection of retaining and upholding. We need to protect our good thoughts. We must retain all goodness; [our actions] must include all good deeds. We must work hard to learn this. We must also be very vigilant. We must uphold not allowing any evil arise and retain all goodness so it will not be lost. We must [retain] all goodness so it is not lost and must not allow any evil to arise.

Once we give rise to the aspiration to do good, we absolutely must not let it become lost. After we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we will have a clear understanding. So, we know we can not give rise to evil. Therefore, we need the power of Samadhi and the power of wisdom in order to be able to exhibit these virtues. This is just like this stupa. It was very high, 20,000 li, 500 yojanas.

Inside the stupa, there were chambers. “The countless chambers are a metaphor for the abode of compassion.” Inside such a big stupa, there is chamber after chamber. If we were to enter such a stupa, we would see one chamber after another. This is a metaphor for the room of compassion. Great compassion is the room. If we want to walk the Bodhisattva-path and engage in the Bodhisattva-practice, first we must establish loving-kindness and compassion. As for “countless,” in order to save all sentient beings in the world, we need countless people to be replete in great loving-kindness and compassion so they can enter the Tathagata’s room. Thus, when it comes to the contents of this stupa, as we have previously mentioned, “Great compassion is the room and gentleness and patience are the clothing.” These are already contained within this stupa.

[Next is] “draped strings of jewels.” In this way, we continue to draw closer. Inside, there were many strings of jewels, banners and streamers [hung] high all around the stupa. They were hanging down from above. This is just like all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as they transform sentient beings; they have a very lofty and refined character, but they humble themselves to care for sentient beings and patiently guide them. It is as if they covered them in robes that were [adorned] with strings of countless jewels. The principle is the same. This represents the magnificence of the Dharmakaya. This magnificence of the Dharmakaya is something we must seek to experience and understand. So, we must “retain and uphold.” We must retain all goodness as we give rise to it and [uphold] not letting any evil arise. This is what we must be very mindful of. So, when it comes to these virtuous practices, Bodhisattvas must retain and uphold them. They will then naturally have infinite virtues.

Those who uphold and retain uphold virtue so it is not lost and seize evil so it will not arise. To forget nothing is known as retaining. The Bodhisattvas’ virtue of upholding and retaining is limitless.

Let us look at the previous sutra passage.

“Trillions of precious bells hung from it. From all four sides, it emitted the fragrance of tamalapatra and sandalwood which pervaded the world.”

[There were] “trillions of precious bells.” This stupa had many bells hung all over it. When the wind blew, the bells would ring. This represents that the Dharma must be spread. It is an admonishment, warning sentient beings to “refrain from all evil and do all that is good.” The principles of the Buddha-Dharma are lofty and upright. They are very lofty. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas exhibit virtue as They teach and transform beings in this world. This is just like bells hung very high. When the wind blows, the sound of the bells helps everyone pay attention to the loftiness of these virtuous practices. They teach, transform and protect sentient beings in order to help us understand.

“From all four sides it emitted the fragrance of tamalapatra and sandalwood.” This fragrance came from all four sides. This is because when we experience the Dharma, when we perceive the fragrance of the Dharma, we feel joy from within. When the wind blows over fragrant wood, whether fragrant flowers or wood, this fragrance immediately spreads throughout the four directions. So, in all four directions, it was very fragrant. This image from the previous [sutra passage] is a metaphor for the Dharma.

So, the next sutra passage continues,

“All those banners and canopies were made from gold, silver, crystal, mother-of-pearl, chalcedony, pearl and rose stone, the Seven Treasures. The stupa was so tall that it reached the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings.”

“All those banners and canopies” refers to the many banners and canopies made from treasures. We should all be clear on this. Great numbers of treasures were used to adorn these banners. “[There were also] canopies of treasures.” There were banners and canopies of treasures, completely adorned in treasures. They could cover [the stupa] from above. For example, in Japan, whenever there is a big Dharma-assembly, or when there is a large ritual where the emperor is present, or a Dharma-assembly held by eminent monastics, they will raise a canopy high above that can block the sun as well as the wind. It also represents great majesty; it is very dignified. So, “[They] were used to dignify the top [of the stupa].” This represents the Buddha’s merits and virtues, that they are supreme and unsurpassed.

The Buddha’s virtues are supreme and unsurpassed virtues. These virtues pervade the universe. So, the banners and canopies represent. “His virtue of benefiting all beings. There is nothing they do not cover.”

All those banners and canopies: and canopies of treasures were used to dignify the top [of the stupa]. They represent the Buddha’s merits and virtues. Banners and canopies: They represent His virtue of benefiting all beings. There is nothing they do not cover.

The Buddha appeared in this world to benefit sentient beings and teach sentient beings to give rise to love in their hearts and, with that love, go to [the aid of] suffering sentient beings everywhere. This is how the Dharma, the Dharma of goodness, can spread throughout the world. [In this way], love in this world can spread to the places of greatest suffering. This “represents His virtue of benefiting all beings.”

Isn’t this what our Living Bodhisattvas do? They act according to the Buddha’s teachings and exercise this Dharma, this great love, to bring benefit to sentient beings. So, this word, “beings” refers to how all sentient beings can receive protection. When it comes to His virtue, “There is nothing it does not cover.” There is nothing in the world it does not cover. Beneath the canopy of the sky, the Buddha’s virtues are one with the universe. “His heart encompasses the universe and the boundless worlds within it.” After the Buddha was enlightened, He became one with the universe. So, because of this, “There is nothing [His virtue] does not cover.” [He teaches] these principles solely to benefit sentient beings.

So, “[They] were made from gold, silver, crystal, mother-of-pearl, chalcedony, pearl and rose stone, the Seven Treasures.” These are supreme, unsurpassed treasures.

[They] were made from gold, silver, crystal, mother-of-pearl, chalcedony, pearl and rose stone, the Seven Treasures: In terms of representations of the Dharma, since gold is firm and resilient by nature, it represents the wisdom of firmness. Silver is pure and white by nature, so it represents purifying practices. The translucence of crystal represents the wisdom of thorough understanding. The smooth curls of mother-of-pearl represents a mind that yields. The multicolored chalcedony represents a mind that takes all actions in response to change. Round and bright pearls represent a mind that is clever and wise. Rose stone is a kind of jade that represents a gentle mind. All these virtues serve to dignify, thus, it says “made from the Seven Treasures.”

So “in terms of representations of the Dharma,” gold is “firm and resilient” by nature. Since we want to engage in spiritual practice, we cannot be lacking in determination; we must be firm and resilient. This determination is something that we spiritual practitioners must be replete with. So, the ancients said, “Becoming a monastic is the work of a great person; even a great general would find it difficult.” A general may dare to enter the battlefield, but he dares not engage in spiritual practice. He may be able to unify a country’s rule, but he does not dare to become a monastic. This is because he knows that to become a monastic and engage in practice, he must have great firmness and resilience. He must demonstrate firm wisdom. It requires great wisdom before one will be able to choose the path of a monastic. To engage in spiritual practice on this path requires great firmness and power of wisdom.

[After gold comes silver]. Silver is pure and white by nature. Silver is very white. Gold is yellow while silver is white. It is very pure and white by nature. Moreover, it is able to detect poisons. We can use silver [to detect] whether something is pure or poisonous. In the past, emperors and other nobility would use silver chopsticks when they ate. This is because silver can indicate whether food was poisoned or not. This is what the ancients did. Many rich people used silver chopsticks. So, silver is pure and white by nature, and it can show if something is poisonous. This is the function of silver. It represents purity; it is pure and clean. This is the nature of silver.

As for crystal, it is translucent; it is very clear. [When we say] “as pure as crystal,” [we mean] pure, without blemishes and translucent. This is just like crystal. Thus, it represents “the wisdom of thorough understanding.” With clear wisdom, everything we see is very clear. We can see everything very clearly; our vision is not in the least bit muddled. This is the nature of crystal. Mother-of-pearl has smooth curls. It is rounded with gentle curves and is capable of forming pearls. Also, it represents yielding. From a very high place, it can bend down, yielding according to its external conditions. When [giant clams] are in the ocean, no matter what they encounter, they can curve it according to the conditions. These are its smooth curls.

“Multicolored chalcedony” comes in all kinds of colors. These are all treasures, things that are very valuable in this world. Each of these things has its own characteristics, and they are all very valuable. [Chalcedony] represents “a mind that takes all actions in response to changes.” These things are all found in nature. They follow the conditions of nature to become such precious things.

As for “round and bright pearls,” pearls are round and bright. They “represent a mind that is clever and wise.” Pearls come from oysters. It takes a very long time for them to grow into pearls. They are round by nature and are smooth and bright. Pearls represent a mind that is clever and wise; with it we are able to respond to all things with clever wisdom. “Rose stone” is a kind of stone. It is a kind of jade. Jade is also very valuable. Rose stone represents a gentle mind. So, “All these virtues serve to dignify, thus it says ‘made from the Seven Treasures.'” [The Buddha] has achieved so many virtues, so it speaks of the Seven Treasures.

Specifically, “The banners and canopies were made from the Seven Treasures.” The streamers, banners and so on were all made from the Seven Treasures.

Those banners and canopies were made from the Seven Treasures: This is a metaphor for being replete with the Seven Noble Treasures. The Seven Noble Treasures are seven kinds of Dharma-wealth: The seven kinds of treasures are the Dharma-wealth of merit and virtue attained by noble beings who have awakened to the Path.

Previously, we spoke of the Seven Treasures, gold, silver, crystal, mother-of-pearl, chalcedony etc. [These things] are made from the Seven Treasures. They are also a metaphor for the Seven Noble Treasures. “The Seven Noble Treasures are seven kinds of Dharma-wealth.” They are seven kinds of Dharma. These seven kinds are “the Dharma-wealth of merit and virtue attained by noble beings who have awakened to the Path.”

The Seven Noble Treasures: The treasure of faith: Faithfully accepting the Right Dharma. The treasure of the precepts: Upholding the laws of the Dharma. The treasure of listening: Being able to hear the correct teachings. The treasure of remorse: Feeling remorse for oneself. The treasure of contrition: Feeling contrite toward others. The treasure of renunciation: Renouncing all things and remaining undefiled. The treasure of wisdom: Illuminating matters and principles with wisdom.

What are the Seven Noble Treasures?

The first is the treasure of faith. “Faith is the source of the Way, mother of merits. It nurtures all roots of goodness.” So, we must have faith in the Buddha and faith in the Dharma. We must first establish faith. We must have the right faith. Our faith must be deep in order for us to be able to embrace Right Dharma. Otherwise, we may have all kinds of beliefs, such as superstitious or deviant beliefs. But the faith we speak of is right faith. Faith can serve as the source of the Way and the mother of merits. All spiritual practice begins with faith.

There is also, “The treasure of the precepts,” which is “upholding the laws of the Dharma.” We understand this. We must uphold the precepts, guard against wrongs and stop evils; we must uphold this in our hearts. When our Five Roots connect with our external conditions, in our hearts, we need something like a railing that guards and protects us. When we have a boundary that rails us in, that is upholding the laws of the Dharma. In our spiritual practice, we must [uphold] the conduct of spiritual practitioners. We must follow our rules and etiquettes.

What about the “treasure of listening”? It is “being able to hear the correct teachings.” If it is incorrect, we must not listen to it. If it goes against the principles, do not listen. So, we must listen to the correct teachings.

Next are the treasures of remorse and of contrition. Our minds must constantly have a sense of remorse and contrition. These two words, remorse and contrition, mean “I feel remorse for my own poor virtues. We must always have thoughts of remorse in order to give rise to good deeds.” We ourselves know that we are still very poor in the study of virtue. So, we must constantly remind ourselves to be vigilant. We must always have thoughts of remorse. Only then will we be able to follow others in doing good deeds and putting the teachings into practice. As we follow others to do [good], we must not become haughty or proud, thinking that we already know so much.

We understand, we are very smart, but the virtue of wisdom is something we have not cultivated at all. So, when others do what is right, we should do the same and keep ourselves from becoming arrogant. This is what it means to have remorse. We must always be remorseful. I often hear people say, “I feel remorseful.” But when it comes to “remorse,” they do not know the meaning of this word. It means to have remorse for being so lacking in our virtue. Our spiritual cultivation is lacking, so we must awaken ourselves. We must rejoice in the good deeds others do. We must rejoice and give rise to aspirations. This is what it means to be remorseful.

What about contrition? Contrition is “being afraid of suffering other people’s criticism for the wrong things we did.” If in the past we did things that were wrong, it is difficult to avoid people criticizing us behind our backs for those mistakes. So, we must not do [such things]. We must constantly have a sense of contrition and prevent ourselves from committing wrongs. We did this thing in the past, and other people criticized us. Now that we understand, we absolutely must not do it again. This is called contrition. If we have a sense of contrition, we will naturally keep ourselves from doing wrong. In the past, we had bad habitual tendencies. We were too proud, too arrogant or too foolish, filled with thoughts of ignorance, anger and greed. We committed violations and made mistakes. This was all in the past. But now, if we give rise to a mind of contrition, we will naturally put an end to wrongdoings.

So, this the “treasure of remorse” is “feeling remorse for oneself.” We clearly know ourselves; we know how much [good] we have actually done. We have not done much, so we must not feel overly proud of ourselves. “The treasure of contrition” means that we have made mistakes in the past, so we must not do wrong again. Putting a stop to evil is contrition. So, we must be very mindful. We often talk about these two words, so we should truly seek to understand them better. We must have a sense of what is right and remind ourselves to be vigilant. This is what it means to feel remorse and indebtedness.

“The treasure of renunciation” refers to renouncing everything and not becoming defiled. We must completely renounce our past bad habitual tendencies. Our past ignorance and confusion must be completely eliminated. We must go among people without becoming defiled. This is called renunciation. There is no need to take issue with people. Do not take issue over things; just let them go. The “treasure of wisdom” refers to “illuminating matters and principles with wisdom.” When we are replete with wisdom, we can discern matters and principles very clearly.

These are the treasures of faith, precepts, listening, remorse, contrition, renunciation and wisdom. They are called the Seven Noble Treasures. These seven things are essential in the course of our spiritual cultivation. They are the Dharma-wealth of merit and virtue attained by noble beings who have awakened to the Path. We must mindfully seek to comprehend them.

These are virtues and Dharma. They are called the Seven Noble Treasures. So, “The sentient beings who do not retain these are said to be extremely impoverished.”

The teaching of these virtues is called the Seven Noble Treasures. The sentient beings who do not retain these are said to be extremely impoverished.

In the earlier Chapter on Faith and Understanding, the [parable] of the poor son showed how we have not applied the Dharma in our hearts. This means we lack these kinds of Dharma-wealth, so we are said to be impoverished. Isn’t the world full of people who lack [Dharma-wealth]? Being lacking is to be impoverished. We must put effort into being mindful of this.

In terms of height, this stupa made from the Seven Treasures “was so tall that it reached the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings.” It was so tall that it reached the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings. This symbolizes that. “All these virtues are exceptional and respected.” All of these virtues are exceptional and respected. “The Four Heavenly Kings dwell on the slopes of Mt. Sumeru. The stupa of treasures was so high that it stood equal to the heavenly palaces.” This means that “The Fourfold Mindfulness protects the mind like the heavenly kings.”

It stood tall and reached the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings: This indicates that all these virtues are exceptional and respected. The Four Heavenly Kings dwell in the belly of Mt. Sumeru. The stupa of treasures was so high that it stood equal to the heavenly palaces. The Fourfold Mindfulness protects the mind just like the heavenly kings.

This is like how the Four Heavenly Kings protect the four sides of Mt. Sumeru. This is described in the sutras. This is an analogy for how the Fourfold Mindfulness protects our mind.

“The stupa was so tall that it reached the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings.” This is an analogy for “transcending the Four Forms of Birth.”

The stupa was so tall that it reached the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings: This is an analogy for transcending the Four Forms of Birth. The Four Forms of Birth: Womb-born: Contained before birth. Egg-born: Developed within a shell. Moisture-born: In need of moisture for birth. Transformation-born: Transforming into existence from nothing.

The Four Forms of Birth are [as follows]. “Womb-born [beings are] contained before birth.” Womb-born beings are contained in their mother’s womb. This is what it means to be “womb-born. Egg-born [beings] develop within a shell.” Things [born from] shells, chicken, birds etc., are all called “egg-born.” They are covered by a shell. At birth, they must break through this shell, freeing themselves from the shell to be born. This is what it means to be “egg-born.” There is also “moisture-born.” They are born in a moist, aqueous environment. These things [live] in moist places or in water. They are all classified as “moisture-born.” [Beings born] in a moist, wet environment are called “moisture-born.” Mosquitos and insects are all like this. They are moisture-born.

“Transformation-born [beings] transform into existence from nothing.” This is called being transformation-born. To be “transformation-born” is to directly go from this life to the next. Heavenly beings go directly from this life to the next. If you have heavenly blessings, once you leave this world having created a great abundance of blessings in this world, you will journey on your blessed retributions and depart from the human world to be transformation-born into heaven. You will be transformation-born into a heaven above. This is what it means to be transformation-born.

We sentient beings cannot escape the Four Forms of Birth. Sentient beings experience suffering because they follow their karma without control. Sentient beings with negative karma are born into this world to suffer; they create more karma and suffer its retributions. The greatest suffering is to be transformation-born into hell, to go directly from this life to hell. In an instant, we fall into hell. This is also being “transformation-born.”

But in the hells of this world, we can also see Living Bodhisattvas. They go to the hells of this world and save people. There is a 96-year-old man in Zimbabwe who is all alone. This elderly man also created karma in his past. In the past, he had a wife and son, but he left home, abandoning his wife and son. He ended up raising another person’s family, working to earn money. All his life, he worked like this, living a very difficult life. Zimbabwe society is matrilineal. This man eventually became old and ill. He had spent most of his time working to earn money, but aside from that, his behavior was quite poor.

His second family consisted of a single mother and her child, whom he helped to raise. However, when he became old, this mother told the child bad things about him. So, even this child who was raised by him came to reject him and drove him out of the house. He was living all alone. He was very miserable, ill and old. He was 96 years old. Tzu Chi volunteers saw him and felt for him. They often cared for him and brought him things.

One day, his grass hut could not withstand the wind, and his roof was blown away. For several days, he suffered the sun’s heat, rain and wind, curled up in a corner of the ruined grass hut. The African Tzu Chi volunteers found him there and felt for him. They immediately went to buy zinc sheets and quickly covered the hut with them. They brought him a [Jing Si] folding bed and provided him with [necessities]. They helped him tidy up and cleaned everything.

The group of volunteers then led him outside, surrounded him and kept wishing him well. He cried and said, “I have no son; I have no relatives.” The group of young African Bodhisattvas kept telling him, “I am your son. I am your daughter.” It was like what we do in Taiwan. They continued to comfort him. This elderly man was so moved that he knelt down. With tears streaming down, he looked up and said, “Thank you! I hope Master can always lead people like this to care for those who are suffering.”

In this world, we see Bodhisattvas using the Seven Noble Treasures to do good deeds and go among people. If we do not have faith or listen to the Dharma, how will we be able to uphold these ways of goodness and continue walking on this path? Our suffering in this world is beyond our control. Will we fall into hell or come to this world again to suffer more hardship? Or will we create many blessings and be transformation-born into heaven? Among the Four Forms of Birth, [where we end up] is beyond our control. So, the Buddha came to teach us to enable us to choose, to help us understand the noble Dharma that enables us to come and go freely. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

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Posted on June 23, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Episode 1257 – The Wondrous Sound Pervades the World

>> “After hearing the Dharma at the Vulture Peak Assembly, the recipients of the teachings had not awakened. So, Manjusri and Maitreya told the story of the 20000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas. Then, Sakyamuni Buddha emerged from Samadhi. He opened, revealed and praised their all-encompassing wisdom, but they could not let go of their deluded views of arising and ceasing, purity and defilement.”
>> The precious bells are a metaphor for the wondrous sound of the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms of Eloquence. The fragrance emitted from all four sides represents how the wind of the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths blows with the fragrance of the Four Virtues. This demonstrates that these virtues are extraordinary and respected.

>> The Four Virtues: Permanence, joy, self and purity. Permanence is the essence of Nirvana. It is everlasting and unchanging, neither arising nor ceasing.

>> Joy is the essence of Nirvana. It is always perfectly tranquil, peaceful and carefree, applicable and without even the slightest afflictions.

>> Self is the essence of Nirvana, the attainment of the greatest freedom, without even the slightest constraint.

>> Purity is the essence of Nirvana. It liberates us from all defilements and is very pure.
>> “All kinds of treasures dignified the stupa. It had 5000 railings with posts and 10 million chambers, It had countless banners and streamers as majestic adornments, and was draped in strings of precious jewels.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 11 – Seeing the Stupa of Treasures]

>> “Trillions of bells of treasure hung from it. From all four sides, it emitted the fragrance of tamalapatra and sandalwood, which pervaded the world.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 11 – Seeing the Stupa of Treasures]

>> Trillions of bells of treasure hung from it: The bells were made out of treasures and hung upon the stupa. When the breeze blew and moved them, they produced a wondrous sound.

>> He used the wondrous and precious sound emitted from the reward-body to teach the Dharma according to capabilities in order to guide and benefit all beings. The precious bells: This is a metaphor for the Four Kinds of Eloquence. The Four Kinds of Eloquence: There are Four Kinds of Unobstructed Eloquence: the wisdom of unobstructed Dharma, the wisdom of unobstructed meaning, the wisdom of unobstructed rhetoric and the wisdom of unobstructed joyful eloquence.

>> From all four sides, it emitted: From all four sides of the stupa, the wind of the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths blew with the fragrance of the Four Virtues. The Four Noble Truths: First, the truth of suffering, second, the truth of the cause of suffering, third, the cessation of suffering and fourth, the truth of the Path. The Four Virtues: This refers to the four virtues belonging to the Great Parinirvana of the Great Vehicle, which are permanence, joy, self and purity.

>> The fragrance of tamalapatra and sandalwood: Tamalapatra is the name of a type of incense wood. Fragrance as spoken of here is a metaphor for our undefiled nature.

>> Undefiled sandalwood: This is the ultimate wondrous fragrance. Through His practice, He is fulfilled. He is pure without any blemish, just like the incense from Ox Head Mountain, representing undefiled nature. Sandalwood fragrance is inherently undefiled. This is a metaphor for the unfathomable transformations of the three wheels. They help all sentient beings to turn evil into goodness and turn defilements into purity to attain the undefiled fragrance of merits and virtues.

>> The three wheels: This is the Buddha’s Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind. The Buddha uses His Threefold Karma to crush and destroy the deluded karma of sentient beings. Thus, it says that the three wheels pervade the world. The fragrance of people with virtuous actions spreads throughout the ten directions, thus it says “pervaded.”

“After hearing the Dharma at the Vulture Peak Assembly,
the recipients of the teachings had not awakened.
So, Manjusri and Maitreya
told the story of the 20000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas.
Then, Sakyamuni Buddha emerged from Samadhi.
He opened, revealed and praised their all-encompassing wisdom,
but they could not let go of
their deluded views of arising and ceasing, purity and defilement.”

Now, let us all recall the Introductory Chapter. At Vulture Peak assembly, the Buddha expounded the Dharma starting with the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. When the Buddha finished teaching it, He remained motionless, as did all sentient beings. Since the Buddha did not move, no one left the assembly. They saw that the Buddha had entered Samadhi. He emitted light from between His brows and illuminated 18,000 Buddha-lands to the East. Everyone should remember this.

While this was happening, whether they had heard the Sutra of Infinite Meaning or saw the Buddha’s light illuminating the east, at this time, even though everyone had heard the Dharma, they were still incapable of comprehending this wondrous state [of Buddhahood]. Meanwhile, Manjusri and Maitreya saw that everyone still had doubt in their minds, and their capabilities had not matured yet. Manjusri and Maitreya understood the Buddha’s intention, but those sentient beings who listened to the Dharma had not yet matured in their capabilities. Thus, they were incapable of fully comprehending the Sutra of Infinite Meanings from earlier, which was extremely profound. As for these extremely profound, true principles, they were still unable to comprehend them.

The Buddha sat in Samadhi, radiating light. So, Manjusri Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva then began a dialogue. Maitreya asked questions and Manjusri answered them. We should be able to recall this scene. When we were reading the sutra, we began with the Introductory Chapter. In our memory, this Dharma-assembly should be very familiar to us. It is as if we went there personally, as if we attended it ourselves, as if we were at this Dharma-assembly and received the Buddha’s teachings there, in this place of spiritual practice. When we are reciting the sutra, we should have this impression.

Manjusri and Maitreya recounted the period of The 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas were 20,000 Buddhas who came into the world one after the other. They were all named. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha. Their radiance was like the sun and moon in the sky, like lamps lighting up the world at night. This is an analogy. This is just like how the Dharma encompasses everything in the universe and illuminates like the sun and moon. It is everlasting. In human realm, the planet rotates, so there is day and night, There is daylight during the day and moonlight at night, but indoors, we have the light of lamps. This is just like how we must always keep our minds illuminated. Whether it is the illumination from the light of the sun or moon, in our minds, even if we are in the human realm, we must have this light in our minds. This is an analogy.

Ordinary beings will always need to rely on the light from outside to illuminate the darkness in their minds. When our minds are dark, a single lamp can help our minds shine brilliantly. By the same principle, in this world we live in, there is the sun in the day and the moon at night; it is the same principle. We all have the intrinsic nature of True Suchness, this light that is like the light of the sun and moon, which illuminates the principles for us to clearly understand. This is all something that we all innately have. It is just that we are like this; even though we have the light, we cover it up with a black cloth. Even though we have the sun and the moon, we are still enshrouded by ignorance. The sun and the moon are still there, but their light is concealed by our ignorance.

In the same way, the light outside may be very bright, but if we build a house [around us], we will shut out the light. In the same way, we shut out our surroundings and the light cannot come in, so it also becomes dark. [It is the same] with our intrinsic nature of True Suchness; we have created [these walls] ourselves, sealing off our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. Manjusri and Maitreya recounted how the past 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas had been around since Beginningless Time. Lifetime after lifetime, they passed on [the light] one generation after another in the human realm. This shows how the light and the principles are always present.

At that time, Sakyamuni Buddha waited until Manjusri and Maitreya finished their dialogue. Then Sakyamuni Buddha emerged from Samadhi and began to teach. He began His teachings by constantly praising the wisdom of all Dharma, Buddha-wisdom, the wisdom of all paths and all-encompassing wisdom. He began to praise the state of the Buddha. However, sentient beings still remained the same, with “their deluded views of arising and ceasing, purity and defilement.” Ignorance rises and falls in our minds; our minds arise, abide, change and cease. These ordinary beings had listened to so many sutras and so much Dharma, but even after forty years’ time, they were still unable to leave behind this “arising, abiding, changing and ceasing” state of mind.

Likewise, as we listen to the sutra, we may understand it clearly, but our ignorance and afflictions still come to cover us once again. With the constant arising and ceasing of thoughts, we may give rise to pure thoughts of the Dharma, but we will soon forget them. In this way, we let the Dharma leak out. Our minds are still defiled, so we “cannot let go of our deluded views of arising and ceasing, purity and defilement.” Ordinary people are like this. [Our thoughts] arise, abide, change and cease, so we cannot stabilize or focus our minds. As a result, we cannot unlock our wisdom. In order to unlock our wisdom, such as the Buddha’s wisdom of all Dharma or all-encompassing wisdom, and to manifest it, we must put effort into settling our arising, abiding, changing and ceasing state of mind. Only then will we be able to manifest our wisdom and nature of True Suchness.

Otherwise, we will just follow our deluded views, the delusions of this world of turbidities, as they drag us along. We become agitated by interpersonal conflicts. This is what the mind of ordinary beings is like. If we can eliminate our deluded views of purity and defilement, removing them completely, if we can let go of these deluded views of arising and ceasing, purity and defilement. If we can completely eliminate these worldly delusions, we will be completely pure and undefiled. Then, our wisdom will naturally manifest.

So, now we are at the beginning of the Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures wherein the stupa of treasures appears. Before the Chapter on the Stupa of Treasures was the Chapter on Dharma Teachers. So, now, we know that the Lotus sutra is the perfect wondrous Dharma, the perfect teaching. We must work hard to mindfully accept and uphold it. Then the complete body of the Buddha is there. There was more than just the complete body of the Buddha. When Sakyamuni Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra in this world, the causes and conditions were ripe, so Many Treasures Buddha’s stupa appeared. With the appearance of this stupa, [the Buddha] used matters to reveal the principles. He used appearances to help us understand the Dharma.

The stupa of treasures is the appearance, and we must clearly understand the principles behind it. So, starting with the stupa’s height and the width of its foundations, we will explain the principles behind it.

The precious bells are a metaphor for the wondrous sound of the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms of Eloquence. The fragrance emitted from all four sides represents how the wind of the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths blows with the fragrance of the Four Virtues. This demonstrates that these virtues are extraordinary and respected.

[One feature] of the stupa of treasures’ appearance is its bells of treasure. Bells of treasure are hung from every corner of the stupa. These bells are like temple bells, hanging from the stupa. From every corner, a string of bells hung down. When the wind blew, these little temple bells, which were very light, swayed in the wind. The clappers in the bells made a tinkling sound. This is the sound of bells.

The bells of treasure are an analogy for the wondrous sound. The wondrous sound is an analogy for how we must have the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms in order to expound the Dharma. Next is “the fragrance from all four sides.” This stupa of treasures is not just surrounded by the sound of bells, ringing as they sway along with the wind, making such a pleasant sound, We do not even need to see it to know it is here. The sound of the stupa’s bells showed the wisdom and virtue of the Buddha. So, the four sides of the stupa emit fragrance, and this fragrant air reveals the Four Noble Truths. The four sides of the stupa of treasures are an analogy for the Four Noble Truths. When the wind blows and the bells ring, this sound can expound the Dharma. The Dharma has its fragrance, so that is why we all say, “permeated by the fragrance of the Dharma.” The fragrant aroma of the Dharma is like “the wind of the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths.” When the wind of the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths blows, by the same principle, “the fragrance of the Four Virtues” flies up. This demonstrates that “these virtues are extraordinary and respected.” After listening to this Dharma, many people give rise to reverence and respect in their hearts. When people listen to the Dharma, they express their reverence and respect, for this is an extraordinary opportunity.

What are the Four Virtues? They are permanence, joy, self and purity.

The Four Virtues: Permanence, joy, self and purity. Permanence is the essence of Nirvana. It is everlasting and unchanging, neither arising nor ceasing.

We often talk about “permanence, joy, self and purity. Permanence” is “the essence of Nirvana, which is everlasting and unchanging.” We often say to everyone that Nirvana is [a state of] tranquility and stillness. Our nature of True Suchness is tranquil, clear, everlasting and unchanging. It is tranquil and clear like this. The Dharma-realm of the universe fundamentally is not in a state of arising and ceasing. The great universe is always a boundless, infinite space. It will always be free of the state of arising and ceasing. It is a constant and unchanging tranquil and still [state]. This is “permanence.”

“Joy” is “the essence of Nirvana. It is always tranquil.”

Joy is the essence of Nirvana. It is always perfectly tranquil, peaceful and carefree, applicable and without even the slightest afflictions.

This is the essence of Nirvana and tranquility; If we want to say that the principles have form, in reality, they are completely empty. This emptiness is always perfectly tranquil, neither arising nor ceasing. In the vast universe, this is the essence. It is always “perfectly tranquil, carefree and applicable.” It can be applied throughout the universe. Without any space in our mind, we will be unable to bring forth any Dharma. Without any space on the land, there would be no room to build anything. Without any space, we cannot produce any crops. The principle is the same.

So, as for this great empty space, its essential form is peaceful and applicable to people. This space is tranquil and clear. It will always be a great space of tranquility and clarity. If we are able to experience it and be free of even the slightest affliction, this space will be completely free of obstacles. This is like the boundless void of the universe. What can obstruct it? Nothing. Nothing can obstruct it. In the great universe, there are many planets in the universe, and they do not obstruct one another. The principle is the same. This is joy. Our minds are free of obstructions, and people also do not obstruct us, so our minds are pure.

“Self” is “the essence of Nirvana, the attainment of the greatest freedom.”

Self is the essence of Nirvana, the attainment of the greatest freedom, without even the slightest constraint.

When it comes to Nirvana, when we have attained Nirvana, we will be in a state of tranquility and clarity. Naturally, we will attain great freedom. Wisdom is to be free and at ease. This is why we say “Blessings are the joy we gain through giving.” What is wisdom? (The freedom we gain by being understanding). So, to gain freedom, we must have wisdom. We must be in this unobstructed state to attain our freedom. Then, [we will be] free of even the slightest constraints; there will be nothing that can confine us.

With the Dharma in our heart, we accord with capacities, just like water; no matter what kind of vessel, we flow to fill the shape of the container, just as water flows along with its surroundings. It is the same with space. The principle is the same. Thus, we will not be obstructed by anything.

So, “purity” is also “the essence of Nirvana. It liberates us from all defilements and is extraordinarily pure.” After attaining liberation from all defilements, our minds will truly be very pure.

Purity is the essence of Nirvana. It liberates us from all defilements and is very pure.

This is what happens when we have the Dharma at heart. Permanence, joy, self and purity are the Four Virtues. With them, we will always be in a state of tranquility and clarity. None of the world’s afflictions will be able to obstruct us. We must have this mindset. “Great compassion is the room.” Sentient beings are suffering. Throughout the world, we “actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions” yet remain undefiled as we go among people. This is because our minds are tranquil and clear with permanence, joy, self and purity. No afflictions will be able to affect our minds.

If we can understand [the Dharma], we will liberate ourselves from all afflictions and abandon our defilements and attachments. Then, we will naturally attain purity. I hope that everyone can understand this well. To learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must first uphold the sutras. We must be very clear on their content, on their Dharma. Appearances are used to demonstrate the principles. We use tangible things to experience the intangible [principles] contained within, the Dharma contained within. Then we will become true upholders of the sutra. Only by understanding the sutra will we be able to become those who teach the Dharma and put the Dharma into practice. To do this, we must be very mindful.

In the Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures, we can see its appearance right from the beginning. Its appearance contains so much Dharma, there is so much Dharma within; Within this stupa alone, there is so much Dharma. It represents so many principles through its appearance. Even from the sound of ringing bells of treasure, there is so much Dharma to learn. We must be mindful.

The previous sutra passage states that.

“All kinds of treasures dignified the stupa. It had 5000 railings with posts and 10 million chambers, It had countless banners and streamers as majestic adornments, and was draped in strings of precious jewels.”

We should remember that the stupa had all kinds of majestic adornments, and it had 5000 railings with posts. This is so we will know that this is where the Five Destinies coexist. Sentient beings are afflicted and ignorant. The railings are the precepts that enable us to protect our minds. In the process of learning the Buddha’s teachings, we must guard against wrongs and stop evils. In [the stupa’s] chambers, shrines and altars, there were countless people doing good deeds. There were countless people who formed aspirations to follow the Bodhisattva-path. There were many good deeds and millions of virtuous teachings contained within. We explained the streamers and banners yesterday, about how they displayed virtue. There are even jewels hanging [from the banners]. These represent how the great and profound Dharma draws close to the world. We explained this generally yesterday.

The next sutra passage continues with,

“Trillions of bells of treasure hung from it. From all four sides, it emitted the fragrance of tamalapatra and sandalwood, which pervaded the world.”

As the stupa appeared, there were so many bells of treasure. So many of them, trillions of them, hung from [the stupa]. We have just explained how these bells of treasure “were made out of treasures.”

Trillions of bells of treasure hung from it: The bells were made out of treasures and hung upon the stupa. When the breeze blew and moved them, they produced a wondrous sound.

Our bells are like the ones that farmers from olden times would hang around the necks of cows or on horses in order to alert everyone that cows and horses were coming through. This is an analogy.

However, on the stupa of treasures, there were trillions of bells. They were all made from treasures. All kinds of treasures, such as gold, silver and so on were made into bells and hung upon the stupa. When the breeze blew and moved them, the bells began to ring. The sound that these bells made was different from the sound of the bells made in our world. This sound rose and fell like music. It was such a wondrous sound.

“He used the wondrous and precious sound emitted from the reward-body….”

He used the wondrous and precious sound emitted from the reward-body to teach the Dharma according to capabilities in order to guide and benefit all beings. The precious bells: This is a metaphor for the Four Kinds of Eloquence. The Four Kinds of Eloquence: There are Four Kinds of Unobstructed Eloquence: the wisdom of unobstructed Dharma, the wisdom of unobstructed meaning, the wisdom of unobstructed rhetoric and the wisdom of unobstructed joyful eloquence.

[In terms of] the reward-body, the Buddha has the Dharma-body, manifestation-body and reward-body. The Buddha’s lifespan in this life matched the lifespan of humans in this world. So, this is called the reward-body. He came to the world and manifested this body. He was born into the palace. Then, He became a monastic and engaged in spiritual practice. After that, He attained Buddhahood. After attaining Buddhahood, He taught according to sentient beings’ capabilities. Like this, He guided and benefited all beings. He taught according to sentient beings’ capabilities, expounded Dharma to benefit sentient beings and led sentient beings to enter the Buddha’s door. So, the precious bells are an analogy for the “Four Kinds of Unobstructed Eloquence.” The Four Kinds of Unobstructed Eloquence are also the Unobstructed Wisdoms. They are also called the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms. The “Four Unobstructed Wisdoms” are also known as the Four Kinds of Unobstructed Eloquence.

[First] is “the wisdom of unobstructed Dharma.” We must understand the Dharma thoroughly. Whether it is people, matter or things, we can adapt to opportunities [provided by] people and matters and use the Dharma to guide others. This is the wisdom of unobstructed Dharma. The Dharma that is taught is imperceptible; we do not need to try to teach them the Dharma. With each particular person, we must guide them according to their capabilities and use everyday language that is close to them. When our everyday language contains the Dharma, the Dharma will be unobstructed. [Next is] “the wisdom of unobstructed meaning.” [This means teaching] the Dharma in accordance with people and matters and analyzing the principles within. “The wisdom of unobstructed rhetoric” refers to [the attainment of] unobstructed rhetoric.

Sometimes sentient beings misconstrue or misunderstand [the Dharma], or even purposefully [twist its meaning]. If we have an abundance of Dharma and clearly understand its meaning, we will be sufficiently eloquent to debate others and persuade them. Even if they harbor bad intentions or do not understand clearly, we will be able to explain for them. Next is “the wisdom of unobstructed joyful eloquence.” [With this], we will not be afraid to work hard as we expound [the Dharma] again and again. We will constantly look for opportunities to share our insights and understanding with everyone.

“From all four sides, it emitted….”

From all four sides, it emitted: From all four sides of the stupa, the wind of the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths blew with the fragrance of the Four Virtues. The Four Noble Truths: First, the truth of suffering, second, the truth of the cause of suffering, third, the cessation of suffering and fourth, the truth of the Path. The Four Virtues: This refers to the four virtues belonging to the Great Parinirvana of the Great Vehicle, which are permanence, joy, self and purity.

The sound of the bells of treasure [rung out] from the stupa; it came from all four sides. “From all four sides of the stupa” represents how “the wind of the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths blew with the fragrance of the Four Virtues.” We should all clearly understand the Four Noble Truths by now, the principles of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. When we look at the stupa, we know that it is full of so many principles. The world is full of illness and suffering. We actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions to respond to all the different kinds of suffering that sentient beings experience. This will help us understand how to eliminate suffering in the world. These are all part of the Four Noble Truths.

How do we engage in spiritual practice? How do we eliminate suffering and engage in spiritual cultivation? It is like listening to the sound of bells. The wind blows them around, producing the sound. This means that after we understand [the Dharma], we must go on to share the teachings we have understood, teach them to others. This is just like the bells [blowing in the wind], “blown with the fragrance of the Four Virtues,” which are permanence, joy, self and purity. When we are listening to the Dharma, we should do so with a persistent mind. [When we learn the Dharma,] we must be selfless; we must be tranquil and clear. We must have a very pure mind, not be influenced by our surroundings and always be happy; we should be empty and at ease. “The mind is without hindrances; there are no hindrances.” In this way, we should always be free. These are the Four Virtues, the fragrance of the Four Virtues. These are the fragrance of virtue and the fragrance of the Dharma.

So we all know the Four Noble Truths, suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. Everyone knows them. We just discussed the “the Four Virtues.” They are “the four kinds of virtues belonging to the Great Parinirvana of the Great Vehicle,” which is completely tranquil and still. This is called Great Parinirvana; it is [tranquil] just like the universe. It is called Great Parinirvana. This is Great Nirvana. The four virtues which it possesses are permanence, joy, self and purity, just as we have discussed.

Then it says, “The fragrance of tamalapatra and sandalwood.”

The fragrance of tamalapatra and sandalwood: Tamalapatra is the name of a type of incense wood. Fragrance as spoken of here is a metaphor for our undefiled nature.

This is a type of incense wood from India called tamalapatra. It was originally called “Indian bay leaf.” This kind of tree has fragrant wood. Not only is its wood fragrant, but its leaves are also fragrant. Both its branches and leaves are fragrant. When the wind blows, this aroma drifts up into the air and diffuses out. Some plants give off an aroma when the wind blows. For example, when the cassia tree has its flowers, they give off fragrance when the wind blows. When a jessamine tree blooms, [we smell] its fragrance as we pass it by. When pomelos bloom, the wind is also fragrant; when betel nut trees bloom, the wind is fragrant. They all share the same principle.

Tamalapatra and sandalwood are especially fragrant. When the wind blows, their aroma spreads even farther and wider. This is an analogy for the fragrance of Dharma. As long as we are willing to teach the Dharma accurately and thoroughly so people can understand and experience it, then this Dharma will continue to be passed down.

There are many people like this. So many Bodhisattvas have come from afar. In July (of 2016), China’s Hubei Province suffered severe floods. When Tzu Chi volunteers heard this news, they immediately went to assess the damage. While they did this, they also arranged times to distribute [aid]. After the distributions, they continually went on home visits. At the shelters where people were gathered, they continuously cared for them and provided everyone with guidance. Since they had just returned from Hualien, they knew the reason our current climate is in such disharmony is due to our way of living in this world, which is far too extravagant, Furthermore, we desire whatever we lay eyes on.

[One volunteer] said, “We went to Hualien on a pilgrimage to our roots. Master said, ‘With the things we want to use, do we buy them because we like them? Or do we only buy things ‘when we really need them?” She shared such a plain and simple [story] with everyone. There was so much trash. After the typhoon, there was so much trash. Since some of the trash could be recycled, the volunteers displayed their recycling spirit and started talking to people everyday about Tzu Chi and recycling. At the end, they promoted the spirit of the bamboo banks.

In this way, while they were there, they began to mobilize everyone to help clean up. It was so dirty everywhere after the typhoon, so they mobilized everyone to clean up. People listened and felt that this made sense, so they put it into action with their own two hands. After they had finished cleaning, they turned back to look, and it was completely clean. It was so pleasant! With these things that they had [picked up] they began to apply the spirit of recycling. they sorted and tidied up these things and cleaned them. Then they explained the meaning of recycling once again. This is the Dharma. When we do recycling and sort the recyclables, [we see] that they are all treasures. This is the Dharma. They got them to understand how the petroleum from underground is extracted and how it pollutes. After they came here and heard all this, they went back and told [everyone], “Our master said this.” This is what it means to spread [the Dharma]. This is the fragrance of the Dharma. This is how the Dharma is spread.

In short, the Dharma is like this. As it is spread, people can experience the flavor of the Dharma. A few days ago, we were just talking about the flavor of the Dharma. When we can experience the truth of the Dharma, it is like attaining the Dharma-fragrance, this pure and undefiled aroma.

Undefiled sandalwood: This is the ultimate wondrous fragrance. Through His practice, He is fulfilled. He is pure without any blemish, just like the incense from Ox Head Mountain, representing undefiled nature. Sandalwood fragrance is inherently undefiled. This is a metaphor for the unfathomable transformations of the three wheels. They help all sentient beings to turn evil into goodness and turn defilements into purity to attain the undefiled fragrance of merits and virtues.

So, [it speaks of] “undefiled sandalwood.” Sandalwood is pure and fragrant. Thus, “This is the ultimate wondrous fragrance.” The Dharma is very fragrant. Through our practice, we become fulfilled; we feel inwardly fulfilled, as the Dharma has entered our hearts. This is just like the fragrance of sandalwood. When such an aroma permeates our hearts, we will feel very fulfilled. Thus, we will be “pure without any blemish”, very pure without any defilements at all. We will be just like the undefiled incense of. Ox Head Mountain, which is also a type of fragrant wood. I have explained this before in the past. Not only is it fragrant by nature, it is also an undefiled fragrance. It is free of impurities; it is very clean.

The fragrance of sandalwood represents the undefiled nature. This fragrance is undefiled. It is a pure fragrance. This is a metaphor for “the unfathomable transformations of the three wheels.” The three wheels are [the Threefold Karma of] body, speech and mind. With the Buddha’s Threefold Karma, He can crush [our ignorance and delusions] just like a rice mill. When the unhusked rice comes, we use a rice mill to grind it, to remove the husk in this way. Inside [the husks] are the grains of rice. By the same principle, sentient beings’ ignorance and delusions are ground away, like the husk, leaving only the rice.

This is what is meant by the three wheels. “The three wheels pervade the world.” This is their nature.

The three wheels: This is the Buddha’s Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind. The Buddha uses His Threefold Karma to crush and destroy the deluded karma of sentient beings. Thus, it says that the three wheels pervade the world. The fragrance of people with virtuous actions spreads throughout the ten directions, thus it says “pervaded.”

The rice in the husk is what we need. The principle is the same. The Buddha’s body, speech and mind all serve as a model to this world to transform and deliver sentient beings. “They help all sentient beings to turn evil into goodness and turn defilements into purity to attain the undefiled fragrance of merits and virtues.” This is the meaning of the fragrance of tamalapatra and sandalwood.

The Buddha has these virtues, so he taught these teachings. We must learn the purity of the Buddha’s Threefold Karma. This requires spiritual practice. Since we want to learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must keep our Threefold Karma pure. As for our body, we must uphold the precepts against killing, stealing and sexual misconduct. We must abide by them all. As for our speech, we must not lie or engage in flattery or gossip. As for our mind, our greed, anger and ignorance must be completely eliminated. Isn’t this simple? Ordinary people are too attached, so their bodies are full of defilements. Spiritual practitioners must purify their. Threefold Karma. When we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must learn His pure Threefold Karma. Only then will we be truly equal to the Buddha in our intrinsic nature of True Suchness and wisdom. Thus we arrive at the state of Buddhahood.

So, for “people with virtuous actions,” that fragrance, the fragrance of their virtue, can be smelled throughout the ten directions. This is referred to as “pervading.” This is the Dharma. The fragrance of sandalwood pervades the world. This is the fragrance of virtue. In the Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures, it talks about the stupas appearance, but it is filled with the meaning of the Dharma. We must always be mindful!

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Posted on June 23, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Episode 1256 – The Stupa Emerges to Reveal the Buddha-nature

>> “The Chapter on Dharma Teachers reveals that the Dharma and its teachers are both worthy of respect. The Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures illustrates that wherever the Lotus Sutra is taught, Many Treasures Tathagata in His stupa of treasures will certainly appear as a testimony to those who listen to the sutra.”

>> The stupa of treasures emerged to reveal that sentient beings and the Buddha are equal. The Dharmakaya abides forever. It never departs from the ground of our minds, but ignorance closes off the ground of our minds and has not yet opened. This is why this stupa does not reveal itself or appear for the assembly to see.

>> At that time, before the Buddha, a stupa of seven treasures, 500 yojanas in height and 250 yojanas in length and width, emerged from the ground and stayed in the air. [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 11 – Seeing the Stupa of Treasures]

>> “All kinds of treasures dignified the stupa. It had 5000 railings with posts and ten million chambers. It had countless banners and streamers as majestic adornments and was draped in strings of precious jewels.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 11 – Seeing the Stupa of Treasures]

>> All kinds of treasures dignified the stupa: Myriad good merits and virtues served as solemn and dignifying adornments. With much Samadhi and wisdom, we cultivate the seeds and seek the fruits to dignify ourselves.

>> 5000 railings with posts: The horizontal railing and its vertical supporting posts serve as guards on the stupa of treasures 5000. This signifies protection from the Five Realms.

>> 5000 railings: These represent the Five Roots and Five Powers; the Five Roots and Powers of faith, diligence, thought, Samadhi and wisdom thought, Samadhi and wisdom.

>> The railings represent retaining and upholding. The chambers are the room of infinite compassion. The hanging banners represent the wonderful appearance of spiritual power.

>> Ten million chambers: The cavernous treasure chambers in the stupa numbered ten million. This means that wherever practitioners abide, there will be infinite Dharma-doors.

>> “Chambers” also means: The room of infinite compassion. The ten million chambers: This illustrates that those who uphold and practice the sutra with Samadhi and wisdom are so many.

>> It had countless banners and streamers as majestic adornments: Banners represent calmness. Streamers represent inspiration. Calmness is Samadhi. Inspiration is wisdom. With Samadhi and wisdom in balance, we will be dignified with virtues.

>> Banners and streamers: An analogy for the loftiness and prominence of [the Buddha’s] virtue of wisdom and the superior appearance of spiritual powers. The Tathagata uses impartial wisdom to illuminate all phenomena completely and without obstruction. This is the virtue of wisdom.

>> Draped in strings of precious jewels: All kinds of precious jewels were linked into strings and draped everywhere. They represent the jewels of wisdom that drape all skillful means to teach and transform sentient beings. The majestic Dharmakaya above embraces the sentient beings below.

“The Chapter on Dharma Teachers reveals
that the Dharma and its teachers are both worthy of respect.
The Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures illustrates
that wherever the Lotus Sutra is taught,
Many Treasures Tathagata in His stupa of treasures
will certainly appear as a testimony to those who listen to the sutra.”

We should remember that the stupa of treasures appeared as a testimony for people in the world when Sakyamuni Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra. Many Treasures Buddha’s great vow was that in the future, in any country, in any place throughout the ten directions, wherever the Lotus Sutra is taught, the stupa of Many Treasures Buddha will appear as a testimony. We discussed this yesterday. Every Buddha has His own great vow. Every Buddha’s vow is different, but Their path is the same; all Buddhas share the same path. They all come to this world in order to transform sentient beings.

Sentient beings constantly flounder in the river of afflictions, covered by layer after layer of afflictions and ignorance. The only solution is for. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to come journeying upon their vows to transform this world. This is what our world is like. It is full of suffering. Who will go to help the people who suffer hardship? People with aspirations and vows give of their strength and willingly go to help others. No matter which place [is in need], with their power of love, they are willing to go there without fear of hard work. They follow the sounds [of suffering] to understand which places have people that suffer. These people are Bodhisattvas. Whenever our Living Bodhisattvas hear the news [of misfortune], wherever it is that people need help, they will rush there. This is something we can see in our modern times. This is to say nothing of how the Buddha’s teachings [can be applied] from the past through to the present.

Take for example how this stupa emerged. The stupa was high and wide. Its height was 500 yojanas. This represents transcending the Five Realms. The Five Realms are where the beings of the Five Destinies coexist. This place where the Five Destinies coexist is where we unenlightened beings are. Even if we practice good deeds and are born into heaven, heaven still lies within the realm of unenlightened beings. Once we have exhausted our blessings, we will again fall [into a lower realm] as we continue to follow [the karma] we created in this world. When we accumulate many blessings, we will journey on our blessings and ascend to heaven. This happens when we ourselves have accumulated great amounts of blessed karma. In the end, we will then follow our blessed retributions and be born in heaven. Or perhaps we will be born in the human realm and enjoy blessings in this world. We will be successful in everything we do. Everything will go according to our wishes. All our life, we will enjoy blessings in the world. This is all due to the blessings that we created in our past lives.

Because we have blessed karma, we will follow our karma to either be born into wealth in this world or transcend this world to be born in heaven. This is a matter of what we have accumulated throughout our past lives. Yet we still remain within the realm of unenlightened beings. Once we exhaust our blessings, then even as heavenly beings, we will exhibit the Five Signs of Decay. Then, everything we are so proud of, all of it, will vanish completely in an instant. Even our bodies will exhibit the signs of decay, indicating that we have exhausted our blessings. This is all beyond our control. Although we may enjoy heavenly blessings and be born in heaven as heavenly beings, our own karmic forces will still be beyond our control.

The same goes for coming to the human realm. No matter what blessings we enjoy in this life, we are still unable to escape birth, aging, illness and death. The conditions of aging, illness and death still bring suffering. With these states of suffering once illness befalls us, no matter how we make ourselves up our body will still exhibit the Five Signs of Decay. In the end, we will still die. Whether we are human or heavenly beings, we cannot escape any of this. This is suffering. The Buddha wants us to engage in spiritual practice in the human realm. Thus, every Buddha appears in the human world. This is because this world has an equal mix of both suffering and joy. Following the circumstances of their environment, the minds of unenlightened beings produce [karma], commit evil and suffer retributions of suffering. They return to this world again without any control.

No matter how strong, how fierce, or how evil they are, they still suffer all the torments of the world. Take for example asuras in this world. They appear to be very strong, but did you know? People like this suffer more than average people. Their minds are uneasy and burdened by anger. Afflictions and ignorance torment them from the inside; this is why they are so angry. Their minds do not get a moment’s peace. This is also suffering. When people see them, they feel scared, so they stay far away from them. This kind of life is not joyful at all. Once they are born, they follow their karmic forces. Whether they are born into a wealthy family or not, life is impermanent and full of changes. Their family may fall into difficulties. Or perhaps they themselves, no matter how good their family situation is, refuse to listen to [their elders] and go down the wrong path, creating karma. In this way, they bring much negative karma upon themselves. There are many [people] like this in the world, more than can be described.

Because of this, the Buddha needed to come to this world to teach and transform [sentient beings]. He needed this Dharma, the Small, Middle and Great Vehicle Dharma. The Buddha would always teach according to capabilities. Those who had very mature capabilities could accept the Buddha’s teachings of the Great [Vehicle] Dharma. As soon as they heard, they understood. Hearing one thing, they realized 1000. Since they were able to understand, they quickly formed aspirations. There were also people who heard [the Dharma] and rejoiced, but could not understand it very well. So the Buddha patiently taught them the Dharma of the Middle Vehicle to help them to understand the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence, how we accumulate all kinds of conditions. When we accumulate negative conditions, we receive negative retributions. This is all beyond our control. The 12 Links of Cyclic Existence begin from a single thought of ignorance. Ignorance leads to volitional formation which leads to consciousness which leads to name and form and so on. After our nearly ten months in the womb, we make contact [with the world] and to feel which leads us to create [karma]; this is “existence.” In this way, the cycle of birth, aging, illness and death continues on.

Some understood this and realized the difference between positive and negative karma. They began to see the importance of taking good care of themselves as well as taking care of others and thus formed initial aspirations. Others heard this and [thought], “This is suffering! We must be very prudent in everything we do.” So, they sought only to benefit themselves. People like these still did not understand. The Buddha taught them that everything in life is suffering and that suffering comes from causation. He encouraged everyone to be diligent in their spiritual practice. As for the Great, Middle and Small Vehicles, people entered through the Small Vehicle and [the teachings on] life’s suffering, which is something that everyone can feel. Then He explained the origin of suffering and began to guide everyone to earnestly engage in spiritual practice. To eliminate all suffering, we need to adhere to the rules; we must follow this road and practice according to this path.

In summary, whether the Small, Middle or Great [Vehicle], in teaching the Dharma for over 40 years, the Buddha always taught in this way. Yet in His heart, the Buddha protected this Dharma, the purest [teaching] and that which is most well-suited to this world. He united emptiness and existence in order to respond to everything in the world. [This teaching] encompasses the principles of all things in the world. The principles of our minds, of our bodies etc., all the principles we need to know, are contained within this sutra. So, in the Chapter on Skillful Means, the Buddha very mindfully taught things in order. He began by praising the wisdom of the Buddha and the Buddha’s state; He is one with the universe, and He knows all things in the universe. [He spoke of] the Buddha’s wisdom, the wisdom of all Dharma and the wisdom of all paths. In this way, He kept praising [this wisdom] hoping that everyone would give rise to admiration and wish to seek the Buddha’s wisdom. However, it is very, very, very profound.

Sariputra began to request it. On everyone’s behalf, He asked the Buddha to teach. Of course, the Buddha intended to do so. But those who listen to this sutra must have great patience and very deep faith, and they must be able to accept it without giving rise to doubt. They must be single-minded in their resolve. So, He purposely refused three times to weed out people who lacked faith, people with shallow faith, wavering resolve and impure thoughts. In order to weed out these people, the Buddha refused three times. Of course, there were people who lacked faith and patience and who were not pure at heart. Because of this, 5000 people at the assembly left their seats. “It is good that they left.” Sakyamuni Buddha said that it was just as well that they left, as they would not have been able to accept it. Even if they could have accepted it, they would have been unable to comprehend. They would be unable to truly comprehend it and thus give rise to doubt. After giving rise to doubt, they would become arrogant, slanderous and so on. So, since this was their state of mind, it was better for them not to hear it at all. “It is good that they left.” It was just as well that they left the assembly before He started to expound this sutra.

We can see that teaching this sutra requires us to be very cautious. We must be very careful and choose people who are able to accept it. Thus He expounded the teachings in order, the Chapter on Skillful Means, the Chapter on Parables, the Chapter on Faith and Understanding and so on until He reached the Chapter on Dharma Teachers, which demonstrates the importance of this sutra, and how for the sake of this world it must continually be passed down. If we are able to reverently accept this sutra, we will be covered by the Buddha’s robes. This means that the Buddha will protect us. We know that this sutra must be spread throughout the world. It is wondrous medicine for the world. But wondrous medicine has a bitter taste. Not wanting to taste bitterness, people reject it. Most people are like this. It is the same principle. The Dharma taught by the Buddha, this sutra, is wondrous medicine to cure the world. To administer the Dharma in the world of the future is not easy at all. It is very difficult; naturally people will slander it and so on. There are so many difficulties. So, the Buddha transforms people so they will guard and protect [this Dharma]. We have talked about this previously.

So, the Chapter on Dharma Teachers says that, although [teaching this Dharma] is so difficult, it is wondrous medicine for saving the world. So long as this sutra is in the world, the Buddha’s entire body is present, meaning that the spirit of the Buddha-Dharma is fully present. So, [this chapter] reveals the essential spirit of this sutra. “The Dharma and its teachers are both worthy of respect.” We must respect the Dharma and we must respect those who teach the Dharma. Those who put the teachings into practice as they walk upon this path, those who walk the Bodhisattva-path, are also people we need to praise and respect. They are those who make offerings of the Dharma by putting the teachings into practice. They do more than just read, recite and teach [the Dharma]. They are people who put the teachings into action. We must respect these people.

Now, in this chapter, the Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures, it tells of how, wherever someone teaches the Lotus Sutra, “Many Treasures Tathagata in His stupa of treasures will certainly appear as a testimony to those who listen to the sutra.” This is the vow of Many Treasures Buddha. He knows that this sutra is the unsurpassed and supreme wondrous Dharma. Whenever someone can expound it in the world, His stupa of treasures will certainly appear. This is the message of the Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures.

The stupa of treasures emerged to reveal that sentient beings and the Buddha are equal. The Dharmakaya abides forever. It never departs from the ground of our minds, but ignorance closes off the ground of our minds and has not yet opened. This is why this stupa does not reveal itself or appear for the assembly to see.

The stupa of treasures emerged to reveal that sentient beings and the Buddha are equal. Sentient beings and the Buddha are equal. “The Dharmakaya abides forever, never departing from the ground of our minds.” This Dharmakaya, the Buddha’s Dharma-body, is in fact intrinsic to everyone. [It is] our nature of True Suchness. This nature of True Suchness abides in us forever. When we form aspirations, [we discover] that this Dharma is something we all possess in the ground of our mind. We each have a stupa on our Vulture Peak. Indeed! Within every person, “The Dharmakaya abides forever, it never departs from the ground of our minds.” Whenever a person is able to accept the teachings in the Lotus Sutra and put them into practice, this person’s Dharmakaya is also like this; the Dharmakaya is the true principles. It already exists within the ground of his mind.

“But ignorance closes [us] off.” Our minds, the ground of our minds, is completely covered over by ignorance. So, because of this, “this stupa does not reveal itself or appear for sentient beings to see.” The stupa cannot appear before us because we are still unenlightened beings. We are still at the ground of dry wisdom, still digging a well in [this state of] ignorance. We spoke of this before. So, although we are teaching the Lotus Sutra, we have not seen the stupa of treasures. Right? Because we are still unenlightened beings, the stupa of treasures will not appear for us. It cannot appear for the assembly to see. This refers to the state of unenlightened beings.

During the time of the Buddha, when the stupa of treasures appeared, it was actually a revelation of the principles. [The stupa] was 500 yojanas high and 250 yojanas wide.

At that time, before the Buddha, a stupa of seven treasures, 500 yojanas in height and 250 yojanas in length and width, emerged from the ground and stayed in the air.

Vertically, its height represents transcending this place where the Five Destinies coexist. Horizontally, it was 250 yojanas wide. This represents our life as humans. “Width” represents the minds of unenlightened beings. The varieties of unenlightened beings’ minds number in the thousands and millions. We are still in this place where the beings of the Five Destinies coexist. So, vertically, we must [transcend] to be able to cross over from this place where the Five Destinies coexist.

That is what this represents. The stupa’s foundations are in this world, within the place where the Five Destinies coexist. All Buddhas come to this world in order to transform sentient beings, for people in this world to be able to attain Buddhahood. So, the Buddha came to this world because this is where the beings of the Five Destinies coexist. This is what [the stupa’s] width represents. It [symbolizes] “the 25 forms of existence,” which refers to the many forms of ignorance we unenlightened beings have. The foundation of this stupa represents the hope that we will be able to transcend [the Five Realms]. These are the principles behind the appearance of the stupa of treasures.

The next sutra passage says,

“All kinds of treasures dignified the stupa. It had 5000 railings with posts and ten million chambers. It had countless banners and streamers as majestic adornments and was draped in strings of precious jewels.”

This passage describes the stupa’s magnificence. “Myriad good merits and virtues served as solemn and dignifying adornments.” To be able to erect such a high stupa of treasures requires engaging in spiritual practice. We must cultivate myriad good merits and virtues to serve as solemn and dignifying adornments.

All kinds of treasures dignified the stupa: Myriad good merits and virtues served as solemn and dignifying adornments. With much Samadhi and wisdom, we cultivate the seeds and seek the fruits to dignify ourselves.

When we engage in spiritual practice, we must follow the precepts. We must have [the right] demeanor. Our appearance arises from our mind. Our appearance and our conduct all originate in our minds. To engage in spiritual practice and turn toward goodness, in our conduct, we must practice good deeds. As we engage in spiritual practice, we must follow the Six Points of Reverent Harmony. We must be in harmony with everyone and in every action [cultivate] “myriad good merits and virtues.” The seeds of the Bodhisattva[-practice] lead to the fruit of Buddhahood. So, [to attain] myriad good merits and virtues, we must practice, work hard and do [good deeds]. Then, naturally our appearance will be one of “solemn and dignifying adornments.” We will be very dignified.

“With much Samadhi and wisdom….” We must have much Samadhi and wisdom. To accept and uphold this sutra, it is very important to have Samadhi and patience [in order] to seek this Dharma, which contains such great principles. We must have wisdom for this. If we can recognize and believe in [this sutra] and put it into practice, this is what it means to “cultivate the seeds.” Through cultivating Bodhisattva-seeds, we seek the fruit of Buddhahood. This is what we look forward to the most. So, this is what it means to “dignify.” This is how we dignify ourselves.

What about “5000 railings with posts”? They “serve as guards on the stupa of treasures.”

5000 railings with posts: The horizontal railing and its vertical supporting posts serve as guards on the stupa of treasures 5000. This signifies protection from the Five Realms.

All the floors have railings. The railings are handrails. The horizontal railings are the parts our hands touch. The horizontal parts are the railings and the vertical parts are the posts. The railings “serve as guards on the stupa of treasures.” If someone goes into [the stupa], [the railings] are there to protect them. The railings hold them in and keep them safe. The railings represent guarding against wrongs and stopping evils in the course of spiritual practice. This is the function of railings. Our course of spiritual practice is like climbing up a stupa. As we ascend level by level, to ensure our safety, we are surrounded by railings.

The number 5000 signifies “protection from the Five Realms.” The Five Realms is the place where the beings of the Five Destinies coexist. From this place where the Five Destinies coexist, we hope to raise [ourselves] up. This is the way for us to earnestly engage in spiritual practice. We must not slip or take a wrong step. As we practice, we should ascend ever higher. In order to be able to see farther, we must climb very high. Only then can we have a very extensive view. But we must keep ourselves safe. The “5000 railings with posts” are there to protect us

“5000 railings with posts” can also represent our Five Roots and Five Powers. [The first] is faith, the root and power of faith. We must also have diligence, the root and power of diligence. Next is thought; our every thought must be on spiritual practice.

So, we must have the root and power of thought. Then comes the root and power of Samadhi and the root and power of wisdom. This is what the 5000 railings represent.

5000 railings: These represent the Five Roots and Five Powers; the Five Roots and Powers of faith, diligence, thought, Samadhi and wisdom thought, Samadhi and wisdom.

We must uphold the precepts in our minds. We cannot allow external states to entice us or affect our faith. We must be diligent and have the power of thought and the power of Samadhi. Then we will have firm resolve.

Railings and posts represent retaining and upholding. They guard and protect us from all sides. This is the significance of the railings. “Chambers” represents “the room of infinite compassion.” Great compassion is the room. Gentleness and patience are the clothing. The emptiness of all phenomena is the seat. The chambers are full of so many principles.

“Banners and streamers” represents the superior appearance of spiritual powers.

The railings represent retaining and upholding. The chambers are the room of infinite compassion. The hanging banners represent the wonderful appearance of spiritual power.

Many Treasures Buddha vowed that wherever the Lotus Sutra was taught throughout the worlds of the ten directions, the stupa of Many Treasures Buddha would appear in that place to act as a testimony. This is Many Treasures Buddha’s spiritual powers. In fact, everyone has [spiritual powers]. Right now, there are so many people who use the power of the heavenly ear to hear things thousands of miles away or use the power of the heavenly eye to see things thousands of miles away. They can listen and watch at the same time. Are these not spiritual powers? They are! In any case, there are many principles within this stupa.

Ten million chambers: The cavernous treasure chambers in the stupa numbered ten million. This means that wherever practitioners abide, there will be infinite Dharma-doors.

As for “ten million chambers,” inside the stupa was one chamber after another. We call them Buddha-chambers. When we enter a stupa today, inside the stupa there is chamber after chamber, one after the other. These chambers are like caves. They are “cavernous treasure chambers.” Each treasure chamber is like a hollowed-out cave. These chambers, these treasure rooms, “number ten million”; there are so many inside. Inside the stupa of treasures, there were also great numbers of chambers; it had all of these inside. [They] “numbered ten million”; they were so many. This represents “wherever practitioners abide.” These are people who are willing to put [the Dharma] into practice. We all have a Vulture Peak stupa in our minds. Wherever our minds abide, this stupa is there. So, “Wherever practitioners abide, there are infinite Dharma-doors.” Wherever we abide, there are infinite Dharma-doors.

You have all been reading and reciting this in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, isn’t that right? “Infinite Dharma-doors readily appear in front of them.” Within this sutra, [Dharma-doors] are constantly revealed to help us attain understanding. We all intrinsically possess what is concealed within the stupa of treasures. What we all possess is infinite amounts of Dharma, equal to that of the Buddha. So, the Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures reveals that sentient beings are all equal to the Buddha.

Thus, [the sutra] also speaks of “chambers.” [They represent] “the room of infinite compassion.” The chambers represent a place of infinite compassion. “The ten million chambers illustrate that those who uphold and practice the sutra with Samadhi and wisdom” are very many.

“Chambers” also means: The room of infinite compassion. The ten million chambers: This illustrates that those who uphold and practice the sutra with Samadhi and wisdom are so many.

Those who uphold and practice the sutra with the precepts, Samadhi and wisdom should be quite many. Since they have entered this chamber, they are replete in precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. Practitioners who vow to uphold the sutra and put it into practice are also very numerous.

“It had countless banners and streamers as majestic adornments.” The many banners and streamers represents a dignified [appearance].

It had countless banners and streamers as majestic adornments: Banners represent calmness. Streamers represent inspiration. Calmness is Samadhi. Inspiration is wisdom. With Samadhi and wisdom in balance, we will be dignified with virtues.

The banners represent calmness. When those banners unfurled, they brought calm to everyone. The streamers represent inspiration. The streamers would fly in the wind. Calmness refers to Samadhi and inspiration refers to wisdom. With Samadhi, our mind is very steady. No matter what kind of circumstances emerge, our mind will remain steady. No matter how many people praise us, we will still not begin to think highly of ourselves, not at all. What is so special about praise? What we do is just our duty. What have we done to be worthy of praise? We need to keep our minds steady. We should do our duty. So, we must keep our minds settled.

When we encounter adverse circumstances or abuse or are threatened with knives, sticks, bricks or stones, likewise, our minds must be very steady. We must not be fearful; our mind must remain settled. This is the meaning of “banners.” We must be very calm and settled. The streamers represent inspiration. Inspiration refers to wisdom. No matter what conditions we encounter, we will have a way to adapt to these conditions. This is using our wisdom. We must exercise compassion and wisdom in parallel. With compassion and wisdom, we must go among people. We must not be lacking in Samadhi and wisdom. So, “With Samadhi and wisdom in balance….” We must have these things in parallel. Having decided to go among people and transform sentient beings, we must have Samadhi. As we go among people, we must find a way to use [the Dharma] to transform afflictions into Bodhi. This requires wisdom. So, we must be replete in both Samadhi and wisdom. We must be replete in both. [They must be] equally balanced. So, this is what it means to be dignified with virtues. We must be very mindful of this.

Moreover, the banners and streamers represent “the loftiness and prominence of [the Buddha’s] virtue of wisdom.”

Banners and streamers: An analogy for the loftiness and prominence of [the Buddha’s] virtue of wisdom and the superior appearance of spiritual powers. The Tathagata uses impartial wisdom to illuminate all phenomena completely and without obstruction. This is the virtue of wisdom.

The banners and streamers were hung high; they were very eye-catching. They are an analogy for helping everyone to see the Buddha’s wisdom and virtues. The wisdom and virtues of all Buddhas and. Bodhisattvas are lofty and prominent. “The superior appearance of spiritual powers” is just like the sudden appearance of the stupa of treasures, like how this superior appearance suddenly emerged before them.

“The Tathagata uses impartial wisdom to illuminate all phenomena.” In His wisdom, the Buddha sees all sentient beings as equal. Whether they are humans or animals, in the Buddha’s eyes, all beings are equal. Among all things in the world, there is nothing that is particularly precious, nor is there anything that is particularly lowly. He has eliminated all desires. All the Buddha owned was three garments and an alms bowl. He was very content with this. His love encompasses the entire world without discrimination. He was content and accommodating. These are the Buddha’s virtues; they are complete and without obstruction. He “illuminates all phenomena completely and without obstruction.” This is like how the universe accommodates all things without obstruction. This is called the virtue of wisdom.

“Draped in strings of precious jewels.” This means that it was draped in all kinds of precious jewels strung together. This is a description.

Draped in strings of precious jewels: All kinds of precious jewels were linked into strings and draped everywhere. They represent the jewels of wisdom that drape all skillful means to teach and transform sentient beings. The majestic Dharmakaya above embraces the sentient beings below.

“Draped everywhere….” They were strung together and placed with the banners and the canopies, so [the stupa] was adorned in layers of precious jewels hanging down from above. This represents “the jewels of wisdom that drape all skillful means to teach and transform sentient beings.” [The jewels] draping them represent using all kinds of skillful means. What the Buddha wants to teach sentient beings is not distant or unattainable. It is not distant, nor is it very profound. He drew near to our human nature, using all kinds of skillful means to guide us. This is like lofty banners and streamers. He used strings of precious jewels and so on, stringing them together and hanging them down in order to reach people. This represents using “skillful means to teach and transform sentient beings.”

“The majestic Dharmakaya above….” The banners and canopies above were very majestic. When speaking of the Buddha, this represents His Dharmakaya. This majestic Dharmakaya “embraces sentient beings below.” The Buddha-Dharma’s true principles will always be high above us. The universe has so many principles. These principles are constantly right before our eyes. These principles are supreme and very profound. The way we express this is by saying they dignify [the stupa]. Because sentient beings’ minds are in chaos and are constantly enshrouded in afflictions and ignorance, they need the Dharma.

Sentient beings must aspire to seek the Dharma. Seeking the Dharma is not easy at all. For some, it is a very long road. “We travel 1000 miles to find a teacher and 10,000 miles to learn a skill.” This is what the ancients said, and it is truly the same for people today. To seek the Dharma, some travel very far. Right now, [this is happening] in China. China is very big. In its northernmost area, there is a group of Bodhisattvas who have begun volunteer training. All they want is to become certified Tzu Chi volunteers, to be Living Bodhisattvas in the world.

So, they do not shrink away from hardship. They are from the very northernmost part of China on the Russian border; it is so far. In Heilongjiang, the northernmost province there is a city called Heihe. That place also has volunteers who have formed aspirations. In the past few years, they have gotten to know Tzu Chi. They too seek [the Dharma]. Here [in Taiwan], introductory and advanced training takes two years, but there, they require three years. So, for three years’ time, they must go to a training session every month. From Heihe city in Heilongjiang province, they have to go to Beijing where they gather together.

Besides [Heihe], people also come from Dalian, Shenyang, Changchun, Harbin and so on. From the far north, from Heihe on the China-Russian border, how long does it take to go [to Beijing]? It takes more than one day by train. Exactly how far is it? It is 1809 kilometers.

They “travel 1000 miles” seeking the Dharma. They travel nearly 2000 kilometers, nearly 4000 kilometers round trip. Each time they travel back and forth like this, they have two days of classes but the trip takes three to four days. This is how they travel back and forth to receive training. In order to become certified Tzu Chi volunteers, they undergo such hardship seeking the Dharma. How many are they? At present, there are over 400 people from northeast China. Every single one of them is very appreciative and diligent.

Everyone, these are Bodhisattvas. They seek the Dharma with all their heart. No matter how difficult it is, they wish to complete. Tzu Chi’s certification training. So, we who are so close, shouldn’t we be even more appreciative?

Every year, Tzu Chi volunteers abroad come to Taiwan to become certified. They travel several thousand kilometers! In summary, the Dharma encompasses everything in the universe. To complete the Bodhisattva-path we must be very mindful. Moreover, we must have patience, Samadhi and wisdom. Only then will we be able to reach [our goal]. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

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Posted on June 23, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Episode 1255 – Revealing Initial Enlightenment

>> “In the state of True Suchness of the great enlightened Dharmakaya, He first, with a ray of light, thoroughly illuminated the east. He perfectly demonstrated that sentient beings and the Buddha have always been the same and thoroughly revealed the wondrousness of the minds of sentient beings.”

>> The Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures reveals the Tathagata’s ever-abiding Dharmakaya. [The Buddha] directly demonstrated that the true reward of the pure land is tranquility and clarity. He wished to help sentient beings resonate with the Buddha’s one true perfect teaching. The Dharma was opened and revealed through the Buddha’s speech for sentient beings to realize and enter.

>> To see the stupa of treasures means using the wisdom of initial enlightenment to see the nature of the Tathagata-garbha. This means, in the ground of peoples’ minds, to open and reveal the intrinsic nature of the Tathagata-garbha.

>> In the Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures, long and distant kalpas in the past when Many Treasure World-Honored One was about to enter Parinirvana, He announced to the great assembly, “Those who wish to make offerings” “to my entire body” “must form aspirations to erect a great stupa. In the world of the ten directions,” “wherever the Lotus Sutra is taught,” “because they listened to this sutra,” “my stupa of treasures” “will emerge before them” “to serve as testimony.” Now, because the Buddha was teaching this sutra in this land, Many Treasure Buddha, with His power of vows, heard from afar and emerged from the ground.

>> “At that time, before the Buddha, a stupa of seven treasures, 500 yojanas in height and 250 yojanas in length and width, emerged from the ground and stayed in the air.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 11 – Seeing the Stupa of Treasures]

>> 500 yojanas in height: This refers to the mind of the Tathagata-garbha, which does not correspond to the defiled minds of sentient beings and transcends the Five Destinies.

>> The Five Destinies: This is also known as the place where the Five Destinies coexist. It can also mean the Five Realms. These are the realms of heaven, humans, hell, hungry ghosts and animals

>> 500 yojanas in height: This is 20,000 li. This vertical measurement represents myriad actions in the causal ground and the myriad virtues of fruition. Looking to the fruit from the cause is the meaning of “height.”

>> 250 yojanas in length and width: This refers to the Tathagata-garbha being the true essence and nature of the 25 forms of existence.

>> Length and width: The appearance of the stupa, 250 yojanas in length and width, is measured in yojanas, which is approximately 10000 li. To cultivate and attain the Dharmakaya, we must take the precepts as our body. There are 250 precepts in total for Hearers. Now, He opened the Small Vehicle teachings and returned them to the Path to Buddhahood. By following the three studies of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, we will manifest them in our appearance. Thus, it says that the measurement of the base of the stupa is as such. Our Four Demeanors share the same measurements. So it says: 250 [yojanas] in length and width.

>> [It] emerged from the ground and stayed in the air: In terms of appearance, it is easy to see. In terms of the Dharma, it emerges from the mind and stays in the emptiness of the ultimate Great Nirvana.

>> Emerged: This refers to the Tathagata-garbha mind, which emerges from the hindrances of afflictions of views and thinking etc. Stayed in the air: This is an analogy for abiding in the true emptiness of ultimate reality.

>> The stupa of treasures emerged from the ground. It was an ancient Buddha from the past, Many Treasure Tathagata, who personally came to listen to the sutra in order to testify how superior and wondrous this sutra is.

“In the state of True Suchness of the great enlightened Dharmakaya,
He first, with a ray of light, thoroughly illuminated the east.
He perfectly demonstrated that sentient beings and the Buddha have always been the same
and thoroughly revealed the wondrousness of the minds of sentient beings.”

We must mindfully understand this. “In the state of True Suchness of the great enlightened Dharmakaya….” The Buddha is already in the state of great understanding and great awakening. All the Buddha’s teachings are true principles and wondrous Dharma. Everyone should remember the term Dharmakaya; “Dharmakaya” refers to the principles. The One True Dharma is the true principles that pervade the universe. The Buddha has already attained enlightenment. [His mind] penetrates everything in the universe; it has converged with the nature of True Suchness. This is the state He is in.

At Vulture Peak, when the Buddha was about to begin to expound the Lotus Sutra, He sat in meditation and began to radiate light. A ray of light from between His eyebrows illuminated 18,000 Buddha-lands in the east. This is the beginning of the Introductory Chapter. Everyone should remember this. So, this ray of light illuminated the east. He did this to indicate that now, after more than 40 years of expounding the Dharma, He should be able to fulfill the objective of His life, to reveal this perfect teaching. This was the Buddha’s vow in coming to the world, His one great cause. This one great cause was not yet finished. Now, at the Vulture Peak Assembly, He wanted to bring His vow to completion. So, He “perfectly demonstrated” this. What was this vow? Upon attaining enlightenment, the Buddha’s first words, His initial realization, were. “How amazing! How amazing! All beings possess the Buddha’s nature of wisdom.” When the Buddha attained enlightenment, He realized that all sentient beings have the same intrinsic Tathagata-nature of. True Suchness as the Buddha. It is just that sentient beings are unaware and unawakened, lacking understanding and realization. So, the Buddha wanted to help us all attain knowledge and awakening, to thoroughly understand and realize this. This was the Buddha’s original intent.

“[He] perfectly demonstrated that sentient beings and the Buddha have always been the same. The mind, the Buddha, and sentient beings are no different [in their nature].” Since dust-inked kalpas ago, since Beginningless Time, this has been the case. Thus, at the Vulture Peak Assembly, the Buddha “thoroughly revealed the wondrousness of the minds of sentient beings.” This was the Buddha’s state. He hoped that all sentient beings can experience this state of mind. Before the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra, He taught “the unspoken Lotus Sutra.” Before He began to speak, He emitted a ray of light that illuminated 18,000 lands in the east. He hoped the perfect teaching of the Great Vehicle would begin [to take root] in the east, be preserved there and spread throughout the world.

As for “the unspoken Lotus Sutra,” before expounding the Lotus Sutra, [the Buddha] first taught the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. Then, He began to reveal the unspoken Lotus Sutra to confirm that the previous. Sutra of Infinite Meanings was “very profound, very profound, truly very profound.” It was truly very profound teachings. Now, with the Lotus Sutra, He would give an even more detailed analysis of this extremely profound, wondrous Dharma. This Dharma is medicine for saving the world.

This must begin with saving our minds. All sentient beings innately have Buddha-nature. We are equal to the Buddha; this has always been the case. It has always been like this. However, we unenlightened beings are unable to comprehend this. In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha wanted to bring the principles of “emptiness” and “existence” together as one. In the Lotus Sutra, this is what the Buddha wanted to reveal to us. This is the Middle Way. We should cling neither to emptiness nor existence. Wondrous existence is found in true emptiness. This is the medicine for saving the world, and it starts with awakening ourselves. Once we have awakened ourselves, we [discover] that we all have the nature of True Suchness. Then we help everyone to experience this.

Since we all have the same intrinsic, enlightened Buddha-nature, everyone is able to attain great awakening, comprehend the great path and become one with the universe. We must all thoroughly understand this principle. But the fact remains, we have layer upon layer of ignorance that obstruct us. Every day, after I finish my Dharma talk, when everyone has finished listening, [we chant,] “I vow to eliminate the Three Obstructions and all afflictions. I vow to obtain wisdom and true understanding. I vow to eliminate all karmic obstacles. I will follow the Bodhisattva-path, life after life.” Indeed, for life after life, we must follow the Bodhisattva-path. Life has so many obstructions, layer upon layer of hindrances, but as long as we can apply a pure and undefiled mindset, we can go among people without being obstructed by their afflictions. To do this, of course we need to eliminate our karmic obstructions.

When our karmic obstructions [manifest], when we encounter myriad sentient beings bringing wave after wave of difficulties, our every thought must be tranquil and clear. We must purify our every thought and eliminate all our afflictions. Only then can we fully and clearly understand the principles before us. This is why we must be very mindful. When the Buddha expounded the Dharma, He too was extremely mindful. So in the beginning of the Introductory Chapter, He first taught the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, then “the unspoken Lotus Sutra,” where He radiated light and manifested appearances. He illuminated 18,000 lands in the east. In this way He manifested auspicious appearances. Beginning in the Chapter on Skillful Means, He continuously praised the Tathagata’s wisdom, the subtle, wondrous wisdom of the Tathagata. The Tathagata’s wisdom-nature returns to the true principles of all things in the universe. But the people in the assembly were unable to understand this.

Sariputra was foremost in wisdom, so he understood the Buddha’s intent. All things in the universe are contained in the Buddha’s great awakening. Therefore, the Buddha-wisdom, this all-encompassing wisdom, encompasses all things in the universe. These are the principles that the Buddha awakened to. But how could He explain these principles? Sariputra requested [the Dharma] three times, and the Buddha refused three times. “Stop, stop; there is no need to speak further.”

Why was that? It was because this sutra is very profound and difficult to understand. Sentient beings cannot comprehend or awaken to it. In a moment of carelessness, “A slight deviation will take us far off course.” This is why the Buddha had to be very careful. Sariputra did not give up; he wanted to be in accord with the Buddha’s mind. So, he again requested the Dharma; only then could he realize that the Buddha did this to inspire everyone. He made them all give rise to questions. He wanted to first inspire everyone, but everyone needed to have this kind of determination [to learn it]. This is why the Buddha refused over and over. Only after refusing three times did He begin. He had to start by enabling them all to be resolute in their faith.

This was because sentient beings are hard to tame. When it comes to listening to this sutra, it is difficult for sentient beings to understand [this Dharma]. Everyone must have patience, and everyone must tame their stubborn views. If we cling to our own perspectives and do not wish to open the door to our minds, we cannot directly accept the Buddha’s teachings. Thus, in the Chapter on Skillful means, the Buddha continuously praised the Tathagata’s nature of wisdom. Sariputra, on behalf of the assembly, requested teachings, and [finally] the Buddha agreed. Now, He would open the door of skillful means.

In the past, the Buddha [used] skillful means; He taught the true principles with skillful means. Teaching about existence and emptiness was His way to guide sentient beings in the past so they could understand the worldly principles. Then He thoroughly analyzed the principles for us, how they are pure and undefiled, as pure as the void. Thus, all things are empty [in nature].

Sentient beings, during the Vaipulya and Prajna periods, [were taught] the emptiness of all phenomena, but what direction were they supposed to go in? In the vast emptiness of the universe, how do we find our bearings? The slightest misstep will cause our direction to deviate. This is why He had to use all kinds of analogies to gradually help us all develop faith and understanding. He painstakingly [did this], chapter by chapter, until reaching the Chapter on Dharma Teachers. There, the Buddha very carefully let everyone know that wherever the Lotus Sutra is present the Buddha’s entire body also abides.

“His entire body” [means] the perfect teachings, which are the true principles that encompass the entire universe. So, we must all very reverently accept this sutra. We must respect it and have deep faith in it. In the Chapter on Dharma Teachers, the Buddha repeatedly reminded the recipient of the teachings, Medicine King Bodhisattva, that everyone must be clear on the importance of this sutra. This sutra is important for the world.

After this, the Buddha wanted to reinforce our understanding that all Buddhas share the same Path. All Buddhas in the past, Sakyamuni Buddha in the present and all Buddhas of the future must all bring this perfect teaching to the world. The Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures reveals “the Tathagata’s ever-abiding Dharmakaya.”

The Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures reveals the Tathagata’s ever-abiding Dharmakaya. [The Buddha] directly demonstrated that the true reward of the pure land is tranquility and clarity. He wished to help sentient beings resonate with the Buddha’s one true perfect teaching. The Dharma was opened and revealed through the Buddha’s speech for sentient beings to realize and enter.

The Tathagata journeys on the Dharma of True Suchness to come to this world. [Tathagata means] “Thus Come One.” This Dharma is the path shared by all Buddhas, the True Dharma of Suchness, the Tathagata’s ever-abiding Dharmakaya. Everything in the universe contains principles, and these principles are the Dharmakaya of all Buddhas. Thus, “[The Buddha] directly demonstrated that the true reward of the pure land is tranquility and clarity.”

The spiritual state of all Buddhas is the Buddha’s pure land, which is the true reward-land of the Buddha. This mean returning to a state of tranquility and clarity. Thus, He wanted to enable all sentient beings to resonate with the Buddha’s one true perfect teaching. We must resonate with the Buddha’s mind. This means returning to all true principles, to the one true perfect teaching. Thus, the one great cause of the Buddha was to open and reveal the Dharma to sentient beings. So, with His speech, the Buddha opened and revealed the Dharma for sentient beings to realize and enter.

[We are] Dharma-children born of the Buddha’s speech. The Dharma was taught through the Buddha’s speech, so sentient beings must have firm faith when accepting the teachings of the Buddha. Only then will we have a way to experience, realize and enter [the Dharma]. Sentient beings need to realize and enter the Buddha’s understanding and views, the state to which the Buddha awakened.

The previous Chapter on Dharma Teachers was the 10th Chapter. Now, the following chapter is the 11th of the 28 chapters in the Lotus Sutra,

The Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures is intended to reveal “the wisdom of initial enlightenment to see the nature of the Tathagata-garbha.” Our wisdom is [no different from] the Buddha’s all-encompassing wisdom, the Tathagata-nature everyone intrinsically has. This is the Tathagata-garbha; it exists in the minds of us all. This Tathagata-garbha nature is found in the ground of our minds. He thus “opened and revealed the intrinsic nature of the Tathagata-garbha.”

To see the stupa of treasures means using the wisdom of initial enlightenment to see the nature of the Tathagata-garbha. This means, in the ground of peoples’ minds, to open and reveal the intrinsic nature of the Tathagata-garbha.

This is something we all have. It is just that it is concealed under layers of ignorance and afflictions. In fact, we all intrinsically have this, all possess the Tathagata-garbha. The Tathagata-[nature] is stored within our fundamental nature. Our nature of True Suchness is stored within the Tathagata-garbha; this is intrinsic to everyone.

In the Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures, long and distant kalpas in the past when Many Treasure World-Honored One was about to enter Parinirvana, He announced to the great assembly, “Those who wish to make offerings” “to my entire body” “must form aspirations to erect a great stupa. In the world of the ten directions,” “wherever the Lotus Sutra is taught,” “because they listened to this sutra,” “my stupa of treasures” “will emerge before them” “to serve as testimony.” Now, because the Buddha was teaching this sutra in this land, Many Treasure Buddha, with His power of vows, heard from afar and emerged from the ground.

So, the Chapter on. Seeing the Stupa of Treasures [describes how], “Long and distant kalpas in the past when Many Treasures World-Honored One was about to enter Parinirvana, He announced to the great assembly, ‘Those who wish to make offerings to my entire body must form aspirations to erect a great stupa.'”Before Many Treasures Buddha entered Parinirvana, He entrusted [His assembly] with His wish. Many Treasures Buddha wished that after He entered Parinirvana, sentient beings would build a great stupa for Him. Why did He want this stupa? Of course, Many Treasures had His reasons. He made a vow that, 「十方世界說法華經 / 的地方 /，我之寶塔因聽經故，湧現其前，為作證明」。

Before Many Treasures Buddha entered Parinirvana, He entrusted [the assembly] with building a great stupa for Him. “In the worlds in the ten directions, wherever the Lotus Sutra is taught, my stupa will go wherever people listen to the sutra, emerging before them to serve as a testimony.” It would serve as a testimony that this sutra is the path shared by all Buddhas. All Buddhas, when They manifest in the world, follow the same path of benefitting sentient beings by curing the world of turbidities and sentient beings of their ignorance. As it says in this sutra, [the Buddha] responds to the needs of the world. The Buddha appears in the world in response to the needs of the time to transform sentient beings. [He helps] sentient beings understand that the method to engage in spiritual practice is to walk the Bodhisattva-path. The Buddha teaches and transforms sentient beings so we can practice the Bodhisattva-path. Thus, this great Bodhi-path is the road that all Buddhas open for us as they come to the world.

This Dharma, this path, emerges from His speech. The Buddha’s speech paves the road for us and helps us understand how to return to our pure intrinsic Tathagata-nature. We just need to follow this road. “The sutras are a path. This path is a road to walk on.” This is the road we must walk. This is the road all Buddhas follow when they come to this world; it is the road they pave for all sentient beings of the future. Thus, all Buddhas share the same path.

“Now that the Buddha was teaching this sutra in this land….” At this time, in the Saha World, Sakyamuni Buddha was expounding this sutra. Thus, “Many Treasures Buddha, through His power of vows, heard this from afar.” So, [the stupa] “emerged from the ground.” This served as a testimony to the Lotus Sutra as expounded by Sakyamuni Buddha. In the Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures, this is the objective of the stupa’s emerging. Many Treasures Buddha came to support the Lotus Sutra. Wherever the Lotus Sutra is upheld, Many Treasures Buddha goes there to listen to that Buddha’s teaching. This was the vow of Many Treasures Buddha. When Sakyamuni Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra, the Stupa of Many Treasures Buddha suddenly emerged from the ground. This is the teaching we will discuss next. Now, as we listen to this, we [must] first understand the principles behind why the stupa of Many Treasures Buddha emerged. By reading this sutra passage, we understand the principle that all Buddhas share the same path. The Chapter on Seeing the Stupa of Treasures begins with the sutra passage,

“At that time, before the Buddha, a stupa of seven treasures, 500 yojanas in height and 250 yojanas in length and width, emerged from the ground and stayed in the air.”

“At that time” refers to when the Buddha had concluded the Chapter on Dharma Teachers. He hoped everyone could form aspirations to uphold the Lotus Sutra. [He wished we would] read, recite, transcribe and explain its principles and then put the teachings into practice as an offering to the Buddha. Now that He had finished this teaching, “At that time, before the Buddha, a stupa of seven treasures…. At that time,” refers to this moment when He had finished teaching the Chapter on Dharma Teachers.

At that time, before the Buddha was a seven-treasured stupa: At that time: When He finished teaching the Chapter on Dharma Teachers. Before the Buddha: This means at the Lotus Dharma-assembly. Seven-treasured stupa: This refers to the mind of the Tathagata-garbha, which is the pure nature. The seven-treasured stupa was the stupa of Many Treasure Buddha. Stupa: A representation of the ultimate truth, the place where the Dharmakaya resides

“Before the Buddha” refers to how in front of the Lotus Dharma-assembly a stupa of seven treasures emerged.

The stupa of seven treasures is an analogy for the Tathagata-garbha mind. The Tathagata-garbha mind is our intrinsic Tathagata-nature; it is our pure intrinsic nature. The Buddha lived in this world. In this world, could a stupa really suddenly emerge from the ground? This is intended to teach us a principle. All of this is an analogy. The stupa of seven treasures [represents] the Tathagata-garbha mind. We intrinsically have the Tathagata-garbha in the field of our minds. It is our pure intrinsic nature. Everyone innately has this pure, undefiled nature, the Tathagata-garbha. “The stupa of seven treasures was the stupa of Many Treasures Buddha.”

This stupa “represents ultimate reality.” This stupa was a physical object. In that place, people saw a stupa emerging [from the ground]. But actually, this is an analogy. Saying that the True Dharma is stored within the stupa means it is stored inside everyone’s minds, in the Tathagata-garbha. This represents the state of the ground of everyone’s mind.

“The place where the Dharmakaya resides” is the place where the principles reside. This is the Tathagata-garbha. Where does this Dharma reside? Although it pervades the entire universe, unenlightened beings are unaware of it. Actually, ordinary beings’ nature of True Suchness also contains the true principles of all things; it is wisdom equal to the Buddha’s. We have always had this; we truly have it

“500 yojanas in height.” How high was this stupa? “500 yojanas in height.” This is an analogy for “the Tathagata-garbha mind which does not resonate with the defiled minds of sentient beings; it transcends the Five Destinies.”

500 yojanas in height: This refers to the mind of the Tathagata-garbha, which does not correspond to the defiled minds of sentient beings and transcends the Five Destinies.

Our Tathagata-garbha mind and our ignorant, unenlightened minds cannot resonate now. We fundamentally have [this mind], yet, as unenlightened beings, our ignorance continuously covers it. Our defiled minds are covered in layer upon layer of ignorance, so we are unable to resonate with our nature of True Suchness. It “transcends the Five Destinies.” Our Tathagata-garbha mind transcends the Five Destinies.

What are the Five Destinies? The Five Destinies [are all found in this world]. They are also called the Five Realms. The Five Destinies are the heaven, human, hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. These are called the Five Destinies.

The Five Destinies: This is also known as the place where the Five Destinies coexist. It can also mean the Five Realms. These are the realms of heaven, humans, hell, hungry ghosts and animals

In the Five Destinies, everyone is unenlightened and creates ignorance, afflictions and all kinds of negative karma. Thus, all beings continuously transmigrate within the Five Destinies. The Five Destinies are five different paths. Unenlightened beings’ defiled minds are all within these five paths. Within the Five Destinies, the defiled minds of unenlightened beings cannot resonate with the Tathagata-garbha. The Tathagata-garbha has already transcended the Five Destinies. So, the description of 500 yojanas means it has already transcended [the Five Realms]. It is very tall, 500 yojanas [in height].

500 yojanas in height: This is 20,000 li. This vertical measurement represents myriad actions in the causal ground and the myriad virtues of fruition. Looking to the fruit from the cause is the meaning of “height.”

[How much is] 500 yojanas? One yojana is equal to 40 li (around 13 km) 500 yojanas is 20000 li (around 6500 km). [This stupa] was very tall.

Thus, the vertical measurement of the stupa represents “myriad actions in the causal ground.” Knowing this, we just need to keep following that one road. There is only one Bodhisattva-path, which is to actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions.

So, in “the myriad virtues of fruition,” this fruition refers to how the Bodhisattva’s causes lead to the fruition of attaining Buddhahood. “The myriad actions in the causal ground, actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions,” require a very long time of walking on the Bodhisattva-path. This road is very straight and very long.

So, by “looking to the fruit from the cause,” by walking in the direction set by the cause, we will be able to attain the fruit we seek. This is the state of Buddhahood. Thus, “looking to the fruit from the cause” is the meaning of “height.” The Buddha’s virtue is supremely high. This is our goal. This is concealed inside the Tathagata-garbha. “We each have a stupa on Vulture Peak; we can practice at the foot of that stupa.” This stupa contains our intrinsic Tathagata-garbha nature. So, [the stupa] was this tall and was.

“250 yojanas in length and width.” This refers to “the Tathagata-garbha being the true essence and nature of the 25 forms of existence.” The Tathagata-garbha stores the true essence and nature of the 25 forms of existence.

250 yojanas in length and width: This refers to the Tathagata-garbha being the true essence and nature of the 25 forms of existence.

“The 25 forms of existence” will be explained later, since it will take a long time. In any case, this essence is very expansive. Length and width: The appearance of the stupa, “250 yojanas in length and width,” is measured in yojanas. This is approximately 10,000 li. To cultivate and attain the Dharmakaya, we must take the precepts as our body. So, “length and width” refers to “the appearance of the stupa.” It is not only high but also wide. This is its appearance. So, it is “250 yojanas in length and width,” which corresponds to 10,000 li. It is 10,000 li in length and width 250 yojanas is 10,000 li. Thus, the length and width correspond.

Length and width: The appearance of the stupa, 250 yojanas in length and width, is measured in yojanas, which is approximately 10000 li. To cultivate and attain the Dharmakaya, we must take the precepts as our body. There are 250 precepts in total for Hearers. Now, He opened the Small Vehicle teachings and returned them to the Path to Buddhahood. By following the three studies of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, we will manifest them in our appearance. Thus, it says that the measurement of the base of the stupa is as such. Our Four Demeanors share the same measurements. So it says: 250 [yojanas] in length and width.

“To cultivate and attain the Dharmakaya, we must take the precepts as our body.” In our practice, to attain the Dharmakaya we must uphold the precepts. The precepts are our foundation. Precepts can guard against wrongs and stop evil. The things we do that are wrong must immediately be stopped. In our conduct, we are already making mistakes. We cause other people to feel unhappy and form negative affinities with others. This is not right! We must immediately stop. Our actions must not deviate even in the slightest. We need to guard against wrongs and stop evils. The wrong that we do must immediately stop. We need to constantly be vigilant to prevent ourselves from making the same mistake a second time.

One of Confucius’ disciples, Yan Hui, is known for “never committing the same wrong twice.” He never made the same mistake twice. The first time, if Confucius said to him, “You are in the wrong. Your attitude is incorrect,” Yan Hui would immediately stop. “I will not have this attitude in the future.” This is what Yan Hui was known for; he “never committed the same wrong twice.”

As Buddhist practitioners, we should also be like that. It is best to not even make one mistake or error, to say nothing of making the same mistake twice. If we still make the same mistake again, that shows we keep covering ourselves by ignorance. So, we must take the precepts as our body. In our spiritual practice, upholding precepts is very important. In our daily living, the words we say, the actions we take and the thoughts we have all require us to be very vigilant. These are all part of the body of precepts. So, we must take the precepts as our body.

“Hearers have 250 precepts. Now He opened up the Small Vehicle teachings.” The Buddha had now opened the Small Vehicle teachings. In the past, everyone was at the stage of the Small Vehicle teachings. Now, He opened up the Small Vehicle Teachings “and returned them to the path to Buddhahood.” There are not only the 250 Precepts, but also the 500 Precepts. Not only must we follow these 500 Precepts, there are countless, infinite numbers of precepts we must not violate. This is how we can gradually “return to the path to Buddhahood.” This refers to the Three Flawless Studies, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom; we have to be replete in these.

When it comes to the Dharma, we cannot listen to it and then let it go. After listening to it, we must take it to heart. So, “They will manifest in our appearance.” Our appearance and demeanor [shows] whether we engage in spiritual practice or not. Have we violated the precepts? Our appearance will show whether we have violated any precepts. This all depends on us.

“Thus, it says that the measurement of the base of the stupa” is as such, 250 yojanas. This is how wide it is. This [represents] our precepts. We should know that we need these precepts. “The measurement is as such. Our Four Demeanors share the same number.” Our Four Demeanors are expressed in our actions. Whether we talk or give rise to thoughts, it is all part of our Four Demeanors.

We must all be very mindful. Otherwise, it will truly result in great sadness. Must we spend our every day as unenlightened beings? Why can’t we immediately refocus our unenlightened minds and follow the footsteps of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas? We ought to be very mindful and pay attention to our Four Demeanors in our daily living.

So, [it is] “250 yojanas in length and width.” This is the width and length [of the stupa]. We must take the precepts as our foundation. The precepts are [represented by] 250 yojanas. This is called “the 25 forms of existence.” There are many precepts that we must not violate. We must use them as our foundation.

“[It] emerged from the ground and stayed in the air.” This stupa of seven treasures which was so tall and so wide emerged from the ground and stayed in the air.

[It] emerged from the ground and stayed in the air: In terms of appearance, it is easy to see. In terms of the Dharma, it emerges from the mind and stays in the emptiness of the ultimate Great Nirvana.

By using its appearance [as an analogy], it is easier to understand. In this analogy, the stupa’s appearance is easily seen.

“In terms of the Dharma,” speaking in terms of the Dharma, “it emerges from the mind.” After hearing the Chapter on Dharma Teachers, this stupa of seven treasures should also emerge from the ground of our minds. Wide and tall, its height and width transcend the Five Destinies. Our minds should not remain in this place where the beings of the Five Destinies coexist. We must transcend this place where the Five Destinies coexist. We must transcend the Five Realms. So, in terms of our minds, this represents the Dharma. In terms of appearance, it is the stupa, while in terms of the Dharma, it is what emerges from the ground of our minds. “[It] stays in the ultimate Great Nirvana.” We should let our minds be tranquil and still. We must calm our minds and not give rise to discursive thoughts. We need to pay careful attention to our Four Demeanors.

“Emerged” refers to “the Tathagata-garbha mind” which emerges from afflictions of views and thinking.

Emerged: This refers to the Tathagata-garbha mind, which emerges from the hindrances of afflictions of views and thinking etc. Stayed in the air: This is an analogy for abiding in the true emptiness of ultimate reality.

Delusions of views and thinking and other afflictions all hinder us. This is why we cannot manifest [True Suchness]. We ordinary beings are covered by ignorance which hinders us. Our afflictions of views and thinking, our dust-like delusions, stand in our way.

Staying in the air “is an analogy for abiding in the true emptiness of ultimate reality.” All Buddhas abide in the true emptiness of ultimate reality. This is the state of the Buddha, which is wondrous existence in true emptiness.

“The stupa of treasures emerged from the ground.” This [originated] in the past; the ancient Buddha of the past, “Many Treasures Tathagata, personally came to listen to the sutra.” This Buddha of the past came to hear the Dharma to “testify to the superiority and wondrousness of this sutra.”

The stupa of treasures emerged from the ground. It was an ancient Buddha from the past, Many Treasure Tathagata, who personally came to listen to the sutra in order to testify how superior and wondrous this sutra is.

[He came to] testify to how superior and wondrous this sutra is. Of course, the Dharma that the ancient. Many Treasures Buddha came to listen to contains principles that are truly great, very profound and broad. Vertically, it is both deep and high. Horizontally, it is very wide and broad. These are the principles that we must comprehend. Where are these principles found? They are in the Tathagata-garbha mind, in the mind of every person. It is just that they are constantly covered by layer upon layer of ignorance. So, as we listen to and learn the Buddha-Dharma, we must always be mindful.

Ch10-ep1201

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Episode 1201 – Making Offerings and Spreading the Lotus Sutra

>> All Bodhisattvas make offerings not just to one Buddha or one land but to Buddhas as numerous as dust particles with their body, life, wealth and all kinds of items of offering.

>> The Buddha told Medicine King, “After the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, if there are people who hear the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, even one verse or one phrase, and give rise to a thought of joy, I also bestow on them predictions of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

>> Furthermore, if there are people who accept and uphold, read and recite, explain and transcribe even one verse of the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, reverently viewing this sutra as the Buddha….

>> Furthermore, if there are people who accept and uphold, read and recite [and] explain [this sutra]: With faith, they accept and uphold the teachings. If they have the sutra, they open it and read it. Without the sutra, they recite it in their minds. They explain the sutra according to its meaning.

>> Transcribe even one verse of the. Wondrous Lotus Sutra and reverently view this sutra as the Buddha: This is transcribing this wondrous sutra on paper. Even if it is only a single verse, they revere the sutra highly, regarding it as the Buddha Himself.

>> This first explains that they accept, uphold and make offerings to this sutra, if even a single verse of it, due to compassionate vows in past lives. Accept and uphold: This means that with faith they accept and uphold the meaning of this sutra in their hearts and never forget or lose it.

>> After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, people who properly engage in these six kinds of practice are called Dharma masters. Six kinds of practice” refers to “accepting and upholding, reading and reciting, chanting, explaining, transcribing and making offerings.” These are the six kinds of practice.

>> Reading and reciting: Reading this sutra aloud. Chanting: Reciting it and taking it to heart. Explaining: Elucidating and expounding it. Transcribing: Copying, inscribing, printing and circulating the sutra and so on.

>> Making offerings in many different ways. What should we use to make an offering? We use “flowers, perfumes strings of jewels, scented powders, fragrant oils, incense, silken canopies, hanging banners, clothing and music or even putting our palms together in reverence.”

>> There are five ways to teach the Dharma. The first is accepting and upholding the sutra. The second is reading the sutra. The third is reciting the sutra. The fourth is explaining the sutra. The fifth is transcribing the sutra. These are the five was to teach the Dharma. These five represent ways that we can advance the Lotus Dharma. They are all ways to teach the Dharma.

“All Bodhisattvas make offerings
not just to one Buddha or one land
but to Buddhas as numerous as dust particles
with their body, life, wealth and all kinds of items of offering.”

This is discussing the offerings made by all Bodhisattvas. Beginningless kalpas in the past, they formed vows and aspirations to serve sentient beings, to seek the path to Buddhahood and transform sentient beings. They make offerings to all Buddhas, infinite numbers [of Buddhas]. “Making offerings” refers to practicing giving, forming vows and aspirations and serving others. In spiritual practice, we must give of ourselves, complete dedicating our bodies and life. The body is a vessel for spiritual cultivation. Lifetime after lifetime, since we have this body, we should completely dedicate our bodies and lives to constantly seeking the Buddha-Dharma and the true principles and to constantly serving sentient beings. This is “making offerings”; it is the practice of giving.

This practice of giving is not temporary; it is not just for one lifetime, but something we must do for countless lifetimes. So, it is “not just to one Buddha or one land” but to countless worlds and countless Buddhas. For the 2000 disciples, when the Buddha bestowed predictions on them, He used the number of dust particles from 50 worlds being ground to dust, with each particle corresponding to one land, to indicate the great number of. Buddhas they will need to make offerings to. So, there are not just one Buddha and one land. There are countless Buddhas who appear in the world. Over infinite lifetimes, [the disciples] must put the teachings into action by practicing giving and making offerings, seeking the path to Buddhahood, practicing the Buddha-Dharma and serving sentient beings. This is what it means to be a Bodhisattva.

Life after life, Bodhisattvas keep returning to this world to use all their strength in serving others. So those who can “make offerings to Buddhas as numerous as dust particles” are Bodhisattvas. It is not just to one Buddha in one land; they must make offerings to. Buddhas as numerous as dust particles. Each speck of dust corresponds to a land, and each land has a Buddha. If we count them like this, we will see what the Bodhisattvas must do.

So, “with their body, life and wealth….” They completely devote their bodies and lives. They are willing to offer their lives, so what about material things? These too are offered; they give them freely. The sutras, the Jataka Sutra or the sutra about the karmic conditions of the Buddha and His disciples, all these sutras contain many stories of causes and conditions. This shows that spiritual practice requires a very long time. We must realize that when we completely devote our bodies and lives in giving to others and walk the Bodhisattva-path life after life, this process will ultimately lead to Buddhahood. Yet, this will take a very long time. So, walking the Bodhisattva-path is very important.

Every day, [we can look back] at history. On this day in past years, what were we doing then? Let us take a look. On May 30 in the year 2000, on this day [in history], a hospital in Ethiopia that we helped [renovate] and expand started operations. This was the Debre Birhan Hospital in Ethiopia, which had been built in 1935.

This country was extremely impoverished due to constant civil war. The people had no livelihood, so their lives were very hard. The provincial government was building a hospital since many years, but they would keep interrupting the construction due to lack of funds. This continued until Tzu Chi, working with Medecins Du Monde from France, helped them finish the hospital construction. It was completed on May 30, 2000.

When we saw them at the opening ceremony, everyone was very joyous. Everything we helped them construct was what they needed the most, an operating room, a maternity ward, a blood bank, an examination room, hospital beds etc. This provincial hospital was servicing 180,000 people in the surrounding area, and yet the hospital only had 70 beds. Its construction had been ongoing for many years, but it had never been completed. So, Tzu Chi helped them finish it. This happened on this day in history. When they opened the hospital, it was very bright and beautiful and everyone was very happy. This happened in Ethiopia. It was a big event, which brought much joy to the people there.

Also in Turkey, [an important event] happened on this day. It was last year, in 2015. We went to Turkey to help them set up a school for Syrian refugee children so that they would be able to attend school. Tzu Chi volunteers went from Taiwan to Turkey. They saw the schools there, the schools we provided, and how these children were able to happily go there to study. With sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness. Tzu Chi volunteers with their genuine love very naturally brought this love into [this community]. Whether facing adults or children, refugees or locals, they are always very warm and friendly. With this sincerity, they made both Turkish people and refugees, families who had fled disaster to come to Turkey feel a deep-seated sense of trust and gratitude. In their interactions, everyone was very joyful.

From that point on, we began to understand these refugees’ situation. Their suffering is truly unbearable. The [Turkish] people are very sincere; they are willing to take in these refugees and give of themselves for their sake. So, they knew that they must not only help these children go to school, they also felt that for these people, getting sick was their most grievous hardship. If they needed to see a doctor, they had no money. Even when a doctor would see them for free, there was still a language barrier. And even if they did manage to communicate, after seeing a doctor, they still needed money to buy medicine. Of course, they had no money for medicine. The government was at a loss. How were they to look after the health of these refugees?

The mayor proposed a program. He was willing to help them and hoped that Tzu Chi could assist. He said that he wanted to help, and that he had found a space for us. It was a house that belonged to a friend of his who was willing to rent it out to Tzu Chi for just a symbolic amount. He was also willing to remodel this building so it could be used as a clinic. So he started discussing with us and provided us with this news.

We too felt that, indeed, there is no suffering in life worse than illness. These refugees had already suffered enough in fleeing [the civil war], and on top of that they suffered from illness without access to medical care. What could we do? Upon receiving the mayor’s proposal, Mr. Faisal Hu passed his message along to us. We were very happy to hear this. We were willing to help them provide medical treatment there, but when it came to doctors, we had to ask them for help to find some. In the end, this was not difficult. Actually, as it turned out, in this refugee camp, there were many doctors who were also refugees. Some were professors of medicine and some were superintendents of hospitals. Some doctors were even in charge of running networks of hospitals. They had all become refugees. When they heard we wanted to provide medical care and were hiring doctors to care for these patients, many doctors suddenly emerged. They were willing to accept. Tzu Chi’s offer of employment.

Although their salary was minimal, they were willing to accept it. They said that taking care of their compatriots was what made them most happy. They too had fallen into hardship. Being refugees in a foreign country, they too experienced great difficulties. So, they were willing to accept this [job]. So now, in May [of 2016], the clinic in Turkey has already opened for operation. A few days ago, we saw the doctors smiling as they donned their white doctor’s coats again and picked up their stethoscopes to see the patients. The patients were grateful, and the doctors were very happy. This was another international event in May, which we can add to this month’s rich history.

This is why we say, “Every month contains the history of the world; every day contains the history of Tzu Chi.” These people are Living Bodhisattvas. Wherever there is suffering, Bodhisattvas will promptly appear. There are such causes and conditions. Syrian refugees have had their fill of suffering, fleeing danger to come to Turkey. This country, Turkey, was able to open its heart wide and accept those who had the causes and conditions to arrive in this city of Sultangazi.

The person who gave Tzu Chi this opportunity was Mr. Faisal Hu. He is a Muslim, but he has these causes and conditions to have formed a deep affinity with Buddhism. For many years, He has been serving people in Turkey. This time, with these unfortunate Syrian refugees coming to that place, he saw a great opportunity. We were able to help thousands of people. It must be over 2,000 families and children that we were able to serve. Now, we again had this opportunity. This mayor is very compassionate. Although he follows a different religion, he is also an awakened sentient being who was able to open his heart. People with wisdom will exercise their compassion; Regardless of religion, they are willing to work together with us and provide resources to help the refugees. Indeed, this is what marks a Living Bodhisattva.

Our karmic conditions are different, with different circumstantial and direct retributions, but our causes and conditions could converge in the time and space of this world, enabling us to help each other. Actually, this is not a simple matter. This is due to the power of love. This is what it means to be a Bodhisattva, to be an awakened sentient being. When we help others, [we know that] everyone possesses Buddha-nature. Regardless of our ethnicity, we all have a nature of True Suchness. In this life, someone may be a Syrian, but in a future lifetime, he might be Taiwanese. In the cycle of life and death, we are reincarnated according to our circumstantial retributions. So, we must all help one another. This is what it means to be a Bodhisattva. This is what it means to make offerings.

In their current situation, they are in need. They will also be Buddhas one day, so whatever their need now, we must quickly go help them. This is practicing giving. Practicing giving is also called making offerings. Making offerings to Buddhas is done by seeking the Dharma. We must be respectful and make offerings with utmost reverence, make offerings in accordance with the teachings. We need to transform sentient beings. Sentient beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature. It is just that due to karmic retributions, they fall into places of suffering. Bodhisattvas must quickly give of themselves to help these future Buddhas, these sentient beings who are suffering right now. These are the offerings that Bodhisattvas make. We must not stop at one Buddha or one land. It is not only for one Buddha or for beings of a single country; [our offerings] must reach a vast number.

Ten or twenty years ago, we went to Ethiopia. The hospital I just spoke about was the second project we worked together on. We completely rebuilt that provincial hospital. The previous time, we likewise went to a very desolate area, a very rural area, to help them build health centers and health clinics. We likewise went there to serve. In addition to building two health centers, we also helped them train their nurses in how to prescribe and apply medicine. We also built 15 health clinics for them. That was in 1993. It was the first time we collaborated with Medecins Du Monde.

And it was the first time we went to Ethiopia. We helped them by building two health centers as well as 15 health clinics. In this way, since early on, we have been serving [there]. This is making offerings by helping others; we serve them by relieving their hardships. At that same time, in many villages, we built water stations. They had no potable water, so we helped them build water stations. What they needed, what they lacked, we helped provide to them.

Whatever hardship they were suffering, we always helped them. This is not just in one country; in many countries, when people are suffering, we can go there to serve, to help them. Thus, we can “make offerings to Buddhas as numerous as dust particles.” There are so many people we have helped. There is no way to count them all or to divide them by ethnicity or religion. They are all people. They are all future Buddhas.

Everything we are able to give to others is considered offerings. It is not just about prostrating to the Buddha and making offerings [to Him]. “I engage in spiritual practice before the Buddha and respectfully give [to Him]. This is making offerings.” That is not it. There are always many opportunities to give of ourselves, and there are so many things we can do. So, as long as we are willing to put [the teachings] into practice, we will be able to reach any place, no matter how far away. Then, our footprints will be preserved in history.

For example, on the screen we saw Mr. Andy Hsu. He also went [to Ethiopia]. Mr. Xie Jinggui also went there, as did Mr. Xu Xiangming. We could name many others who have left their footprints in history out of willingness to serve. So long as we are willing to serve others and take action by going to these places, isn’t this dedicating our bodies and lives? They dedicate themselves and even pay themselves as they keep going back and forth to these very distant places. They go not once, but many times over. Thus, [they make offerings] “with their body, life, wealth and all kinds of items of offering.”

Some people hear this [and think] that being a Bodhisattva means sacrificing one’s life. Really, to dedicate one’s life is very simple. When we make use of this life to turn our bodies into vessels for spiritual cultivation and use our strength in the service of others, this is dedicating our lives! This is very simple. Willingness to make use of our physical abilities and to go out to help others is what makes someone a Bodhisattva. And so, if people help us with something, we will say, “Bodhisattva, thank you!” Aren’t they making an offering of their energy? They are using their vitality to help us in this way. Indeed, [they are Bodhisattvas].

Yesterday, the Bodhisattvas from Hualien all gathered together here. In this place, they shared everything that they have accomplished of late. I was so happy listening to them; I reveled in this [atmosphere] of Bodhisattvas. Every one of them is a Bodhisattva who uses their sincerity to help those in suffering. They go three times a week to the prison in Hualien to teach the Dharma and help [the inmates]. They also go to juvenile detention centers to aid [the youth] and keep them company. In the remote countryside, they find ways to look after the seniors etc. There is nowhere they will not go. So much love of this world is found in these Tzu Chi volunteers’ every action. They give of their time and give of the power of their love. By serving others like this for such a long time, they are accumulating countless [merits].

Aren’t they “as numerous as dust particles”? “As numerous as dust particles” means that if we tried to count every instance one by one, if we wanted to say, “I have formed affinities with this many people” or “This is how many people I have helped,” the number would be impossible to calculate. We [have helped so many in this life], not to mention life after life; isn’t that making offerings as numerous as dust particles? There is no falsehood in this; it is the truth. If in this way we tried to count [the good deeds] done in just a single day by all Tzu Chi volunteers around the world, how many have they accomplished? It is incalculable!

All at the same time, we are working on earthquake relief in Ecuador, while in Sri Lanka, we are launching [flood relief] efforts. Moreover, in Canada, we are still engaged in [wildfire relief]. Isn’t this a great number of people engaged in helping others? In a few days, we will begin large-scale relief for [the drought] in Vietnam. We are making preparations right now. In a few more days, [our volunteers] will set out to go to Vietnam. There are so many different countries where we have already accomplished a great deal. In the present, we are continuing our work. In the future, we will continue without rest. We must prepare to set out on new journeys.

You see, in this space, at this time and in our interactions with others, we are constantly making the offerings of Bodhisattvas. If we look at things from this perspective, as we listen to the Dharma, we can attain a very clear understanding. Otherwise, as we listen to the Dharma, it will go in one ear and out the other. [When we hear things like] “numberless dust-inked kalpas of time, Buddhas as numberless as dust particles” or “dust-inked kalpas of lands,” are these things real or are they false? If we seize the present moment and, based on the present, contemplate past, present and future, we find there is never a “present.” What we call the present has already passed; the present is [already] the future. We must utilize all these countless moments to give of ourselves and accomplish [our practice]. Think about it, aren’t they like dust particles? With time as dust particles, can’t we second by second accomplish [offerings to] countless people and matters? So, we must have faith [in the sutras].

The previous sutra states,

“The Buddha told Medicine King, ‘After the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, if there are people who hear the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, even one verse or one phrase, and give rise to a thought of joy, I also bestow on them predictions of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.'”

Here, Sakyamuni Buddha is explaining to Medicine King Bodhisattva what will happen when the Tathagata enters Parinirvana. Before, He talked about when He was in the world. As long as people are willing to form aspirations, with this thought, there is a seed. This thought of joy when we hear even a single line or verse, whether we wish to uphold it or rejoice in it, it all becomes seeds. Those who do this will have the karmic conditions to gradually come to know the Dharma, enter into it and put it into practice among people. Because they will have this opportunity, the Buddha bestowed predictions on them.

It will be the same in the future. For one who hears a sentence or a verse and gives rise to a thought of joy, the Buddha also bestowed predictions of Buddhahood upon such future sentient beings. Thus, more than 2000 years ago, the Buddha already bestowed predictions upon us. See, we are now also listening to the Lotus Sutra. We have not merely heard one sentence of it; we have already gone through ten chapters. Who knows how many lines we have heard. Whether prose or verse, we have heard them all.

Does this bring joy to our hearts? We should be very joyful. I myself am very joyful. I trust that more than 2000 years ago, I also received the Buddha’s predictions for the future, which is now the present. We should have faith in this. This is what the Buddha said in this sutra passage. If future sentient beings are able to listen to the Lotus Sutra, even one sentence or one verse and give rise to a single thought of joy, for people like that, He also bestowed predictions. This confirms for us that we have already received predictions of Buddhahood. So, we must be even more earnest and have even stronger faith.

Next, [the sutra] continues,

“Furthermore, if there are people who accept and uphold, read and recite, explain and transcribe even one verse of the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, reverently viewing this sutra as the Buddha….”

It further speaks of people who in the future accept and uphold, read and recite and explain [this sutra]. This demonstrates their faith. After listening to this sutra, they give rise to faith and understanding. In their hearts, they have faith, so they are willing to accept and uphold it. If they have the sutra in front of them, they open it and read it, or else they recite it from memory.

Furthermore, if there are people who accept and uphold, read and recite [and] explain [this sutra]: With faith, they accept and uphold the teachings. If they have the sutra, they open it and read it. Without the sutra, they recite it in their minds. They explain the sutra according to its meaning.

Each day, as part of our morning lecture, everyone is already engaging in recitation. Whether chanting mantras or reciting sutras, many people come to know them by heart.

If we are less familiar with them, we need the sutra text to read until we know it very well. This is learning by heart and reciting in our minds. We always hold them in our hearts. If I ask you about the Heart Sutra, could you recite it from memory? Of course! It is only [260] characters long. How could we not be able to recite it? If you have not recited it aloud yet, you recite it in your mind and contemplate it inwardly. This is what it means to recite in our minds. Reciting it oneself, so no one can hear, that is reciting in one’s mind. “They explain the sutra according to its meaning.” [This means] they understand it. “I am very familiar with this sutra. I can read it, recite it and explain it.” They can explain the sutra according to its meaning.

Moreover, they “transcribe even one verse of the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, reverently viewing this sutra as the Buddha.” Not only must we accept, uphold, read and recite, we must also earnestly transcribe this sutra. This is how we reverently view this sutra as the Buddha.

Transcribe even one verse of the Wondrous Lotus Sutra and reverently view this sutra as the Buddha: This is transcribing this wondrous sutra on paper. Even if it is only a single verse, they revere the sutra highly, regarding it as the Buddha Himself.

When we transcribe it, as we form each character, we do so with reverence from our hearts. As we copy each word, we learn it by heart. As we write it, we come to understand it. So, as we transcribe the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, in addition to helping our memory, other people will see us as we write it, which allows us to transmit it.

So, using a clean piece of paper to write on, we copy down this sutra. Even if we copy down just one verse, meaning four lines, as we write each verse down, we must be very reverent. When the ancients copied the sutras, they were extremely reverent. They would sometimes even pierce themselves and use their blood as ink to write down the sutras. Thus, they literally dedicated their body to ensuring that this sutra could be transmitted. This was the reverence with which they transcribed the sutras. We must write each line with deep reverence. We must respect this sutra. We must be as reverent as if the Buddha Himself were before us. This Dharma is the Buddha’s Dharmakaya, so we must treat the sutras as if the Buddha is present within them. Wherever the Dharma is, the Buddha is there also, so we must be filled with reverence.

“This first explains that they accept, uphold and make offerings to this sutra, if even a single verse of it.” This is due to “compassionate vows in past lives.”

This first explains that they accept, uphold and make offerings to this sutra, if even a single verse of it, due to compassionate vows in past lives. Accept and uphold: This means that with faith they accept and uphold the meaning of this sutra in their hearts and never forget or lose it.

We must be willing to mindfully accept and uphold this sutra. We must earnestly protect this sutra. We must not only preserve it but also mindfully and reverently transcribe it. In our past lives, we made these vows and formed aspirations to spread this sutra.

So, to “accept and uphold” means to faithfully accept and uphold the meaning of this sutra in our hearts. We have already vowed to accept and uphold it for lifetime after lifetime. Our wish is that in the course of our lives, we will not forget this sutra. This is not just in this life; [we hope that] in our future lives, we will also have the conditions to encounter this sutra. When we see this sutra, we become especially joyous. We want to have it, understand it and explain it. This means that in our lives it has made a deep impression, not just in this life but in our future lifetimes also. In our past lives, we formed a lasting affinity with this sutra.

Since dust-inked kalpas ago, since the 16 princes’ Dharma-assembly, we have this enduring affinity. This is why, in this present time and place, we can expound and listen to the Lotus Sutra. Simultaneously, in different countries, we are all listening to the Lotus Sutra. This is all due to our karmic affinities.

And so “After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, people who properly engage in these six kinds of practice are called Dharma masters. Six kinds of practice” refers to “accepting and upholding, reading and reciting, chanting, explaining, transcribing and making offerings.” These are the six kinds of practice.

After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, people who properly engage in these six kinds of practice are called Dharma masters. Six kinds of practice” refers to “accepting and upholding, reading and reciting, chanting, explaining, transcribing and making offerings.” These are the six kinds of practice.

We accept and uphold, read and recite [it]. “Chanting” refers to singing [the text], singing it in a loud voice. Then there is explaining, transcribing and making offerings. These are the six kinds of practice.

Thus, we do not stray from this Dharma. Whether we are accepting and upholding it or reading and reciting it, it is all effective. When we chant it loudly, the sound of it fills the air. At the beginning of the “Chapter on Dharma Masters,” [it mentions] 80,000 Bodhisattvas, including the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. If we chant each line loudly and clearly, the eight classes of Dharma-protectors will hear, and this will bring them great joy. Each line and each verse brings its own merits and virtues. So, when we chant them, our voices should be loud and clear. This also brings merits and virtues. This is [how to treat] the Dharma. One who is replete with the six kinds of practice is what we call a Dharma Master. Chanting in a loud voice as if teaching to the Dharma-protectors is something that brings merit and virtue.

Once again, when we read and recite, we must do so with a resounding voice.

Reading and reciting: Reading this sutra aloud. Chanting: Reciting it and taking it to heart. Explaining: Elucidating and expounding it. Transcribing: Copying, inscribing, printing and circulating the sutra and so on.

When some people read the sutra, they do not wish to read it aloud. But actually, when we read aloud it is like teaching the Dharma to the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. This is because while our minds are focused on reading out the sutra, they also clearly comprehend the Dharma in it. This is our state of mind as we teach the Dharma. We must “read this sutra aloud.”

There is also “chanting.” When we do not have the sutra text, we use our memory to chant it aloud in a resounding voice. Wherever we are, anywhere and everywhere, the eight classes of Dharma-protectors will hear us. We also do this for ourselves, so that we are able to take the Dharma to heart.

“Explaining” means elucidating the meaning of this sutra. When everyone is listening together like this, we must seize this opportunity to explain it. Then, there is “transcribing,” which is either writing, engraving or printing the sutra to circulate it. We need to be very dedicated in.

We must make offerings in many different ways. What should we use to make an offering? We use “flowers, perfumes strings of jewels, scented powders, fragrant oils, incense, silken canopies, hanging banners, clothing and music or even putting our palms together in reverence.” These are ways to make offerings.

Making offerings in many different ways. What should we use to make an offering? We use “flowers, perfumes strings of jewels, scented powders, fragrant oils, incense, silken canopies, hanging banners, clothing and music or even putting our palms together in reverence.”

As Buddhist practitioners, we can make offerings in many different ways to give with sincerity from our hearts. Even putting our palms together is a kind of offering. We make offerings, prostrate and so on, not to mention our daily morning recitation. So, when we are earnestly mindful, everything we do becomes an offering.

There are five ways to teach the Dharma. The first is accepting and upholding the sutra. The second is reading the sutra. The third is reciting the sutra. The fourth is explaining the sutra. The fifth is transcribing the sutra. These are the five was to teach the Dharma. These five represent ways that we can advance the Lotus Dharma. They are all ways to teach the Dharma.

There are five ways to teach the Dharma. The first is accepting and upholding the sutra. The second is reading the sutra. The third is reciting the sutra. The fourth is explaining the sutra. The fifth is transcribing the sutra. These are the five was to teach the Dharma. These five represent ways that we can advance the Lotus Dharma. They are all ways to teach the Dharma.

If no one accepts or upholds it, the Lotus Sutra will quickly disappear. If no one reads or recites it, there will be no way to understand the Dharma. We must read, recite, and explain the sutra so we can ensure that it is passed down. This is very important. These are the five ways to teach the Dharma and advance the Lotus Sutra. I hope that we can be mindful in doing this.

I hope that as Buddhist practitioners, we will have the mindset of making offerings in every situation. To make offerings is to practice giving, giving to others with utmost reverence. The Dharma the Buddha taught is for us to put into practice. It is not just for us to recite, to listen to or to seek. He gave us this Dharma for us to put it into practice and to give of ourselves for others in this world. We should seek the Buddha-Dharma and take it to heart; we should transform sentient beings, putting the teachings into practice. In this way, we will always be making offerings, to past Buddhas as well as future Buddhas. We should make offerings to the people right before our eyes, for they can all attain Buddhahood. In sum, when we [make offerings] everywhere, we easily reach “as numberless as dust particles.” This means to every day practice giving and be reverent. So, we must all always be mindful.

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Posted on June 23, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Episode 1200 – Past Affinities and Intrinsic Nature Always Exist

>> If we fasten a jewel to a conscious man, the man may hear [us fastening it] but not understand. If we fasten a jewel to a drunken man, he would still have difficulty making a living. Great Unhindered Buddha, dust-inked kalpas ago, promoted the Lotus teachings. These were given to the 16 princes to expound again and pass down. The Conjured City is an analogy for how past affinities have not fallen. Fastening a jewel indicates that the intrinsic nature always exists. This means that we all have great capacities, yet prefer to be people of limited wisdom.

>> Upon all those present before the Buddha who listen to the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, if hearing one verse or phrase of it they give rise to a thought of joy, I bestow on all of them predictions of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

>> The Buddha told Medicine King, “After the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, if there are people who hear the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, even one verse or one phrase, and give rise to a thought of joy, I also bestow on them predictions of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

>> After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, those who accept and uphold this wondrous sutra will be called Dharma masters. After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, there will be those who, hearing the Dharma, can instantly give rise to joy, accept, uphold and expound the teachings.

>> The Buddha told Medicine King, “After the Tathagata enters Parinirvana”: The above describes the time when the Buddha was in the world and after He entered Parinirvana.

>> If there are people who hear the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, even one verse or one phrase, and give rise to a thought of joy: This refers to those who hear one verse or one phrase of this sutra and give rise to a thought of joy. A verse is composed of four lines. The power of one verse is as much as that of giving rise to a thought of joy.

>> I also bestow on them predictions of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: I also bestow on them predictions of attaining Buddhahood.

>> I will also bestow on them predictions: In the future, people will hear only few teachings. The Buddha also bestowed on them distant predictions.

>> This shows that for this sutra, whether during His manifestation or after His entering Parinirvana, once people are able to hear it, one verse will open their hearts and one phrase will illuminate their minds. If we give a jewel to a conscious man, the man may hear but not understand. Those who are unaware or have no faith are like a drunken man being given a jewel.

>> This is exactly like the 16 princes sitting in their places of practice as they expounded the Dharma again. Thus, the jewel attained today is the one the novices gave us in the past. The jewel being given today is the cause for the attainment of future disciples.

“If we fasten a jewel to a conscious man,
the man may hear [us fastening it] but not understand.
If we fasten a jewel to a drunken man,
he would still have difficulty making a living.
Great Unhindered Buddha, dust-inked kalpas ago,
promoted the Lotus teachings.
These were given to the 16 princes
to expound again and pass down.
The Conjured City is an analogy for how past affinities have not fallen.
Fastening a jewel indicates that the intrinsic nature always exists. This means that we all have great capacities,
yet prefer to be people of limited wisdom.”

This passage is to remind everyone about the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City, how everyone’s intrinsic nature has, since Beginningless Time, since dust-inked kalpas ago, continually and permanently existed. Our nature of True Suchness is intrinsic; it is beginningless and endless. In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha compassionately continued to remind us that we all intrinsically have the Buddha-nature. He hopes that we all make good use of it.

“If we give a jewel to a conscious man” is like [saying] to a conscious man, “Come, I will give you a jewel. When you receive this jewel, you must earnestly seek to experience and understand it.”

We each have a jewel within us, our nature of True Suchness. But we are like this, covered by ignorance life after life. So, there is a jewel within us, but we do not know that the jewel is priceless, that it is very valuable; we only envy others for having a jewel. Actually, we have a jewel within us, but we do not know it.

This is similar to when we listen to the Dharma. We are willing to listen to the Dharma, yet we listen and do not seek to understand it. We are not willing to earnestly and mindfully seek to experience it. Why do we say that the Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from our daily living? We should ask ourselves, “In my daily living, how often in my mind does the thought, ‘This is in accord with the Dharma’ appear?” Actually, the way in which we live is inseparable from the Buddha-Dharma. It is inseparable from the Buddha-Dharma, yet when we listen to the Buddha-Dharma, we do not understand it in the context of our daily living. This is something we must mindfully reflect on. We must reflect on why, though we clearly know that the Buddha-Dharma is to be applied to and is inseparable from the human world and that all Buddhas attain Buddhahood in this world, though the Dharma is clearly in our lives, we still do not know or understand it. We listen but do not understand. Even if we are listening, [we say,]. “I know, I know, but I do not really understand.”

We all intrinsically have the nature of True Suchness, yet we do not know that this intrinsic nature of True Suchness has actually been following us life after life, without beginning or end; it never stops. However, unfortunately, in life, a single thought of ignorance stirs up afflictions, and it is due to these afflictions giving rise to our actions that we create the karmic causes and conditions. With the karmic causes and conditions, they lead us, so we do not have control. We transmigrate in the Four Forms of Birth and. Six Realms in this way; everything is beyond our control. This is what we unenlightened beings need to come to realize ourselves; we must reflect on ourselves.

We need to listen, contemplate and practice. Once we listen, we must contemplate mindfully. In our daily living, the mind is inseparable from the Dharma, and the Dharma is inseparable from the Buddha, so the Buddha-Dharma is intrinsically in our lives. If we can do this, then we have the Buddha in our minds, and there is a spiritual training ground in our actions. The training ground of the Buddha-Dharma is in our daily living. But we have not been mindful, or we listen, but do not understand.

It is as if “we fasten a jewel to a drunken man.” A drunken man is already intoxicated so when we put a jewel on him, he does not even know it. “He would still have difficulty making a living.” He has a priceless jewel and yet he continues to wander in destitution. His life truly remains one of poverty; he still has difficulty making a living.

This is about Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. In the Parable of the Conjured City, [we learned] that Great Unhindered Buddha’s time was dust-inked kalpas before Sakyamuni Buddha’s. Sakyamuni Buddha talked about a time incalculably long ago, using dust-inked kalpas as an analogy. At the time, He “promoted the Lotus teachings.” Back then, Great Unhindered Buddha had begun to teach the Lotus Sutra. After teaching the Lotus Sutra, He entered the meditation room, and the 16 princes began to expound the Lotus Sutra again, passing down the One Vehicle Dharma, which is the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra.

The Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra has been taught since dust-inked kalpas ago. It was not Sakyamuni Buddha who [first] taught the Lotus Sutra. Already, a very long time ago, the 16 princes had continuously transmitted the Dharma, passed down the teachings, so that everyone’s memories of it would be strong. That was the time told of in the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City. The Buddha brought up the long past by describing the time of Great Unhindered Wisdom Buddha. So, we know that already in ancient times, the Lotus Sutra was beginningless and endless, coexisting with our nature of True Suchness. It coexists with the true principle of all things in the world. This means we have been one with the universe, been present in the Lotus Period; it means our nature of True Suchness has been fully present, never damaged or lost. It is just that we do not understand.

The fastening of the jewel, the analogy of having a jewel on our persons, shows that our true nature always exists. The truth and everyone’s nature of True Suchness always exist. It is just that, despite all having great capacities and all being able to attain Buddhahood, we sentient beings are willing to let ourselves regress. We are unwilling to, after listening to the Dharma, quickly listen, contemplate and practice, to practice according to the Dharma. After listening, we must experience it and put it into action. Then we can inherit and transmit the Dharma, can go among people to teach and transform sentient beings. We are all able to do this; we all have this potential for goodness, all have this innate ability. We all have great capacities, but we are willing to just be people of limited wisdom.

Everyone just really wants to benefit themselves. They do not wish to have to face the Great Vehicle and walk the Bodhisattva-path of going among people. This is truly a pity! People fundamentally have this intrinsic nature, this innate ability, but we are unwilling to accept [the teachings]. As long as we have deep faith and understanding, there is nothing we cannot do. We should earnestly believe this; this is what the Buddha’s teachings tell us. If we could eliminate our doubts and grow very deep roots in our hearts, let those roots extend deeply downward, then we would naturally flourish upward; this is to “seek the Dharma and transform others.” On the Bodhisattva-path, we must seek the teachings, and at the same time, we must provide for others and be able to expound the teachings we understand, speak of the things we have done.

For instance, a few days ago, some of our Pure Practitioners participated in an [international Buddhist] conference. Everyone was speaking about theories, but we go by [the principle] “say what we do and do what we say.” We have practical evidence and proof of how we apply the Dharma among people. When people are suffering, we apply the Dharma to relieve sentient beings’ suffering. For those who are lost in life, we apply the Dharma to guide them to return to the Bodhisattva-path. We use the True Dharma to talk about what we have seen, what we have heard, what we have done and what we have said. They are thus backed with evidence and proof. These principles are not empty nor without substance or appearance. For that which is empty and has no substance or appearance, we can use all kinds of matters, things and people to serve as analogies for it.

So, the Buddha, in teaching the sutras, gave many analogies. He used these analogies to explain and used the law of karma to analyze things for us. This is because intangible principles require the use of tangible people, matters and things to be explained so that they are clear. This is how we can prove that the Dharma is for us to apply in this world. It helps us understand intangible principles in hope that when we go among people, we have abundant ways to transform sentient beings, “have the Dharma to transform sentient beings.” This is the principle.

For instance, in southern Taiwan there is a Mr. Wang Baoyu. He is still young. He originally was only a hotel employee, but he had a strong desire to advance, and the hotel chairman noticed the way he handled luggage in the hotel; when customers came, he helped them look after their luggage, and that was it. The chairman kept observing this young man, who was so diligent, honest, always smiling with an open heart, easy to get along with people and willing to work. So, the chairman found this talented man and kept him by his side, and he became the chairman’s executive assistant.

For a while, he was praised by everyone, but he still felt that a life of [working] in the hotel was not what he wanted ideally. He hoped to have the chance to be in contact with the general public and more people. So then, having a strong desire to advance, he took English lessons, becoming an English teacher.

Later, he felt that he could have even broader contact with people, so he left to become a radio station host. And so, he was at the radio station for nine years. This lasted until 2014. He was already a donating member at that time, but whenever someone invited him to volunteer with Tzu Chi, he always said, “OK! OK, when I find time.” So, time passed like this, until one year on Mother’s Day, in 2013. He could not go back to celebrate Mother’s Day with his mom. So, on the radio, he told his mom, “Today is Mother’s Day, but I am unable to go back and be with you. So, I will be here in this place, in the radio station, and let people [call in and] request songs to thank our mothers.” He gave a tribute to his mother in this way.

At the time, a taxi driver, who was a Tzu Chi volunteer, heard him. Listening to the broadcast on the radio station, the taxi driver heard him and began to feel that this radio host was very filial. We were about to have a Buddha Bathing Ceremony, so the driver, a Tzu Chi volunteer, called to contact him and said, “We are about to have a Buddha Bathing Ceremony. You miss your mom a lot, and Tzu Chi’s Buddha Bathing [Ceremony] is also a [Mother’s Day celebration]. [You can come] and pray for blessings for your mom. I would like to invite you to join the Buddha Bathing Ceremony.” This was how he began to participate.

When he entered the large venue of the Buddha Bathing Ceremony, he was deeply moved. Thus, he began to get involved with Tzu Chi. He began to form a resolve. In Tzu Chi, he felt he was doing good deeds among people. There were so many brothers and sisters, and what everyone did was for the world’s sake. There were many conditions, many opportunities, to come in contact with people, and he could form good affinities with others. So, he listened to the Dharma, went through introductory and then advanced volunteer training and became very diligent.

Later, he resigned from his job and wholeheartedly devoted himself to Tzu Chi. Over the course of volunteer training, six other [trainees] were his radio show listeners. Actually it should be eight, but there were six who truly became certified. This is going among people and transforming sentient beings. Now, whenever there is a big event, he is very lively and always comes forward to be the host. He truly puts his heart into it! He has always had great capacities. As long as he had the aspirations, he could go from the Small to the Great. His aspirations had always been great ones. He formed Great Vehicle aspirations; he wanted to go among people and form good affinities with others. So, he went from a Hearer to a Solitary Realizer, from the Small to the Great. He went from a bellman at a hotel, all the way to becoming an executive assistant to a chairman. Then he hoped to escape this kind of life working in the hotel and be able to freely form good affinities with more people. So, he was willing to take lessons to learn English, and he became a teacher. Later he served as a radio host.

In this way, he had many listeners. So, he began to advocate for a vegetarian diet. He had his radio show listeners all get together and started some kind of coffee meeting. In any case, this young man, who is only in his 40s, truly had a great mission in mind and made great vows, so naturally, it was not difficult for him to go among people and transform sentient beings. He said, “I just usually say what I do and do what I say. This was what Master said. Everywhere in our daily living is a spiritual training ground.” Indeed! We should take the Dharma and apply it, apply it in our living, apply it among people and use it to transform sentient beings. We have the Dharma to transform them; it is not impossible.

What sentient beings need now is for everyone to form great aspirations to bring purity to people’s hearts. It is a very pressing time now. The Buddha said that the Lotus Sutra was not taught first by Sakyamuni Buddha. It was taught dust-inked kalpas before, during. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s time. All Buddhas share the same path. When a Buddha appears in the world, He must finish teaching the Lotus Sutra by the end [of His life], to let everyone know that they have a jewel on them. “When you listen to the Dharma, I let you know the jewel you were given.” We already have this jewel, but have we used it? If we do not use it, we will not understand. When we use it, this jewel can develop our wisdom-life, enrich our wisdom-life. But we have not used it, so we are like the man who laid down drunk; we are still not rich in our wisdom-life. So, we must be mindful. We all have an abundance of invaluable jewel. We must be mindful!

Come, let us look at the previous sutra passage.

“Upon all those present before the Buddha who listen to the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, if hearing one verse or phrase of it they give rise to a thought of joy, I bestow on all of them predictions of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

These were 80,000 great beings. “Medicine King! Do you see them? Do you understand? Although the 80,000 great beings do not frequently listen to the sutras, if they are able to listen, to hear in the presence of a Buddha a verse of Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra,” with a verse being four lines, “or one phrase and from one phrase they have even one thought of joy arising in their minds, as they have this kind of affinities, as they have planted these affinities, I bestow predictions on them all.” This is a seed that has entered their minds. So, this is the Buddha’s compassion.

The following sutra passage says,

“The Buddha told Medicine King, ‘After the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, if there are people who hear the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, even one verse or one phrase, and give rise to a thought of joy, I also bestow on them predictions of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.'”The Buddha told Medicine King, “After the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, if there are people who hear the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, even one verse or one phrase, and give rise to a thought of joy, I also bestow on them predictions of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

He called again, “Medicine King! During my time, if they hear one phrase or one verse and give rise to a thought of joy, I bestow predictions on them. If after I enter Parinirvana, someone hears the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, even one phrase or one verse, and gives rise to a thought of joy, I likewise bestow predictions on them.” This is the Buddha [talking]. He is everlasting, neither arising nor ceasing, and His great enlightenment is always in the world. After the Buddha had entered Parinirvana, as in our time now, though His physical body entered Parinirvana, His great enlightenment and. His Dharmakaya are ever-abiding. We should now take the Buddha’s teachings and apply them [in our lives]. Whether it is one phrase or one verse, if we take joy in it and take it to heart, we can likewise receive the Buddha’s blessings. This represents the Three Treasures of our nature. “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in their nature].” Everyone intrinsically has an enlightened nature. [We must] accept the Dharma [and realize] the Buddha within us. This is what we must mindfully seek to experience.

So, “After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, those who accept and uphold this wondrous Dharma will be called Dharma masters.”

After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, those who accept and uphold this wondrous sutra will be called Dharma masters. After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, there will be those who, hearing the Dharma, can instantly give rise to joy, accept, uphold and expound the teachings.

The Buddha began to bestow predictions for the future. Regarding the future, the time after the Buddha entered Parinirvana, as Sakyamuni Buddha said, “After I enter Parinirvana, if someone is willing to accept and uphold the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, they will be called a Dharma master, because they will, according to the Dharma, accept, uphold and expound it.” When one listens to the Dharma, takes it to heart, puts it into action, and expounds and transmits it, one is called a Dharma master. This means, after the Buddha enters Parinirvana, if someone, after hearing the Dharma, becomes joyful and is willing to accept and uphold this Dharma, the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, then this person will take the Dharma and the precepts as his teacher. When one takes the Dharma as one’s teacher, one becomes a teacher for others, a teacher of those who practice the Dharma.

This is how we should transmit the Dharma. The Buddha bestowed predictions on us in this way, for a time in His future, which is our time now. If we can take the Dharma to heart, if we can learn extensively the Dharma and its essence, the Dharma’s essence can be applied to our daily living. We can apply it among the many sentient beings who are ignorant and afflicted to help them return to this path, to guide them in [their life’s] direction. In this way, we are also those who rely on, expound and transmit the Dharma. The Buddha bestowed predictions on us in this way, for our time now, after He entered Parinirvana. So, in the Chapter on Dharma Masters, this is the key point. He hoped that everyone values the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra is the path to Buddhahood. The Lotus Sutra is to help us understand that everyone can attain Buddhahood. It is a path that requires us to put the teachings into practice. It is a path we are able to walk.

So, “The Buddha told Medicine King, ‘After the Tathagata enters Parinirvana….'” This refers to the period after. Sakyamuni Buddha enters Parinirvana.

The Buddha told Medicine King, “After the Tathagata enters Parinirvana”: The above describes the time when the Buddha was in the world and after He entered Parinirvana.

This expresses how, during the Buddha’s time, He had already taught the Lotus Sutra. In the seven to eight years of [teaching] it, He was getting near the time when He was to enter Parinirvana, so He constantly intensified His tone. He kept on hoping that everyone would value the Lotus Sutra, value listening, contemplating and practicing. Everyone needs to put it into action on the Bodhisattva-path. So, from the time the Buddha was alive, until after He entered Parinirvana, He constantly hoped to quickly help everyone know the importance of this sutra, the key point of transmitting it in the world; He felt most urgent about this, because the Lotus Sutra [contains] the Buddha’s original intent. This Lotus Sutra [contains His intent], from when He attained Buddhahood until. He freely expressed it in the end. So, He repeatedly reminded us, hoping everyone would truly put it into action.

Thus, [it says,] “If there are people who hear the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, even one verse or one phrase, and give rise to a thought of joy….” They were like this. When they listened to this sutra, to one verse or phrase, they would have a thought of joy; they would give rise to a thought of joy.

If there are people who hear the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, even one verse or one phrase, and give rise to a thought of joy: This refers to those who hear one verse or one phrase of this sutra and give rise to a thought of joy. A verse is composed of four lines. The power of one verse is as much as that of giving rise to a thought of joy.

A verse is composed of four lines. We often pay respect and prostrate to the sutra. The verses we make prostrations to are four lines each. These are things we understand very well. Each verse contains a wondrously profound teachings, so we should be mindful. A verse composed of four lines has a complete teaching in it. If we can remember this verse in our hearts, in our daily living, with one phrase every day, or a verse every day, we can experience [the truth] in our lives. Among the Dharma and all true principles of the universe, we should be able to know everything. We should be able to comprehend how the Buddha put His heartfelt effort into this.

After the prose passages follow the verses that repeat [the teachings]. These help us remember. The same Dharma must be repeated like this, so that we are very familiar with it, so we can take the Dharma to heart and imprint it in our minds. Everything we do and everything we say, all of our actions, are all inseparable from the Dharma in our lives. This is the Buddha’s compassion and the Buddha’s teachings for us. Look at how long the Lotus Sutra is. The Buddha, with His compassion, worried that we would become indolent. He worried that with such a long sutra, we would not have the heart to recite and read it all the way through and understand it all, that we might not have the patience. So, the Buddha quickly told us, “You just need to listen right away. With even one phrase or one verse of four lines, what you hear can arouse your interest, and from what you hear you can realize and understand.” We can comprehend in our daily living that actually our lives are the Dharma in this four-line verse. He hoped everyone, with regard to this Dharma, would plant these seeds in the fields of our minds. As long as we plant the seeds, we will have the causes and conditions to encounter the Buddha-Dharma again.

This is like what we just said about the young Mr. Wang. He was already a Tzu Chi member and people had invited him [before]. When he became a Tzu Chi member, he already planted the seeds in his mind. So, he listened to the Dharma and knew “Doing good and being filial cannot wait.” He had to go among people and form good affinities. He knew all of this. But, once the causes and conditions matured, during Mother’s Day, as he was hosting the radio show, he asked people for songs thanking their moms. His missed his mom on Mother’s Day. These are causes and conditions! Our Tzu Chi volunteer just so happened to hear it. This Tzu Chi volunteer, a taxi driver, was himself undergoing dialysis. Afterwards, after they met, Mr. Wang was moved by [the taxi driver]. Mr. Wang felt that though the [taxi driver] was not healthy, the man wanted to be self-reliant, so the man drove a taxi and kept on sharing my teachings with his passengers. He was thus able to guide Mr. Wang to join Tzu Chi. Mr. Wang was moved by this man. This is what we call causes and conditions.

Each phrase, each verse are all seeds; they are all causes and conditions. So, “The power of one phrase and one verse is as much as that of giving rise to a thought of joy.” This is how it is; even with one phrase or one verse, when they hear it, they are happy. Whether we speak one phrase or one verse to others does not matter; once others hear it, they are happy; they take joy in it. This is also spreading seeds. Being a farmer of the minds of ordinary people is very good too. [We can] sow the seed of a single thought in people’s minds.

“I also bestow on them predictions of. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

I also bestow on them predictions of. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: I also bestow on them predictions of attaining Buddhahood.

As long as everyone can, in a single thought, accept this Dharma, even a short phrase, one verse or one phrase, this can awaken the joy people have toward the Dharma. For these kinds of people, the Buddha began to bestow upon them predictions for the future, which means that all of them could be called Dharma masters. So now, when we see a monastic, we will call him a Dharma master. Has he spread the seeds of the Dharma in sentient beings’ minds? People who renounce the lay life are referred to as Blessed-field Monastics. I hope we cultivate our own fields of blessings and eliminate our afflictions and ignorance. The Buddha said that those who eliminate afflictions and help sentient beings spread the seeds and plant a blessing are called Blessed-field monastics. Blessed-field Monastics must have the Dharma to share with people who give [them alms]. Thus, they cultivate in each other’s minds, the minds of sentient beings. Everyone should be a farmer of sentient beings’ minds, cultivating purity to people’s minds. The Buddha taught us in this way, hoping we all would take the Dharma to heart.

So, the Buddha said, “I also bestow on them predictions.” He also bestowed predictions, bestowed predictions for the future. Although they had not heard much of the Dharma, the Buddha bestowed distant predictions, predictions for a long time into the future.

I will also bestow on them predictions: In the future, people will hear only few teachings. The Buddha also bestowed on them distant predictions.

It is like those 2000 disciples. It could be that these 2000 disciples had not yet formed Great Vehicle aspirations, but the Buddha also bestowed predictions on them. At the start of the Chapter on Dharma Masters, He asked Medicine King Bodhisattva if he had seen the 80,000 great beings. “Have you seen the 80,000 great beings?” Where are these 80,000 great beings? [They were] the eight classes of Dharma-protectors and those in the world who sought to be Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas and those who sought the path to Buddhahood. For those who have the aspirations, the Buddha bestowed predictions on them all. Of course, for future sentient beings who would likewise accept this Dharma, the Buddha also bestowed distant predictions; He bestowed predictions for far in the future. Now, we can uphold the Lotus Sutra, which means we likewise can become Dharma masters. We can be teachers who uphold, expound and transmit the Dharma.

So, “This shows that for this sutra, whether during His manifestation or after His entering Parinirvana….”

This shows that for this sutra, whether during His manifestation or after His entering Parinirvana, once people are able to hear it, one verse will open their hearts and one phrase will illuminate their minds. If we give a jewel to a conscious man, the man may hear but not understand. Those who are unaware or have no faith are like a drunken man being given a jewel.

Whether in the present or the future, although the Buddha’s time has passed, this sutra will always be in the world, always helping people become Bodhisattvas. So, whether before, during His manifestation or after His entering Parinirvana, this sutra is always everlasting. “One verse will open their hearts.” One phrase can make people happy; one verse can let people rejoice and change their perspectives on life. We often hear about people turning their lives around, changing their perspectives and changing from the past confusion of their lives to being well-grounded now. There are many such stories! This is how “One verse will open their hearts.” As long as we listen and, after listening, implement it in our lives, we can use all kinds of analogies to share this with everyone.

So, “[with] one phrase,” our minds open up entirely. The meanings are so great; [Our minds] are like the sky, completely illuminated and bright.

Just now, everyone was diligently practicing in the morning recitation. When I came out, the sky was dark, but after I finish later, look to the front and you can see the sky is already bright. This means time had passed. Actually, when we listen and take the Dharma to heart, it is like the sky becoming illuminated; our minds become radiant. “If we give a jewel to a conscious man,” it is like saying to a clear-minded man, “Come, I will give you a jewel. Once you receive this jewel, you must earnestly comprehend and understand it.”

“The man may hear but not understand. Those who are unaware or have no faith are like a drunken man being given a jewel.” If we only listen to the Dharma and are unwilling to understand it, to believe in it, then we are like the drunken man. A jewel was put in his [clothes], but he did not know about it and remained very poor, wandering in the streets like that.

So, it is like 16 princes’ era, when they sat at the place of practice, repeating the Lotus Sutra.

This is exactly like the 16 princes sitting in their places of practice as they expounded the Dharma again. Thus, the jewel attained today is the one the novices gave us in the past. The jewel being given today is the cause for the attainment of future disciples.

So, we must know that beginningless kalpas ago, during the 16 princes’ time, we already listened to this sutra at the Buddha’s feet, but we did not apply it. Furthermore, we accumulated ignorance over lifetimes. Therefore, now, “We obtain the jewel today.” The causes and conditions have now matured in this life, and we listen to the sutra again. This is “the [jewel] the novices gave us in the past.” During the 16 princes’ time, we were in the same period as they were. We listened to the sutra the 16 princes taught, and they had already given us a jewel before. So, “The jewel being given today is the cause for the attainment of future disciples.” What we hear today will continue on in the future.

Dear Bodhisattvas, as Buddhist practitioners, we must be like this. We must understand that we have this jewel on us. From before Beginningless Time, we have already had it. This is just like now; when we listen to the Dharma every day, are we applying it in our daily living? If we are using it, if we make use of the jewel in our daily living, we should be able to spread seeds of goodness and thus continue on into the future. This is so as long as we are always mindful!

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Posted on June 23, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Episode 1199 – The Smallest Seed Leads to Buddhahood

>> Those taking joy in others’ merits will thus attain the fruit of Buddhahood. This is even more so for those who are replete in the teachings, who completely accept and uphold them and make offerings of the Threefold Karma. Those hearing the Dharma with little understanding will still receive predictions, which is to say nothing of those who safeguard the Dharma-treasury for dust-inked kalpas.

>> …of countless heavenly beings, dragon kings, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, human and non-human beings as well as bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, those seeking to be Hearers, those seeking to be Pratyekabuddhas, those seeking the path to Buddhahood, these and other kinds of beings.

>> Upon all those present before the Buddha who listen to the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, if hearing one verse or phrase of it they give rise to a thought of joy, I bestow on all of them predictions of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

>> Upon all those present before the Buddha who listen to the Wondrous Lotus Sutra: 80,000 great noble beings were all present before the Buddha and able to listen to the wondrous Dharma. Upon all those present before the Buddha: This explains that they all encountered the Buddha teaching the Dharma at the same time.

>> If hearing one verse or phrase of it they give rise to a thought of joy: Refers to those who hear even one verse or phrase, who, upon hearing the sutra, give rise to joy in their hearts. This means that those who heard this sutra, even one verse or one phrase, would ultimately attain Buddhahood.

>> If people with scattered minds enter the stupas or temples, once they recite, ‘Namo Buddha,’ they have realized the path to Buddhahood.

>> This even includes children at play who use grass, a tree branch, reeds or their fingernails to draw an image of the Buddha.

>> People like this will gradually accumulate merits and virtues and are replete with a heart of great compassion. They will already be on the path to Buddhahood.

>> This is to say nothing of those who encounter the Buddha now and faithfully accept this sutra, who cannot but give rise to faith and understanding. They put their understanding into practice and, through actions, fully realize the fruits. This sutra specifically reveals all kinds of the Tathagata’s teachings. Be they of the Small Vehicle or Great Dharma, they are all the Great Vehicle. This means they are all for the purpose of helping sentient beings gradually attain Buddhahood.

>> Taking joy in others’ merits: They experience joy at hearing the Dharma and rejoice along with others. This means they rejoice along with others but do not have the deep faith to accept and practice the teachings.

>> Those who take joy in others’ merits or even once thought to follow them will also receive the predictions of attaining Buddhahood in the future. Because their minds take joy in others, they do not reject others. With joy, they will be able to have faith. Faith is the source of the Way, mother of merits. This thought of faith and joy is the vajra for accepting and understanding the wondrous Dharma.>> I bestow on them all predictions that” “they will attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi”: The Buddha predicted that these people and so on would all attain enlightenment. The Buddha predicted that those people would all attain enlightenment. So, the Buddha gave predictions for those 2000. Regardless of whether their capabilities were deep or shallow, He still bestowed predictions upon them.

>> [The Buddha] established the Three Vehicles according to capabilities. They are each different but eventually return to one sutra, integrating the Buddha’s wondrous skillful teachings. From this, we know there is no Dharma that is taught for the Two Vehicle practitioners. Thus, for those in the presence of the Buddha who hear the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, the Buddha bestowed predictions upon them.

“Those taking joy in others’ merits will thus attain the fruit of Buddhahood.
This is even more so for those who are replete in the teachings,
who completely accept and uphold them
and make offerings of the Threefold Karma. Those hearing the Dharma with little understanding will still receive predictions,
which is to say nothing of those who safeguard the Dharma-treasury for dust-inked kalpas.”

Let us mindfully understand this! “Those taking joy in others’ merits will thus attain the fruit of Buddhahood. This is even more so for those who are replete [in the teachings].” This means that merit exists in taking joy in the merits of others. In the Chapter on 500 Disciples Receiving Predictions and the Chapter on Those at and beyond Learning, there were those who, due to their causes and conditions, found themselves there at that Dharma-assembly listening to the Buddha-Dharma, who listened to the Buddha there as He bestowed predictions upon His great disciples. They rejoiced and gave rise to thoughts of joy. They were able to receive predictions of Buddhahood. How much truer it is for those who are truly mindful, form great aspirations and make great vows and practice according to the teachings by going among the people. Whether they transformed sentient beings, used their wisdom, spiritual power and their virtue, they devoted their entire lives and dedicated themselves to the Buddha’s Sangha.

It took great causes, great conditions and great retribution to be there assisting the Buddha in His Dharma-assembly. The Buddha bestowed predictions upon each of them one by one. Even those who took joy in other’s merits and formed aspirations received predictions from the Buddha. “Those who took joy in others’ merits will thus attain the fruit of Buddhahood.” Just like that, for those who formed the aspiration to seek [the Dharma], the Buddha bestowed predictions upon them, telling them for how much longer in the future they must practice like this, making offerings to very many Buddhas, and they would all attain Buddhahood in the future. This is not to mention if we form great aspirations and make great vows? We have been mindful. In the past, we dedicated all our lives to accepting and upholding the Dharma and mindfully made offerings of our Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind. We accepted the Buddha’s teachings and put them into practice among the people. Of course, this way we too will receive the Buddha’s predictions.

This all helps us understand the merit from “faithfully accepting and practicing.” Even if we are only taking joy in others’ merits, when we take the Dharma to heart, we must be mindful and exercise a heart of joy and faith. Truly, even just a few words, or even a single phrase or verse, if we can absorb it, we can apply it. If it benefits others, we can go give of ourselves. This also brings merit. Having had the chance to listen, even a few words will be enough for us to accept and uphold through our entire lives.

This is like when I took refuge under my Master, Master [Yin Shun]; the teaching he gave me was short. It was only six words, [“For Buddha’s teachings,”] [“for sentient beings”]. Yet, I have devoted my entire life to it! Although I did not have much understanding, I was nevertheless determined to just do it. For the past 50 years, it has been the same for me every day; this is what I have been doing. I will do this not only in this lifetime, but in every lifetime to come. I will do this wherever I may be in the future. Though they are only six words, I dedicate my entire life to serving others, always willingly and joyfully. Since I do it willingly and joyfully, whatever the future may bring, wherever I may go in every lifetime to come, I will still do the same. I feel that I have not yet finished, that I must continue in whatever realm I may be in.

One time 20 or 30 years ago, there was a group of newly-inspired. Tzu Chi commissioners in Taipei. I was in Taipei. This group was very happy, and everyone gathered around me. There were three sisters, called “Eldest, Second Eldest and Third Eldest.” Although not sisters by blood, they were sworn sisters and were united by the same mission and path. From the beginning, they went around to different spiritual centers [together]. Wherever there was a Dharma-assembly, they would go and support that spiritual centers.

Later, through Jing Ming’s guidance, they all came into Tzu Chi. Whenever I was in Taipei, these three sisters would almost always be there by my side. They were very devoted to Tzu Chi, and they also brought in many members. They loved listening to the Buddha-Dharma, and they loved asking questions as well. One day, Second Eldest said to me, “Master, your formed such great aspirations to build the hospital. We are very grateful and joyful, for it allows us to form good affinities with others. Whether someone donates a single brick or bag of cement, when we think that these can build a hospital and save people, we rejoice! Master, your merits are boundless! But, Master, what about the future? In your next lifetime, where will you go?”

I looked at them and said, “Wherever I go next life, will you follow me?” One exclaimed, “Yes! Master, you have to let me follow you closely!” I sighed, then I asked them, “And should I choose to go to hell next lifetime?” At this, they were taken aback momentarily. They just kept looking at me. “You don’t dare to follow me, right?” After thinking for a moment, Eldest said, “I will go, Master!” Patting Second Eldest, she told her, “Silly child! If Master should go to hell, she is going there to transform people! Earth Treasury Bodhisattva [vowed], ‘Until hell is empty, ‘I will not attain Buddhahood.’ If Master goes to help transform others there, then how could we not follow her?” Third Eldest then said, “That’s right, we don’t need to be afraid. We just need to follow Master closely!”

When I think of this, I realize that taking joy in others’ merits also brings merits. Whatever the future may bring and whether it brings merit, we do not need to think that much about it. We just do it. We choose what is right, and then we just do it. We should listen to the Dharma, but what is the Dharma? Whatever my Master wanted me to do, I just did it. It was just six words, just two phrases. Was this actually the Dharma? I just did it. If I say I will go to hell, is this actually the Dharma? I told them [about going to hell], and they took joy in it. Everyone listened, and they were all very joyful. Everyone said, “That’s right! It was exhausting for Earth Treasury Bodhisattva to transform sentient beings in hell. Didn’t Master just mention this a few days ago? We must stand before the gates of hell. As humans, we should form more aspirations to help everyone to do more good deeds, so they naturally will not end up in hell. Just a few days ago when. Master was teaching the Medicine Buddha Sutra, wasn’t this what she was saying?” They thought about it again and said, “That’s right! We should do good deeds every day! We should just do it!”

So, taking joy in others’ merits also brings merits. The merit of taking joy in others’ merits is just as great of a merit. Why is it just as great? Because we can call many together to all form aspirations at the same time. Through the strength of numbers, we can naturally bring purity to the world. Many are needed at the same time if we are to bring purity to the world. It is possible to take joy in good, but it is also possible to take joy in evil. So, in rejoicing with others, we must be mindful in understanding just exactly what we are “taking joy” in.

In the past, when the Buddha was in the world, there lived a great elder in the city of Rajagrha. He was very wealthy and had a son about to marry. When his son was getting married, many relatives and friends came to wish them well. The wedding was very lavish and lively. After seven days, the newlyweds thought, “Why not go out for a stroll?” There was a beautiful back garden, so they said, “Come, let’s go for a stroll in the back garden!” And with that the young man invited his beautiful wife, and with hands held, they went to the back garden. Being very much in love, they enjoyed the spring day there. Spring had just begun, and though the trees were just starting to bud, some flowers were already blooming lushly.

Some were just then blooming, while others were already in full bloom. The young wife spotted a cluster of flowers, just then in full bloom. She became excited, and turning to her husband, she said, “Look at those flowers in full bloom! They are all so beautiful! Every branch is so lush!” The young wife became overjoyed. The husband looked at where she was pointing, and she said, “Look how pretty those flowers are!” The young man wanted to make his wife even happier, so he climbed up the tree to reach out and break off the branch with the flowers. As he tried to break the branch, he took another step. The branch he stood on was not thick enough, so it could not support him. The branch [he stepped on] broke; both he and the branch fell to the ground, and he died there on the spot.

This was a bolt from the blue for that family. How sad it was! They had only the one son, and his wedding had just taken place seven days earlier! How could such a thing happen? When word got out, all of those relatives who had come to celebrate seven days before, who came from afar for just a few days before returning, had only just returned home. And now they received this news, so friends and relatives from near and far again had to come back to this family. The wedding lanterns were still hanging in the family’s home. The servants had begun to take them down and began changing the wedding decorations into funeral decorations. Mournful weeping was nevertheless heard within, for family and friends kept arriving in groups.

During this time, everyone in the city talked about this every day, but several days later, it was time for the funeral. At this time, the Buddha just happened to be entering the city. He heard people discussing how that family was shrouded in a mist of sorrow and was suffering unbearably. As the Buddha walked around, He heard the story. During this time, someone brought news of the Buddha’s arrival to the family. One of the family’s relatives said to the elder, “Perhaps we can invite the Buddha to come here to speak to us. Why did such a thing happen to us? Why should such a thing happen to us? Shall I invite the Buddha to see if perhaps. He can explain this to us?” So, he quickly went into the city to invite the Buddha and His disciples to their home.

The Buddha’s magnificence and the demeanor of the disciples was such that when they entered the family’s home, the sorrowful atmosphere there totally lifted, like black clouds completely dispersing. Their melancholy lifted, their minds had calmed down and the sound of wailing was no longer heard. Being able to admire the Buddha’s dignified appearance, everyone was [filled with] Dharma-joy. Merely laying eyes upon the Buddha caused joy to arise in their hearts. The elder prostrated himself before the Buddha, all the family and relatives did the same, and the elder said to the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha! I had only the one son, and we had just celebrated his wedding when such a thing happened to him. What could possibly be the causes and conditions for such a thing to happen to us?”

The Buddha said, “Life has always been impermanent. Those flowers are blooming so lushly on that tree. In this season, those flowers are blooming lushly; but after the bloom, after the season has passed, what happens to the tree then?” Someone answered, “After the flowers bloom, some flowers bear fruit while other flowers just fall to the ground.” The Buddha replied, “Yes, some flowers just fall to the ground, while other flowers bear fruit. And what happens when the fruit ripens? If the fruit is not picked, what happens to it when it ripens?” Again, everyone answered, “If the fruit ripens without being picked, then it too will fall to the ground.” The Buddha told them, “Yes! Our lives as humans are just the same. When causes and conditions mature, we come to the world. When causes and conditions are exhausted, they follow the law of nature; when affinities have ended we then leave.”

But then another exclaimed, “Venerable Buddha! He was so very young! Why did something like this happen to someone so young?” The Buddha told them, “The present fruit is the result of a past cause.” Everyone drew nearer to hear what this past cause might have been. He said, “In the past there was a youth, a teenager; he was very young. He was fond of archery and liked shooting down birds. That was his life; he liked to hunt and shoot down birds. One day, he went out to play with three friends and brought his bow and his arrows with him. The youth who brought his bow and arrows then saw some birds in a tree, and said to his three friends, ‘Watch! I can shoot accurately Do you believe me?’ The three replied, ‘We believe you can shoot accurately!'”

But the one who wanted to shoot told them, “Look at those birds. Point to a bird for me. No matter which branch this bird is on, I will shoot him and bring him down.” One of them then pointed, “That bird, the one in that tree, sitting on the tip of the branch. Would you be able to hit him? Why wouldn’t I?” So, raising his bow and arrow, and taking his stance, he shot that arrow and the bird fell to the ground. The three clapped excitedly, praising him, saying, “You are amazing!”

The Buddha told the story up to here and said, “Did you know? The one who always carried the bow and arrow with him everywhere, the one who liked to hunt was your son. The two broken-hearted parents, the two of you, were the ones who were taking joy.”

So, when we speak of “taking joy,” it does not mean we simply take joy in whatever we may see others doing. In our society today, when it comes to mistakes, or things we do not understand, if we take joy in these, we can also create great karma. People today need to be even more mindful. Nevertheless, taking joy in others’ good deeds creates boundless merit! Look at the internet today. There are so many things on it that are untrue, yet people nevertheless support these falsehoods. “When one speaks a lie, thousands propagate it as the truth.” This too creates karma. Look at how calamities are created and how people became refugees. This is something we can all understand well.

In terms of the Buddha-Dharma we teach now, since over 2000 years ago the Buddha, wanted us to take joy in it, to rejoice in goodness when we see it and continually pass it on like this. [This is like] the three sisters who said, “Master, we are so grateful! Because you are building the hospital, for every single bag of cement or brick, we can put our hearts into getting to know so many other people, into guiding and transforming so many others.” This is taking joy in others’ merit. Even if it was a single brick or bag of cement, they could take joy in others’ merit, for it resulted in many people being saved. Moreover, those taking joy in the merits of others were all Tzu Chi commissioners. Who knows how many good affinities they have formed by going among people? Although time has passed and they too have gotten older in accordance with the laws of nature, even in this lifetime, they have already planted so many good causes. They paved a smooth Bodhi-path inch by inch with love.

There are many who say, “So-and-so brought me [into Tzu Chi]. Although he is no longer with us, we still miss him very much!” Those whom we miss may even now be among our many little Bodhisattvas. That might be the case. For dust-inked kalpas, they have been replete in the teachings, completely accepting and upholding them, making offerings of their Threefold Karma. This was how they listened to the Dharma. After hearing it, they put it into practice. After practicing it, they passed it down. We are quite certain that people like this right now are among our little Bodhisattvas. [There are also others] of “little understanding,” [who say] “I have heard it. OK! Out of joy I will donate.” Taking joy like this enables us to attain merit ourselves, as donation become drops in a vast ocean [of merits].

People will say, “I too donated money to help build this hospital! When so-and-so approached me for money, I never dreamed that one day my own life would be saved by this hospital!” It is true! This is the cycle of love, the cycle of goodness. It is like those 2000 who listened to the sutra; the Buddha bestowed predictions on them too. Some time in the very distant future, they too will attain Buddhahood, will all simultaneously attain Buddhahood and go and transform sentient beings. There were also many with deep affinities who have protected and upheld the Dharma-treasury for dust-inked kalpas. The Buddha specifically named them to bestow predictions on them and described their causes and conditions. Indeed! Some had deep affinities, while others had shallow ones, but all had begun by taking joy in the merit of others. Some had very mindfully gone and served others.

So, we must put effort into doing good deeds. It is not enough with a person’s two hands; thousands of hands are needed if we are going to change the world. This is why we often recite the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva; she has 1000 hands and 1000 eyes. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings [says], “One gives rise to infinity; infinity arises from one.” When everyone shares the joy, when everyone shares about the good deeds, then our society will be harmonious, and there will be many good deeds done!

Let us look at the previous sutra passage,

“…of countless heavenly beings, dragon kings, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, human and non-human beings as well as bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, those seeking to be Hearers, those seeking to be Pratyekabuddhas, those seeking the path to Buddhahood, these and other kinds of beings.”

The World-Honored One asked Medicine King Bodhisattva, “Do you see that? There are 80,000 great beings.” These 80,000 great beings included the eight classes of Dharma-protectors and included humans. [Monastic] practitioners, [such as] bhiksus and bhiksunis, and lay practitioners, [such as] upasakas and upasikas, as well as Small Vehicle practitioners, Middle Vehicle practitioners and also those who sought the Great Vehicle Dharma are all included there. These were the ones who took joy in others’ merits. The eight classes of Dharma-protectors and humans are of a total of 80,000. The Buddha is asking Medicine King Bodhisattva, “Do you see them?”

Next it goes on to say,

Upon all those present before the Buddha who listen to the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, if hearing one verse or phrase of it they give rise to a thought of joy, I bestow on all of them predictions of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

In other words, He referred to all 80,000 great beings there as “Bodhisattvas.” Those 80,000 sentient beings were “present before the Buddha.” All 80,000 were there before the Buddha, listening to the Wondrous Lotus Sutra. There were even associators who happened to be there listening. The eight classes of Dharma-protectors were all there listening, and there were also humans listening too. All the 80,000 great beings were there listening to the Dharma like this.

Upon all those present before the Buddha who listen to the Wondrous Lotus Sutra: 80,000 great noble beings were all present before the Buddha and able to listen to the wondrous Dharma. Upon all those present before the Buddha: This explains that they all encountered the Buddha teaching the Dharma at the same time.

So, it says “at the same time.” All were there at the same time. Even if it was just for a short while, they were all born during the Buddha’s lifetime. Sakyamuni Buddha attained Buddhahood. At that time, besides humans, there were the eight classes of Dharma-protectors present at that same time. When the Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra, if they were able to stop for a while to listen to even “one verse or phrase of it they give rise to a thought of joy.” Upon hearing it, joy arose inside of them.

If hearing one verse or phrase of it they give rise to a thought of joy: Refers to those who hear even one verse or phrase, who, upon hearing the sutra, give rise to joy in their hearts. This means that those who heard this sutra, even one verse or one phrase, would ultimately attain Buddhahood.

This is saying joy arose in them just by hearing the Dharma. When they heard this sutra, even a single phrase or verse from it, would give rise to joy. Any sentient being like this, after listening to this sutra, “hearing one verse or phrase of it,” would ultimately be able to attain Buddhahood. If you listen to even a single verse or phrase of this sutra and take it to heart, it will become causes and conditions, it will become a seed. Even if you hear just a phrase once, a seed will have already entered your mind.

In the Lotus Sutra’s Chapter on Skillful Means, there is a sutra passage that says,

“If people with scattered minds enter the stupas or temples, Once they recite, ‘Namo Buddha,’ they have realized the path to Buddhahood.”

Does everyone still remember this passage from reciting the Lotus Sutra?

Then it says, “This even includes children at play who use grass, a tree branch, reeds or their fingernails to draw an image of the Buddha.”

This even includes children at play who use grass, a tree branch, reeds or their fingernails to draw an image of the Buddha.
“Use grass, a tree branch, reeds” means using grass as a pen. “Or their fingernails” means one may even use the hands and nails to make a drawing, “to draw an image of the Buddha.” Even if a child, while playing, using a piece of grass, a tree branch, or a reed, like a stalk of grass, draws an image of the Buddha at will, “People like this will gradually accumulate merits.” Sine he is drawing an image of the Buddha, it means that the Buddha is in his heart. No matter how or what the conditions he is in is like, he just needs to have an image of the Buddha in his mind. “People like this will gradually accumulate merits and virtues.”

People like this will gradually accumulate merits and virtues and are replete with a heart of great compassion. They will already be on the path to Buddhahood.

When you draw an image of the Buddha, if you draw it joyfully, if the image is magnificent, then that image of the Buddha will gradually enter your mind, so that you become “replete with a heart of great compassion.” By taking that image to heart, our minds will naturally take the Buddha-mind as our own, and gradually we become replete with great compassion. We “will already be on the path to Buddhahood.” Most importantly, it is to have such a beginning, for the compassion then gradually accumulates. Even for a child at play, he may think, “I want to draw the Buddha.” Having drawn the Buddha, he then pays respect to the Buddha. This comes from already having good thoughts in his mind.

As he continues drawing magnificent images of the Buddha, it leaves an impression upon his mind. Naturally, in his own mind, he begins cultivating great compassion, wishing he could save sentient beings. Great compassion, “unconditional loving-kindness, universal compassion,” gradually accumulate in his mind. By putting this [compassion] into action, he is then able to save others. This way, he is walking the Bodhisattva-path, gradually on the path Buddhahood. This is a passage in the Chapter on Skillful Means.

So, “Hearing one verse or one phrase of it,” by hearing even a single verse or phrase and keeping it in mind, it is called a seed. When a child draws an image of the Buddha, it does not matter if he uses a stalk of grass, his fingernail or his hand to draw. When someone draws an image of the Buddha, or hears even a single verse, the seeds of drawing near the Buddha and seeds of the Dharma have been taken to heart.

So, “This is to say nothing of those who encounter the Buddha now and faithfully accept this sutra.”

This is to say nothing of those who encounter the Buddha now and faithfully accept this sutra, who cannot but give rise to faith and understanding. They put their understanding into practice and, through actions, fully realize the fruits. This sutra specifically reveals all kinds of the Tathagata’s teachings. Be they of the Small Vehicle or Great Dharma, they are all the Great Vehicle. This means they are all for the purpose of helping sentient beings gradually attain Buddhahood.

“Now” refers to the time of the Buddha, when there were 80,000 great noble beings, when the Buddha turned to Medicine King and said, “These 80,000 are all Bodhisattvas. Even if they only hear a single phrase or verse, they too will one day attain Buddhahood,” So, “they cannot but give rise to faith and understanding.” We must have faith. The Buddha spoke to Medicine King Bodhisattva about “faith.” When we listen to the Dharma, we must take it to heart and have faith; we must believe. Because if we believe, we will be able to understand. If we do not believe, then we will never understand. You have to believe, for only when you believe can you then realize, can you then understand. “Through actions, [they] fully realize the fruits.” Without faith and understanding, how can you practice it? If you do not practice it, how will you ever be able to realize the fruit? So, with faith, if we can have deep faith in a single phrase, we can naturally come to realize, come to comprehend the great path and naturally form supreme aspirations. This is how it has always been.

So, “This sutra specifically reveals all kinds of the Tathagata’s teachings. Be they of the Small Vehicle or Great Dharma, they are all the Great Vehicle.” All [teachings] come together as the Great Vehicle Dharma. In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha returned the Three to the One. The Small Vehicle and Middle Vehicle had by then already been returned to the One. The Great and Small Vehicles had already been brought together. The Buddha-Dharma is universal. The few verses and phrases from the Small Vehicle are all part of the treasury of the Buddha-Dharma. He started with the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, which contain profound and mysterious Dharma. When we put effort into believing, understanding, cultivating and putting it into practice, we are always actualize the Six Paramitas in all of our actions. So, they are all the Great Vehicle, [meaning that they are] “all for the purpose of helping sentient beings.” According to their capabilities, it helps them gradually engage in spiritual practice, gradually accept the Dharma, practice it and attain Buddhahood. This is the function of the Lotus Sutra.

Taking joy in others’ merits means they experience joy upon hearing the Dharma and “rejoice along with others.”

Taking joy in others’ merits: They experience joy at hearing the Dharma and rejoice along with others. This means they rejoice along with others but do not have the deep faith to accept and practice the teachings.

When they first hear of how everyone is listening to the Dharma, how everyone is listening so intently, they also listen to it. Even by just listening once, hearing only one phrase, or hearing only one verse, a seed has been planted inside them.

“Seeing everyone so joyful in such a magnificent Dharma-assembly and listening to the Dharma, it makes joy arise in me too!” So, we rejoice along with others. This is “rejoicing along with others.” They may still not have the deep faith to accept and practice it; they are merely taking joy in others’ merits. Some people say, “Since you have asked me for a donation, I will donate for just this once.” Even once is fine. They still gain great merit from this.

Even if you say, “I will come today, but not tomorrow,” this is fine too! You came today, so we have one more person at the spiritual center. The more who come, the more magnificent the spiritual center. This is also taking joy in others’ merits.

For “those who take joy in others’ merits or even once thought to follow them,” it will be the same; they “will also receive the predictions of attaining Buddhahood in the future.” It is like the 2000 there at the training ground. They never dared think, “Will we receive the Buddha’s predictions?” They never imagined the Buddha would bestow predictions on them all. It is the same principle.

Those who take joy in others’ merits or even once thought to follow them will also receive the predictions of attaining Buddhahood in the future. Because their minds take joy in others, they do not reject others. With joy, they will be able to have faith. Faith is the source of the Way, mother of merits. This thought of faith and joy is the vajra for accepting and understanding the wondrous Dharma.

So, “Because their minds are supple and joyful, they do not reject others.” As long as they take joy in listening to the Dharma,

“With joy, they will be able to have faith.” By rejoicing with the others, they had gained faith. Even if it is a small amount of faith, “Faith is the source of the Way, mother of merits.” It starts with “one thought of faith and joy.” Once you begin to believe, then joy arises. This then becomes “acceptance and understanding.” One can then take this Dharma and become willing to accept it. Even if it is small amount, just a little, there is still some faith there. If even a single thought of joy arises from listening to the Dharma, then this becomes the diamond seed for accepting and understanding the wondrous Dharma.

Once the Dharma is in the mind it never disappears. It remains there forever. Dust-inked kalpas ago, this seed was there. Even if we multiplied our ignorance over the course of many lifetimes, that seed from dust-inked kalpas ago still remains. This is because we all intrinsically have intrinsic Buddha-nature; our minds are intrinsically good. “Human nature is inherently good.” It is always there. So, as soon as we hear the Dharma, we have the ability to take it to heart. The seed is still there, so we in the future too will have the causes and conditions to receive predictions.

So, the Buddha said, “I bestow on all of them predictions that they will attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.” For people like these, their seeds will very gradually come to ripen in the future, so they too will in the end attain Buddhahood.

The Buddha bestowed predictions upon those 2000. Regardless of whether their capabilities were deep or shallow, He still bestowed predictions upon them.

So, “[The Buddha] established the Three Vehicles according to capabilities. They each are different but eventually return to one sutra, integrating the Buddha’s wondrous skillful teachings.”

[The Buddha] established the Three Vehicles according to capabilities. They are each different but eventually return to one sutra, integrating the Buddha’s wondrous skillful teachings. From this, we know there is no Dharma that is taught for the Two Vehicle practitioners. Thus, for those in the presence of the Buddha who hear the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, the Buddha bestowed predictions upon them.

So, we can understand why the Buddha established Three Vehicles. It was because sentient beings’ capabilities are all different. The Buddha’s compassion was such that. He could not bear to lose even a single sentient being, so He used wondrous skillful teachings. “We know that there was not just one Dharma that was taught to the Two Vehicle practitioners.” He taught every teaching for the Great Vehicle practitioners. He would never have finished at the Two Vehicles. He had the Small Vehicle and the Middle Vehicle, but the Buddha ultimately had to complete them with Great Vehicle teaching.

“Thus, for those in the presence of the Buddha who hear the wondrous Lotus Sutra, the Buddha bestowed predictions upon them.” When the Buddha began teaching the Lotus Sutra, this was considered the Great Vehicle Dharma. In the Lotus Sutra, even a short phrase is part of the Great Dharma, for it plants a seed of the Great Vehicle Dharma in the mind. So, the Buddha was certain to bestow predictions upon all [of those listening].

In summary, the seeds of the Great Vehicle teaching that enter our minds all are there to teach us. The smallest seed, the smallest goodness, whatever you give, will bring merit. Your thoughts of faith are the seeds of Bodhi in your mind. The Buddha had compassion such that. He taught us with skillful means. We should always be mindful!

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Posted on June 23, 2024June 23, 2024 by Scott Ogata