Author: Scott Ogata

Episode 1106 – Predictions of Buddhahood Are Given in Sequence

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>> “The Hearer-disciples were of superior, average or limited capabilities. In understanding the Buddha’s original intent and receiving predictions, some came before others. In the Chapter on Parables, Sariputra first received a prediction. Having been nourished in the Chapter on Medicinal Plants, the four great disciples received predictions.”

>> For disciples who formed great aspirations to uphold the Bodhisattva Way of the Great Vehicle, the Buddha bestowed predictions, promising in the future that they would definitely attain Buddhahood. Those of average capabilities, Kasyapa et al., the four great Hearers, turned from the Small to the Great. In the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions, the Buddha taught those four [disciples] that they would attain Buddhahood in the future, thereby bestowing predictions upon them.

>> “At that time, Purna Maitrayaniputra heard from the Buddha how, with wisdom of skillful means, He accordingly and suitably taught the Dharma. Purna also heard Him bestow on the four great disciples predictions of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

>> Purna when translated means “filled wish.” By a full river, his father prayed to the Brahma heavens for a son. The river was exactly at its fullest. He also dreamed of a vessel of seven treasures, filled with treasures, entering the mother’s womb. Then the father’s wish was fulfilled, therefore he was named Filled Wish.

>> Maitrayani means “virtuous friend,” or “loving-kindness.” Therefore he was also called: Filled Son of Loving-Kindness. Among the Buddha’s disciples, he was foremost in being understanding and teaching the Dharma.

>> [Purna] heard from the Buddha how, with wisdom of skillful means, He accordingly and suitably taught the Dharma: This refers to what the previous chapter taught, about the conjured city of. His wisdom of skillful means; the Buddha taught according to capabilities and in a way that suited what they took joy in.

>> Purna also heard Him bestow on the four great disciples predictions of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: He also heard the Buddha bestow predictions on Sariputra, Mahakasyapa and the others.

>> The Ten Virtues of Purna: First, understanding the meaning of the Dharma. Second, being able to promote and teach it. Third, going among people with fearlessness. Fourth, unobstructed eloquence. Fifth, teaching with skillful means. Sixth, following the Dharma to practice Dharma. Seventh, being replete with a majestic demeanor. Eighth, courageously and diligently advancing. Ninth, never tiring in body or mind. Tenth, achieving might and power.

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“The Hearer-disciples
were of superior, average or limited capabilities.
In understanding the Buddha’s original intent
and receiving predictions, some came before others.
In the Chapter on Parables, Sariputra
first received a prediction.
Having been nourished in the Chapter on Medicinal Plants,
the four great disciples received predictions.”

Let us look back and review the previous sutra passages. We were just in the. Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City. Before the Parable of the Conjured City, there was the Chapter on Medicinal Plants. After the Chapter on Medicinal Plants, in the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions, each of the four great disciples received predictions of Buddhahood from the Buddha. Before this, there was Sariputra who, in the Chapter on Parables, had already received a prediction from the Buddha.

Let us think back carefully on everything from the beginning of the Lotus Sutra until now. In the Chapter on Skillful Means, the Buddha continually praised the wisdom of all Buddhas. All Buddhas share the same path. For the Buddha-Dharma to [flourish] in the world, we must first understand Buddhas. Sakyamuni Buddha was not the only Buddha to appear in the world. Ever since beginningless kalpas ago, Great Enlightened Ones have appeared in the world. Their numbers are already beyond measure. So many Buddhas have attained enlightenment one after another. Because Their wisdom, Their blessings and virtues, were perfect and complete, They attained Buddhahood. The process They each take to become a Buddha, what They attain through spiritual practice and Their realizations of the true principles of the universe are always the same. This is why we say that all Buddhas share the same path. When any Buddha is replete with such preconditions, naturally He can be called a Great Enlightened One.

So, in the Chapter on Skillful Means, the Buddha continually praised the wisdom of all Buddhas. They have wisdom of all Dharma, wisdom of enlightenment and all-encompassing wisdom; there are so many kinds! This is the awakened state of wisdom, but He worried we ordinary people would not be able to accept it, so He always called on us to have deep faith. Our faith must be deep! This is in the Chapter on Skillful Means. Sariputra had finally achieved an awakening. He was foremost in wisdom; among the Sangha and the Buddha’s disciples, he was the one who always achieved understanding.

Starting from this, throughout the Chapter on Parables and so on, those in the Sangha came to believe that even Hearers could receive predictions; they too could attain predictions of Buddhahood from the Buddha. “In this case, there is hope for us as well!” This was especially so for Kasyapa and the others; they had begun to understand. They saw Sariputra receive the Buddha’s prediction and they themselves understood. So, these four great disciples came forward. They had faith and understanding; they understood, and having understood, they came up with the parable of the poor son as an analogy for themselves. They were like a very poor child. This was how they expressed their comprehension of the Buddha-Dharma. They had long wandered in cyclic existence. Isn’t this time wandering in cyclic existence just like what we ordinary people go through? We wander endlessly through cyclic existence, through the Five Realms and four forms of birth. It is as if we are homeless like that.

In the Chapter on Faith and Understanding, they expressed their intent. Through the Chapter on Parables, they had reached faith and understanding, They knew they had long been wandering in cyclic existence. Now, finally, at Sakyamuni Buddha’s Dharma-assembly, they had a realization and believed. Since Sariputra could receive a prediction, even though it may take a very long time, they too could eventually attain Buddhahood. Since Sariputra could receive a prediction of attaining Buddhahood, they should also be able to attain Buddhahood. So, the four came before the Buddha to express their repentance. They said they were like a poor son.

The Buddha was of course happy. He let everyone know, “With all the Dharma I have awakened to, I have always wanted to share it with others. It is just that they could not comprehend it. Since you now know, you see how the treasury of the Buddha-Dharma is inherent in everyone. Everyone has always been replete with the nature of True Suchness. I want you all to understand this first.” Then He used the analogy in the Chapter on Medicinal Plants. The Buddha was like clouds and rain. The earth’s plants and trees are dry. Dry plants and trees need the rain and dew. They need water, and this water comes from the sky. The clouds and rain moisten the earth so the “three plants and two trees” are all nourished. This expresses the fact that the Buddha-Dharma has always existed. Once it rains, it simply depends [on capacities]. Big trees can accept great amounts of water, while small plants, with small stems and leaves, naturally can only receive very little.

This is like our own capacities. This is what everyone’s capabilities are like. Large containers can hold lots of water. This is like great mountain reservoirs; they collect and store large amounts of water, then gradually release it to meet the needs of human beings. They have great capacities. Smaller capacities would be things like water tanks or water towers. It all depends on their size. Their size determines what they can hold. As for even smaller things, we can use water jugs or water buckets. It all depends on how much they can hold. Whatever a container’s size is, that is how much water it can hold.

The Buddha-Dharma is like this. The one rain moistens everything universally, in accord with what sentient beings’ capacities enable them to accept. The clouds and rain make no distinction between great, average or small. The rain falls on all in the same way. But the rest depends on the container holding it. This capacity, this container, refers to our capabilities. Depending on our minds and natures, we can accept certain kinds of Buddha-Dharma, awaken to it and apply it. For some, with a few simple phrases, they can awaken and apply the teachings. “By grasping one truth, they understand all truths.” This way they understand all the teachings. However, for those who cannot understand, we can explain so much to them, repeating the teachings over and over for them. “I get it! I understand! Can you practice it? Let me take my time.” This is what our capabilities are like. Some are full of faith, thinking, “I can do this for sure!” Yet, when challenges appear, they become filled with afflictions.

Capabilities of this kind are like dry branches. When branches of plants or trees become dried out, it takes very long periods of rain and dew gradually nourishing them so that the branches can have sufficient water. Then with the vitality from the trunk, they can gradually recover. So, we depend upon our own capacities as well as having virtuous and wholesome friends to surround and accompany us. In the Chapter on Medicinal Plants, the four great disciples’ understanding deepened. In the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions, the Buddha began bestowing predictions. Only after that did He begin teaching the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City.

Through the Parable of the Conjured City we can further understand that accepting the Buddha-Dharma is not done over a single lifetime. It takes a very long amount of time. For instance, in. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s era, in that time, in that place, human lifespans were very long. Actually, in our world, lifespans can also be very long. Lifespans can average as long 84,000 years, or as short as 10 years. It depends on the level of sentient beings’ spiritual cultivation. If sentient beings are virtuous and have positive collective karma, then naturally the lifespan in the world very gradually increases. If there is peace on earth, if the earth’s climate is balanced and people’s minds are stable, naturally the human lifespan will be long. When people’s minds are without desire, anger or rage, free from hatred and ignorant foolishness, when people are like this, physically and mentally pure, then the world will run smoothly and everything will be in harmony. When the world’s sentient beings can all reach that level, that is when lifespans will be at their longest. This will continue until afflictions gradually begin to increase. Then, the lifespan will continually decrease until finally reaching 10 years.

By this time, the earth will be very unsafe. The four elements will be imbalanced, and natural disasters will occur with frequency. The threat to mankind is very high. Manmade and natural disasters will continue to occur like this while people remain completely unaware and continue creating karma, reproducing their afflictions and ignorance. Manmade calamities will constantly result in injury and death. There will be great chaos in the world, not only war, but also epidemics. Epidemics will break out on top of wars, all spreading pervasively. These epidemics and contagions will be endless. Don’t we often hear of these things now? A simple mosquito bite can cause Dengue fever; it is quite difficult to prevent.

Last year (2015) in the south, weren’t there many cases of Dengue fever? Everyone was very afraid. It spread from the south until reaching Tainan, then from Tainan it spread north. Cases were even discovered in Changhua. This made people very worried. Even mosquitos can cause us to be afraid! For a period of time there was SARS, and after SARS, for another period there was mad cow disease, foot and mouth disease. Now, we often hear about avian flu. This goes on constantly in the world; these germs are spreading more and more. Again, most recently, we have seen the Zika virus. This is also transmitted by mosquitos and is most worrisome for pregnant women. Science has now discovered that if a pregnant woman is bitten by this type of mosquito, it is possible that her child will be born with microcephaly, a very small head. The child’s head is very small at birth, and the brain is not fully developed. There are more and more things like this happening that cause more and more worry for mankind. These are called “epidemics,” diseases that are transmitted to people’s bodies. Whether from mosquitos or through birds and animals, there are many contagious diseases.

Even more terrifying is war. When countries fight one another, it results in waves of refugees! They flee in all directions. Not only this, war can truly be so all-consuming; weapons are so advanced that all of humanity could be destroyed in seven days. Some, having already suffered the terror of a natural disaster, suffer a manmade calamity on top of that. Epidemics are then added to the calamity of war. All this can start from the actions of a few. We must repent; we need sincere repentance. Then, starting slowly, humanity and the human mind will be able to thoroughly awaken. Only then will the lifespan gradually increase. After each 100 years, the average lifespan increases by another year. This is the principle of increasing and decreasing kalpas. When life is at its most safe and stable, the average lifespan will be 84,000 years. When people’s minds begin wavering, they again begin creating karma and the lifespan gradually begins decreasing again. This is a cycle. This is a “kalpa.”

So, we say sentient beings create collective karma. If we do not put effort into mindfully trying to understand the Buddha-Dharma, perhaps the decreasing kalpa will keep decreasing and disasters will continue piling up. So, when it speaks of 10-year lifespans, it is not saying that everyone will only live to be 10 years old. It is saying that so many will die due to natural disasters, due to famine, due to starvation, because of epidemics or because of war and so on that the average lifespan will only be 10 years old. It does not say everyone will die at the age of 10. This number is an average.

I remember when I was still young, in my childhood, the Second World War had just ended. Back then, people said that if a third world war were ever to break out, there would be rice, but no one to eat it, clothes but no one to wear them and fields but no one to plow them. This means the human race would be wiped out. This was a long time ago, when I was still very young. World War II had just ended and this is what the older people used to say, that the death and destruction of a third world war would outpace the death and destruction of the second.

The Second World War had been ended by the dropping of two atomic bombs. How many people perished then? The trauma Japan suffered was severe. The atomic dust left over also led to many birth defects. For a long time, many children born were affected by this. This is the corruption of humanity’s morality. In an era of such collective karma, this happens. In Great Unhindered Buddha’s era, people still had very good morality and their minds were so pure, so all the people of that time, both Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha and the rest of humanity, had very long lives. Since their lifespans were so long, there were people who sought the Buddha-Dharma. They likewise had to cultivate the Buddha-Dharma and likewise had to pass it on. They had to have this faith and acceptance, and that is why there is. Buddha-Dharma for us to listen to today. We must understand the relationship between the Buddha-Dharma and humanity and the world.

So, all Buddhas share the same path. Every Buddha who comes to the world teaches His own disciples, those He already formed affinities with. He teaches them lifetime after lifetime. These disciples transmigrate in the Five Realms, remaining lost and unawakened. Once they give rise to discursive thoughts, it is very difficult for them to return again. Still, the Buddha never abandoned them. He waited and waited for them. So, for those who form great aspirations, for those disciples who uphold the Great Vehicle Bodhisattva Way, the Buddha waits patiently, It may be a very long time, dust-inked kalpas of time, yet [Buddhas] continuously come to the world in order to teach and transform. They continue to wait patiently for their disciples to attain Buddhahood. They always teach them patiently.

Our lifespans today are such that we live about 100 years. The Buddha lived only around 80 years. During those 80 years, He taught the Dharma for 49 years. Of the 49 years that He taught the Dharma, 42 were spent using skillful means. What the disciples could understand from what they had heard was only the truths of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path, the teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. They understood the law of karma and knew to not create any more evil karma, to quickly engage in spiritual practice. They sought to awaken themselves and no longer contrive affinities. These were the Small Vehicle teachings which He taught for over 42 years.

The Buddha knew that. He did not have much time remaining and that the Buddha-Dharma still had to be passed down. So, He began to turn the Great Dharma-wheel. He wanted to see if His disciples could truly form great aspirations and be willing to put the teachings into practice to uphold the Great Vehicle’s Bodhisattva Way. If there were disciples like this, as the Buddha began teaching the Great Vehicle, at the same time He would bestow predictions on these disciples, one after another. Sariputra was the first to receive a prediction, then came four other disciples, Kasyapa, Katyayana, Maudgalyayana and so forth. The Buddha realized they had already formed great aspirations, that they had the resolve to uphold the Great Vehicle. For disciples like this, He bestowed predictions for the future, still a very long time away. “He promised that in the future they would definitely attain Buddhahood.” In the future, having received predictions, these disciples would be firm in their will to practice. They would form great aspirations, uphold the. Great Vehicle and walk the Bodhisattva-path. They would need a long time in the future. At this time the Buddha promised them that they would certainly attain Buddhahood. Thus they received these predictions.

For disciples who formed great aspirations to uphold the Bodhisattva Way of the Great Vehicle, the Buddha bestowed predictions, promising in the future that they would definitely attain Buddhahood. Those of average capabilities, Kasyapa et al., the four great Hearers, turned from the Small to the Great. In the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions, the Buddha taught those four [disciples] that they would attain Buddhahood in the future, thereby bestowing predictions upon them.

“Those of average capabilities, Kasyapa et al., the four great Hearers, turned from the Small to the Great.” Because Sariputra’s capabilities were superior, he was first to receive an individual prediction. The other four saw how. Sariputra received a prediction of Buddhahood and also heard how the world was like a burning house, with many suffering sentient beings. The great elder of the house had to work so hard. Through the parable of the burning house, their awakening deepened further. They could be considered of average capabilities. Once they knew of the great white ox-cart, they abandoned the sheep- and the deer-carts. They wanted the great white ox-cart, so they were considered of average capabilities. They had just begun to awaken and form aspirations. So, Kasyapa and the four great Hearers, though of average capabilities, began turning from the Small to the Great. In the Small Vehicle, they had already taken this circuitous route, had already walked that path once around. Now they knew they should quickly head toward the Great Vehicle Dharma. So, “In the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions, the Buddha taught those four [disciples].” The Chapter on Bestowing Predictions was what was taught for those four, how “they would attain Buddhahood in the future, thereby bestowing predictions upon them.” They had received their predictions as they were those who formed great aspirations and would uphold the Great Vehicle Dharma. Thus the Buddha bestowed predictions on them.

He hoped that everyone would further consider and understand that the Buddha-Dharma had been passed down for such a long time, since dust-inked kalpas before, in Great Unhindered Buddha’s era. Every 100 years, the average lifespans decreased by a year, decreasing until this era we live in now. Our lifespans are short, especially due to frequent natural disasters, manmade calamities and the epidemics that continually occur. This is already an era where the three major and minor calamities occur with increasing frequency. It is even more necessary for us all to wake up.

The passage we read now is from the Chapter on 500 Disciples Receiving Predictions. It says,

“At that time, Purna Maitrayaniputra heard from the Buddha how, with wisdom of skillful means, He accordingly and suitably taught the Dharma. Purna also heard Him bestow on the four great disciples predictions of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

Now that Purna Maitrayaniputra had seen Sariputra receive a prediction of Buddhahood and had also seen Venerable Kasyapa and the rest of the four disciples receive predictions, he completely comprehended and understood. We are talking now about Maitrayaniputra, Purna Maitrayaniputra. Purna is a shortened form. “Purna Maitrayaniputra” is a very long name but it is talking about one person.

Purna when translated means “filled wish.” By a full river, his father prayed to the Brahma heavens for a son. The river was exactly at its fullest. He also dreamed of a vessel of seven treasures, filled with treasures, entering the mother’s womb. Then the father’s wish was fulfilled, therefore he was named Filled Wish.

Purna in Chinese means “filled wish.” This is because his father had prayed by the riverside to the river spirit to grant him a son. He prayed to the heavens in hope of attaining a son. The river’s waters just happened to be full then. Furthermore, after he had finished praying, he also had a dream. He dreamed of a vessel made of seven treasures, which itself contained many treasures. It seemed in his dream that these treasures entered his wife’s womb. Sure enough, his wife had become pregnant. The father’s wish was fulfilled, and because of this, his son was named Filled Wish.

Another explanation was that. Purna was a virtuous friend, someone who was always understanding of others, someone who could mindfully guide others when their perspectives had deviated. As he was a virtuous friend to others, he was called Filled Son of Loving Kindness. This was translated in Chinese as virtuous friend, as well as Filled Son of Loving-Kindness.

Maitrayani means “virtuous friend,” or “loving-kindness.” Therefore he was also called: Filled Son of Loving-Kindness. Among the Buddha’s disciples, he was foremost in being understanding and teaching the Dharma.

Among the Buddha’s disciples, he was foremost in being understanding and in teaching the Dharma. He truly understood the Buddha’s intent, why the Buddha taught the world’s sentient beings. Purna was the one who best understood the Buddha’s intentions.

So, “[He] heard from the Buddha how, with wisdom of skillful means, He accordingly and suitably taught the Dharma.”

[Purna] heard from the Buddha how, with wisdom of skillful means, He accordingly and suitably taught the Dharma: This refers to what the previous chapter taught, about the conjured city of. His wisdom of skillful means; the Buddha taught according to capabilities and in a way that suited what they took joy in.

This section explains how Purna, having heard the Parable of the Conjured City, [understood] teaching skillfully and with joy, this way of teaching the Dharma. From the Chapter on Skillful Means through the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City, throughout this process, he kept reflecting and trying to understand the Buddha’s intentions. In particular, with Sariputra’s prediction and the predictions of the four great disciples, along the way he came to a better understanding. With a better understanding, he quickly tried to learn how the Buddha adapted to capabilities and then responded to those capabilities by teaching with joy. He had to continually teach them, speak to them happily and and happily guide them. This was Purna’s intent as a “Virtuous Friend.”

“Purna also heard Him bestow on the four great disciples predictions of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

Purna also heard Him bestow on the four great disciples predictions of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: He also heard the Buddha bestow predictions on Sariputra, Mahakasyapa and the others.

He understood how the Buddha taught sentient beings according to their capabilities, how He took true principles and responded to all beings’ differing capabilities to give suitable teachings. Thus by the time of the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City, he already knew how to teach sentient beings according to capabilities. In particular, he saw his fellow practitioners successively receive predictions of Buddhahood. He had already comprehended these things; He could already understand.

Purna had always been one who could comprehend the intentions of others. He was also very experienced. His father was a very wealthy elder where he came from. He was from a very wealthy family, yet his wisdom surpassed that of others. He knew of the pleasures of the world, but in a world as impermanent as this, amidst birth, aging, illness and death, what happiness was to be found? Better to engage in spiritual practice! While the Buddha was at Deer Park, he had already gone there to take refuge with the Buddha and request the Dharma. The teachings the Buddha gave were precisely what he had been seeking in his heart.

So, besides the five bhiksus, at Deer Park, there started to gradually be people receiving the Buddha’s teachings, people who kept gradually coming there. Maitrayaniputra was one of those among them. From the location we can understand how senior Maitrayaniputra was. However, having absorbed the Buddha’s teachings, he was one who listened to the Dharma, taught the Dharma and transmitted the Dharma. With his intent, he could understand the Buddha’s intent. The Dharma had to be passed on, so he often went around to promote the Dharma. In spreading the Dharma, sometimes he had to teach according to people’s capabilities, using the skillful means that he continually learned from the Buddha.

This is like the time when. King Bimbisara was taken by his son Ajatasatru and thrown into prison. When [Purna] visited him in the prison, the king wondered, “Why has this happened? I have always cherished my son, and. I have always loved and protected my subjects. Why has my son become so evil? Why did he accept Devadatta’s deviant teachings, rebel against his own father and imprison his father in a jail cell?”

Purna said to the king, “Your majesty, this is all karmic causes and effects. You understand the Buddha-Dharma; prison is just a label. You have lost your freedom inside this prison, but actually anyone who is born into this world has entered a big prison. In this big prison, in this world, no one is truly able to control things. Your Majesty, it is the same. If we can truly see into life, being able to listen to the Buddha-Dharma will be enough to satisfy us. Everything follows karma!” When the king heard this he said, “Yes, this is true. I’ve already taken refuge in the Buddha, and I understand the Dharma. Truly, I may have lost my freedom in this small prison, but transmigration in the Five Realms is actually like being in a much larger prison that is beyond our control. Thus we are also not free.”

In this way, he gave the king the right teaching to help relieve his mind. So, the Buddha praised him greatly. He praised the way Purna taught the Dharma. He praised him in possessing ten virtues.

The Ten Virtues of Purna: First, understanding the meaning of the Dharma. Second, being able to promote and teach it. Third, going among people with fearlessness. Fourth, unobstructed eloquence. Fifth, teaching with skillful means. Sixth, following the Dharma to practice Dharma. Seventh, being replete with a majestic demeanor. Eighth, courageously and diligently advancing. Ninth, never tiring in body or mind. Tenth, achieving might and power.

First is “understanding the meaning of the Dharma.” Second is “being able to promote and teach it.” After understanding the Dharma, he was willing to go everywhere and teach it.

Third is “going among people with fearlessness.” No matter how many people were there, he always went among them fearlessly. He had internalized so many teachings that no matter what kind of heretical teacher came, he never feared them. So, he could go among the people fearlessly. He had unobstructed eloquence. This is the fourth, “unobstructed eloquence.” The fifth is “teaching with skillful means.” In teaching the Dharma he used skillful means. This is how the Buddha taught, so he also taught according to capabilities. Then there is the sixth, “following the Dharma to practice the Dharma.” Whatever the teaching, he accepted all of the Buddha’s teachings and was then able to put them into practice. The seventh is “being replete with a majestic demeanor.” Purna was perfect in his demeanor in every way. He was both clean and dignified. He was replete with a majestic demeanor. His actions were majestic.

Eighth is “courageously and diligently advancing.” He never became the least bit lax. When it came to learning the Buddha’s teachings, he was never indolent at all. Ninth is “never tiring in body or mind.” He was always diligent. He would never think, “I have learned so much. I am able to teach people so much Dharma. I can take a rest.” He was not like this. When the Buddha taught the Dharma, he always listened earnestly. He was earnest in teaching others the Dharma, and he similarly never gave up on any sentient being. No matter how vicious, he always tried to train them. This was his diligent practice. So, he never tired in body or mind. Tenth is “achieving might and power.” He had the power of might and virtue from teaching the Dharma. These are the ten virtues of Purna, his ten virtues in teaching the Dharma.

Dear Bodhisattvas, listen mindfully to the Dharma! The Dharma is in our actions. With body and mind we must [apply] the Dharma. Whatever the Buddha taught, we must continually reflect upon the meaning it contains within, then accept it for ourselves. There are still many teachings which we do not understand, so we must never be arrogant. Yesterday we talked about respect! We should practice with reverence, never arrogance. When we hear the Dharma, we must take it in. We should not think, “Life passes in the same way whether I listen to the Dharma or not. Life passes in the same way whether I am diligent or lax.”

Yes! Life passes in the same way, but you must know that there is cause and effect. In spiritual practice we hope to cultivate causes and conditions, to cultivate the causes of Buddhahood and become full of the Buddha’s virtues. This is not the same. So, we should put effort into being mindful and never be lax in our spiritual practice, for in doing so we lose our wisdom-life. Please, let us all always be mindful!

Episode 984 – The Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Within Us

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>> We must always cultivate contemplation and concentrate on the essence of our minds. Everyone intrinsically possesses a Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior within. It is inexhaustible and limitless, this beginningless Buddha-nature. It is flawless, great and unhindered, its nature pure and wondrous.

>> “Suppose a man used his strength to grind up all of the lands in the great trichiliocosm and turned all of these grains of earth completely into ink. Then after passing through 1000 lands, he would finally ink one spot, continuing on this way until all the ink from the dust was exhausted.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “Suppose all these lands, whether inked or not inked, were all ground into dust, and one particle of dust represents one kalpa. The number of all those dust particles is surpassed by the number of the kalpas since that Buddha entered Parinirvana; such an amount of countless kalpas has passed.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> Suppose all these lands, whether inked or not inked: In this way he would pass through thousands and thousands of lands. With both those he inked and those he did not, there are countless worlds of dust particles.

>> [These] were all ground into dust, and one particle of dust represents one kalpa: All the grains of earth and things on the land, along with the thousands of worlds, would be completely ground into dust. One particle of dust represents one kalpa.

>> The number of all those dust particles is surpassed by the number of the kalpas since that Buddha entered Parinirvana; it has been such an amount of countless kalpas: Though such grains of earth and things were all exhausted, the kalpas that have passed further surpass this number.

>> “With the Tathagata’s unobstructed wisdom, I know that Buddha’s entering of Parinirvana, along with that of the Hearers and Bodhisattvas, as if seeing them cross into extinction now. All you bhiksus must know, the Buddha’s wisdom is pure, subtle and wondrous. It is without Leaks, without any obstructions. It reaches back countless kalpas unhindered.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> With the Tathagata’s unobstructed wisdom, I know that Buddha’s entering of Parinirvana: Sakyamuni Tathagata, with His unobstructed wisdom, was able to know the appearance of Great Unhindered when He entered Parinirvana.

>> So, [He saw those] Hearers and Bodhisattvas, as if seeing them cross into extinction now. He also sees the assemblies of. Hearers and Bodhisattvas transformed by that Buddha, just like He sees them today, with no difference.

>> All you bhiksus must know: He told all the bhiksus that they must know this matter. Must know are words of caution and admonishment. This means that everyone intrinsically has a Great Unhindered [Buddha], so shouldn’t we carefully reflect on ourselves?

>> Pure, subtle and wondrous: With the three kinds of wisdom united in one mind, it is called pure. With the one mind containing the three kinds of wisdom, it is called subtle. Neither three nor one, yet both three and one, it is called wondrous.

 >> It is without Leaks, without any obstructions: Seeing one thing and abandoning another is called having Leaks. Seeing that one but not this one is called having obstructions. The Buddha, with His wisdom free from all Leaks and obstructions, was able to see the Parinirvana of that Buddha and those Hearers and Bodhisattvas as clearly as if He saw them now. So, this is His pure and wondrous wisdom.

>> It reaches back countless kalpas unhindered: He can skillfully reach all of the matters of infinite kalpas before, completely unhindered. To reach is to be unhindered. The Tathagata views the past as if it is today. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior manifests in this way. The assembly did not know these far-off things because their Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior had not yet manifested.

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“We must always cultivate contemplation and concentrate on the essence of our minds.
Everyone intrinsically possesses a Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior within.
It is inexhaustible and limitless, this beginningless Buddha-nature. It is flawless, great and unhindered, its nature pure and wondrous.”

Recently I have continuously spoken of. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. How long ago was [the lifetime] of this Buddha? You all probably still remember; it is impossible to describe. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s initial causes and conditions. They were before Beginningless Time began, an infinitely distant Beginningless Time truly has no beginning. When we speak of this time, it is so long ago that if we gathered a group of many mathematicians and their students and had them use their combined ability to calculate just how much time had passed, it would be impossible for them to calculate.

Since there is no way to calculate when. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha had His origins, it would better that we [focus on] “always cultivating contemplation and concentrating on the essence of our minds.” Since we cannot calculate this length of time, we simply must be mindful. In our spiritual practice, we must focus our energy and put our efforts into stabilizing our minds. With pure minds we cultivate contemplation. Everyone knows what Samadhi is. Concentrating our thinking is called Samadhi. When our minds are without contamination, or defilements, this is the essence of our minds. What is the essence of our minds? It is a great perfect mirror, the great perfect mirror wisdom. This great perfect mirror wisdom is the pure Buddha-nature we all possess. We all intrinsically have this;

we all intrinsically have a Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior within us. Actually, this Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior has existed since Beginningless time. Unfortunately it has been covered by ignorance. We have yet to manifest this great perfect mirror. If our Great Unhindered Wisdom, our wisdom-nature, can be opened up, it will similarly be inexhaustible and limitless. This shows how the Buddha-nature is inexhaustible. We cannot say when we first began to have our Buddha-nature. It has truly been a long time; we all intrinsically have it.

“It is flawless, great and unhindered.” Everyone inherently has a mind that is extremely pure and undefiled. The Dharma is inherently in our minds; we were originally flawless. The true principles go back to our mind-nature. Clearly, we intrinsically have this, but instead we look everywhere else for it.

“It is flawless, great and unhindered, its nature pure and wondrous.” All people intrinsically have it. Every day, we listen to the sutras. Now every day, I continue to teach. Countless kalpas ago, a long time ago, there was. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. His [lifetime] was so long. Coming up, there is still more time to describe. So, we need to put our hearts into this. If we are mindful, we can cast aside our ignorance so our great perfect mirror wisdom can manifest. We simply need the resolve.

The previous sutra passage states, “Suppose a man used his strength to grind up all of the lands in the great trichiliocosm and turned all of these grains of earth completely into ink. Then after passing through 1000 lands, he would finally ink one spot, continuing on this way until all the ink from the dust was exhausted.”

This length of time is very long.

The next passage states, “Suppose all these lands, whether inked or not inked, were all ground into dust, and one particle of dust represents one kalpa. The number of all those dust particles is surpassed by the number of the kalpas since that Buddha entered Parinirvana; such an amount of countless kalpas has passed.”

This is such a long time. The previous passages already said this many times. Did it need to be elaborated on again later? The sutras are like this.

Suppose all these lands, whether inked or not inked: In this way he would pass through thousands and thousands of lands. With both those he inked and those he did not, there are countless worlds of dust particles.

So, “Suppose all these lands, whether inked or not inked” is saying “in this way he would pass through thousands of thousands of lands.” He passed through these many lands. “With both those he inked and those he did not,” whether or not he inked these lands, “there are countless worlds of dust particles.”

[These] were all ground into dust, and one particle of dust represents one kalpa: All the grains of earth and things on the land, along with the thousands of worlds, would be completely ground into dust. One particle of dust represents one kalpa.

In these worlds, wherever there is land, there will be minute dust particles, there will be sand, these kinds of things “[These] were all ground into dust.” All of the mountains, rivers and land are all ground up into dust. “One particle of dust represents one kalpa.” In this way, one particle represents one kalpa

We are all very familiar with kalpas. A cycle of one increasing and one decreasing kalpa is only one small kalpa. In summary, this time is very long. “All the grains of earth and things on the land, along with the thousands of worlds, would be completely ground into dust.” Everything is completely ground into dirt. “One particle of dust represents one kalpa.”

We already know this. “The number of all those dust particles is surpassed by the number of the kalpas since that Buddha entered Parinirvana; such an amount of countless kalpas has passed”

The number of all those dust particles is surpassed by the number of the kalpas since that Buddha entered Parinirvana; it has been such an amount of countless kalpas: Though such grains of earth and things were all exhausted, the kalpas that have passed further surpass this number.

“That Buddha” is. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. It has been such a long time; the grains of earth in this analogy were exhausted. Everything on the land was ground into sand, and all this dust is used to represent time, a long time; a kalpa is a long period of time. This is all to describe time. “The kalpas that have passed,” the time that has passed, “further surpasses this number.” The time that has passed is even more than the time in this analogy, so it is truly an indescribable amount of time.

The next passage states, “With the Tathagata’s unobstructed wisdom, I know that Buddha’s entering of Parinirvana, along with that of the Hearers and Bodhisattvas, as if seeing them cross into extinction now. All you bhiksus must know, the Buddha’s wisdom is pure, subtle and wondrous. It is without Leaks, without any obstructions. It reaches back countless kalpas unhindered.”

This analogy is of the Tathagata’s unobstructed wisdom.

With the Tathagata’s unobstructed wisdom, I know that Buddha’s entering of Parinirvana: Sakyamuni Tathagata, with His unobstructed wisdom, was able to know the appearance of Great Unhindered when He entered Parinirvana.

What Sakyamuni Buddha said was that after one attains Buddhahood, including He Himself, that wisdom after enlightenment will pervade the Dharma-realm of the universe. Wit this unobstructed wisdom, He understood. What was just said earlier kept telling us this was a very, very long time, dust-inked kalpas, such a long time. That Buddha [existed] such a long time ago. Now Sakyamuni Buddha was recalling the past time of this Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, up until He was about to enter Parinirvana. Sakyamuni Buddha was remembering the past,

So, [He saw those] Hearers and Bodhisattvas, as if seeing them cross into extinction now. He also sees the assemblies of. Hearers and Bodhisattvas transformed by that Buddha, just like He sees them today, with no difference.

The Hearers and Bodhisattvas of that time, “as if seeing them cross into extinction now.” That was during the time when Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha expounded the Dharma. During that time, there were also Hearers and. Bodhisattvas. After a long period of time, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha entered the state of Parinirvana. From that time until now, Sakyamuni Buddha’s course of [spiritual practice] was still clearly in His memory ․So, “[He saw those] Hearers and Bodhisattvas, as if seeing them cross into extinction now. He also sees the assemblies of. Hearers and Bodhisattvas transformed by that Buddha, just like He sees them today, with no difference.” It was just like what we can see right now. This was the course of events.

Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha at the time was transforming sentient beings. During that time, for sentient beings to accept the Buddha-Dharma was not very easy. During that time, sentient beings’ capabilities were similarly uneven. That Buddha, similarly, had to [divide His teachings into]. Hearer, Solitary Realizer and Bodhisattva in order to teach. In the end, He too expounded the Lotus Sutra. So, that Buddha, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, went through the same process as [our Buddha].

All you bhiksus must know: He told all the bhiksus that they must know this matter. Must know are words of caution and admonishment. This means that everyone intrinsically has a Great Unhindered [Buddha], so shouldn’t we carefully reflect on ourselves?

“He told all the bhiksus that they must know this matter.” They must understand this particular matter. “Everyone must understand what I am saying now.” He was explaining the time of. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. “Must know” means they must understand. He wanted to give everyone words of caution and admonishment. Everyone must know.

Though a very long time had passed, He used the Tathagata’s wisdom to tell everyone. Everyone must be vigilant and put effort into cultivating calm contemplation in our minds, using Samadhi to reflect on ourselves. Why are we still ordinary people? Why do we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature? Why are we still listening to the sound in order to understand the Dharma? Everyone intrinsically has the Buddha-Dharma in their minds. Everyone needs to mindfully experience this. This is not a story! It is the Dharma. So, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha and the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City are not stories; they are teachings.

This was the Buddha’s compassion. He wanted to let everyone know these true principles that have existed since Beginningless Time. The teaching is that “Everyone intrinsically has great unhindered wisdom.” So, we need to put effort into “carefully reflecting on ourselves.” We need to cultivate contemplation and reflect on ourselves. By earnestly investigating the outside world, we reflect on ourselves. If we can concentrate on the essence of our mind and earnestly contemplate, we see that our mind-essence, our inherent nature, is the same; the great perfect mirror wisdom still exists.

“The Buddha’s wisdom is pure, subtle and wondrous. It is without Leaks, without any obstructions.” Everyone’s Buddha-wisdom is very pure. We can return to this very pure [state], which is the most subtle and wondrous wisdom. “It is without Leaks, without any obstructions.” The Dharma that we have does not have any Leaks.

Pure, subtle and wondrous: With the three kinds of wisdom united in one mind, it is called pure. With the one mind containing the three kinds of wisdom, it is called subtle. Neither three nor one, yet both three and one, it is called wondrous.

“Pure, subtle and wondrous:” With the three kinds of wisdom united in one mind, it is called pure. “The three kinds of wisdom” are wisdom of all Dharma, wisdom of enlightenment and all-encompassing wisdom. These are called the three kinds of wisdom. They are contained within the one mind, so with the one mind containing the three kinds of wisdom, it is called subtle. “Neither three nor one,” yet both three and one, it is called wondrous.

This is [the nature] of our minds. Actually, how much is hidden in our minds? There is quite a lot. So, in the fields of the eighth consciousness, there is much positive and negative karma hidden. We need to put effort into [understanding this]. This is truly subtle and wondrous.

“Neither three nor one, yet both three and one,” it is called wondrous. In one mind, there are three kinds of wisdom. Actually it is not three kinds. The “three” in fact come back to the “one.” This means we return to our intrinsic nature, our nature of True Suchness. So, “It is without Leaks, without any obstructions”

It is without Leaks, without any obstructions: Seeing one thing and abandoning another is called having Leaks. Seeing that one but not this one is called having obstructions. The Buddha, with His wisdom free from all Leaks and obstructions, was able to see the Parinirvana of that Buddha and those Hearers and Bodhisattvas as clearly as if He saw them now. So, this is His pure and wondrous wisdom.

Because we are ordinary people, if we see one thing, we abandon another. If we see one thing, then we forget the other one. When we are reading the sutras, isn’t this what happens? We see the first line and read on, to the second and third lines. The mind is not focused, so we continue reading on and forget what we had read before. This is having Leaks, letting it “leak out.”

“Seeing that one but not this one is called having obstructions.” Seeing that one but not this one means we look over there, so we do not see what is here. If we look forward, then we are not able to see what is behind. These are obstructions. We are all like this. If we look toward the front, we cannot see what is behind. These are obstructions. But the Buddha’s wisdom is unhindered. It is without Leaks, without any obstructions. He can [understand] all the principles, and there is no obstruction in any direction. This is the Buddha’s wisdom.

The [Buddha’s wisdom] is free from all Leaks and obstructions. So, He was able to thoroughly understand. He “was able to see [the Parinirvana of] that Buddha and those Hearers.” That Buddha was. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. This Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, could recall the past lifetime of. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. During that time, Hearers, Bodhisattvas and that Buddha entered extinction. That world and lifetime were seen “as clearly as if He saw them now,” just as if He was seeing them in this lifetime, in the present. This is due to the Buddha’s “pure and wondrous wisdom.” This is the Buddha’s wisdom.

It reaches back countless kalpas unhindered: He can skillfully reach all of the matters of infinite kalpas before, completely unhindered. To reach is to be unhindered. The Tathagata views the past as if it is today. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior manifests in this way. The assembly did not know these far-off things because their Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior had not yet manifested.

“It reaches back countless kalpas unhindered” ․It reaches back countless kalpas unhindered: He can skillfully reach all of the matters of infinite kalpas before, completely unhindered. To reach is to be unhindered. The Tathagata views the past as if it is today. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior manifests in this way. The assembly did not know these far-off things because their Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior had not yet manifested.

The Buddha’s wisdom can reach back unhindered to [recall] things from countless kalpas before. This is called reaching back unhindered, just as if He saw them now. Our Sakyamuni Buddha was already enlightened, so He was one with the universe. “The Tathagata views the past as if it is today.” See, He could speak of things from long ago and see the things that happened at that time. His memory was [as clear] as if it happened today, as if Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha was right in front of Him. From such a long time ago, from Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s lifetime to the present, “Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha” has been in all of our minds. So, this is to say, “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in their nature].” Thus, “Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha manifests in this way.”

“The assembly did not know these far-off things.” We do not know these things because we are still ordinary people. So, “Their Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior had not yet manifested.” This is because in our minds, our Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior has not yet manifested. For Sakyamuni Buddha, “Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha” had always been in His mind. We all intrinsically have this as well. We have had Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior from the beginning of Beginningless time. Originally, we did not have obstructions; we could reach the great principles of everything in the universe. We all inherently have this kind of unobstructed great wisdom, but it became covered by ignorance and afflictions. So now, for us to return to it, “We must always cultivate contemplation and concentrate on the essence of our minds.” We must put effort into cultivating contemplation and concentrating on the essence of our minds. With focus, we examine the essence of our minds and our intrinsic nature of True Suchness.

So, everyone intrinsically has the flawless Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior. This pure and wondrous nature inherently exists in us. I only hope that everyone can always be mindful.

Episode 983 – A Pure Mind Pervades the Three Periods

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>> We must stop evil, prevent wrongdoings and eliminate ignorance and delusions of views and thinking, plus dust-like delusions. The mind-nature is pure and clear and can thoroughly illuminate time dust-inked kalpas ago. It pervades throughout the Three Periods from beginning to end and across all of the Dharma-realm.

 >> “I, with the power of the Tathagata’s understanding and views, observe those things long ago and far away as if they are here today. At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke this verse.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “As I think of past lifetimes infinite, boundless kalpas before, there was a Buddha, a Two-Footed Honored One, named Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> The assembly here today had, during the era of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, formed affinities with the 16th novice. Therefore, today, under Sakyamuni Tathagata, they are able to listen to the Lotus [Sutra] and achieve realizations and attain the fruits.

>> “Suppose a man used his strength to grind up all of the lands in the great trichiliocosm and turned all of these grains of earth completely into ink. Then after passing through 1000 lands, he would finally ink one spot, continuing on in this way until all the ink from the dust was exhausted.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> Grains of earth: Earth is one of the four elements. It can give life to causes for phenomena of form. Hence these are called grains. Grains of earth refer specifically to the element of earth in the great chiliocosm.

>> Then after passing through 1000 lands, he would finally ink one spot: He passes through 1000 Buddha-lands before inking one spot of dust. He passes through 1000 lands: This refers to the realm one Buddha transforms, which is the great trichiliocosm.

>> He would finally ink one spot: For every 1000 lands he passes through, he inks one spot. The 999 lands that he passed over are the lands not inked. There are great quantities of ink and only [small] drops.  >> Continuing on in this way until all the ink from the dust was exhausted: From 1000 Buddha-lands to another 1000 Buddha-lands, he again inks one spot. In this way, he exhausts all the ink from the grains of the earth of the lands of the trichiliocosm. This shows how many lands he has passed through.

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“We must stop evil, prevent wrongdoings and eliminate ignorance and delusions of views and thinking, plus dust-like delusions.
The mind-nature is pure and clear and can thoroughly illuminate time dust-inked kalpas ago.
It pervades throughout the Three Periods from beginning to end and across all of the Dharma-realm.”

This is to tell everyone that in our spiritual practice we must prevent wrongdoings and stop evil. We must eliminate ignorance and delusions of views and thinking, plus dust-like delusions. On an everyday basis, we must always, in all thoughts, uninterruptedly prevent wrongdoings and stop evil. Since we engage in spiritual practice, when a dust storm is blowing outside, the doors and windows of our minds must be shut tightly. If the doors and windows are not completely closed as dust is swirling in the air [outside], the tables and chairs that we have just cleaned will quickly be covered by dust again; the floor that was just swept clean, because the door was not completely shut, must be swept again. There is so much dust again. The door was clearly closed, so why is there so much dust? How did this dust and dirt manage to get in? Although the door was closed, it was not shut tightly. Our mind is also like this. While we are engaging in spiritual practice, we must uphold the precepts. Upholding the precepts is something we must do. We know we should uphold the major precepts, but sometimes we neglect the small ones. This is why we have not yet eliminated our habitual tendencies. So, in our spiritual practice, we must mindfully guard against wrongs and stop evil.

Spiritual practitioners must be constantly vigilant at all times. We cannot let evil thoughts arise. We cannot, when dealing with people or matters, benefit ourselves at the expense of others. We can absolutely never think like this. To have these kind of thoughts is to have evil thoughts. We must not only not take these actions, we must prevent these thoughts from even arising. This is what is meant by “prevent wrongdoings.” Once we take action, we have committed evil. If we are about to do it, we must quickly stop ourselves. This is what is meant by “stopping evil.”

To prevent wrongdoings and stop evil is to truly uphold the precepts. If we are able to strictly abide by the precepts, we will be eliminating ignorance. We will no longer commit evil deeds nor give rise to discursive thoughts. New [discursive thoughts] will not arise while the old ones are eliminated. By eliminating the old ones and not allowing new ones to enter, we will “eliminate ignorance and delusions of views and thinking, plus dust-like delusions.” This dust is very subtle, very subtle delusions. Delusions are ignorance.

So, in the beginning of the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City, there are many, many layers of causes and conditions, immeasurable and countless, with no beginning and no end. With these causes and conditions, whether positive or negative, we accumulated so much ignorance over a long time. We must eliminate this and not create any new [ignorance]. If we understand this, when we begin to learn the Buddha’s Way, we will not increase our ignorance nor create more negative affinities with others. Negative causes and negative conditions lead to negative effects and negative retributions; thus we are endless entangled. Look at all the suffering in this world! There is really too much! Since we are learning the Buddha’s teachings, we must remember to stop evil and prevent wrongdoings.

To prevent wrongdoings and stop evil, the most important thing is to eliminate ignorance, delusions of views and thinking and dust-like delusions. We must eliminate all of these and return to our “mind-nature [that] is pure and clear and can thoroughly illuminate time dust-inked kalpas ago.” When we have this purity and clarity, we can very thoroughly illuminate time dust-inked kalpas ago. This is something we should be very clear on. The Buddha had already eliminated ignorance and was not defiled by delusions of views and thinking. So, He has great perfect mirror wisdom; His mind-nature is pure and clear. He is completely clean and pure. What He sees is unobstructed and far-reaching.

“It pervades throughout the Three Periods from beginning to end and across all of the Dharma-realms.” No matter how many countless past lifetimes, it pervades [throughout the Three Periods]. The Three Periods are the past, present and future. The Buddha truly seized the moment and thus thoroughly understood [everything]. This is the state of the Buddha. Since the state of the Buddha was one of complete and thorough understanding, He came to tell us of these wondrous, inconceivable causes and conditions. From Beginningless Time until now, being able to be pure and to frequently listen to the Dharma comes from a deep affinity with the Buddha.

If we are able to understand and know about the Buddha-Dharma now, but we are unable to thoroughly [grasp it] or our understanding becomes interrupted, it must be from one thought of ignorance. We follow our external conditions to continuously pursue these external states, worldly desires and so on. We continuously reproduce ignorance, fall into the Three Evil Destinies and transmigrate through the Six Realms. This is all from subtle causes and conditions. So, the Buddha used His utmost efforts to lead us and help us understand and return to our past causes and conditions.

Thus, the previous sutra passage says, “I, with the power of the Tathagata’s understanding and views, observe those things long ago and far away as if they are here today. At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke this verse.”

Sakyamuni Buddha had great self-confidence. “I have the Tathagata’s understanding and views. I use the Tathagata’s understanding and views,” which is to use a pure and undefiled [mind] to thoroughly understand the universe. “I can understand everything in the past as if it [happened] today.” He could remember perfectly clearly. This was what Sakyamuni Buddha said of Himself.

Because this meaning is very deep, it says, “At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke this verse.” He worried that they did not understand, so He spoke again. “To restate His meaning [He] spoke this verse.” Using verse form [He] clarified it one more time.

In the next passage, the verses state, “As I think of past lifetimes infinite, boundless kalpas before, there was a Buddha, a Two-Footed Honored One, named Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior.”

The verses further describe how. Sakyamuni Buddha, the World-Honored One, engaged in self-contemplation. “As I think” means that He again calmly engaged in contemplation. He calmed His mind and contemplated past lifetimes. He had been through so many countless kalpas, a very, very long time. This was what He had gone through. “There was a Buddha, a Two-Footed Honored One, named Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior.” This Buddha was already replete in both blessings and wisdom. He had both blessings and wisdom.

How did Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha come to be named Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior? Furthermore this Buddha was replete in both blessings and wisdom [He] was also replete with great spiritual powers and with great power of wisdom. He was “superior to the Three Vehicles.” This Buddha’s blessings, wisdom and spiritual powers were very complete, surpassing those of the Hearers, Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas. So, He was “superior to the Three Vehicles.”

This Buddha, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior, “3000 dust-inked kalpas ago” manifested in this world. It was 3000 dust-inked kalpas ago that a Buddha appeared. His name was Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior, this Tathagata.

Before He became a monastic, this Buddha fathered 16 princes. These 16 princes were born before Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha became a monastic. These 16 princes also became monastics, practiced as novices and “heard the Lotus Sutra from that Buddha.” They heard the Lotus Sutra from. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. After Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra to them, He entered Samadhi for a very long time. So, after these 16 novices heard the [teachings] of the Lotus Sutra, they took the Lotus Sutra completely to heart, put it into action and with what they learned, went among people to transform sentient beings. They likewise ascended the [Dharma]-throne and, for sentient beings and the assembly, once again taught the Lotus Sutra.

Of these 16 novices, the 16th one, after beginning in this way, continuously engaged in spiritual practice lifetime after lifetime. Now He has already attained Buddhahood. That person is the present Buddha, Sakyamuni. “The 16th novice attained Buddhahood.” He is our present day guiding teacher, “Sakyamuni Tathagata. Those who had listened to the 16th novice expounding the Dharma are the assembly seated here today.” Those seated here today refers to those in Sakyamuni Buddha’s lifetime. Sakyamuni Buddha said, “You who are seated here today were in Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s era. When I taught the Lotus Sutra, we formed affinities that have lasted to this day.”

So, “The assembly here today had, during the era, of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, formed affinities with the 16th novice. Therefore, today, under Sakyamuni Tathagata, they are able to listen to the Lotus Sutra and achieve realizations and attain the fruits”

[The affinities from] the era of the 16 princes have continued to today. “Today” refers to more than 2000 years ago, when Sakyamuni Tathagata bestowed predictions on those in the assembly. Because they had awakened, after the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions, the Buddha again told the assembly of 500 people that they could receive predictions of Buddhahood. Now, He began; there were still 500 in the assembly who would receive predictions of Buddhahood. These were all those who, in the past, formed affinities in the era of those 16 novices. When the Buddha manifested in this world, He first bestowed predictions on them. In the future, these people will be able to attain Buddhahood.

The next sutra passage states, “Suppose a man used his strength to grind up all of the lands in the great trichiliocosm and turned all of these grains of earth completely into ink. Then after passing through 1000 lands, he would finally ink one spot, continuing on in this way until all the ink from the dust was exhausted.”

This is talking about the past era countless kalpas ago of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. “Suppose a man used his strength to grind up….” This was such a long time ago. “All of the lands in the great trichiliocosm” would be ground up by his strength, all the lands in the trichiliocosm would be ground. Everything on the ground would become grains and then ink. After passing through 1000 lands, one spot would be inked. We have spoken about all of this before. He “continued on in this way.” This was a very long time ago. All grains of earth became dust.

Grains of earth: Earth is one of the four elements. It can give life to causes for phenomena of form. Hence these are called grains. Grains of earth refer specifically to the element of earth in the great chiliocosm.

“Grains of earth” refers to how. “Earth is one of the four elements.” Of earth, water, fire and air, earth can “give life to causes for phenomena of form.” So, “grains of earth” refer specifically to the great trichiliocosm and is referring to the element of earth.

When it comes to form, all things come from the land. If things spring forth from the land, there is a seed beneath the land. So, all things have causes for phenomena of form. Everything we see has its principles. Physical things have physical principles; this is the phenomena of form. Our lives also follow principles of life; this is also form. “I am this kind of person, this age. You are this kind of person, at this age.” We all undergo childhood and adulthood, youth and old age. Everyone’s physiology is continuously changing. This is the phenomena of form,

to say nothing of the things that we see, the things our eyes come in contact with. Whether it is the light or the background, or the things we are sitting on, or the ceiling we look up to see, these are all phenomena of form. So, [earth is] one of the four elements; all things have the cause for the phenomena of form. They all originate from earth. So, “grains of earth” mean that all things begin in the ground. “Grains of earth” refers to the great trichiliocosm.

Then after passing through 1000 lands, he would finally ink one spot: He passes through 1000 Buddha-lands before inking one spot of dust. He passes through 1000 lands: This refers to the realm one Buddha transforms, which is the great trichiliocosm.

The “elements of the earth” are all like this. So, “Then after passing through 1000 lands, he would finally ink one spot.” He passes through 1000 Buddha-lands “before inking one spot.” Every Buddha has great Buddha-lands. Thus, he passes through 1000 lands. This refers to the realm one Buddha can transform, which is the great trichiliocosm. He passes through 1000 lands and inks one spot. After passing through another 1000 lands, he inks another spot. In this way he passes through 1000 Buddha-lands. He passes through 1000 Buddha-lands in this way. “Then after passing through 1000 lands, he would finally ink one spot.” This is referring to Buddha’s transformation realm. It is the great trichiliocosm. So, a Buddha’s transformation realm is one great trichiliocosm. Imagine, how large is that? This is an analogy. “For every 1000 lands he passes through, he inks one spot. the 999 lands that he passed over” were the lands that were not inked. “There are great quantities of ink and only [small] drops.”

He would finally ink one spot: For every 1000 lands he passes through, he inks one spot. The 999 lands that he passed over are the lands not inked. There are great quantities of ink and only [small] drops.

The inking was like this. Some places were not inked; not every place was inked. So, after many lands, only one was inked. This is to show there were many dust-inked kalpas

Continuing on in this way until all the ink from the dust was exhausted: From 1000 Buddha-lands to another 1000 Buddha-lands, he again inks one spot. In this way, he exhausts all the ink from the grains of the earth of the lands of the trichiliocosm. This shows how many lands he has passed through.

“[He continued] on in this way until all the ink from the dust was exhausted. From 1000 Buddha-lands to another 1000 Buddha-lands,” going from 1000 Buddha-lands to the next 1000, “he again inks one spot. In this way, he exhausts all the ink from the grains of earth of the lands of the trichiliocosm is exhausted.” This shows that he passed through many lands.

It really was a very great number. There were so many lands that were all ground to dust to ink the land. How much time did this [represent]? The sand on the ground was all considered time. So, it took a very long time!

Thus, this sutra passage really does require us to use great wisdom to understand it. It is telling us that all of us, from Beginningless Time, already have a pure and undefiled intrinsic nature. But we have the dusts of endless ignorance covering it up. So, now we must return to our pure, undefiled nature. As Buddhist practitioners, it is really simple. We must be mindful to realize how to prevent wrongdoings and stop evil. We should not reproduce ignorance. As for the afflictions and ignorance of the past, we must quickly eliminate them, and new ignorance should not be reproduced. This is the most important thing for us to realize. We must always be mindful.

Episode 982 – The Tathagata’s Views are Like a Perfect Mirror

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 >> If one thinks back to the times and happenings of the past few decades, they would be as clear as something right in front of one’s eyes. They can be remembered and recalled. The mind-nature across and throughout many lifetimes can be brought into our present thoughts. Yet ordinary people are sealed within a husk of ignorance, unable to see the Path.

 >> “Fellow bhiksus, suppose this person takes all the lands he has passed through, whether inked or not, and grinds them into dust, and one particle of dust represents one kalpa. The time since that Buddha entered Parinirvana is greater than that number by countless and boundless billions and trillions of asankyas of kalpas.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

 >> “I, with the power of observe those things long ago and far away as if they are here today’. At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke this verse.”      [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

 >>  I, with the power of the Tathagata’s understanding and views: The mind-consciousness is called understanding. The eye-consciousness is called view. This is the power of understanding and views that Buddha Himself realized. It shows what the Tathagata’s wisdom is able to see.

 >> The power of [His] understanding and views: This is the Tathagata’s great perfect mirror wisdom. The Buddha’s wisdom is extremely profound. In the ocean of ksetras from the past until now, He can equally reveal all.

 >>  Great perfect mirror wisdom: It clearly reflects all phenomena, thus there is nothing He does not know. This refers to the perfect and enlightening wisdom that all Buddhas intrinsically possess. It responds to all matters but leaves no trace. Its essence never wavers. As it is non-ceasing and non-arising, it neither moves nor changes. It is the everlasting fruition.

 >> [I] observe those things long ago and far away as if they are here today: He observes the past as if it is today. The Buddha has the power of knowing past lives. One thought can reach 10,000 years; one thought arises in an instant.  >> This shows that the Tathagata’s. Three Understandings can illuminate from afar. He revealed these past happenings He mentioned clearly and unmistakably. Next He spoke of the causes and conditions of previous lives.

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“If one thinks back to the times and happenings of the past few decades,
 they would be as clear as something right in front of one’s eyes. They can be remembered and recalled.
The mind-nature across and throughout many lifetimes can be brought into our present thoughts.
Yet ordinary people are sealed within a husk of ignorance, unable to see the Path.”

In life, [everything we experience] comes from our mind-nature. When we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we say that we are learning the teachings, but it would be better to say that it is the mind that learns the Buddha’s teachings. Only when our minds are willing to accept the Buddha-Dharma will the Buddha-Dharma be able to enter our minds. Otherwise, after we pass our life as we have, when this lifetime has passed, will that be the end of it? No, it will not. People will say, “That’s right! This is not all there is. I believe in future lifetimes. I believe we have past lifetimes, this present lifetime and future lifetimes.”

However, just in our daily lives, dealing with people, matters and objects is already difficult enough. How could we ever hope to understand our past and our future? We do not even know what will happen with things in the next few seconds! We do not know even if we will still be safe in the next second. We do not know at all. How could we possibly know the past or future? Nevertheless, we must always try to be mindful.

As we live in this present lifetime, if we make an effort and think back for a moment, we can recall the past. As long as something happened within the past several decades in our present lifetimes, it should still remain fresh in our memories “[It] would be as clear as something right in front of one’s eyes.” If we think back on the past, “[It] can be remembered and recalled.” It appears clearly before our eyes; it should come back very quickly to us.

What is it that enables us to so quickly recall a state of mind we had several decades, or several years earlier? What power allows us to do this? This is the mind-nature. Our memory, when we search it, can recall times from the past to the present. As for space, our environment, where did we live? Where did we come from? We can traverse time and space to recall these. We can look throughout time at the past, or across space to different places. Like this, we go “across and throughout many lifetimes.” We are not simply trying to remember things happening in this present lifetime. What we are also looking back on are times much further back in the past. Just what were our causes and conditions? How long have these causes been accumulating?

This is what it means to go “across and throughout [many lifetimes],” to look far back into the past, to times from the past into the present. How long has it been? How many lifetimes, how many eras have we lived through? How many lifetimes have we continuously experienced? Now, we do not remember how anything was in the past. If we can return to our original nature, return to our pure intrinsic nature, we will gradually come to understand the karmic law of cause and effect.

I do not know if you have heard of the 18 Hells and of King Yama’s palace. The Black and White Ghosts of Impermanence escort people before Yama, the king of hell, where he asks them, “How many evil deeds and how many good deeds have you done in your life?” Everyone wants to justify themselves by saying, “I never did any evil, and I have done a fair amount of good.” However, in front of King Yama is a special mirror. In that mirror, images of your life, your past and everything you have ever done will appear like this one after another. No matter how you argue with him, the evidence will be there before you.

This means that all of the causes and conditions that we create [eventually] come to fruition. None of these seeds, even the smallest, are ever lost. All are stored in the storehouse consciousness in our eighth consciousness. Already, many afflictions and ignorance, as well as all of the evil we have ever done, are all stored in there. If we do not engage in spiritual practice now, we will fundamentally never be able to see into our storehouse consciousness, in which are stored the many causes and conditions from past lifetimes that cause us to arrive in the world. In these circumstances beyond our control, we accumulate so much suffering.

In the history of Tzu Chi, in the Tzu Chi sutra treasury, countless tales of suffering are clearly recorded. Even with story after story, human suffering is impossible to describe! Just take for instance one case in Chiayi. A family there had accumulated so much garbage, so many filthy and dirty things, that as soon as one reached the door and stepped inside, the smell was so bad it was overwhelming!

The house belonged to two brothers, the care recipient and his younger brother, who both lived inside. The care recipient was mentally challenged, and it was impossible for him to work. The younger brother still had the ability to work, so he worked odd jobs for others. Furthermore, the care recipient’s wife was also severely mentally challenged. They had three daughters and one son, and of those three daughters, only the second daughter was mentally normal. So, five of those in this family were all mentally challenged.

When we took the case, naturally our first thought was to clean their house for them, but the younger brother continually refused. We eventually went through the village head, who managed to open up communications with him. After much difficulty, he talked the care recipient’s younger brother into finally becoming willing to accept our help in cleaning out their house. So, we mobilized more than 60 Faith Corp members.

When they saw the toilet, they wondered how anyone could have lived there. As they cleaned, they all kept wondering, “How could anyone possibly live in conditions like these?” So, they carefully taught the family [to clean]. “Come! Come help us clean!” When those who were cleaning in other rooms began moving the beds, they found nothing but trash under them. There were also many cockroaches and rats. You could hear the startled cries of volunteers. That family’s suffering was unbearable.

To clear out all those things, it took six loads with a garbage truck. After everything had been cleared out, then the real cleaning began. They scrubbed, cleaned and swept from the ceiling to the walls to the floor, until everything shone like a mirror. There had even been tile underneath after all! After the tilework had been cleaned and polished, everything became bright and shiny. Then Tzu Chi volunteers then took refurbished beds from the recycling station and brought them there for them to use and arranged everything nicely for them. After refurnishing the place with recycled goods, it made for a very comfortable home.

See, this is how the world is. These are “ordinary people who are sealed within a husk of ignorance, unable to see the Path.” Think about it; if the home of our mind the house in our minds, is like that house, then how will “our mind-nature” ever be “brought across and throughout lifetimes and into our present thoughts”? This would be impossible. If we were to totally clear out all these things so that the home of our mind became totally clean, then our original nature would instantaneously reveal itself in our thoughts.

You should all understand this analogy. By sweeping clean all ignorance and afflictions, our mind-nature naturally becomes pure, and our original nature of True Suchness manifests. This can all happen in a single thought. What a pity that with one thought of ignorance, life after life we continue to transmigrate as unenlightened beings. We are sealed within our own husks of ignorance. We cannot see the Path. We do not even know how to walk the path that is ahead of us. So, we must put our effort into being mindful. This lifetime we have now is precious, as are these conditions that enable us to listen to the Dharma together. So, we should make good use of this opportunity, make good use of every moment of every day. We must cultivate contemplation and always abide in the Dharma, never allowing it to leak away.

Furthermore, in this way, with the Buddha-Dharma as our guide we can understand the distant past through an analogy. This should not be difficult. If we can eliminate the filth of afflictions and ignorance, then naturally we will gradually come to understand this principle. The road should be right in front of us. We just need to not let the husk of ignorance seal us up. Once we break it open, we see the road has been right in front of us. So, we must work hard and always be mindful.

The previous passage states, “Fellow bhiksus, suppose this person takes all the lands he has passed through, whether inked or not, and grinds them into dust, and one particle of dust represents one kalpa. The time since that Buddha entered Parinirvana is greater than that number by countless and boundless billions and trillions of asankyas of kalpas.”

This is a very long time ago, a very long time in the past! If he uses the ink to mark a spot, then crosses 1000 lands before marking another small spot, the lands he will pass will be many indeed. Whether marked by a drop of ink or not, if these thousands of lands he passed through were all taken together and ground into powder, were ground into dust, then imagine the time that this [represents]; it would be immeasurable indeed! It would be countless and boundless billions and trillions of asankyas of kalpas, a very long time. There is no analogy for this exact number.

The next passage continues on to say, “I, with the power of the Tathagata’s understanding and views, observe those things long ago and far away as if they are here today’. At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke this verse.”

Sakyamuni Buddha said, “I, with the power of the Tathagata’s understanding and views….” By using the pure awakened wisdom of undefiled True Suchness to view things that happened long ago in the past, to view the causes and conditions back then, He could see them as if viewing things today, very clearly. This is what the Buddha told us. He verified things that happened so long ago. He had already encountered countless Buddhas as. He sought the Dharma while transforming others.

I, with the power of the Tathagata’s understanding and views: The mind-consciousness is called understanding. The eye-consciousness is called view. This is the power of understanding and views that Buddha Himself realized. It shows what the Tathagata’s wisdom is able to see.

This is His mind-consciousness; mind-consciousness is “understanding.” Eye-consciousness is called “views. This is the power of the understanding and views that the Buddha Himself had realized.” This shows what the Tathagata is able to see with His wisdom. This is saying that when our minds and our eyes observe external states, what arises are called understanding and views. The Buddha used the “understanding and views [He] Himself realized.” These are not the understanding and views of we ordinary people, but the understanding and views of one who has already become awakened. We unenlightened beings only reach our eighth consciousness. Karmic seeds all go to the eighth consciousness. However, the Buddha transcended the eighth to reach the ninth consciousness; these are the understanding and views of a Buddha.

“This is the power of the understanding and views that the Buddha Himself had realized.” This shows what the Tathagata, through His wisdom, is able to see. With His Buddha-wisdom, He transcends what ordinary people [can see]; this is what the Buddha-wisdom of awakened nature is able to see

“The power of [His] understanding and views: This is the Tathagata’s great perfect mirror wisdom. The Buddha’s wisdom is extremely profound. In the ocean of ksetras from the past until now, He can equally reveal all.”

The wisdom of the Buddha is profound. From the past until now, it has been such a long period of time. A ksetra is a realm. He passed through so many realms, through lifetime after lifetime of realms, so many that they were like a great ocean. Yet He could reveal them all in a single thought. He could [reveal] absolutely everything as [clearly] as if it was happening today. This is like how our mind-nature manifests. When Buddha-wisdom manifests, when pure enlightened wisdom manifests, we can understand things from the past to present as if they were things happening today. The principle is the same; we will understand them quite clearly.

Ordinary people, after a while, may say, “Oh, why don’t I have any impression of that? I don’t remember that.” But the Buddha’s memory is transcendent. With that kind of perspective, He can remember back many, many lifetimes, can still recall incalculable numbers of things and causes and conditions

Great perfect mirror wisdom: It clearly reflects all phenomena, thus there is nothing He does not know. This refers to the perfect and enlightening wisdom that all Buddhas intrinsically possess. It responds to all matters but leaves no trace. Its essence never wavers. As it is non-ceasing and non-arising, it neither moves nor changes. It is the everlasting fruition.

The mirror can reflect these things, but if they are moved away from the mirror, they will no longer be reflected in it at all. This mirror is forever undefiled, pure and without afflictions. This is great perfect mirror wisdom.

This mirror is everlasting; it is the nature of True Suchness. So, “[As it is] non-ceasing and non-arising, it neither moves nor changes. It is the everlasting fruition.” This is something all of us possess, but right now, we are still practicing in the causal ground. The Buddha has already attained Buddhahood, and that fruition is everlasting. His mirror, with that fruition, has become so completely clear. This has already manifested. It has been polished [through spiritual practice]. This is just like that house where so many people polished and swept. As a result, it began to shine. In the same way,

[I] observe those things long ago and far away as if they are here today: He observes the past as if it is today. The Buddha has the power of knowing past lives. One thought can reach 10,000 years; one thought arises in an instant.

He “observes those things long ago and far away as if they are here today” The mirror of the Tathagata’s mind is like this. Although it reflects both good and evil, in regard to good and evil, the Buddha can distinguish everything very clearly. So, He came to the world to teach the Dharma to sentient beings, to let us know that suffering comes from creating so many negative causes that result in negative retributions, in facing negative effects. The Buddha had to know of these evil things, while also teaching us how to do good. These were the Buddha’s understanding and views. “He observes those things long ago and far away as if they are here today.” Now everything is understood. Things of the past have become perfectly clear.

So, “He observes the past as if it is today.” When thinking of past things, they are as clear as if right in front of Him. This is Buddha-wisdom, “the Buddha’s power of knowing past lives.” He can remember so far back that He can go 10,000 years in the past in a single thought. In a thought, He can go back 10,000 years. Not only could He go back 10,000 years, He could go back countless kalpas in the past. This is in an instant, in the span of a thought. He could go back countless kalpas, countless thousands of years, all in the space of a single thought

This shows that the Tathagata’s. “Three Understandings can illuminate from afar. He revealed these past happenings He mentioned clearly and unmistakably. Next He spoke of the causes and conditions of previous lives.”

The Three Understandings are the Three Insights, insight of the heavenly eye, into previous lives and into the ending of all Leaks. In a Buddha, these three are called the Three Understandings. He thoroughly understood that the.

“Three Understandings can illuminate from afar. He revealed these past happenings He mentioned.” He revealed past causes and conditions, revealed past events, “clearly and unmistakably. Next He spoke of the causes and conditions of previous lives.” These were causes and conditions far in the past, and the Buddha gradually taught them now. So, in the Buddha’s mind, He thoroughly understood the past. With so many principles, for the sake of the profound Dharma and meaning, “At that time” ․”the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning,” continued on in verse.

Dear Bodhisattvas, we must be meticulous and mindful as we learn the Buddha’s teachings. When we use our minds clearly, the Dharma will manifest clearly before us. So, let us always be mindful!

Episode 981 – Endless Dust Particles and Ceaseless Kalpas

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>> Like the particles of dust after the ink from the grains of earth is exhausted, the number of worlds is countless. Even a mathematician cannot calculate their boundary. Transcending all numbers, this affinity is long-lasting and vast.

>> “What do all of you think?  In terms of those lands,  can a mathematician  or a mathematician’s disciples  ever know the boundary and  calculate the number of those lands?  No, World-Honored One.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “Fellow bhiksus, suppose this person takes all the lands he has passed through, whether inked or not, and grinds them into dust, and one particle of dust represents one kalpa. The time since that Buddha entered Parinirvana is greater than that number by countless and boundless billions and trillions of asankyas of kalpas.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> Fellow bhiksus: The Buddha called out to the assembly to again remind them to contemplate carefully. Suppose this person takes all the lands he has passed through: This refers to all the lands that the person inking those spots has passed through.

>> Whether inked or not [he] grinds them into dust: He further takes all the lands inked and all the lands not inked and grinds them all into dust. If the particles of dust are compared to kalpas, the [length of time] is greater than that number. >> One particle of dust represents one kalpa, the time since that Buddha entered Parinirvana: From the beginning of Beginningless Time, or beginning with Beginningless time,  the kalpas represented by dust particles are the time since Great Unhindered Buddha entered Parinirvana. This time surpasses the number of dust particles. The many tiny particles of dust are describing the number of kalpas.

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“Like the particles of dust after the ink from the grains of earth is exhausted,
the number of worlds is countless.
Even a mathematician cannot calculate their boundary. Transcending all numbers, this affinity is long-lasting and vast.”

“Like the particles of dust after the ink from the grains of earth is exhausted….” If all the dust particles and all the things [in a trichiliocosm] are ground into ink, “The number of worlds is countless.” After passing every 1000 lands, a spot is inked. In this way, with so much ink, so many lands are passed over between spots until the ink is used up. How vast [an area] is this? There is no way to use numbers to measure it. How extensive is the boundary of these lands? Even when mathematicians and their disciples joined in to help calculate, they still cannot understand the boundary. It is truly a lot. It is impossible to describe their amount or the extent of their border. It is already beyond all the numbers. It tells us that “This affinity is long and vast.” Whether the time or amount of lands, when such numbers are used to express the number of kalpas, to express time, that time is incalculable. This represents how truly, “The beginning of Beginningless Time or that which begins in Beginningless Time is that which has no end and no beginning.” This is a very long time.

Sakyamuni Buddha, at that time, began to create His affinities with. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. He started to form aspirations to listen to the Dharma, understand the Dharma, take the Dharma to heart and then expound and explain the Dharma. Clearly, as Sakyamuni already reached Buddhahood, He must have engaged in spiritual practice over such a long period of time. For such a long time, He had engaged in spiritual practice until causes and conditions matured. His vow was to come to the Saha World, the world with the most suffering, where the Five Destinies co-exist. He came to this world of endurance for one great cause, to “open and reveal,” hoping that we can all experience, “realize and enter” [His understanding and views].

The Buddha, beginningless kalpas before, kalpas with no beginning or end, started to seek the Dharma and transform others. He extensively formed good affinities with people. He went among people to benefit them and formed good affinities with sentient beings. As He went among the people, He incessantly experienced suffering. He chose to come to this world, particularly the kingdom of Kapilavastu in [Ancient] India. For such a long time, this place had a feudal system, and the four castes were strictly segregated. When someone was born as a Ksatriya, they believed every they would remain in the caste of the royalty life after life, always in a noble family. When a person was born as a businessman, made lots of money and had a wealthy household, [he would stay] in this kind of caste. Some remain only butchers by profession, in that kind of caste. Or some people were untouchables. The castes were clearly segregated. They assumed they would stay the same, lifetime after lifetime.

As for the religious practitioners, they were always above the noble caste. They stood on the shoulders of the nobility. They were called the Brahmins. In an environment of such complicated philosophy, complicated religions and complicated caste discrimination, life was full of suffering. “How can I help people to treat everyone equally?” This was Prince Siddhartha’s thought back then. He also observed birth, aging, illness and death.

Whether one was a religious practitioner, a wealthy person, or in the untouchable caste, one still faced birth, aging, illness and death. Doesn’t this show human nature is equal? So, the Buddha wanted to investigate how to transform this kind of thinking. Thus, He became a monastic to investigate the principles of the world.

In a state of tranquility, He transcended this world. All principles of time, space and relationships were understood by him. However, breaking the caste system was still very difficult. Not many people had a chance to listen to Dharma. In that era, with their [level of] technology, with people’s thinking not yet being open, the Buddha-Dharma could not quickly spread. Unfortunately, the Buddha only lived in this world for 80 years. Thus, in this world, to explain the principles so that everyone can be clear, so that all humans can be treated equally, so we can return to True Suchness, is not easy!

But now in Nepal, [in 2015,] the discrimination between the castes has started to loosen. We see the noble class there, because of the earthquake there, starting to interact with the poor, the people they used to call untouchables. They were able to draw near to them and embrace them. Moreover, when they gave, they bowed down to them. This was the way they gave to the poor; they even hugged and patted their backs. This never happened in the past.

I have seen the footage that they sent to me. In order to put together a tea party to show their gratitude for Tzu Chi, two businessmen and their families got involved and even put on our culinary aprons and uniforms. What did they do after putting on this apparel? They went to serve food to the guests. They introduced our rules in this place. When it was time to eat, they served the food. Serving food also has its humanistic culture. These two rich businessmen were lined up to serve the food and even wore the culinary uniform to help serve food to others.

These businessmen and the volunteers made no distinctions between the different ethnicities. So, this event was one of true ethnic equality. This power of love coming together just [comes together so well], mixed together in such harmony. This is not a simple matter at all! Seeing this kind of situation, we know the Dharma is spreading in the Saha World. This was also the reason why the Buddha became a monastic. The Buddha did not live to see this scene of people working together harmoniously; such a pity! But, I believe that the Buddha is still among the people. He would never leave us in any lifetime. Perhaps He also manifests this kind of appearance in His land and is one of those who is mobilizing other people.

This means that the Buddha, for such a long time, has repeatedly come to this world. Does He bring karma or the Dharma with Him? He takes advantage of causes and conditions, the causes and conditions for Him to start implementing [the Dharma] in that place. The true principles and the Buddha-Dharma are starting to be promoted in that place once again. I saw them providing free medical service to the bhiksunis. They were so meticulous; before the free clinic they gathered everyone and talked about the “spirit of the bamboo banks.” They told the story of Tzu Chi, then shared with everyone the song. “The Spirit of Great Love” and led them to perform the sign language of this song.

Among them, there was also a soldier. He shared his feeling and said in “The Spirit of Great Love,” the most touching part was the final verse about “long-lasting compassion and great love.” He felt long-lasting compassion and great love indeed pervade and fill the universe. “Long-lasting compassion and great love pervade and fill the universe,” forever without end. The power of love is just like this. Such a short phrase was able to bring out the wisdom in his mind, and the principles within him were awakened.

So, it does not matter whether the Dharma is spread to the west or to the east. In the past the Buddha-Dharma was spread east; now we spread the principles to the west and return them to the Buddha’s land. This Dharma is pervading the universe. This is a very joyful matter.

The previous sutra passage states the following, “What do all of you think?  In terms of those lands,  can a mathematician  or a mathematician’s disciples  ever know the boundary and  calculate the number of those lands?  No, World-Honored One.”

The amount of time in kalpas that has passed is so long. When we talk about pervading the universe, it is long-lasting compassion and great love that fills the universe. They last forever without end. It truly has been an endless amount of time, such a long time, that the Buddha-Dharma has been passed down.

The next sutra passage states, “Fellow bhiksus, suppose this person takes all the lands he has passed through, whether inked or not, and grinds them into dust, and one particle of dust represents one kalpa. The time since that Buddha entered Parinirvana is greater than that number by countless and boundless billions and trillions of asankyas of kalpas.”

“That Buddha” refers to. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. A long, long time ago lived Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. He taught the Dharma for an even longer time. He spent a very, very long time, an incalculable amount of time teaching the Dharma. Then after teaching the Dharma, He entered Parinirvana. After His Parinirvana, another long period of time passed, “greater than the number of countless, boundless billions and trillions of asankyas of kalpas.” Such a long period of time has already passed.

So, “fellow bhiksus” means the Buddha called out “to again remind them to contemplate carefully.” Everyone must consider this mindfully.

Fellow bhiksus: The Buddha called out to the assembly to again remind them to contemplate carefully. Suppose this person takes all the lands he has passed through: This refers to all the lands that the person inking those spots has passed through.

“Suppose this person takes all the lands he has passed through. This refers to all the lands that the person inking those spots has passed through.” These are the lands that he already passed through. It has been such a long time, and the places he passed cover such a vast area. This [analogy] expresses the length of the time and the vastness of the space [he passed through]. These are truly boundless; it is such a long time.

Whether inked or not [he] grinds them into dust: He further takes all the lands inked and all the lands not inked and grinds them all into dust. If the particles of dust are compared to kalpas, the [length of time] is greater than that number.

“Whether inked or not, [he] grinds them into dust.” Whether inked or not inked, all the lands are ground into dust. Thus, “[all the lands] ground into dust” are used to represent the number of kalpas “[The length of time] is greater than that number.” To explain this amount of time, the Buddha used an analogy of so many lands and all things in them. Already there are so many particles of dust, then all of these things are ground into dust. Each dust particle represents one kalpa. Even in the present, there is so much dust just from sweeping the floor. The Buddhist sutras often mention kalpas as numerous as the sands in the Ganges River. But [this period] is longer than that. Now, not just the sands in the Ganges River but a great trichiliocosm is all ground into dust to become particles as numerous as the kalpas. The time represented by the dust particles, one dust particle per kalpa, is very long. It is truly a very long time.

“Every 1000 lands he passes through, he inks one spot. These are the lands that were inked. The 999 lands that he passed over” are the lands not inked. After he inks a spot, he has to pass over 999 lands before inking another spot. Those lands that were not inked, those 999 lands, would likewise be ground into dust. “Taking all these lands, inked or not inked,” both those inked or not inked, all these lands, all the lands in the trichiliocosm, would be ground. “This shows how much dust there is.”

One particle of dust represents one kalpa, the time since that Buddha entered Parinirvana: From the beginning of Beginningless Time, or beginning with Beginningless time,  the kalpas represented by dust particles are the time since Great Unhindered Buddha entered Parinirvana. This time surpasses the number of dust particles. The many tiny particles of dust are describing the number of kalpas.

There are so many dust particles. “One particle of dust represents one kalpa, the time since that Buddha entered Parinirvana. From the beginning of Beginningless Time, or beginning with Beginningless Time,” this is truly a very long time. “One particle of dust” is one kalpa. “Great Unhindered Buddha entered Parinirvana.” The time since His entering Parinirvana is “greater than that number by countless billions and trillions of asankyas of kalpas.” It continues to repeat like this to explain the number of particles representing time. Kalpas are as many as “the tiny particles of dust.” What is being said here is that the time is truly very long

Greater than that number by countless, boundless billions and trillions of asankyas of kalpas: This time surpasses the number of dust particles. The many tiny particles of dust are describing the number of kalpas. “This is the number of kalpas equal to the dust; from when. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha left up till now, that is the number of kalpas.” Such a long time has passed since then. From when Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior left all the way to the present, that number of kalpas has passed. That is from the present. The number of kalpas is talking about time, about how long it would be. “There is more than this”; it is even longer. It has been a long time from when Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha entered Parinirvana up to the present. It has probably been a very long time, “long and distant as it is.”

That is it. It is tiring just to describe such a long time. It indeed is very long. It is “countless and boundless billions and trillions of asankyas of kalpas.” Earlier, it was said that it is inconceivable. Thus, “Before a dust-inked kalpa ago.” Before this dust-inked kalpa were even more kalpas. So, it is the beginning of Beginningless Time, and it is always difficult to describe it.

If clarification is needed, first, it is said that “3000 dust-inked kalpas means” grinding the things in a great trichiliocosm into ink.

We grind the things in the great trichiliocosm into powder and add water to make ink. After passing a great trichiliocosm, a spot is inked. This shows how long the time has been since then. Passing through a great trichiliocosm like this, we ink spots until all the ink is exhausted, “and all the worlds that have been passed” turn into “all of the dust particles.” If a dust particle is used to represent a kalpa, it calculates time; this shows that Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior, from His birth to the present, has been through a very long time. We can get a clear idea through this method.

Secondly, it describes 500 dust-inked kalpas. “Grind 500 thousand trillion of asankyas of kalpas and trichiliocosms.” This is even more difficult to explain 500 thousand trillion is so many. A great trichiliocosm has so many dust particles. Passing every 500 thousand trillion [lands], for every asankya [of lands], a spot is inked. When all the dust particles are exhausted, all of the worlds passed over will again be ground into dust. Counting every particle as a kalpa represents the time it took Sakyamuni Buddha to attain Buddhahood and even up to the present. This is an analogy to describe a very long time.

This is to describe the Buddha’s hard work. Sakyamuni Buddha used such a vastly long period of time, practicing and training nonstop. This is “before a dust-inked kalpa ago.” Sakyamuni Buddha had started from kalpas as incalculable as dust particles. “Endless dust particles and ceaseless kalpas” is to explain to everyone that although this ink had been exhausted, although Buddha had already attained Buddhahood in this world, the work of “ceaseless kalpas had not yet stopped.” It had not yet ended. This explains that the Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, still makes vows every lifetime [to come to] this Saha World, to this world of endurance where the Five Destinies co-exist. He uses various forms to manifest in this world. Because “ceaseless kalpas had not yet stopped” and the Buddha’s transformation work has not ended,

Earth Treasury Bodhisattva comprehended His mind, so he made the vow that. “Until hell is empty, I will not attain Buddhahood.” Sentient beings in Sakyamuni Buddha’s Saha World have not comprehended the Buddha-Dharma, the Buddha’s teachings, so the Buddha never gives up and stops. Then, we must be grateful that the Buddha painstakingly comes to this world to teach and transform sentient beings and allow the Buddha-Dharma to be passed down from beginning to end and back to the beginning. There is endless Buddha-Dharma; we are now bringing it back to the Buddha’s birthplace. Seeing how the people in Nepal are starting to break through the caste system, I have the hope that this is a beginning [There is] formation, existence, decay and disappearance. For Nepal, it is the beginning again, the moment of formation. So, everyone, we must always be mindful.

Episode 980 – (修因得果劫國莊嚴)

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>> They cultivated seeds and attained the fruit of exquisite and wondrous lands in their circumstantial and direct retributions. Those Buddhas’ lifespans in the world are extremely long, and They deliver infinite sentient beings. The Right Dharma abides in the world for a long time, and Their followers are numerous. In accord with Their original vows, merits and virtues, Their kalpas and lands are magnificent.

>> “( As an analogy, take all the grains of earth in the great trichiliocosm) Suppose someone were to grind them into ink. Then, passing over 1000 lands to the east, he inked just one spot, a drop as large as a dust particle. Again passing over another 1000 lands, he would ink another spot, continuing on this way until the ink from the grains of earth was exhausted.”    [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]   

>> “What do all of you think? In terms of those lands, can a mathematician or a mathematician’s disciples ever know the boundary or calculate the number of those lands? No, World-Honored One.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]   

>> By continuing until all the ink from the grains of earth is exhausted, the number of the lands passed would be immense. With great quantities of ink and small drops, the lands covered would be extensive. Continuing on this way until the ink is used up shows how many lands he has passed.

>> What do all of you think?: In terms of those lands, even a mathematician and his disciples could never calculate their amount or know their number.

>> Then he would take the lands inked and the lands where no spot was inked and grind all of them into dust. Each of these particles of dust is like a kalpa. To get to this number, it would be countless and boundless billions of trillions of asankyas of kalpas. Thus, it is said to be inconceivable.

>> Thus it says, ‘Before a dust-inked kalpa ago, though the ink-marked dusts may be exhausted, there are still endless dust-inked kalpas’. The beginning of Beginningless Time or that which begins in Beginningless Time is that which has no end and no beginning.

>> What do all of you think? What do all of you bhiksus before me think about this?>> No, World-Honored One: This number is so large and the amount so great that it is truly beyond the intellectual power of a mathematician to conceive or to explain verbally. The assembly answered the Buddha: No, they cannot know it.

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“They cultivated seeds and attained the fruit of exquisite and wondrous lands” in their circumstantial and direct retributions. “Those Buddhas’ lifespans in the world are extremely long, and They deliver infinite sentient beings.
The Right Dharma abides in the world for a long time, and Their followers are numerous.
In accord with Their original vows, merits and virtues, Their kalpas and lands are magnificent.”

Since the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions began, we have seen how the Buddha bestowed predictions on His disciples. In the future, how many Buddhas will His disciples serve and make offerings to? How much time will it take? Each of them has different causes, so the Buddha gave predictions of cause and effect. It will take them a very long time. Whenever a Buddha was born into the world, they are always very reverent in serving and making offerings to Him. They use their entire life to seek the Buddha’s Way.

In Sakyamuni Buddha’s era, His land is our Saha World. This is because of Sakyamuni Buddha’s original vows and His merits and virtues. This was His original vow and. His chosen direction of spiritual practice. This is because sentient beings in suffering are those that He wanted to transform. The place where suffering sentient beings are is His spiritual training ground.

In the end, the Buddha wanted to lead everyone into a very ideal and pure world and back to our nature of True Suchness. In this contaminated society and world, how can we go against the current to return to our nature of True Suchness? The current of ignorance is like a very strong force constantly pushing against us. Our spiritual practice is to put our hearts into advancing forward against the current. This means our will to practice must be firm. We must be diligent, understand what is needed in life and earnestly cultivate these causes.

Returning to our nature of True Suchness will take a very long time. Only then will we attain the fruit. So, our ideals are still very far away; we must return to face reality and honestly, earnestly engage in spiritual practice to cultivate our causes. Facing the myriads of suffering sentient beings, we must mindfully seek to realize the suffering in the human realm.

If we do not put effort into being mindful and do not carefully guard our consciousness, when our Six Roots come into contact with the Six Dusts in the external world, a single thought arises in the mind, and we will be unable to discern right from wrong. Seeing a beautiful state or a pleasurable environment, we will follow it. That is right, we will be led away by it. This is how karma follows us [after death]. After we take our last breath, external states will immediately appear. To entice you, your loved ones will call to you. The states you hope for most will appear, and you will follow them. Once you go, the next thing you will experience is “the pain of your body contacting air,” and you are reborn into this world crying.

This is why we engage in spiritual practice; We must learn not to follow these states and carefully guard our minds. Our minds, these causes, must be earnestly protected.

In this Saha World, we listen to Sakyamuni Buddha’s teachings. It has continued on for more than 2000 years. All of it is about the principle of suffering and the causes of the afflictions we accumulate. We must understand the origin of afflictions so we will know the way to eliminate them. We must clearly understand this suffering. We feel the pain of others’ suffering, so we must go among people to comprehend their suffering.

Recently, isn’t all we have encountered suffering? The earthquake in Nepal was so sudden and strong. It caused so many people to suffer! A few days ago, a group of young people were at Formosa Fun Coast when this colored-powder explosion occurred. Within seconds, so many people caught on fire. Their skin was completely burned off. When something like this happens, what words can be used to describe it? Their revels in heaven suddenly became a fiery hell. There was so much pain.

This occurred at around 8:40 pm. Think about it, the hospital suddenly had so many severely injured patients to deal with. Which hospital would not be overwhelmed? Especially as at that hour in the night, everyone was leaving their shift. We can imagine on the road, so many medical staff were rushing back to their hospitals to save people. In Tzu Chi’s Xindian Hospital alone, when Superintendent Chao heard the news, he also sent out a request, hoping that everyone would quickly return to the hospital to prepare. They were very quick; it was after 9 pm and by 10 all the doctors had returned to our hospital. By 10:40 pm, a Tzu Chi volunteer’s daughter, who was among the injured, arrived at the hospital in a taxi. Beginning with that first person, 13 patients arrived, one after the other.

By the second day, a 20-year-old patient had already passed away. That patient’s mother said, “I have already lost a daughter. I still have my second child, my son.” This [20-year-old] patient had taken her younger brother out to play. The sister loved her younger brother. Although she herself was severely injured, she continuously asked how her little brother was doing. Her brother was also in critical condition. How could a mother bear this?

There was another mother in our hospital whose situation was even more heartbreaking. She was from China, and her husband had [previously] passed away. She was raising two children and hoped to have a stable life in Taiwan. Unexpectedly, her husband, her second husband, also passed away. So, this mother had to find work [to support them]. She knew her daughter’s injury at this time was very severe and there was not much hope. She was already lying intubated in our hospital.

This mother came to us on the second day telling our hospital, “I have to go to work and make a living.” We wanted to give her condolence money, but she said, “No, Tzu Chi has already done enough for me. I only ask that if I cannot make it back in time, since I have to go to work, I beg you to please buy a pretty dress for my daughter to wear.” Our social worker started looking. When he got off work, it was already past 10 pm, but he went to buy an outfit and brought it to the hospital. But it looked like this outfit would be impossible for her to wear because her body had begun to swell.

This incident is the most severe fire disaster in Taiwan’s history. There was such extreme suffering. This is the Saha World, the world of endurance, the place where the Five Destinies co-exist. We must all mindfully seek to realize the causes and conditions of the origin of suffering.

So, we speak of cultivating causes. Just these two words, “cultivating causes,” must be mindfully experienced. The fruits can only be attained after a long time. How do we purify people’s minds? How do we purify minds to make the land pure? It will take a very long time before we can attain “the exquisite and wondrous lands of our circumstantial and direct retributions.”

This will take a very long time. A Buddha’s lifespan in the world is very long, and He transforms infinite sentient beings. Every Buddha that comes to the world must go through a long time of [practice]. But the result is that after a long period of spiritual practice, They attain an exquisite and wondrous land, which is Their transformation land. In attaining Buddhahood, They can have a long life and an exquisite and wondrous land. They must transform many sentient beings to do so.

“The Right Dharma abides in the world for a long time, and Their followers are numerous,” depending on Their process of spiritual practice. “They all follow Their original vows.” All Buddhas follows Their original vows, which are to teach us. Going back to cultivating causes, our goal is to reach this magnificent land, but in the process we must go against the turbid current to return to that beautiful state of mind, to return to our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. We must practice according to the teachings, seek the Dharma and transform sentient beings. It takes a long period of time to attain the fruit of that magnificent land.

The previous sutra passage states, “Suppose someone were to grind them into ink. Then, passing over 1000 lands to the east, he inked just one spot, a drop as large as a dust particle. Again passing over another 1000 lands, he would ink another spot, continuing on in this way until the ink ground from the grains of earth was exhausted.”

To use up all of this ink would take a very long time. Only inking one spot after passing 1000 lands, think of how much ink there is! He will continue to mark spots like this, one drop of ink after passing every 1000 lands. That is such a long time! It is so long.

The next sutra passage says, “‘What do all of you think? In terms of those lands, can a mathematician or a mathematician’s disciples ever know the boundary or calculate the number of those lands? No, World-Honored One’.”

Does everyone understand this sutra passage? What do you think, everyone? “In terms of those lands,” these lands discussed, “can a mathematician” [calculate] all this? He passes through 1000 lands and inks a drop, then goes through another 1000 lands and inks another drop, until all the ink is used up. Can we calculate how many lands there are? So, in the sutra, the Buddha says “a mathematician or a mathematician’s disciples.” A mathematician specializes in numbers. His [ability] alone is not enough, so he gathers all his disciples together. Can they calculate it? The disciples’ answer is that they cannot do it. It really is impossible to calculate. World-Honored One, who can calculate it? It really is incalculable

By continuing until all the ink from the grains of earth is exhausted, the number of the lands passed would be immense. With great quantities of ink and small drops, the lands covered would be extensive. Continuing on this way until the ink is used up shows how many lands he has passed.

This is “continuing until all the ink from the grains of earth is exhausted.” All the grains of earth were ground into ink to mark spots on these lands. Truly, “The number of the lands passed would be immense.” Even with professional mathematicians and their disciples, even after gathering many mathematicians together, they all would be unable to calculate it. This is because, “With great quantities of ink and small drops, the lands covered would be extensive.” The ink drop is very small, like a speck of dust. The previous sutra passage said, “small as a speck of dust”; it is so small. He must ink so many lands and continue until no ink is left. This is to show how many lands he passed through.

“What do all of you think? In terms of those lands, can a mathematician or a mathematician’s disciples [do this]?” These mathematicians “could never calculate their amount or know their number”; it is incalculable.

Then he would take the lands inked and the lands where no spot was inked and grind all of them into dust. Each of these particles of dust is like a kalpa. To get to this number, it would be countless and boundless billions of trillions of asankyas of kalpas. Thus, it is said to be inconceivable.

So, “Then he would take the lands inked and the lands where no spot was inked” ․Then he would take the lands inked and the lands where no spot was inked and grind all of them into dust. Each of these particles of dust is like a kalpa. To get to this number, it would be countless and boundless billions of trillions of asankyas of kalpas. Thus, it is said to be inconceivable. This means every 1000 lands are inked by one drop. So, before, after and in between, there are lands that did not get inked. Spots were inked one by one every 1000 lands. Some are inked, and some lands have not been inked. These are all gathered together and ground again into dust. Each speck of dust is an analogy for one kalpa. So, in this way, how can we calculate this? Thus it says, “countless and boundless billions and trillions of asankyas of kalpas.” These are countless, boundless asankyas of kalpas, billions and trillions of asankyas of kalpas. An asankya is impossible to count, to say nothing of calculating the billions and trillions of asankyas of kalpas. “Thus, it is said to be inconceivable”

>> “Thus it says, ‘Before a dust-inked kalpa ago, though the ink-marked dusts may be exhausted, there are still endless dust-inked kalpas’. The beginning of Beginningless Time or that which begins in Beginningless Time is that which has no end and no beginning.”

The meaning is that this happened a dust-inked kalpa before, a very long time ago. These dust-inked specks were already inked over so many lands. But, “There are still endless dust-inked kalpas.” This time had not yet run out. The ink was used up, but time had not yet run out.

“The beginning of Beginningless Time” means the beginning of Beginningless Time. There is no way to explain its beginning. How can it be described? It cannot. “The beginning of Beginningless Time or that which begins in Beginningless Time.” Think about this, it is the beginning of Beginningless Time, or beginning in Beginningless Time. So, when is the beginning? “This is that which has no end and no beginning”

What do all of you think? What do all of you bhiksus before me think about this?

“‘What do all of you think? What do all of you bhiksus before me think about this?’.” The Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, said this to everyone. “What do all of you think about this?” Could any of the bhiksus calculate it? Could they understand? “In terms of those lands,” these lands that had been inked, they were of a great, incalculable number. “A mathematician or mathematician’s disciples” means despite gathering mathematicians from so many lands to calculate it, including their disciples, no one could do it.

Even if a mathematician is only one person, he had many disciples. So many mathematicians and many mathematicians’ disciples came to calculate. Were they able to measure its boundary? It was still bigger! “They could measure the boundary of the world, but could not know the number of inked lands.” There is still no way to do it. So, the answer was that they could not.

No, World-Honored One: This number is so large and the amount so great that it is truly beyond the intellectual power of a mathematician to conceive or to explain verbally. The assembly answered the Buddha: No, they cannot know it.
“No. No, World-Honored One. It cannot be done, World-Honored One.” This is something that cannot be done. “This number is so large and the amount so great that it is truly beyond the intellectual power of a mathematician to conceive.” They could not figure it out by discussing it. This was everyone’s answer.

These mathematicians would be unable to calculate it with their brains. They would not even be able to imagine this amount. Their brains cannot conceive of it. They cannot figure it out by discussing it. So, it is inconceivable. This was everyone’s answer.

This is truly not easy; in the whole great trichiliocosm, if grains of earth were ground into dust and ink, this would really be immeasurable. “And not all lands were inked.” Not every place was inked. We go through 1000 lands to ink one spot. This is a huge amount of spots. There really are too many. The amount of dust particles cannot be understood. “The number of lands passed would be immense.” Even a mathematician cannot calculate it.

This was what the Buddha said in His lifetime. “Can you do it?” Everyone answered, “We cannot.”

“There is no way.” I often say, “There is no way.” What “way” can we use to transform sentient beings? How do we purify and transform sentient beings to change turbidity into a pure stream? How can we go against the surging, turbid flow? How do we all maintain a firm will to practice and go forward amidst difficulties to feel for those who are suffering? When we give to serve others, we realize the true principles of suffering in this world. How can we describe it? Only by relying on our intrinsic Buddha-nature and wisdom equal to the Buddha’s can we realize it. So, we must return to our nature of True Suchness. We must always be mindful.

Episode 932 – When Minds Are Pure, the Land Is Pure

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>> The land, time and people are his direct and circumstantial retributions of practicing the Dharma. A land that is pure is a response to an impartial and pure mind. Debris and brambles are a response to a scattered mind. Excrement and other impurities are a response to a defiled mind. Pits and knolls are a response to a flattering and crooked mind.

>> “His land will be named Radiant Virtue, and the kalpa will be called Great Magnificence. This Buddha’s lifespan will be 12 small kalpas. Right Dharma will abide in the world for 20 small kalpas. Dharma-semblance will also abide for 20 small kalpas. The realm will be majestically adorned, free from all filth and evil, debris and brambles, excrement and other impurities. The land will be level, without high or low places or pits and knolls.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 6 – On Bestowing Predictions]

>> A scattered mind brings the response of the retribution of debris and brambles. A defiled mind brings the response of the retribution of excrement and other impurities. A flattering and crooked mind brings the response of the retribution of pits and knolls.

>> Buddhas are never scattered, defiled or crooked, so Their realm is majestically adorned, free from all filth and evil. As They only cultivate pure, wondrous practices, Their land is therefore level, covered with precious flowers. >> Pure: Because Their minds are pure, the Buddha-lands are pure. Because Their minds are pure, all merits and virtues are pure. These are Their realization.

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“The land, time and people are his direct and circumstantial retributions of practicing the Dharma.
A land that is pure is a response to an impartial and pure mind.
Debris and brambles are a response to a scattered mind.
Excrement and other impurities are a response to a defiled mind.
Pits and knolls are a response to a flattering and crooked mind.”

Yesterday we spoke about. Venerable Kasyapa’s future attainment, how he will encounter 300 trillion Buddhas, how the land he will attain will be magnificent and how the land will be flat and smooth. This is what that Buddha will attain. After having been taught by so many Buddhas, his mind will be very tranquil. Since his mind is pure, that land will be pure. So, this is “the land, time and people.” In His land, there will be many people with wisdom. It is the same with the time. That Buddha will live for 12 small kalpas. The Right Dharma will abide for 20 small kalpas and the Dharma-semblance for 20 small kalpas. That Buddha’s name will be Radiant Light, and the name of his land will be Radiant Virtue. This all comes from seeds of spiritual practice, attained due to the pure and radiant virtue in his heart.

Externally, he will receive teachings from 300 trillion Buddhas, so many of them; we should say that over many lifetimes, he will be creating blessed affinities with so many sentient beings. Thus he will attain the direct and circumstantial retributions of that kingdom, that time and those people. His direct and circumstantial retributions come from his practice and from the Dharma. “Practice” refers to lifetime after lifetime of resolute faith, life after life drawing near to Buddhas. The era of Right Dharma remains in our hearts. If we have the resolve to accept the Dharma and put it into practice, Right Dharma will always be there.

Even if we lived during the Buddha’s lifetime, if we did not joyfully draw near the Buddha, then isn’t that the same as living in a time of Dharma-semblance or. Dharma-degeneration? We may see the Buddha yet not have respect for Him in our hearts. We may hear the Dharma but feel it is completely unrelated to us. Then even if we lived during the Buddha’s time, it would not be the era of Right Dharma. For people like this, there is no Dharma in their hearts. Then there is fundamentally no difference between Right Dharma and Dharma-semblance; in fact, there is no Dharma at all.

Since we are fortunate enough to hear the Buddha-Dharma, we should have a heart of utmost reverence. We must cultivate contemplation. We should always engage in contemplation, asking, “What is the Dharma that we hear? What is its function in the world?” In our world today, as we hear the Dharma we must also confirm it. In our world today, in this turbid world, why do we hear that everything is so lacking in harmony? The four elements are out of balance, and people’s hearts are not in harmony.

The four elements that are out of balance are earth, water, fire and air. As for earth, there was [the quake in] Nepal. We communicated with [our volunteers] yesterday. Through videoconferencing, I heard their voices and saw their images. Thomas Huang was the first to speak. When I heard his voice, the first thing he said was, “Master, I really want to cry, but I cannot. There is so much suffering here. Although we have already set up large tents, over 100 people are squeezed into each of them. The living conditions are very bad. Also, there are no toilets. It’s really terrible. Master, is there any way we can help them? Can we use prefabricated shelters like we did in the Philippines?”

I told him, “It is only temporary! Those large tents are made for 40 people. They are 80 square meters, so 40 beds fit inside. It should at least be better than sleeping under plastic tarp propped up with bamboo poles. It should be much better than that. We could improve their living conditions.” However, there are so many people, and they are all so accommodating and pure-hearted [They say,] “Come in! Come in! Everyone can fit inside together!” So, everyone squeezes in, and 40 people soon becomes more than 100.

“Right now, we are trying to get them more tents, and we are thinking of a way to quickly send over Jing Si multi-purpose beds. If we can increase the number of tents and line up the beds inside so there will be 40 beds in each, then their living arrangements will be completely different.” After all, setting up prefabricated shelters is not so easy! If we wait for prefabricated shelters, they must first be prepared, then after being shipped they must be assembled. This would stretch on for a long time. Right now, we are trying to quickly get them the things that we can buy at present, the things that we can send over quickly. We are also quickly shipping large quantities of multi-purpose beds. This will improve their present [conditions], so they do not have to sleep under plastic -sheets. That will make a big difference. We must first settle our minds and concentrate on what we can do for them now in order to get through this critical period.

This is how we [work] in the Saha World. When the four elements are out of balance, when the earth element is imbalanced, as we have seen, in a flash, [nothing is left] but piles of broken tiles and bricks several stories high. This is truly impermanence at work! Whether it is the element of earth, air, water or fire that is not in harmony, it leads to so much suffering in the Saha World.

This is [the power of] nature in this Saha World. There are also manmade disasters that occur when people’s hearts are in disharmony. “As long as it makes me happy, what is there that I can’t do? If I want to curse at someone, I will do it. That is my freedom! It doesn’t matter whether it is true or not.” In the end, people only think about their own happiness, so there is no Dharma to treat them. In our society, people’s hearts are not at peace.

But let us go back to the sutra. The Buddha praised Venerable Kasyapa, saying how in the future he would become a Buddha, but only after drawing near to and serving in the presence of 300 trillion Buddhas, respecting and revering 300 trillion Buddhas. He will serve in this way. Of course, I was saying yesterday that only when we look at every person as a Buddha, treat everyone with reverence and respect and hope everyone will accept our sincerity can we [help] harmonize their hearts. When people’s hearts are harmonious, they accept the Dharma. In this way, the land will be level; there will be more good people, and there will be more wise people.

So, we said, “A land that is pure is a response to an impartial and pure mind.” For a land to be truly peaceful and harmonious, compassion must be shown to all equally. Then naturally the land, the land and the time, [will be favorable], because in this world, the time, place and people can all be pure. If people’s minds can be pure, and compassion can be shown to all equally, only then will this result in a society that is harmonious and peaceful.

Why would there be “debris and brambles”? “Debris and brambles” are a response to a scattered mind. When our minds are scattered, we cannot concentrate. In our practice, if our mind is unstable, lacking the cultivation of contemplation, afflictions will fill our mind all day. It is as if our mind is always full of garbage, and our speech becomes like thorns. Acting in ignorance, we continually hurt others. An attitude like this is like being full of debris and brambles. A defiled mind results in “excrement and other impurities.” This is a defiled mind. People with a defiled mind like this have been infected by many bad habitual tendencies and are defiled with much insincerity.

“Pits and knolls are a response to a flattering and crooked mind.” Pits and knolls are when the ground is uneven and bumpy. There are many “knolls.” This means there are many piles of things there. If we have a flattering and crooked mind it will result in us meeting an environment like this. So, we must make efforts now to balance our minds and mindfully adorn the ground of our minds.

“His land will be named Radiant Virtue, and the kalpa will be called Great Magnificence. This Buddha’s lifespan will be 12 small kalpas. Right Dharma will abide in the world for 20 small kalpas. Dharma-semblance will also abide for 20 small kalpas. The realm will be majestically adorned, free from all filth and evil, debris and brambles, excrement and other impurities. The land will be level, without high or low places or pits and knolls.”

Having said so much about this, we should by now understand. The Buddha bestowed a prediction on Venerable Kasyapa; upon attaining Buddhahood in the future, his name will be Radiant Light. You all probably remember this. The name of his land will be Radiant Virtue, “The kalpa will be called Great Magnificence.” His era, everything about his era, will be magnificent, for there will be many wise people there. The Buddha’s lifespan will be 12 small kalpas. Right Dharma will abide in the world for 20 small kalpas.” Dharma-semblance will abide for 20 small kalpas. A kalpa is a very long period of time.

The next sutra passage says, “The realm will be majestically adorned, free from all filth and evil, debris and brambles, excrement and other impurities. The land will be level, without high or low places or pits and knolls.” That land will have nothing like all those things we were just talking about. In the land of Radiant Light Tathagata, there is nothing like that. Everything there is magnificent. The streets and the houses are all magnificent. There are no impure things there. Everything is smooth and level.

“The realm will be majestically adorned, free from all filth and evil. His circumstantial retribution will be undefiled.” Circumstantial retribution is the place where we are born. “His circumstantial retribution will be undefiled.” It will be “free from all evil appearances.” There will be no negative ways of life there.

So, “This land that is pure is the response to an impartial and pure mind.” Impartiality means showing compassion equally. In our past lives, we all engaged in this practice. With compassion and kindness, we treated everyone equally. This is “a response to an impartial and pure mind.” We will come to a place like this because we cultivated actions like this in our past lives

“[Free of] debris and brambles, excrement and other impurities…” Debris and brambles, excrement and other impurities: Whether debris, pits, brambles, thorns, excrement, urine, or any other impurities, none of these will be there. Debris is sand, rocks and so on. “Pits, brambles and thorns” are those kinds of trees which are all very hard. Brambles are very hard branches. There are also thorns. Thorns are sharp, long and pointed. So, these are called brambles and thorns.

“Excrement and urine” refer to feces and all other unclean [substances]. All these things are called excrement and urine. All these unclean things are not found in that land. There are none of these things, because his land will be magnificent.

“The land will be level, without high or low places or pits and knolls.” That land will be very pure and without high or low places. It will be level everywhere. This refers to the ground of the mind. Everyone’s mind is peaceful, upright and straight. So, “The ground of the mind is level, without attachment to high or low.” This is the fruit that comes from utmost sincerity. This land will be level and smooth.

A scattered mind brings the response of the retribution of debris and brambles. A defiled mind brings the response of the retribution of excrement and other impurities. A flattering and crooked mind brings the response of the retribution of pits and knolls.

Next, for the “scattered mind,” the response to a scattered mind will be debris and brambles. If we have a scattered mind, the debris and brambles are our discursive thoughts. These things hurt us; they are detrimental things that will continually injure us. So, we truly must eliminate these states of mind that are like debris and brambles. We cannot allow ourselves to easily think of harming others, nor easily feel joyful when seeing others in a state of afflictions and ignorance. We must not do this.

So, “A defiled mind brings the…retribution of excrement.” If our minds are defiled, then what we will attain is excrement and other impurities. The land will be impure, and there will be insufficient facilities, so there will be human waste everywhere. Thus, everywhere will be unclean. If our minds are defiled, then naturally we will receive such a retribution, and the place where we live will be unclean. If our mind is flattering and crooked, we will experience retribution of pits and knolls.

So, we can see this clearly in the sutra text. If our minds are scattered, what will our retribution be in the future? Our retribution is that in our living environment, there will be debris and brambles. If our minds are defiled, what will our retribution be in the future? Our retribution is that in our living environment, there will be excrement and impurity. If our minds are flattering and crooked now, what of our future circumstantial retributions? Our retribution will be to be reborn in a place filled with pits and knolls. This is the environment we will live in.

Our direct and circumstantial retributions result from our past lifetimes, from the thoughts we created then. So, in this lifetime, it is beyond our control; we will face these circumstantial retributions. When Venerable Kasyapa attains Buddhahood in the future, there will be none of these bad things in his environment. It will be an entirely magnificent environment, and everyone will have wisdom. So, let us make an effort to be mindful

“Buddhas are never scattered, defiled or crooked, so Their realm is majestically adorned, free from all filth and evil. As They only cultivate pure, wondrous practices, Their land is therefore level, covered with precious flowers.”

All Buddhas have gone through such spiritual practice over such a long period of time. For example, Venerable Kasyapa will serve 300 trillion [Buddhas]. He will go through such a long period of time with his mind in Samadhi, very focused, as he makes offerings to so many Buddhas. He will treat sentient beings with such impartiality and compassion. Think about it, after he has attained Buddhahood, his realm will be so magnificent, without any filth or evil.

“As They only cultivate pure, wondrous practices, Their land is therefore level, covered with precious flowers.” That environment will be wonderful. If we wish to be reborn there, we must earnestly engage in spiritual practice. We must cultivate pure and wondrous practices and maintain very pure minds. This way, “The land is therefore level” and “covered with precious flowers.” The environment will be like this, and the scenery will be very beautiful.

Pure: Because Their minds are pure, the Buddha-lands are pure. Because Their minds are pure, all merits and virtues are pure. These are Their realization.
Purity means that. “Because Their minds are pure, the lands will be pure.” What place is a pure land? If our minds are pure, and all our merits and virtues are pure, then we will attain the future direct and circumstantial retributions of being reborn in a pure land like that.

In summary, let us be mindful in learning the Buddha’s Way. Let us constantly clear out our minds. We must not have discursive thoughts. We must not have wicked ideas. We must not “hurt people like thorns” or be like debris and brambles, continually injuring others and causing turmoil in society. If we are like this, then in the future we will be born in a place like that. If we avoid such mindsets and are also earnest and diligent, if we put effort into spiritual practice, purify the ground of our minds and dignify the ground of our minds, if we do this, our minds will be pure so the land will be pure, and in future lifetimes, we will bring the Dharma as we go among the people to purify their hearts. This is the direction we should be heading in as we learn the Buddha’s teachings. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 931 – Accumulating Superior Causes from the Dharma

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>> He will meet and serve the World-Honored Ones; outwardly relying on superior conditions, he will be replete with the infinite blessings and virtues of all Buddhas. He widely proclaims the Dharma of impartiality and accumulates superior causes within so he achieves the profound wisdom of all Buddhas.

>> “In his final incarnation, he will attain Buddhahood and be called Radiant Light Tathagata, One Worthy of Offerings, Completely Awakened One, One Perfect in Wisdom and Action, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer, Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans and. Buddha, the World-Honored One.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 6 – On Bestowing Predictions]

>> “His land will be named Radiant Virtue, and the kalpa will be called Great Magnificence. This Buddha’s lifespan will be 12 small kalpas. Right Dharma will abide in the world for 20 small kalpas. Dharma-semblance will also abide for 20 small kalpas.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 6 – On Bestowing Predictions]

>> Land refers to the place. Kalpa refers to the time. Both are related to his causal practices. His circumstantial and direct retributions are both inseparable from the two [opposites] [The land] is called Radiant Virtue because everyone born there is a person of wisdom [The kalpa] is called Great Magnificence because everyone’s circumstantial and direct retributions are beautiful and superior.

>> His land will be named Radiant Virtue: His causes and conditions will both be superior, and he will be dignified with blessings and wisdom. Thus he is able to attain Buddhahood.

>> Radiance is this land’s virtue of fruition; everyone born there is a person of wisdom. The sentient beings in that land all possess radiance and world-transcending merits and virtues.

>> The kalpa will be called Great Magnificence: With the myriad practices of the Great Vehicle, he will achieve perfection of blessings and wisdom and the magnificence of merits and virtues, which pervade this time and this world. The circumstantial and direct retributions will all be beautiful and superior. Thus, the kalpa’s name will be Great Magnificence.

>> This Buddha’s lifespan will be 12 small kalpas: The body of the pure Dharma-realm fundamentally does not appear or disappear, yet He will abide for 12 small kalpas, manifesting according to the power of. His great compassionate vows. This Buddha’s lifespan: The lifespan of His reward-body.

>> Right Dharma will abide in the world for 20 small kalpas. Dharma-semblance will also abide for 20 small kalpas: Right Dharma and Dharma-semblance will each disappear after 20 small kalpas. [The Dharma] prospers and declines in response to sentient beings’ capabilities. The Buddha-body of the Dharma-nature is firm, neither increasing nor decreasing during this time.

>> Right Dharma: When people’s capabilities are superior, it is as if the Buddha is present. This is called the era of Right Dharma.

>> Dharma-semblance: When people’s capabilities gradually weaken, there is only the semblance of Right Dharma. This is called the era of Dharma-semblance.

>> In the era of Right Dharma, the Dharma’s rites have not yet changed. There are people who teach and practice and truly attain the fruits of the Dharma. >> In the era of Dharma-semblance, people teach the Dharma, and there are images and relics of the Buddha, but the Dharma’s true rites and etiquette are not practiced. It seems that the Buddha-Dharma circulates, but no one attains the fruits.

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“He will meet and serve the World-Honored Ones; outwardly relying on superior conditions,
he will be replete with the infinite blessings and virtues of all Buddhas.
He widely proclaims the Dharma of impartiality and accumulates superior causes within
so he achieves the profound wisdom of all Buddhas.”

This is what we spoke of earlier; the Buddha bestowed a prediction of Buddhahood upon Venerable Kasyapa. We also talked about the process described in. Venerable Kasyapa’s prediction. He would meet 300 trillion Buddhas and would make offerings to them by serving them. This is a very long process. However, spiritual practice has always been a process of continual accumulation. This is because ordinary people like us have for countless kalpas already accumulated layer upon layer of afflictions. We must now engage in spiritual practice to return to our pure Tathagata-nature.

When ordinary people engage in spiritual practice, we have clearly made up our minds to eliminate our afflictions; we clearly know this, yet we ordinary people still have delusions that have not yet been eliminated. Whenever we hear certain comments or encounter certain situations, our old afflictions have not yet been eliminated, but new afflictions already arise in us. When we face other people’s challenging attitudes, our afflictions and ignorance are provoked. This is how we ordinary people are. Because of this, we need a long period of time [to eliminate them].

However, Venerable Kasyapa engaged in practice and immediately eliminated any habits of a wealthy and luxurious [lifestyle]. He engaged in ascetic practice with firm spiritual aspirations. The Buddha praised him. The Buddha not only praised him but also highly regarded how he firmly upheld his aspirations. So, at the end [of His lifetime], the Buddha entrusted him with the task of going to. Cock’s Foot Mountain to enter Samadhi. He was asked to wait there until Maitreya attains Buddhahood and comes to the human realm. Passing the Buddha’s robe and alms bowl to him showed the high respect the Buddha held for. Venerable Kasyapa. But how long would it take [for Kasyapa to attain Buddhahood]? He would first have to meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas in order for him to attain Buddhahood. So, to attain Buddhahood is not an easy task; we need to work even harder and have even more patience.

So, “He will meet and serve the World-Honored Ones; outwardly relying on superior conditions….” Outwardly, we must rely on external superior conditions. “Relying on” means trusting in. We have to outwardly rely on superior conditions, the superior conditions of the teachings of 300 trillion World-Honored Ones. Must we truly [wait] for such a long time? Actually, the Buddha’s meaning was for everyone to respect one another and to treat each other as future Buddhas. If we can do this, we create good affinities with sentient beings. When we are able to have many good affinities with sentient beings, we can gain a lot of wisdom from sentient beings’ habitual tendencies. Then won’t we meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas even more quickly? This is learning the Buddha-Dharma of the mind.

“He will be replete with the infinite blessings and virtues of all Buddhas.” If we can treat everyone as a Buddha, the causes and conditions for the blessings and virtues we want to cultivate will quickly [ripen]. Because we listen to the Buddha’s teachings, we must then give the teachings to sentient beings. We take them into our hearts, then cultivate these kinds of practices. Thus “[We] will be replete with the infinite blessings and virtues of all Buddhas.” If we take these practices to heart, when facing the many sentient beings, we can create blessings and engage in practice. This is the direction we should pursue.

“He widely proclaims the Dharma of impartiality and accumulates superior causes within.” We need to be continuously transmitting the Buddha’s teachings, to let everyone know not to discriminate. We should all have respect for one another. Widely proclaiming impartial compassion, the teachings of compassion and equality, is to “accumulate superior causes within” so we can “outwardly rely on superior conditions.” We need to continuously go among people to create countless blessings until causes and conditions ripen. All these [karmic] seeds enter our storehouse consciousness; this is “accumulating superior causes within”

“so he achieves the profound wisdom of all Buddhas.” This is what we must pursue. We want to have wisdom equal to the Buddha’s, profound and superior wisdom. We want to return to the [Dharma-nature], the Dharma-nature that encompasses the universe and all Dharma-realms. If we can all understand this clearly, we can “achieve [this] profound wisdom.”

The previous sutra passage states, “In his final incarnation, he will attain Buddhahood and be called Radiant Light Tathagata, One Worthy of Offerings, Completely Awakened One, One Perfect in Wisdom and Action, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer, Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans and. Buddha, the World-Honored One.”

“In his final incarnation, he will attain Buddhahood and be called Radiant Light Tathagata, One Worthy of Offerings, Completely Awakened One, One Perfect in Wisdom and Action, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer, Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans and. Buddha, the World-Honored One.”   

We have explained this before, so we must be more mindful. What Kasyapa will accomplish in the future will make him replete with the ten epithets.

The next sutra passage states, “His land will be named Radiant Virtue, and the kalpa will be called Great Magnificence. This Buddha’s lifespan will be 12 small kalpas. Right Dharma will abide in the world for 20 small kalpas. Dharma-semblance will also abide for 20 small kalpas.”
In the future, when Venerable Kasyapa attains Buddhahood, his land will be named “Radiant Virtue.” When Kasyapa attains Buddhahood, he will be called Radiant Light Tathagata. The Buddha only lived to be 80 years old. But for this Radiant Light Tathagata, His land will be known as Radiant Virtue, and the kalpa will be called “Great Magnificence.” This Buddha’s lifespan will be 12 small kalpas 12 small kalpas is a great length of time; our Sakyamuni Buddha only lived to be 80.

When we speak of a kalpa, even a “small kalpa,” it can be really hard for us to measure. Starting with an average lifespan of 10 years, each 100 years it increases by one year. Every 100 years [the lifespan] increases one year, increasing until the average human lifespan reaches 84,000 years. Then from 84,000 years, with each 100 years the average decreases one year until the human lifespan is 10 years. One increasing kalpa and one decreasing kalpa makes up “one small kalpa.” Think about it, how long are 12 small kalpas? A very long period of time. So, not only is this Buddha’s lifespan long, but the Right Dharma will also abide in the world for 20 small kalpas. Dharma-semblance will abide for 20 small kalpas. This is truly enviable!

Land refers to the place. Kalpa refers to the time. Both are related to his causal practices. His circumstantial and direct retributions are both inseparable from the two [opposites] [The land] is called Radiant Virtue because everyone born there is a person of wisdom [The kalpa] is called Great Magnificence because everyone’s circumstantial and direct retributions are beautiful and superior.

His land will be called Radiant Virtue. “Land” refers to a geographic location. “Kalpa” is a measure of time. Kalpa refers to a long period of time.

“Both are related to his causal practices.” These represent the circumstantial and direct retributions of his spiritual practice. Our direct retribution determines where we are born. Our circumstantial retribution determines which country, whether we are wealthy or poor and so on. This all depends on our causal practices.

“His circumstantial and direct retributions are both inseparable from the two [opposites]. Circumstantial and direct retributions” are both circumstantial retributions and direct ones “[The land] is called Radiant Virtue because everyone born there is a person of wisdom.” This refers to the causes we have cultivated. With the causes we cultivate, if they are good causes, we attain good fruits and will have good conditions. What we will attain and the people we are to be with are to be in a country with all people of wisdom, where all are sages. Our circumstantial and direct retributions are all in that country. Everyone that we meet there is a person of wisdom. “It is Great Magnificence because everyone’s retributions are beautiful and superior.” All that are born there have great magnificence. The people have wisdom and the environment is good. It will be a perfect land

His land will be named Radiant Virtue: His causes and conditions will both be superior, and he will be dignified with blessings and wisdom. Thus he is able to attain Buddhahood.

When Sakyamuni Buddha was born here, at that time in the human realm there was a very clear division between the four castes. The poor and the rich were clearly separated. But the land Radiant Virtue, the land of Radiant Light Tathagata, will be of great magnificence, a place filled with people of wisdom. “His causes and conditions will both be superior; he will be dignified with blessings and wisdom.” His blessings and wisdom make him very dignified. “Thus he is able to attain Buddhahood.” These are the practices we must cultivate daily.

With our circumstantial and direct retributions, where will we be born? That will depend on our causes and conditions, so we must create more blessings.

Radiance is this land’s virtue of fruition; everyone born there is a person of wisdom. The sentient beings in that land all possess radiance and world-transcending merits and virtues.

As for Radiant Virtue, “Radiance is this land’s virtue of fruition.” Radiant Light Tathagata will abide in this land. His virtue of fruition, his result, is to be born in this place; His circumstantial and direct retributions are in this place

“Radiance is this land’s virtue of fruition; everyone born there is a person of wisdom. The sentient beings in that land all possess radiance and world-transcending merits and virtues.” All are willing to engage in spiritual practice, and all are willing to hear the Buddha-Dharma. This shows that the land is very radiant and that it is a very rich country.

“The kalpa will be called Great Magnificence. Kalpa” refers to a long period of time. “With the myriad practices of the Great Vehicle,” with so many practices of the Great Vehicle, he “will achieve perfection of blessings and wisdom and the magnificence of merits and virtues.” Thus it is called Great Magnificence. When Venerable Kasyapa attains Buddhahood in the future, that era and the land [he will have] will be filled with people of great wisdom. They will practice the Great Vehicle teachings to create blessings and virtues. It will be a place of accumulated virtues and magnificence.

Thus, “the myriad practices of the Great Vehicle” also need to have been accumulated in the past for them to “pervade this time and this world.” So, “The circumstantial and direct retributions will all be beautiful and superior. Thus, the kalpa’s name will be Great Magnificence.” This truly will be a society and land of great magnificence

The kalpa will be called Great Magnificence: With the myriad practices of the Great Vehicle, he will achieve perfection of blessings and wisdom and the magnificence of merits and virtues, which pervade this time and this world. The circumstantial and direct retributions will all be beautiful and superior. Thus, the kalpa’s name will be Great Magnificence.

“This Buddha’s lifespan will be 12 small kalpas.” This Buddha’s lifespan is quite long. “The body of the pure Dharma-realm,” [the Buddha’s] body of the pure Dharma-realm, “fundamentally does not appear or disappear, yet He will abide for 12 small kalpas.” Fundamentally the body of this pure Dharma-realm does not increase or decrease, nor does it appear or disappear. This will be a very pure land. But He will live for such a long time, for 12 small kalpas. This is “manifesting according to the power of. His great compassionate vows.”

Actually, He had already reached the body of this pure Dharma-realm, so how can we speak of the length of His life? However, He still wanted the Buddha-Dharma to continually be passed down. Spiritual practitioners will eventually attain Buddhahood. So, once they attain Buddhahood they will have a long time to pass down the Buddha-Dharma. This is the power of great compassionate vows. The Buddha and Bodhisattvas gather together in the same lifetime at this place. So, “this Buddha’s lifespan” refers to “the lifespan of His reward-body.” Thus, this Buddha’s lifespan is this long. He can stay in the world so long in order to expound the teachings

This Buddha’s lifespan will be 12 small kalpas: The body of the pure Dharma-realm fundamentally does not appear or disappear, yet He will abide for 12 small kalpas, manifesting according to the power of. His great compassionate vows. This Buddha’s lifespan: The lifespan of His reward-body.

So, everyone ought to make a vow that when Kasyapa attains Buddhahood, we will join him in that lifetime. We must be with Kasyapa when he attains Buddhahood in the future, in the era of Radiant Light Tathagata. Right now, we must similarly follow his example of spiritual practice. Then in the future we will have the chance to live during His lifetime.

Next it says, “Right Dharma will abide in the world for 20 small kalpas. Dharma-semblance will also abide for 20 small kalpas.”

Right Dharma will abide in the world for 20 small kalpas. Dharma-semblance will also abide for 20 small kalpas: Right Dharma and Dharma-semblance will each disappear after 20 small kalpas. [The Dharma] prospers and declines in response to sentient beings’ capabilities. The Buddha-body of the Dharma-nature is firm, neither increasing nor decreasing during this time.

Right Dharma and Dharma-semblance each “will disappear after 20 small kalpas [The Dharma] prospers and declines in response to sentient beings’ capabilities. The Buddha-body of the Dharma-nature is firm, neither increasing or decreasing during this time.” The Dharma will prosper for so long because of sentient beings’ capabilities and their causes and conditions. We have great capabilities to accept Great Dharma, so in the future it will accumulate. Then, naturally our lifespans will be long, and the Dharma will be passed down for a long time. This is in response to the capabilities of sentient beings. Sentient beings’ capabilities create these retributions in response. Thus, the Dharma will flourish like this and be continually passed down.

“The Buddha-body of the Dharma-nature is firm, neither increasing nor decreasing.” It is extremely firm. Everything is gathered [at that time]. His lifespan is long, Right Dharma is long and Dharma-semblance is long. This is because in the past, everyone practiced so many teachings. With very pure minds, they can all abide in that world together, so it will be for a long time

Thus, Right Dharma means. “When people’s capabilities are superior, it is as if the Buddha is present. This is called the era of Right Dharma.”

Right Dharma: When people’s capabilities are superior, it is as if the Buddha is present. This is called the era of Right Dharma.

Right Dharma depends on people’s capabilities. Today, although it is over 2000 years later, if our capabilities are sharp and keen, naturally we will hear the Buddha-Dharma. This is the Buddha’s Dharmakaya (Dharma-body) that remains in the human realm. If we use right understanding, right views and right faith to accept the Dharma, the Buddha’s Dharmakaya will still remain in the human realm. It will be as if the Buddha is present. This is Right Dharma.

Dharma-semblance: When people’s capabilities gradually weaken, there is only the semblance of Right Dharma. This is called the era of Dharma-semblance.

Dharma-semblance is when people’s capabilities gradually weaken. After the Buddha has left and the Right Dharma has also passed, gradually, the Dharma-assembly will decline. This is called Dharma-semblance; we can only see superficial appearances. In that era, Right Dharma and those who earnestly cultivate will diminish. Everywhere you can see images of the Buddha, but the people who earnestly practice the teachings will have decreased in number. This is called Dharma-semblance

In the era of Right Dharma, the Dharma’s rites have not yet changed. There are people who teach and practice and truly attain the fruits of the Dharma.

“In the era of Right Dharma, the Dharma’s rites have not yet changed. There are people who teach and practice and truly attain the fruits of the Dharma.” It is as if the Buddha is still present. People’s way of life has not changed, as there are still “people who teach and practice.” They still teach the Dharma in the same way, they still accept the Dharma in the same way and they still practice the Dharma in the same way “[They] truly attain the fruits of the Dharma.” When there are those who truly attain the fruits of the Dharma, the Right Dharma is still in the human realm.

In the era of Dharma-semblance, people teach the Dharma, and there are images and relics of the Buddha, but the Dharma’s true rites and etiquette are not practiced. It seems that the Buddha-Dharma circulates, but no one attains the fruits.
In the era of Dharma-semblance, “People teach the Dharma, and there are images and relics of the Buddha.” After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, His relics are still preserved. “But the Dharma’s true rites and etiquette are not practiced. It seems that the Buddha-Dharma circulates,” but no one is able to attain the fruits.

In this era we will only see Dharma-semblance. People see the images and relics of the Buddha, but the true Dharma and its rites and the rules of spiritual practice will no longer take form and will slowly dissipate. “It seems that the Buddha-Dharma circulates,” it seems the Dharma is still passed on, it seems that way, but it is not real. All that will be left of the Dharma is the name and image of the Buddha. Thus, the true Buddha-Dharma will slowly disappear. No one will be able to attain the fruits.

So, as Buddhist practitioners, we need to keep our feet firmly on the ground. The Buddha-Dharma is in our minds. The era of the Right Dharma is also in our minds. We are now in the era of Dharma-degeneration; in the era of Dharma-semblance, the Dharma was already declining, let alone in the era of Dharma-degeneration! Dharma-degeneration is when the armies of Mara flourish. So, the sutras speak of breaking the web of Mara.

We must now engage in spiritual practice. We must have even more perseverance. We must break this web of Mara. Therefore, we must put our efforts into “meeting and serving” right now. We ought to “meet and serve all Buddhas.” Even if the Buddha is not present, we still need to “meet and serve the World-Honored Ones; outwardly relying on superior conditions.” With every person we encounter, we should treat all as if they are Buddhas. With these superior conditions, we can accomplish our spiritual cultivation. This is why we need to seize [the moment]. So, we must “widely proclaim the Dharma of impartiality and accumulate superior causes within so [we can] achieve the profound wisdom of all Buddhas.” True wisdom is achieved in this way; “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings.”

Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 930 – Cultivating and Upholding Myriad Practices

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>> Having cultivated and upheld myriad practices until perfection, He is replete in blessings and wisdom. He is worthy of receiving respect and offerings from heavenly beings and humans. He benefits and transforms sentient beings, thus He has the epithet One Worthy of Offerings.

>> “Kasyapa will meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, make offerings to, show reverence to, pay respect to and praise Them and widely proclaim the infinite Great Dharma of all Buddhas.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 6 – On Bestowing Predictions]

>> “In his final incarnation he will attain Buddhahood and be called Radiant Light Tathagata, One Worthy of Offerings, Completely Awakened One, One Perfect in Wisdom and Action, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer, Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans and. Buddha, the World-Honored One.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 6 – On Bestowing Predictions]

>> Here a prediction of his distinctive epithet is given to Mahakasyapa, who had cultivated ascetic practices in his lifetime. He followed the Buddha’s instruction and, at Cock’s Foot Mountain, entered the Samadhi of complete cessation to await Maitreya’s appearance in the world so he can pass on the Buddha’s sanghati.

>> His body was intrinsically radiant, as if he had swallowed the light of the sun and moon; such virtue was the original seed from which his fruit of Buddhahood was evident.

>> Final incarnation” has two meanings: First, it means that in this life Hearers have ended [afflictions]. This means that in the realms of samsara, this is their final incarnation. They will not be subject to future incarnations, thus it is called their final incarnation.

>> Final incarnation has two meanings: Second, it means the mind after reaching universal enlightenment, which has diamond-like Samadhi. When one has completely eliminated ignorance and emptied the consciousness of ripened differences, it is called the final incarnation. Here, it is this latter meaning.

>> The consciousness of ripened differences: This is another name for the alaya consciousness. It is also called the consciousness of, ripened differences, as it draws us into samsara when different fruits of good and evil karma ripen.

>> He will be called Radiant Light Tathagata: His distinctive epithet is Radiant Light. In his causal practice, he had remained continuously bright like lit lanterns and coated the Buddha’s statue with purple gold. Thus, lifetime after lifetime, his body is always golden. Thus, when he was an Arhat, he was called Light-Drinker.

>> Upon attaining Buddhahood, His epithet shall be Radiant Light. By teaching the Dharma, He transforms beings and benefits himself as well as others, like the sun’s radiance dispelling all darkness.

>> Tathagata: “Tatha” refers to True Suchness. He journeys on the path of True Suchness and from the seed, comes to the fruit of achieving perfect enlightenment. Thus, He is called the Tathagata.

>> One Worthy of Offerings means. He has eliminated all evil, so He is worthy of receiving offerings from humans and heavenly beings.

>> Completely Awakened One: He is replete with the wisdom of all Dharma. Among all teachings, there is none He does not understand

>> One Perfect in Wisdom and Action: Wisdom here means the Three Insights, the insight of the heavenly eye, insight into past lives and insight into ending all Leaks. Perfect in action refers to how His karma of body, speech and mind is truly and perfectly undefiled. Through the power of His vows, all of His practices are skillfully cultivated to fulfillment.

>> Well-Gone One: Well refers to skillful ability. Gone refers to going somewhere else. He skillfully leaves the land of delusion and goes towards the land of wisdom.

>> Knower of the World: All worldly and world-transcending phenomena, and all phenomena of cause and effect are known to and understood by him.

>> Unsurpassed Guide: It means He has exhausted all karma of delusion, and there is nothing more for Him to eliminate. Tamer: The Buddha can tame all people who can be transformed and guide them into cultivating the path.

>> Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans: Heavenly beings and humans in the Six Destinies can all take the Buddha as their teacher.

>>  The Buddha: He is replete with wisdom and has perfected the Three Elements of Enlightenment. Thus He is called the Buddha. World-Honored One: The Buddha possesses all virtues and is honored by all the world. For this reason, He is also solely honored in the world.

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“Having cultivated and upheld myriad practices until perfection, He is replete in blessings and wisdom.
He is worthy of receiving respect and offerings from heavenly beings and humans.
He benefits and transforms sentient beings, thus He has the epithet One Worthy of Offerings.”

“One Worthy of Offerings” is one of the ten epithets of the Buddha. The Buddha is worthy of receiving the offerings of the human and heaven realms. This is the Buddha’s virtue, the virtue attained from His practice. Virtue is not conveyed through words, but rather something we put into practice. From deep in our hearts, we must have reverence and respect the Dharma. To have inner cultivation and outer practice, our minds and actions must be unified. Only then can virtue be expressed in our actions. Only when our actions are virtuous are we truly worthy of offerings.

I have often told everyone that every person is our spiritual training ground. Virtuous friends provide us with beneficial conditions [for our practice]. Harmful friends provide us with adverse conditions that also benefit our spiritual practice. All of these can increase our wisdom and help us accomplish our learning. So, we must always keep reverence in our hearts and look on everyone as a Buddha as our means of spiritual practice.

“We cultivate and uphold myriad practices until perfection.” There are so many practices; we actualize the. Six Perfections in all of our actions. When it comes to actualizing the Six Perfections, in regard to giving alone, there are countless different ways for us to put it into practice. Sentient beings suffer in countless ways, so we must also use countless ways of giving to help them in their suffering. How can we help them? Do we give them material aid? Or should we give them spiritual support? There are so many ways to help them! So, we can say that sentient beings have boundless suffering, and we will have boundless wisdom and blessings to go among people [and help them]. Thus, we must cultivate myriad practices. When we have perfected myriad practices, we will be replete with blessings and wisdom.

The Buddha was already replete with these, so. “He is worthy of receiving respect and offerings from heavenly beings and humans.” He is worthy and thereby should receive respect and offerings from sentient beings. “Offerings” does not just mean material offerings. Most importantly, it is that respect arising from deep within; it is with this kind of respect that we make offerings.

Because sentient beings are confused, they suffer endless afflictions and ignorance. Thus, the Buddha used all kinds of methods to explain to us and guide us so we can open our hearts and be understanding. This did not happen over just one lifetime; the Buddha did this over infinite kalpas. Because of this, He is endowed with the ten epithets and is worthy of receiving offerings.

In the sutra, the previous passage says that. Kasyapa “will meet and serve” Kasyapa “will meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, make offerings to, show reverence to, pay respect to and praise Them and widely proclaim the infinite Great Dharma of all Buddhas.”

This is the previous sutra passage. The Buddha had already said that His disciple Mahakasyapa will engage in spiritual practice and attain Buddhahood in a future lifetime. But during the process, he has to “meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas, World-Honored Ones.” He will make offerings to, show reverence to, pay respect to and praise Them, earnestly listen to their Dharma and also spread the Dharma for others to hear.

If we are talking about the present moment, if we regard everyone as a Buddha, when we regard everyone as a Buddha, we can show reverence, pay respect to them and praise Them. If we can do this, it will be one of the Dharma-doors for our spiritual practice. This way, we will not need to go through lifetime after lifetime, countless lifetimes, in order to encounter a single Buddha. If we only meet one Buddha in the course of countless lifetimes, then think of how long it would take before we could make offerings to 300 trillion Buddhas! What the Buddha really meant was that we should treat everyone we meet as a Buddha and make offerings, show reverence and praise Them. We must first create good affinities with others.

The next sutra passage continues on to say, “In his final incarnation he will attain Buddhahood and be called Radiant Light Tathagata, One Worthy of Offerings, Completely Awakened One, One Perfect in Wisdom and Action, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer, Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans and. Buddha, the World-Honored One.”

Thus, he will be endowed with the ten epithets.

Here a prediction of his distinctive epithet is given to Mahakasyapa, who had cultivated ascetic practices in his lifetime. He followed the Buddha’s instruction and, at Cock’s Foot Mountain, entered the Samadhi of complete cessation to await Maitreya’s appearance in the world so he can pass on the Buddha’s sanghati.

In Venerable Kasyapa’s spiritual practice, from the time he joined the Sangha, he engaged in the practice of dhuta. “Dhuta” means ascetic practices. In particular, the Buddha entrusted him with passing on His robe and alms bowl in the future. He was to go to Cock’s Foot Mountain, enter the Samadhi of complete cessation there and await “Maitreya’s appearance in the world.”

Maitreya will appear in the world, according to the sutras, more than five billion years into the future. So, according to legend, Kasyapa entered Cock’s Foot Mountain to await Maitreya Buddha’s appearance in the world. He took the Buddha’s sanghati, which are His robe and alms bowl, to pass them on to Maitreya Buddha. Because of these causes and conditions, the Buddha bestowed this prediction on Mahakasyapa

His body was intrinsically radiant, as if he had swallowed the light of the sun and moon; such virtue was the original seed from which his fruit of Buddhahood was evident.

Kasyapa was also magnificent in his youth, especially in regard to the color of his skin. The color and luster of his skin were different from that of other people. He had a purplish golden hue to him. The skin of Indian people has a purplish hue, and his skin was radiant; it was glossy. It was as if his skin radiated light. When hit by sunlight, it was as if his skin was reflecting the light, as if he had made the light completely his own. So, in describing Venerable Kasyapa’s body, it seemed as if he had swallowed the light of the sun and the moon

This was due to causes and conditions from his past lifetime. In a past life, Kasyapa was a jeweler who applied purple gold to the body of a Buddha’s [statue]. This is a legend. It is a story told of one of his past lifetimes. So, in that lifetime his physical appearance had a special radiance. This explains the name that he was predicted to have in the future, which would be Radiant Light Tathagata.

Final incarnation” has two meanings: First, it means that in this life Hearers have ended [afflictions]. This means that in the realms of samsara, this is their final incarnation. They will not be subject to future incarnations, thus it is called their final incarnation.

“In his final incarnation, he will attain Buddhahood ‘Final incarnation’ has two meanings.” It has two interpretations. First, it means that “In this life, Hearers have ended [afflictions].”

Since they too listen to the Dharma, Hearers may also form great aspirations and make great vows. Through the process of their spiritual practice, “In the realms of samsara this is [their] final incarnation.” If they eliminate all their afflictions, they reach their “final incarnation” and “will not be subject to future incarnations.”

Final incarnation has two meanings: Second, it means the mind after reaching universal enlightenment, which has diamond-like Samadhi. When one has completely eliminated ignorance and emptied the consciousness of ripened differences, it is called the final incarnation. Here, it is this latter meaning.

Second, it refers to “the mind after reaching universal enlightenment”

“The mind after achieving universal enlightenment” means supreme, universal, perfect enlightenment “[It] has diamond-like Samadhi.” This mind is firm, unbreakable like a diamond. Diamond is the hardest substance in the world. A mind with firm resolve is like a diamond. This is used as an analogy for Samadhi. If we are not resolute in our spiritual practice, if we keep fluctuating, advancing and retreating, we will never be able to make progress. We will be stuck in the same place. If we keep advancing then retreating, retreating then advancing, we will forever remain in the same place. So, we must be resolute in our spiritual practice and “completely eliminate ignorance.” All discursive thoughts, ignorance and afflictions must be eliminated completely. So, [we must] “empty the consciousness of ripened differences.”

The consciousness of ripened differences: This is another name for the alaya consciousness. It is also called the consciousness of, ripened differences, as it draws us into samsara when different fruits of good and evil karma ripen.

The “consciousness of ripened differences” is a [Buddhist] term that refers to the “alaya consciousness.” What is the alaya consciousness? In the past, we have often referred to it as the eighth consciousness, “which draws us into samsara when different fruits of good and evil karma ripen.”

“Differences” means everyone’s karma is different. When causes and conditions are “ripened,” we are reborn into this world and bring with us the karma we created.

If we have created much good karma, when causes and conditions ripen within our consciousness, we will follow our consciousness to that future lifetime and be reborn into a good country and a good family. That is our circumstantial retribution. With our direct retribution, we follow our consciousness [to our next life]. If we create a great deal of evil karma, then we lose our human form; that is beyond our control. Following our ripening causes and conditions, we may go to an unwholesome place. It may be a country with constant turmoil, many disasters or the suffering of poverty. There may be no good teachings to be heard there, or there may be no good education and so on. This depends on our karma.

This is the “consciousness of ripened differences.” If we engage in spiritual practice and continue to maintain our practice, in the end we will “empty the consciousness of ripened differences.” All good and evil will be emptied out. There will be no more afflictions. We will no longer be bound by conditions; we will be completely pure. This is our “final incarnation.”

He will be called Radiant Light Tathagata: His distinctive epithet is Radiant Light. In his causal practice, he had remained continuously bright like lit lanterns and coated the Buddha’s statue with purple gold. Thus, lifetime after lifetime, his body is always golden. Thus, when he was an Arhat, he was called Light-Drinker.

“In his causal [practice], he had remained continuously bright like lit lanterns.” His mind was radiant, pure and undefiled. This was his “cause.” He has appeared like this lifetime after lifetime, so bright and so pure.

Kasyapa too, in the era of Dharma-semblance, saw a Buddha’s [statue] that was peeling and quickly applied purple gold to the Buddha’s body, so that the Buddha would remain radiant.

This tells how in the past he had created such causes and conditions, how he had very reverently made the Buddha’s statue shine again. These were his causes and conditions. So, “Lifetime after lifetime, his body is always golden.” His body is always shining. “Thus, when he was an Arhat, he was called Light-Drinker.” When Kasyapa was an Arhat, he was called Light-Drinker.

After attaining Buddhahood, his epithet would be Radiant Light. His name will be Radiant Light. “By teaching the Dharma, He transforms beings.” He will come to deliver and transform sentient beings, will continually teach the Dharma to deliver and transform sentient beings, “[He] benefits himself as well as others.” From the time when he was a Hearer or a Solitary Realizer, he engaged in spiritual practice to eliminate afflictions while at the same time he went among people to transform sentient beings. Like the light of the sun, he destroyed all darkness.

Tathagata: “Tatha” refers to True Suchness. He journeys on the path of True Suchness and from the seed, comes to the fruit of achieving perfect enlightenment. Thus, He is called the Tathagata.

Regarding the word “Tathagata, Tatha” refers to True Suchness. The Tathagata is one who “journeys on the path of True Suchness and from the seed comes to the fruit.” Through the process of spiritual practice, accepting the teachings of all Buddhas lifetime after lifetime, the Tathagata comes to this world by journeying on the Dharma of True Suchness, achieving perfect enlightenment. “He is thus called Tathagata.” As He journeys on the Dharma of True Suchness to be reborn in this world, the result is attaining Buddhahood. Thus He is called the Tathagata.

The Tathagata is also One Worthy of Offerings, Completely Awakened One, One Perfect in Wisdom and Action, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World. Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer, Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans and. Buddha, the World-Honored One. Together, these comprise the ten epithets.

One Worthy of Offerings means. He has eliminated all evil, so He is worthy of receiving offerings from humans and heavenly beings.

One Worthy of Offerings means  In our spiritual practice, we must eliminate all evil, all bad habits, discursive thoughts, greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. All these thoughts must be totally eliminated. If we reach this level, then we become worthy of receiving offerings from humans and heavenly beings. With virtue like this, one is worthy of receiving offerings from humans and heavenly beings.

Completely Awakened One: He is replete with the wisdom of all Dharma. Among all teachings, there is none He does not understand

A Completely Awakened One means the principles the Buddha awakened to were extremely comprehensive. He was “replete with the wisdom of all Dharma. Of all the teachings, there are none He does not understand.” He is thereby called the Completely Awakened One.

One Perfect in Wisdom and Action: Wisdom here means the Three Insights, the insight of the heavenly eye, insight into past lives and insight into ending all Leaks. Perfect in action refers to how His karma of body, speech and mind is truly and perfectly undefiled. Through the power of His vows, all of His practices are skillfully cultivated to fulfillment.

In “One Perfect in Wisdom and Action,” wisdom refers to the Three Insights, the insight of the heavenly eye, the insight into past lives and the insight into ending all Leaks. He has completely penetrated everything; He understands it all. When the karma of body, speech and mind are right, free of the slightest deviation, then one becomes very pure, “truly and perfectly undefiled.” When our Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind is correct in its direction, the mind is completely undefiled. “Through the power of His vows, all of His practices [are set in action].” He sets in motion the power of His vows to engage in earnest spiritual practice. For the sake of this world’s sentient beings, He engages in practice and attains Buddhahood. This is the attainment of the Three Insights; this is the meaning of. “One Perfect in Wisdom and Action.” All His practices are completely fulfilled

Well-Gone One: Well refers to skillful ability. Gone refers to going somewhere else. He skillfully leaves the land of delusion and goes towards the land of wisdom.

Another epithet is Well-Gone One. In this epithet, “well” refers to ability. In this epithet, “well” refers to ability, having skillful ability. “Gone” refers to going somewhere else. It means having the ability to skillfully leave the land of delusion and go toward the land of wisdom.

Well-Gone One means. He can come and go freely [in the world]. The Buddha was like this. He did not follow His karma to be born into this world. He came to this world because He could not bear to let sentient beings suffer. He journeyed on the Dharma of True Suchness, coming to this world to deliver sentient beings. He comes and goes freely, so He is called the Well-Gone One. “He skillfully leaves the land of delusion and goes toward the land of wisdom.” The Buddha guides unenlightened beings to the land of wisdom, then from the land of wisdom returns to this world. He can come and go freely, so He is called Well-Gone One

Knower of the World: All worldly and world-transcending phenomena, and all phenomena of cause and effect are known to and understood by him.

As sentient beings, we are ignorant. We cannot understand cause and effect, so we are dragged around by them. We cannot take even the slightest [criticism]; we cannot endure. Actually, the Buddha was not like this. Through spiritual practice, we come to understand that the world and the minds of the world’s people are like this. Our minds must attain the state of Samadhi, then we can become the Knower of the World.

Unsurpassed Guide: It means He has exhausted all karma of delusion, and there is nothing more for Him to eliminate. Tamer: The Buddha can tame all people who can be transformed and guide them into cultivating the path.

Unsurpassed Guide means “He has exhausted all karma of delusion, and there is nothing more for Him to eliminate.” All karma and delusion of ignorance have been entirely cleansed. This is the Unsurpassed Guide. He is unsurpassed and supreme. This is the Buddha, one with supreme, universal, perfect enlightenment. This is the Unsurpassed Guide.

“Tamer [means that] the Buddha can tame all great people that can be transformed” and guide them into entering the path of practice. He can deliver all sentient beings, but the amazing thing is that. He must have affinities with all sentient beings. If sentient beings do not accept the teachings, He will not have the affinities to deliver them. What can He do if the conditions are not there to deliver them? The Buddha still does not abandon sentient beings. He keeps coming back to deliver them. He transforms them all until they begin cultivating the Path. This is the compassion of the Buddha

Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans: Heavenly beings and humans in the Six Destinies can all take the Buddha as their teacher.

He is also “Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans.” Heavenly beings and humans in the Six Destinies “can all take the Buddha as their teacher. “The Buddha: He is replete with wisdom and has perfected the Three Elements of Enlightenment. Thus He is called the Buddha. World-Honored One: The Buddha possesses all virtues and is honored by all the world. For this reason, He is also solely honored in the world.

Next is “the Buddha,” who “is replete with wisdom and has perfected the Three Elements of Enlightenment. Thus He is called the Buddha.”

The next [epithet] is “World-Honored One.” This refers to how. “The Buddha possesses all virtues and is honored by the world,” so He is called World-Honored One. He is singularly honored in the world.

Episode 929 – Widely Proclaiming the Infinite Great Dharma

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>> With wisdom and other teachings, He destroys greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt and so on, these deluded, unwholesome phenomena. He eliminates the suffering of samsara, attains supreme enlightenment and is respected by all heavenly beings and humans, ordinary and noble beings. Thus, He is called the World-Honored One.

>> “At that time, the. World-Honored One, having finished His verse, spoke to the assembly and called out these words, ‘My disciple Mahakasyapa,in future lifetimes…’.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 6 – On Bestowing Predictions]

>> “[You] will meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, make offerings to, show reverence to, pay respect to and praise Them and widely proclaim the infinite Great Dharma of all Buddhas.    [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 6 – On Bestowing Predictions]

>> [He] will meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas, World-Honored Ones: It is rare to encounter a Buddha in one’s lifetime yet he is able to meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas to cultivate causes. Outwardly, relying on replete superior conditions, he will cultivate infinite blessings and virtues from all Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones.

>> The Buddha has the great grace of constantly guiding and transforming all beings to turn their delusion into awakening. The World-Honored One’s great grace is truly rare. He compassionately teaches and benefits us. Thus, He is the one honored by the world.

>> With utmost sincerity, he will make offerings to, show reverence to, pay respect to and praise Them. With the Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind, he reverently follows Buddhas, pays respect to and praises Them. This is the Bodhisattva’s vow to constantly give with respect: His faith is pure, and he reverently pays respect.

>> Those who make offerings to all Buddhas and, with deep faith, love and joy, cultivate all merits and virtues tirelessly will be born into the Tathagata family. This is making offerings to, showing reverence paying respect to and praising Them.

>> [He will] widely proclaim the infinite Great Dharma of all Buddhas: This is widely proclaiming the Great Dharma, the profound, wondrous Dharma of the Great Vehicle. Those who widely transform people will achieve, by benefiting others, countless great merits and virtues.

>> Widely proclaim: Those who accumulate superior causes within will achieve the profound wisdom of all Buddhas. Only those with superior causes and conditions, with the two adornments of blessings and wisdom, are able to attain Buddhahood.

>> The Great Dharma can lovingly nourish parched sentient beings. Thus, it is likened to rain. Dharma Masters practicing the Bodhisattva-path are in the Great Vehicle, widely proclaiming the infinite Great Dharma of all Buddhas.

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“With wisdom and other teachings, He destroys greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt and so on, these deluded, unwholesome phenomena.
He eliminates the suffering of samsara, attains supreme enlightenment and is respected by all heavenly beings and humans, ordinary and noble beings. Thus, He is called the World-Honored One.”

We all understand this clearly. With wisdom and other teachings, the Buddha can destroy greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt and so on. This is also the goal of our practice. With wisdom, our minds can be settled. When we are settled, we are able to stay focused. When we know to be patient and diligent, we will know to uphold precepts and to give then we know to uphold precepts and to give. These are the Six Perfections. They are giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. When [the first five] come together, our true wisdom, our pure wisdom, will be able to be applied effectively. What will happen then? We will know how to eliminate greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. In our daily living, the greatest obstructions hindering our spiritual aspirations are these five. These are obstructions we create for ourselves, yet ironically we are unable to eliminate these obstructions and afflictions. As this is the case, unwholesome things will happen.

For instance, when the Buddha was in the world, many ministers and princes were able to become monastics. Among the royalty that came to practice, there were two brothers who were very special. They were the Buddha’s cousins. From one family, two sons were able to became monastics. One was Devadatta, and the other one was Ananda. Ananda and Devadatta were brothers, but they had different personalities. Ananda was pure and kind-hearted, while Devadatta was clever and sly. Nonetheless, Devadatta was very diligent as he practiced in the Sangha. Though arrogant, he was diligent in his practice. For 12 years, no matter what the Buddha taught him, he would practice it. So, after 12 years of hard work, he had penetrated the texts and understood the Buddha’s teachings.

But his greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance, those shortcomings, were not eliminated. These afflictions were still present in his mind.

One day, he felt he should go on to practice something superior to everyone else. He hoped to be able to quickly achieve spiritual powers and abilities to transform. Thus, he went to the Buddha to ask Him, “Could You share the teachings with me soon? Please teach me the power of transporting myself so that I can fly freely and go everywhere to expound the Dharma, to take all the teachings You have given and expound them for everyone to hear.”

The Buddha said, “You should still stick to learning the teachings in the proper order. You should study earnestly and better understand the principles of suffering, emptiness and impermanence.” Devadatta was very unhappy about this and went to see Sariputra. Sariputra said the same thing as the Buddha, “First you need to understand the principles of suffering, emptiness and impermanence.” So, he went to see Maudgalyayana, who also said the same thing, “First you should understand the principles of suffering, emptiness and impermanence.”

Devadatta’s ignorance and afflictions kept surfacing, layer by layer. He felt the Buddha, Sariputra and Maudgalyayana had belittled and excluded him. He was then struck by inspiration and thought of Ananda. Ananda was pure in heart; he had no suspicions of his older brother so he told [Devadatta] what he had heard. “I heard the Buddha teach such Dharma. If you could explore it in depth, then you would gain spiritual powers.” Devadatta more or less understood and put his heart into practicing. He kept practicing until sure enough, he could leave the ground and fly in the air as well as transform in various ways.

Then, taking advantage of his spiritual powers, every day he would go to the palace and transform in different ways, playing with Prince Ajatasatru. The prince was very happy, and he gave Devadatta 500 taels per day. Every day he would grant him any material object he asked for. Starting from that time, the arrogance and conceit in his mind became more and more severe.

The Buddha could only sigh, “Devadatta’s heart has completely [lost its way]. In the future, the Sangha will never be at peace.” As expected Devadatta became bolder and hoped to take the Buddha’s place. He encouraged Ajatasatru to take his father’s throne. Thus, both the kingdom and the Sangha were [rocked by chaos].

This is a very long story. All in all, we need to have wisdom in our spiritual practice. We must “destroy greed, anger, ignorance and so on, these deluded, unwholesome phenomena, eliminate the suffering of rebirth, attain supreme enlightenment and [be] respected by all heavenly beings, humans, ordinary and noble beings.” As the Buddha “eliminated the suffering of samsara,” He truly attained supreme enlightenment. All the true principles of the world are contained in His ocean of enlightened wisdom. He thus earned the respect of heavenly beings and humans, ordinary and noble beings, and is therefore called the World-Honored One.

In the previous sutra passage we already reached the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions “At that time, the. World-Honored One, having finished His verse, spoke to the assembly and called out these words, ‘My disciple Mahakasyapa,in future lifetimes…’.”

“At that time, the World-Honored One, having finished His verse” means that the verse in the Medicinal Plants chapter had concluded.

Next, in the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions, the Buddha prepared to [bestow predictions] on those disciples who had comprehended the Buddha’s mind, who resonated with the Buddha’s mind and understood the principles. He now prepared to bestow predictions of Buddhahood on them “[He] called out these words” means that. He started talking to the entire assembly. “My disciple Mahakasyapa, in future lifetimes,”

and then the following sutra passage states, “[You] will meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, make offerings to, show reverence to, pay respect to and praise Them and widely proclaim the infinite Great Dharma of all Buddhas.”

Kasyapa also practiced like this in the past, and He will still need to practice for a very long time in the future. Thus, he “will meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, [He] will meet and serve” means in the future he will meet many Buddhas; he will be able to serve by the side of 300 trillion Buddhas and accept their teachings. How long will this take? “It is rare to encounter a Buddha in one’s lifetime,” yet he is able to live during the lifetimes of 300 trillion Buddhas and able to serve Them, able to meet and get close to these Buddhas, able to cultivate the causes of [serving] these 300 trillion. Clearly, meeting a Buddha is truly not easy

[He] will meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas, World-Honored Ones: It is rare to encounter a Buddha in one’s lifetime yet he is able to meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas to cultivate causes. Outwardly, relying on replete superior conditions, he will cultivate infinite blessings and virtues from all Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones.

Venerable Kasyapa must have cultivated these causes in the past such that he was able to, in this life, meaning more than 2000 years ago, live at the same time as the Buddha. Now he was able to meet the Buddha and resonate with the Buddha’s mind. So, the Buddha bestowed a prediction on him, that he would be able to meet 300 trillion Buddhas in the future [Meeting] all these Buddhas indicates that. Kasyapa needs to keep cultivating causes. So, he must cultivate until replete, as he is,

“outwardly, relying on replete superior conditions.” Inwardly, he needs to cultivate causes of being able to meet and serve all Buddhas and accept teachings from all Buddhas. This is cultivating causes inwardly. “Outwardly, relying on superior conditions” means going among people, working to help others. We must form many good affinities with others and greatly grow in wisdom. Only with this gradual accumulation of inner causes and outer conditions can we attain Buddhahood in the future

“The Buddha has the great grace of constantly guiding and transforming all beings to turn their delusion into awakening. The World-Honored One’s great grace is truly rare. He compassionately teaches and benefits us. Thus, He is the one honored by the world.”

The Buddha teaches sentient beings with this kind of method. He explained how He Himself had been taught by the Buddhas He met in the past and the mindset He used in accepting the Dharma. He also had to go among people to transform them and [help them] turn their delusion into awakening. So, “The World-Honored One’s great grace is truly rare.” He had to go among people for such a long time. To have such a mindset is truly very rare. “He compassionately teaches and benefits us.” All Buddhas teach and transform us in the same way. “Thus, He is the one honored by the world.” He was able to earn respect from all of us.

With utmost sincerity, he will make offerings to, show reverence to, pay respect to and praise Them. With the Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind, he reverently follows Buddhas, pays respect to and praises Them. This is the Bodhisattva’s vow to constantly give with respect: His faith is pure, and he reverently pays respect.

Thus, with utmost sincerity [Kasyapa will] “make offerings to, show reverence to, pay respect to and praise Them.” This is the process [of his practice]

As for the 300 trillion Buddhas that. Kasyapa will meet in the future, lifetime after lifetime, he will treat the World-Honored One, every Buddha, with reverence. “He will make offerings to, show reverence to, pay respect to and praise Them.” He always has the utmost sincerity, showing reverence in this way “[He uses] the Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind….” This requires that he have reverence in his heart. He serves by putting the teachings into action to show reverence with his body, praises with his speech and makes offerings with sincerity of mind. Thus, with his Threefold Karma, “He reverently follows Buddhas, pays respect and praises Them.” This means that in spiritual practice, we need to have long-lasting persistence and unchanging reverence and respect. Even with 300 trillion Buddhas, we must use the same Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind to “make offerings, to show reverence with utmost sincerity.”

“This is the Bodhisattva’s vow to constantly give with respect.” This is the Bodhisattva’s vow, to help others with reverence. His faith is pure. This means he pays respect reverently. Every morning, we reverently prostrate in respect. In fact, this is showing reverence and paying respect to ourselves. If we have reverent minds, naturally the Buddha-mind will be in our mind

“Those who make offerings to all Buddhas and, with deep faith, love and joy, cultivate all merits and virtues tirelessly will be born into the Tathagata family. This is making offerings to, showing reverence paying respect to and praising Them.”

This is telling us that everyone is a Buddha. Otherwise, how could we possibly [serve] 300 trillion Buddhas? This is the meaning in what the Buddha said, that if you show reverence to everyone, then naturally lifetime after lifetime you are in the family of the Buddha-Dharma and you can be close to the Buddha-Dharma. Thus, we need to make offerings with reverence

[He will] widely proclaim the infinite Great Dharma of all Buddhas: This is widely proclaiming the Great Dharma, the profound, wondrous Dharma of the Great Vehicle. Those who widely transform people will achieve, by benefiting others, countless great merits and virtues.

“and widely proclaim the infinite Great Dharma of all Buddhas.” We must not only make offerings reverently, but also pay respect to and praise all Buddhas and widely proclaim the. Great Dharma of all Buddhas. In our physical conduct we must rid ourselves of conceit and arrogance and show respect to everyone. This is the true way to reverently make offerings to all Buddhas. We do not have to wait until future lifetimes to meet 300 trillion Buddhas. In this lifetime, we can treat everyone as the Buddha. With a mindset of reverently making offerings, we pay respect to and praise Them. At the same time, we are also proclaiming the Buddha-Dharma. This is the same

“This is widely proclaiming the Great Dharma, the profound, wondrous Dharma of the Great Vehicle.” The Great Dharma that is widely proclaimed is the profound, wondrous Dharma of the Great Vehicle. It widely transforms people. Whoever sees and listens to it can become an example for others. Their body, mind and speech all proclaim the teachings, especially the Great Dharma. So, they “will achieve, by benefiting others, countless great merits and virtues.”

Widely proclaim: Those who accumulate superior causes within will achieve the profound wisdom of all Buddhas. Only those with superior causes and conditions, with the two adornments of blessings and wisdom, are able to attain Buddhahood.

Widely proclaiming is to “accumulate superior causes within.” Internally, we accumulate many superior causes. Since we are learning the Dharma, much Buddha-Dharma is already in our minds. Thus, we “will achieve the profound wisdom of all Buddhas. Only those with superior causes and conditions, with the two adornments of blessings and wisdom, are able to attain Buddhahood.” Actually, everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. From past lives, our accumulated good causes, superior causes, are in our minds. It is because we had the Dharma in the past and can again listen to the teachings in this life that these causes keep accumulating. “Only those with superior causes and conditions” means we need causes and conditions. The causes are in our minds. The conditions are from the outside. The wisdom we cultivate will forever remain in our minds as causes. Externally, we respect everyone, which creates blessed conditions. So, “with superior causes and conditions [and] the two adornments of blessings and wisdom,” blessings and wisdom dignify our body so we will naturally be respected by all who see us. With both blessings and wisdom, we “are able to attain Buddhahood.” This is how we are able to attain Buddhahood

The Great Dharma can lovingly nourish parched sentient beings. Thus, it is likened to rain. Dharma Masters practicing the Bodhisattva-path are in the Great Vehicle, widely proclaiming the infinite Great Dharma of all Buddhas.

The Great Dharma is like Dharma-rain falling and nourishing everything on Earth. This is an analogy, showing that the Dharma is like nourishing rain. “Dharma Masters practicing the Bodhisattva-path” take the Dharma as their own teacher and go among people to give the teachings “[They] are in the Great Vehicle, widely proclaiming the infinite Great Dharma of all Buddhas.”

All in all, we need to practice earnestly in our daily living. We need to act with wisdom. Thus, we need to earnestly learn how to tame our greed, anger and ignorance. These unwholesome things must be quickly eliminated. This is getting rid of all afflictions. Then we can truly converge with the true principles of the universe and attain great awakening. This is what the Buddha taught us.

Venerable Kasyapa will meet and serve 300 trillion Buddhas, World-Honored Ones. We may think this will take too long, that we do not have the patience. So, we should see everyone as a Buddha. See, right now, how many future Buddhas are we all meeting? Every day, we pay respect to everyone. By seeing everyone as a Buddha, we are truly respecting ourselves. Therefore, we must always be mindful!