Author: Scott Ogata

Episode 997 – Taming the Four Maras to Steadily Walk the Path

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>> The Buddha’s great might and power can tame the Four Maras and subdue and captivate, so sentient beings can create [good] karmic causes. His compassion and wisdom are in harmony, so He is called the Great Hero, the World-Honored One. The Buddha is replete with myriad virtues and is thus honored by all in the world.

>> The Four Maras: The mara of afflictions. The mara of the Skandhas. The mara of death. King Mara of Mahesvara Heaven.

>> “Your body and limbs are still, peaceful and unmoving. Your mind is constantly content and calm and has never been scattered. You ultimately achieved everlasting tranquil extinction and steadily abide in the flawless Dharma. Today we see that the World-Honored One has peacefully attained Buddhahood.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “All of us attain positive benefits and congratulate each other with great joy. Sentient beings always suffer and are afflicted. Blind, in the dark, with no guiding teacher, we do not recognize the path to end suffering, nor do we know to seek liberation. In the long night, those in the evil realms increase in number, while those in the heaven realm have diminished.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> All of us attain positive benefits and congratulate each other with great joy: We all met the Buddha, listened to the Dharma and gained faith and understanding. Having attained the great benefits, we congratulate each other. Our minds give rise to great joy upon seeing the Buddha and listening to the Dharma. Hence it says we attain positive benefits.

>> The word positive refers to the teachings, principles, practice and fruition of the flawless Dharma. By listening to the teachings, we awaken to the principles, then practice according to the principles and realize the fruition through practice. With these positive benefits, we can definitely overcome difficulties and achieve the fruits, thus it says we attain.

>> Sentient beings always suffer and are afflicted: Sentient beings are deluded and constantly hold on to suffering and afflictions. They transmigrate among the Six Realms and are constantly tormented by the Three Obstructions. Therefore, they always suffer and are afflicted.

>> Blind, in the dark, with no guiding teacher: Like being born blind, we are always in the dark and unable to see. We have not met a benefactor to teach us, therefore it says with no guiding teacher.

>> Blind, in the dark: Having no eyes of wisdom is called being blind. Deluded states are like the night, so it says in the dark. All sentient beings are deluded with regard to the Dharma and to people. Our minds and conditions are both murky, so it says we are in the dark.

>> We do not recognize the path to end suffering, nor do we know to seek liberation: We cannot recognize the ultimate path of ending all suffering; we do not know to seek liberation. Filled with confusion and a lack of clarity, though we have renounced suffering, we do not recognize the path to end suffering. We endure samsara without seeking liberation.

>> In the long night, those in the evil realms increase in number: For a long time, we have been in the dark, like the nighttime, and thus create karma, so our negative retributions increase. As the fruit of their karma and delusion, many have been born in the evil realms, while the numbers in the heaven realm have decreased. The long night of the Three Realms is like being in a dream or a drunken state.

>> Among the Six Realms, only the human and heaven realms are considered good realms. Sentient beings create karma, so more people fall into the evil realms, hence it says they increase in number. Fewer people are born into the good realms, hence it says they have diminished.

>> Those in the heaven realms have diminished: This means the number of sentient beings in the good realms has decreased. The numbers in the evil realms have increased, so those in the good realms have decreased.

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“The Buddha’s great might and power can tame the Four Maras and subdue and captivate, so sentient beings can create [good] karmic causes.
His compassion and wisdom are in harmony, so He is called the Great Hero, the World-Honored One.
The Buddha is replete with myriad virtues and is thus honored by all in the world.”

Everyone should have deep respect for the Buddha. Because the Buddha already has great might, He can tame the Four Maras. As we all probably know, this is something that requires a long period of spiritual practice. This is true for all Buddhas; Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha was like this, as was Sakyamuni Buddha and the infinite numbers of other Buddhas. The process of attaining Buddhahood requires undergoing many challenges in life. This is because in order to go among the people and transform sentient beings, one must go through intense tempering. So, we often say that this is the process of spiritual practice. Without going through that painful practice, without refinement and tempering, how could He become a pure vessel? Spiritual practice must be like this.

That is why it is said that attaining Buddhahood is such a rare and precious matter. First one must tame the Four Maras. Everyone should know the Four Maras. They are the mara of afflictions, the mara of the Skandhas, the mara of death and. King Mara of [Mahesvara] Heaven, these four. We must be able to withstand these challenges.

The Four Maras: The mara of afflictions. The mara of the Skandhas. The mara of death. King Mara of Mahesvara Heaven.

The mara of afflictions is what we often speak of. How do we tame afflictions and ignorance? We need to understand how, in worldly matters, interpersonal conflicts and such, we can tame these afflictions. If we cannot see past matters and things in life, we will be unable to eliminate afflictions. If we are entangled in interpersonal conflicts, we will always remain confused. Then how can the principles manifest in front of us? [Without] the principles, we will always remain unenlightened beings. Being unable to clearly discern right from wrong is the reason we are unenlightened beings. The minds of unenlightened beings cannot escape afflictions.

Besides the mara of afflictions troubling us, there is also the mara of the Five Skandhas. Everyone should be familiar with the Five Skandhas, form, feeling, perception, action and consciousness. Of the Five Skandhas, even just “form” comes in so many varieties. Whether sounds or all forms and appearances, in our daily living, this already causes us to be surrounded by ignorance. When we see something that we do not like or something we are not pleased with or hear something that is disagreeable, just these appearances and sounds cause us to have all kinds of afflictive emotions in our lives. This all comes from sounds and forms. This is to say nothing of our “feelings.” It is these feelings that cause our minds to continually create our experiences. When appearances are taken into our minds, these [perceptions] ferment in our thinking.

Didn’t we talk about this yesterday? We still have the eighth and ninth consciousnesses. Before this are the Five Consciousnesses, which constantly connect with external conditions. The appearance of these conditions is in our mind, and in our mind, we choose what we are attached to and plant it in the field of our mind. In this field in our mind, the mind takes action; taking action means our mind draws up plans. What consciousness is used to do this? The [sixth] consciousness hatches these plans, because the first five consciousnesses already imprinted external conditions into our minds. We keep attachments in our seventh consciousness and start scheming, start cultivating [this field]. Then, we put these plans into action. These actions come out of greed; it is greed that lead us to take many actions that benefit us at the expense of others. As a result, where do these fruits end up? Where do they end up? The alaya consciousness. The karma has already been created and stored in our eighth consciousness.

So, in our daily living, with our first [five] consciousnesses, we connect with the outside world, then our minds begin to function, and we take action. Once we have taken action, if it is negative, like seizing what others need, or destroying their resources to benefit ourselves, this stirs up hatred and negative affinities. These negative affinities then become causes, negative causes, and are stored in our [eighth] consciousness. This is the result. So, our alaya consciousness contains all these different [causes], all the karma that we have created.

These are the maras in our minds, the maras of afflictions and the Five Skandhas. We took these actions ourselves, and in the end, when our lives are over, we pass away, according to the laws of nature. With all the unknown amounts of karma that we have created in this lifetime, in the end, when the mara of death approaches us, what can we take with us? We can carry nothing; we only take our karma. How many negative affinities did we create? How many people’s resources did we seize for ourselves, or destroy in order to benefit ourselves? Though we benefit ourselves, in the end, don’t we still leave this world empty-handed? Yet all of this karma follows us when we go.

To “go” is to be reborn into our next life. In our next life, we face our circumstantial and direct retributions; what kind of family will we be born into? What kind of parents and home will we have? In our future life, when we face our karmic retributions, who can bear them for us? We are the ones who must bear them. It is in this way that we are affected by even more afflictions and ignorance. On one hand, painful retributions manifest. On the other hand, our afflictions and ignorance will be reproduced. This never ends. This is life, the life of unenlightened beings. These are the maras in our minds. They are continually produced like this.

If a person is fortunate, has good causes and conditions and can do good deeds, by doing good things, he will be reborn in the heaven realm. Some people who do good deeds really do not wish for anything in return. This is because they heard the Buddha-Dharma teaching us to give without expectations. They willingly help others; this is what they do, yet what they really want is to engage in spiritual practice. Yet in their spiritual practice, they encounter. King Mara of Heaven. King Mara of Heaven comes to trouble us and ruin our good deeds. We feel, “I should do these things,” but once we face external conditions, our mind gives rise to discursive thoughts and we quit halfway. This is King Mara of Heaven; when these maras, like King Mara, come to disturb us, they lead our mind to give rise to ignorance, and so we cut off our own virtuous karma.

Actually, these good deeds are things that we would normally be doing. But because of a little ignorance, the actions that people take cause confusion in our minds, and we stop ourselves [from doing good deeds]. We can say this is due to the mara in our minds, who we can also call King Mara of Heaven. These kinds of things will naturally happen that can prevent us from doing good deeds [and creating good] causes and conditions. As we engage in spiritual practice, this is something we will encounter.

Take Sakyamuni Buddha as an example. The process of His spiritual practice was very difficult. He sat for 21 days in meditation, His mind at peace, very still. For 21 days, He earnestly contemplated and then gave rise to a thought that was one with all sentient beings. His goal in attaining Buddhahood was to transform all sentient beings and eliminate sentient beings’ suffering. Once He gave rise to this compassion, His wisdom manifested. At this moment, compassion and wisdom united. At this time, King Mara of Heaven appeared and began to continually disturb Him, to disturb His very tranquil mind. Many conditions manifested to entice Him. This type of disturbance troubled His mind.

So, at that time, He used His power of Samadhi to tame those conditions that manifested in His mind. It did not matter what those conditions were; Mara’s armies appeared in the Buddha’s mind in very frightening forms. Many frightening appearances manifested before Him. He quickly strengthened. His pure thoughts of right mindfulness; thus Mara’s armies retreated. Next, gentle and beautiful women manifested with music and dancing. This state of beauty manifested before Him. When this image appeared in front of Him, He quickly heightened His vigilance. This illusory state was tamed by His right mindfulness and right thinking. To summarize, in His state of tranquility, when His compassion and wisdom came together, many different states manifested. He had to use right thinking, right understanding, right views and right mindfulness, etc. to quickly tame them. He overcame each until they retreated. Then, His mind returned to a state of complete tranquility.

So, I often say that when we sit in meditation, when we reach a very tranquil state of mind, sometimes illusions will appear. When this illusory state appears, if we become delighted by it, this state will then be imprinted onto our minds. This type of illusion will often reappear. We will hear illusory sounds as if someone is speaking next to our ear. We will see illusions, like someone beckoning us or someone appearing before us. These are all visual illusions. This state is like going crazy. Usually, a person like this seems quite normal. Sometimes they will say, “Someone is speaking to me. Someone is calling me.” If this happens, it is quite dangerous; they often confuse the illusion for reality. This type of illusion will trouble the mind. This is called becoming possessed.

So, if we have not clearly grasped the principles, we should not be greedy for meditative states. We must be very careful. But to understand the principles very clearly, we need to experience the true principles. Where do we find the true principles? Amidst these disturbances, all the many afflictions and the ignorance that appear before us, we cannot discern right from wrong. This becomes our habitual tendency. So, I often say, in spiritual practice, there is nothing to practice; we only need to eliminate our habitual tendencies.

If we are attached to thinking that spiritual practice means sitting in meditation, [we fail to realize] that when our practice is at its most thorough, it is just like the saying, “Carrying firewood and water is also meditation.” Whether we are eating or drinking tea, everything is a practice of meditation. Every action is a practice of meditation. The principle of meditation is in fact nothing other than to tame our own minds. In our daily living, since all our actions are meditation, we do not need to waste any more time on it. We should just go and take action. When interacting with people and dealing with matters, we must be clear on both matters and principles. When we understand the principles, we know that in everyone’s mind is a Buddha.

We all have the nature of True Suchness. So, we should be mindful to experience how to tame and subdue the Four Maras in our daily living as unenlightened beings. The Four Maras often disturb our minds. The mara of afflictions, the mara of the Skandhas, the mara of death and King Mara of Heaven often come to disturb us. So, how can we tame them?

The Buddha has already subdued them. Being enlightened, He can “subdue and captivate, so sentient beings can create [good] karmic causes.” After having attained enlightenment, He had subdued the maras. The Four Maras were all subdued by the Great Enlightened One. So, this comes back to subduing and captivating. After subduing the maras of His own mind, He taught this principle for everyone, to help everyone understand that they must engage in spiritual practice and must understand that the Four Maras are always disturbing our lives. So, He analyzed many principles for us to help us understand the causes that lead sentient beings to create karma. What kind of karma are we usually creating? If we can give to others without expectations, we will naturally be grateful to each other, have mutual love and create good affinities. Why do sentient beings give rise to ignorance? We must use a heart of gratitude to study and understand this and increase our wisdom-life. This is the cause for us to create good karma.

He Himself had already attained enlightenment, then He taught sentient beings. He taught sentient beings to have a clear understanding of the principles. We must cultivate virtuous causes and guard against negative causes. This is how we subdued the evil thoughts of sentient beings. “Refrain from all evil, do all that is good.” This is the way He taught and guided us. “His compassion and wisdom are in harmony.” After subduing His own thoughts, He taught others the way to prevent the Four Maras from manifesting. Since He taught us like this, He is therefore called the Great Hero, the World-Honored One. With compassion and wisdom in harmony, He benefited Himself and others. He Himself tamed the Four Maras; then He taught and guided sentient beings to heighten their vigilance so they too could subdue them. This is having compassion and wisdom in harmony, to awaken oneself and others. Thus, He was called the Great Hero, the World-Honored One. It must have taken a lot of strength and great courage to be able to make it through this process.

Thus, “The Buddha is replete with myriad virtues and is thus honored by all in the world”; He is called the World-Honored One. So, the Buddha’s virtues are already myriad and replete. The Buddha’s virtues are myriad and replete, and we can also learn to follow the path He walked. We are the same; we can awaken ourselves and others. The Buddha manifested an appearance in this world to teach us that this was how to follow the principles. Sakyamuni Buddha traveled this path, and we follow in His footsteps, taking the same path. After a very long time, we will naturally be replete in myriad virtues. In this world, everything we practice is to have compassion and wisdom in harmony. We have a heart of compassion and act with wisdom to bring all things into fruition for sentient beings. These are the Buddha’s myriad virtues. Those who have awakened are replete with myriad virtues. They are respected by all in the world. We should be clear on this.

The previous sutra passage states, “Your body and limbs are still, peaceful and unmoving. Your mind is constantly content and calm and has never been scattered. You ultimately achieved everlasting tranquil extinction and steadily abide in the flawless Dharma. Today we see that the World-Honored One has peacefully attained Buddhahood.”
Throughout this process, His body and mind underwent a long period of refining and tempering until His mind became very tranquil and calm. Having returned to this tranquil and clear state, His mind was never scattered or disturbed. Thus He “steadily abided in the flawless Dharma.” All virtuous Dharma was gathered together, and there were no errors, so it was flawless. To do this requires a very long period of spiritual practice.

“Today we see that the World-Honored One has peacefully attained Buddhahood.” This means in the era of. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, He sat for ten small kalpas straight until He finally attained Buddhahood. During these ten small kalpas, heavenly beings and humans all came as Dharma-protectors. Everyone should remember how they gathered in that place. Finally, after a very long time, He attained enlightenment; His compassion and wisdom were in harmony. Thus, He attained perfect enlightenment. Everyone rejoiced at this.

The next sutra passage states, “All of us attain positive benefits and congratulate each other with great joy. Sentient beings always suffer and are afflicted. Blind, in the dark, with no guiding teacher, we do not recognize the path to end suffering, nor do we know to seek liberation. In the long night, those in the evil realms increase in number, while those in the heaven realm have diminished.”

This great joy came from all the heavenly beings, the Dharma-protectors. They finally saw the Buddha attain Buddhahood. All these heavenly beings and Dharma-protectors were very happy. What were they happy about? “All of us attain positive benefits.” Since the Buddha attained perfect enlightenment, the principles had all been brought together. Everyone rejoiced to have encountered a Buddha.

All of us attain positive benefits and congratulate each other with great joy: We all met the Buddha, listened to the Dharma and gained faith and understanding. Having attained the great benefits, we congratulate each other. Our minds give rise to great joy upon seeing the Buddha and listening to the Dharma. Hence it says we attain positive benefits.

It is not easy for heavenly beings to encounter a Buddha. Though the lifespans of heavenly beings are long, for the world to give rise to a Buddha, it takes many great asankya kalpas. For Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, think of how long it took. [He started] beginningless dust-inked kalpas ago. So, although heavenly beings’ lifespans are long, to wait for a Buddha to appear in the world was really not easy. Thus, when Great Unhindered attained Buddhahood, all heavenly beings were joyful. “We all met the Buddha, listened to the Dharma and gained faith and understanding.” When the Buddha awakened, He began to expound the Dharma. We should all be able to have faith and understand. Thus we “have attained the great benefits.” We will definitely attain benefit. So, everyone was joyful.

For the Buddha to manifest in this world was truly not a simple matter! Heavenly beings were all joyful, let alone humans! They “saw the Buddha and listened to the Dharma. Hence it says we attain positive benefits.” Everyone said, “We attained positive benefits.” Everyone was so happy because they had attained the positive benefits of being able to see the Buddha and listen to the Dharma.

The word “positive” refers to the teachings, principles, practice and fruition of the flawless Dharma. By listening to the teachings, we awaken to the principles, then practice according to the principles and realize the fruition through practice. With these positive benefits, we can definitely overcome difficulties and achieve the fruits, thus it says we “attain.”

The word “positive” refers to the “teachings, principles, practice and fruition” or teachings, principles, practice and realization. This was what the Buddha has taught. The content of His teaching encompassed the true principles of the universe. With [principles] of the unconditioned Dharma, He used conditioned, tangible things, to teach us so everyone would know how to put them into action and understand the methods of spiritual practice. Understanding the methods of spiritual practice, we naturally practice according to the teachings. Then we are able to experience them.

We often say, “You are truly blessed! Oh, but I have so many afflictions. So many people are better than me. Come, let’s go together. Let us visit [care recipients] together. Wow, so many people are suffering more than me. By giving in this way, I was able to help the other person. Seeing him suffering, [I realized] that. I am more blessed than he is, so I can help him. He will be able to eliminate his suffering. Seeing his suffering eliminated makes me happy.” These are the “teachings, principles and practice.” He shared the intangible principles by teaching us how to put them into action and thus experience them. These are the principles.

So, with this “flawless Dharma,” after we understand it, we put it into practice. With a firm will to practice, we [cultivate] precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. We must find ways to discipline ourselves to prevent repeated mistakes. We must find ways to understand our ignorance and afflictions so that we do not stir them up again. These precepts help us prevent all evils. Then we must quickly [cultivate] Samadhi and do good deeds with firmly settled minds. So, “Refrain from all evil; do all that is good.” We have decided to go in the direction of good. After determining this good path as our direction, we must walk it. This is goodness and wisdom. We must exercise both compassion and wisdom and practice flawless Dharma. We cannot allow these principles and good deeds to leak away.

“By listening to the teachings, we awaken to the principles.” In listening to the teachings, we awaken to the principles and then practice according to the principles. Thus we have awakened and understood. So, “teachings, principles, practice and fruition” allow us to realize this fruition. This is our positive benefit. If we are able to do this, we can definitely overcome all difficulties. Although spiritual practice is very difficult, as long as we practice according to the teachings, we can definitely overcome all difficulties and bring all things to fruition. The fruitions of goodness will be perfected. Thus it says we “attain.” So, “[Today] all of us attain positive benefits.” This means that if a Buddha manifests in this world, He will begin to teach the principles for us to understand. Once we understand, we can put them into practice. Through practice, we truly experience them.

Sentient beings always suffer and are afflicted: Sentient beings are deluded and constantly hold on to suffering and afflictions. They transmigrate among the Six Realms and are constantly tormented by the Three Obstructions. Therefore, they always suffer and are afflicted.

So, “Sentient beings always suffer and are afflicted.” ․Sentient beings always suffer and are afflicted: Sentient beings are deluded and constantly hold on to suffering and afflictions. They transmigrate among the Six Realms and are constantly tormented by the Three Obstructions. Therefore, they always suffer and are afflicted. Sentient beings are often deluded by afflictions and ignorance. Thus, we are called unenlightened beings. What we are holding on to is suffering and afflictions. Our past karma has now arrived and is manifesting before us. In this life, we have these negative causes and conditions. We also do not understand the principles and constantly reproduce the sufferings of life; it is as if we are drowning in the Six Realms. We continually sink in this way, transmigrating in the Six Realms without any awareness. We do not understand the principles; we just come and go like this, always in the Six Realms. It is our karma that leads us to be constantly tormented by the Three Obstructions.

What are the Three Obstructions? The obstruction of afflictions and so on, greed, anger and ignorance, this lack of clarity that continually obstructs us and is continually reproduced. Thus we are tormented. We are born into the world and face these karmic retributions, but at least we can still express ourselves. What if we enter the animal realm? It will be hard to speak of suffering there. What if we enter the hell realm? That is fundamentally unremitting suffering. It will hurt even to cry out or catch our breath. Nothing can be done; it is truly unbearable pain. Thus it says we “always suffer and are afflicted,”

Blind, in the dark, with no guiding teacher: Like being born blind, we are always in the dark and unable to see. We have not met a benefactor to teach us, therefore it says with no guiding teacher.

“blind, in the dark, with no guiding teacher.” It is because we are blind, just like someone who cannot see. This darkness is total blackness. We cannot see anything; it is all dark. With the road ahead unclear, how do we walk? We are often frightened; it is very scary. We worry about gain and loss. There are so many things we are blind to. What can we do that is in line with the right principles? What can we do to truly benefit ourselves? This is truly how things are in the world; everyone is normally like this. We do not know where we are going and have no way of encountering a benefactor. “We have not met a benefactor to teach us.” Since we have no benefactor to guide us, therefore it says “with no guiding teacher.” No one is there to lead us onto the right path.

Blind, in the dark: Having no eyes of wisdom is called being blind. Deluded states are like the night, so it says in the dark. All sentient beings are deluded with regard to the Dharma and to people. Our minds and conditions are both murky, so it says we are in the dark.

“Blind, in the dark” means “we are always in the dark and unable to see.” We do not have the eyes of wisdom. Although we have two eyes, the things that we see are all forms that entice us. This is how we are, continually enticed away by external forms. This is called not having eyes of wisdom. We cannot see clearly. Our knowledge and perspectives are all wrong. This is not having eyes of wisdom; it is like being blind.

“Deluded states are like the night, so it says ‘in the dark.'” We have so many false and illusory thoughts. It is the same as the nighttime, when we cannot see things around us clearly. When our perspectives have gone astray and so on, it is known as being “in the dark.” It is like the night.

So, “All sentient beings are deluded with regard to the Dharma and to people.” They are unclear regarding the Dharma and have even less understanding of people. This is also suffering. “Who is really my true friend? Who can truly help me do good deeds? Who is my true benefactor?” We are unable to know clearly, so we are deluded in regard to the Dharma. “How do I do it? Who can do it with me?” This is being “deluded with regard to the Dharma and to people. Our minds and conditions are both murky.” Our minds and conditions are both confused, “So it says, in the dark.” Aren’t the daily lives of sentient beings just like this?

We do not recognize the path to end suffering, nor do we know to seek liberation: We cannot recognize the ultimate path of ending all suffering; we do not know to seek liberation. Filled with confusion and a lack of clarity, though we have renounced suffering, we do not recognize the path to end suffering. We endure samsara without seeking liberation.

“We do not recognize the path to end suffering, nor do we know to seek liberation.” We are unable to differentiate or recognize it, so we have no way of knowing what the path is. Is the path we are walking on the right one? We cannot understand it ourselves; we just continue to remain in the realm of ordinary people. “Blind, in the dark, with no guiding teacher,” the future is unclear, and our wisdom is blind. The wisdom of our minds has already been blinded.

“We cannot recognize the ultimate path of ending all suffering.” We already do not know how to walk this path. On this path of life and death, how can we be liberated? As we transmigrate in the Six Realms, how can we step onto the right path so we will no longer be lost and will avoid falling into a trap again, thus escaping forever the Three Evil Destinies?

At the very least, we will be in the human realm, where we are able to listen to the Dharma and engage in spiritual practice. But how many are able to listen to the Dharma? How many people know the Buddha and His teachings? How many people recognize Right Dharma? It is not easy. “We do not recognize the path to end suffering. We endure samsara without seeking liberation.” If we do not know the Buddha-Dharma, how could we know the principle of liberation? There is no way. Everything is like this; our whole mind is in confusion and darkness. In this confused darkness, we cannot see the path ahead clearly.

So, we understand suffering and know, “I do not want to remain in this suffering.” I often hear people say, “I do not want to live as a human anymore. If you do not want to live as a human, what do you want to live as?” Some people say, “I have seen how cats are so loved. I would rather be a cat or a dog with an owner that really loves me.” Are we really willing to be like this? Some people suffer so much that they would rather be an animal. But, they have not considered that life is painfully short. The Buddha-Dharma is rarely encountered. We should seek to obtain a path in life that is truly the right path. Simply renouncing suffering yet not seeking the right method to escape it is being confused.

“We do not recognize the path to end suffering. We endure samsara without seeking liberation.” People are willing to be a cat or a dog, yet do not know there is also hell’s suffering and thus do not ask for a way to transcend these paths of suffering. “We do not recognize the path to end suffering.” In not understanding this path, we continue to dally in the Saha World, so we have no way to transcend it.

People like this do not seek liberation because they do not understand how there can be a path which can help us transcend cyclic existence and help us not to go to our next life bringing karma. We vow to return to this world to practice the Buddha-Dharma and go among people to transform sentient beings. They do not know of this path. So, they do not know the path to liberation, thus they do not ask to be liberated. It is not that they do not ask, rather, they do not understand to ask. Now that we mention it, we are truly fortunate to be able to listen to this Dharma.

In the long night, those in the evil realms increase in number: For a long time, we have been in the dark, like the nighttime, and thus create karma, so our negative retributions increase. As the fruit of their karma and delusion, many have been born in the evil realms, while the numbers in the heaven realm have decreased. The long night of the Three Realms is like being in a dream or a drunken state.

In the long night, those in the evil realms increase in number. If we do not wish to seek the Buddha-Dharma, we will always remain in the long night, where those in the evil realms increase in number. This is because people in this world continually create more and more karma. As more evil karma is created, the people in evil realms continue to increase. Earth Treasury Bodhisattva [vowed], “Until hell is empty, I will not attain Buddhahood.” This kind of vow is too far off. Those in hell continue to increase [in number] because people do not understand the principles. They do not have a sense of morality. So, those in evil realms continue to increase. The more evil there is in the world, the more people there are in hell.

So, “Those in the heaven realm have diminished.” Because the path of goodness has diminished, those who are born again as humans, as they live in this world, perhaps do not understand they must do good deeds. So, they continue to slaughter each other, making this world a living hell. Look at how many refugees there are. They used to be wealthy, but in an instant, they became refugees. With nothing at all they traveled long distances in wind, frost, snow and cold. Isn’t this suffering? This world, although it is the human realm, can also be like hell. Perhaps hell is too full. There are now so many suffering in this world, not to mention those in hell.

So, “In the long night, those in the evil realms increase in number.” As more and more people commit evil deeds, they continue in this kind of evil direction, on this evil path. So, “Those in the heaven realm have diminished.” Naturally, the number of heavenly beings has diminished. “For a long time, we have been in the dark, like the nighttime, and thus create karma.” We do not know the truth and keep creating karma. “So our negative retributions increase,” growing greater and greater. “As the fruit of their karma and delusion, many have been born in the evil realms,” so the number of heavenly beings has diminished. “The long night of the Three Realms is like being in a dream or a drunken state.”

Among the Six Realms, only the human and heaven realms are considered good realms. Sentient beings create karma, so more people fall into the evil realms, hence it says they increase in number. Fewer people are born into the good realms, hence it says they have diminished.

“Among the Six Realms, only the human and heaven realms are considered good realms.” Other than those in the human and heaven realms, all sentient beings are in evil realms, such as the animal, hell and hungry ghost realms. These are all people who commit evil. So, more people fall into the evil realms. Thus, they are said to have “increased.” Fewer people are born into the good realms, so they have “diminished.” Thus, “Those in the heaven realms have diminished.”

Those in the heaven realms have diminished: This means the number of sentient beings in the good realms has decreased. The numbers in the evil realms have increased, so those in the good realms have decreased.

Therefore, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must be mindful and not “listen casually” or “live casually.” In fact, the path of goodness in the world gradually diminishes, and there are fewer virtuous people and more and more evil people. Is this kind of world easy to live in? So, we must be mindful and put our heart into taming the maras in our mind. We ourselves must tame the maras in our minds before we can transform sentient beings. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 996 – Calm and Uncontriving in Ultimate Extinction

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>> The wondrous wisdom of True Suchness is inherently pure, without substance or appearance. The net of ignorance cannot cover the mirror wisdom of True Suchness. It reflects all phenomena equally, noble and ordinary beings without difference. When this wisdom reflects the state of suchness, this is the wondrous state of True Suchness.

>> “The World-Honored One of great might and virtue, for the sake of delivering sentient beings, spent countless billions of years before finally attaining Buddhahood. You have fulfilled all Your vows. Excellent! Your auspiciousness is supreme. The World-Honored One is most extraordinary, sitting for ten small kalpas straight.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “Your body and limbs are still, peaceful and unmoving. Your mind is constantly content and calm and has never been scattered. You ultimately achieved everlasting tranquil extinction and steadily abide in the flawless Dharma. Today we see that the World-Honored One has peacefully attained Buddhahood.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> Your body and limbs are still, peaceful and unmoving: This praises the Samadhi of His body. His Five Roots do not connect to external Dusts, hence it says body and limbs are unmoving.

>> Your mind is constantly content and calm and has never been scattered: His mind is always content and uncontriving; it has never been confused or scattered. This praises the unmoving Samadhi of His mind.

>> Content: It means being at peace, without desire. He is content, calm, at peace and at ease.

>> Calm: Sometimes said to be peaceful, it means one is content. It also means quiet and tranquil. This is a tranquil and clear state.

>> His eighth consciousness is already free of inner contamination. Thus, His mind is constantly content and calm. This means it is still and serene, just like the refreshing autumn moon with its boundless cool light.

>> The Nine Consciousnesses: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness, manas consciousness, alaya consciousness, amala consciousness.

>> The ninth consciousness: Amala consciousness means undefiled consciousness or pure consciousness. It is True Suchness or the true mind.

>> You ultimately achieved everlasting tranquil extinction: He has ultimately eliminated forever the root of ignorance and delusion and realized great tranquil extinction. He reached the principles, dried up His passions and learned to give unconditionally. Thus it says “ultimately.” Once this Path is realized, it extends to the boundless future, hence it says “everlasting.” The seeds and manifested [retributions] of the two obstructions have completely ceased. This is called tranquil. The retributions of the two kinds of samsara have ended. This is called extinction.

>> He peacefully and steadily abides in the wondrous flawless Dharma and turns defiled, conditioned phenomena into the merits and virtues of His pure nature. Hence, “steadily abiding in the flawless Dharma.”

>> Today we see that the World-Honored One has peacefully attained Buddhahood: All of us on this day are able to see the World-Honored One peacefully and tranquilly achieve the attainment of Buddhahood.

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“The wondrous wisdom of True Suchness is inherently pure, without substance or appearance.
The net of ignorance cannot cover the mirror wisdom of True Suchness.
It reflects all phenomena equally, noble and ordinary beings without difference.
When this wisdom reflects the state of suchness, this is the wondrous state of True Suchness.”

This means, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we know the wondrous wisdom of True Suchness is inherently pure, without substance or appearance. I have often spoken with you all about this before. The wisdom of True Suchness lies within our minds. This True Suchness is intrinsic to everyone; it is the true principles. In the world, in the universe, every single thing has its principles and cycles which it follows. These are without substance or appearance. It is the same for the nature of True Suchness that is intrinsic to each of us.

Some say, “The Buddha taught that. True Suchness is intrinsic to everyone. What does True Suchness look like? Can you take it out and show it to me? Can you describe it?” How does one describe True Suchness? True Suchness is without substance or appearance. It is like when people say, “This is what I think. You say that this is what you think. Take it out and show me what you think.” What is this “thinking”? “I cannot take it out, but I will draw a picture of it for you.” Once you draw it you give it form; then it has become a conditioned phenomenon. The nature of True Suchness, the true principles, are unconditioned phenomena. They are like that thought you had, like your ideals. Ideals are intangible and without substance. They must be given form by you, then they are conditioned phenomena.

Conditioned phenomena are things that are created, but those creations originated from an ideal. Where are these ideals? Are they in your brain? How can the brain possibly hold so much? Can things be stored in our head? Is there anything there? Go and check. Some small thing of even a few millimeters would mean big trouble. If there is nothing in our brain it is clean. Besides the body’s natural nerves and tissues, nothing else is in there. It is just an organ. Yet it can actually think up so many things. Aren’t great skyscrapers designed by humans? There is a 169-story high-rise building in Dubai. Can a 169 story skyscraper fit in your brain? It is simply an idea, the ideal of an architect. He drew it, drew this man-made structure. There is nothing of it in the brain [physically]. So, these ideals are empty. This is true of principles as well.

Thus we say our nature of True Suchness is pure and undefiled. It does not go out to destroy things in order to create conditioned, tangible objects. Our wisdom of True Suchness would never create buildings which cause such destruction. True Suchness is something pure and undefiled [This applies to] all principles, the principles of all things in the world. Anything you see with form [follows principles]. Take my appearance as a human. My body follows the principles of life. All kinds of organs make up my person, and these principles of life follow natural laws. There are infinitesimal changes, so we go from infancy, through youth, to adulthood into middle and old age. These are the principles of life; we follow the natural laws to change with the [aggregate of action]. Among the Five Aggregates, [the aggregate of action] is infinitesimal change. The aggregate of action in the Five Aggregates refers to the states of the natural world; we follow it as we undergo birth, aging, illness and death.

These are the principles. All the things we can see and the natural world are all like this. If we can penetrate the true principles in them, then the way we treat others or do things will naturally be in harmony with nature. When we follow the laws of nature, our mind naturally becomes constantly tranquil our mind naturally will constantly remain tranquil. This is the wondrous wisdom of True Suchness; it allows us to comprehend all kinds of principles without destroying nature. It is pure. We have come to understand that the principles are without form or substance. We understand this completely. Everything having form and appearance, everything with substance or appearance, is a conditioned phenomenon. Wondrous wisdom is pure; it naturally has no substance or appearance. This is what we must understand; we must be completely clear about it. If we are able to reach this state, then naturally, “The net of ignorance cannot cover the mirror wisdom of True Suchness.” If our understanding is clear,

regardless of the ignorance surrounding us, or [spreading] on the Net, nothing can trouble our minds. Modern technology is very advanced, and there is so much on the internet. In accord with people’s discursive thoughts and ill will, so many false and unreal things are written, false and unreal things that trouble our minds. Our minds are such that even though this net had no opening, we managed to work our way into this net. If all of us could keep our minds calm and pure, it would naturally be impossible for external conditions to disturb our state of mind.

So, if we have wondrous wisdom of True Suchness, which is pure and without substance or appearance, if we thoroughly understand this principle, the net of ignorance naturally cannot cover us. It cannot cover the mirror wisdom of True Suchness. The mirror of True Suchness is fundamentally pure. No matter how many layers are covering it, all you have to do is brush these layers away and the mirror itself will still be the same, will still reflect things purely and clearly. Naturally, this mirror can “reflect all phenomena equally, noble and ordinary beings without difference.” This mirror can reflect everything the same way. Whatever the conditions, they are reflected clearly in this mirror. Whether an appearance is beautiful or ugly, it is reflected in this mirror regardless. Everything is equal, without difference [in it]. Whether you are a noble or an ordinary person, whether you are rich or impoverished, the mirror makes no differentiation. In the pure great perfect mirror of True Suchness, all appearances can manifest. This is the wisdom we all intrinsically have. Thus there is no difference.

“When this wisdom reflects the state of suchness, this is the wondrous state of True Suchness.” We spoke the day before about the state of suchness and the wisdom of suchness. This is actually our nature of True Suchness, which is pure and undefiled. Encompassed within the state of our nature of True Suchness is great perfect mirror wisdom. This is what Buddhist practitioners must learn; we must understand all external appearances and ultimately penetrate their principles. All conditioned phenomena, all these conditioned phenomena that humans are able to create comes from our minds, from our ideals. These thoughts are affected by external desires and led us astray; [desires] lead us astray. With one deviant or mistaken thought, our ideals will lead us to constantly reproduce and design things of every shape and size according to what material goods people desire. Whatever material things we see, all have been created by humans. They elicit people’s desires so they are constantly reproduced and draw in [more people].

This is why the world has now suffered such severe destruction, whether to the mountains, rivers or land, or even the vast and boundless oceans. The oceans have also already been contaminated. The ecology of the vast and boundless oceans has already been changed. Humankind caused this destruction. Humankind has contaminated the earth’s ecosystem. The earth’s great mountains are also being destroyed. So much of this is due to human desires. Thus, from the skies above to the earth below, to the rivers and seas, there is not a single place that human have not destroyed for their ideals, all for the sake of the conditioned phenomena created by humankind. This all stems from ignorance. This ignorance was once Bodhi. Ignorance was originally Bodhi, but due to a single deviant thought, it changed to ignorance; thus there is no karma we do not create.

This is the Dharma the Buddha wanted to teach us. Actually, once ignorance is transformed, it becomes Bodhi. Bodhi is enlightenment. This enlightenment, due to an ignorant thought, transformed into so many afflictions. This is how our world is. It is because of this kind of cycle that we undergo transmigration in the Six Realms and the ways of life of the four forms of birth.

When we look at all the animals, we see that each has its own karmic retribution. Look at all the suffering in the world. Every person has their own causes and conditions. When they come to the world, it is beyond their control, and they face all kinds of frustrations and suffering from their causes and conditions in the world. All of this is due to a single thought. The Buddha wanted us to thoroughly understand this. He taught the Dharma for 49 years, analyzing everything so that we could understand. However, His time on earth was too short. The Buddha’s lifespan was too short, so the time of the Buddha-Dharma in the world did not last long. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha abided in the world for 540 trillion nayutas of asankyas of kalpas. So, the Buddha-Dharma has no beginning and no end. The true Buddha-Dharma has, since the time of. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, been continually passed down.

Sakyamuni Buddha, in Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s time, had listened to the Lotus Sutra, then continuously engaged in spiritual practice, seeking the Dharma while transforming others. He always manifested an appearance in the world, but the truth is without substance or appearance. For dust-inked kalpas upon dust-inked kalpas, from even before beginningless dust-inked kalpas, He had engaged in spiritual practice and continually passed down the Dharma He had heard. He did this life after life, for an incalculably long time. Not even a mathematician and his disciples could calculate how long it was; it was so long. This means the principles have existed forever. In fragmentary samsara, lifetime after lifetime, depending upon the causes and conditions and the needs of sentient beings, His circumstantial retributions would be there, and He would manifest as a spiritual practitioner. He did all of this just to teach and to guide us so we would thoroughly understand the principles and not become tied up by them.

The principles are living principles. The principles taught by the Buddha are endless, without boundaries. So, all of the principles were always present in every sentence that He uttered. As Buddhist practitioners, our mind must be pure, for only when our mind is pure can great perfect mirror wisdom manifest itself. If this great perfect mirror manifests, no matter how vast the conditions, this small mirror, this perfect and complete mirror wisdom, can reflect even the most expansive states. All things, even the emptiness of the universe, are contained within true wondrous wisdom. So, let us be mindful of this!

The previous sutra passage says,

“The World-Honored One of great might and virtue, for the sake of delivering sentient beings, spent countless billions of years before finally attaining Buddhahood. You have fulfilled all Your vows. Excellent! Your auspiciousness is supreme. The World-Honored One is most extraordinary, sitting for ten small kalpas straight.”

“The World-Honored One of great might and virtue” is what we explained before. He had to spend a long time in spiritual practice. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, since Beginningless Time, for beginningless dust-inked kalpas, had long been accumulating [wisdom]. He engaged in spiritual practice in this way. The principles must always be spread by people. He expounded these principles one by one throughout the world, hoping all might accept them. “By grasping one truth, we understand all truths,” hoping everyone might comprehend. Although much time has passed, the principles are everlasting. Regardless of how much time passes, the principles will always be there. So, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha expressed the principles, the original and true principles that are without form or appearance. So, He spent a very long period of time “for the sake of delivering sentient beings.”

The principles have always existed in our minds, for countless billions of years, for a very long time. They have always been there. Only then did He “finally attain Buddhahood.” Let us be mindful in understanding the fact that the principles have always existed, that there has always been a Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior inside of us. For a countless number of kalpas, this has always been in our minds. However, we must go through a process of mindfully experiencing it to find our nature of True Suchness again on the path to enlightenment. We must look for it inside ourselves. So, “We each have a stupa on our Vulture Peak. We can practice at the foot of that stupa.” We must pass through this period of time, making the effort to be mindful, before we are able to attain Buddhahood. Finding our nature of True Suchness is what we call attaining Buddhahood. Realizing the principles is what we call enlightenment. “You have fulfilled all Your vows” means the teachings [Great Unhindered] realized were perfect and complete. That is very good! “Excellent!” It is truly great; words cannot really describe it. “Excellent! Your auspiciousness is supreme.”

“The World-Honored One is most extraordinary.” He attained Buddhahood, was an Enlightened One. This is extraordinarily rare in the world. Actually all people have this [nature]. “Sitting for ten small kalpas straight” means His mind had to be tranquil. Once He sat down it would be a very long time.

From the time I came in here until now, how many minutes has everyone been sitting? Has it been long? “It has been very long! Why is this taking so long? My legs hurt. How long have we been sitting here? Can we complain that less than an hour is long? He sat unwaveringly for ten small kalpas! This shows that the principles are everlasting and always present. Our mind must be tranquil. If we quiet the mind, whether sitting for ten small kalpas or for dust-inked kalpas, our mind can remain tranquil forever. How tranquil does it become? Come, the next passage says,

“Your body and limbs are still, peaceful and unmoving. Your mind is constantly content and calm and has never been scattered. You ultimately achieved everlasting tranquil extinction and steadily abide in the flawless Dharma. Today we see that the World-Honored One has peacefully attained Buddhahood.”

What a beautiful scene! “Excellent! Beautiful!” This is also an auspicious scene. When we quiet our bodies and minds, whether our body, hands or feet, when we sit down in meditation, our minds are still, our entire body settled. This expresses that our thoughts [are calm]. We rush about outside all day, and our minds become filled with discursive thoughts. Once we sit down, we need to gather and focus our mind. Our thoughts are all pulled back together, and as we breathe, we count the breaths. The eyes follow the nose; the nose follows the mind. As our breath comes in and goes out, etc., we begin to completely settle down. This is the meaning of “Your body and limbs are still, peaceful and unmoving.” No longer concerned with the world outside, we settle ourselves down in this way. This is praising Samadhi, the power of Samadhi, of focusing the mind.

Your body and limbs are still, peaceful and unmoving: This praises the Samadhi of His body. His Five Roots do not connect to external Dusts, hence it says body and limbs are unmoving.

“The Five Roots do not connect to external Dusts, hence it says body and limbs are unmoving.” Our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body, these Five Roots, as well as the mind, have all settled down. If you do not go outside, of course you will not connect with the outside world, so whatever sounds are outside, it does not matter. The Five Roots do not connect to external states, “hence it says body and limbs are unmoving.”

Your mind is constantly content and calm and has never been scattered: His mind is always content and uncontriving; it has never been confused or scattered. This praises the unmoving Samadhi of His mind.

“Your mind is constantly content and calm and has never been scattered.” “Content and calm” is saying that our minds become constantly calm and content, very peaceful and stable. If [our mind] can always remain pure, without substance or appearance, it will not be influenced at all by any external states. Uncontriving means it is already one with unconditioned phenomena. No external states nor ignorance can disturb it, because we are very clear on the principles. When our minds are one with those principles, no kind of tangible object will be able to disturb us. So, “His mind is always content, calm and uncontriving.” His mind has fully merged with the principles, and it never becomes scattered. This is praising the Samadhi of His mind; it is completely settled and unwavering.

Content: It means being at peace, without desire. He is content, calm, at peace and at ease.

“Content” means “being at peace, without desire. He is content, calm, at peace and at ease.” Our mind must be free of desires. The afflictions and ignorance of the mind all arise due to thoughts of desire. When one deluded thought arises, greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt all arise, thus we create so much [karma]. So, if we can be at “peace and without desire, content, calm, at peace and at ease,” our mind totally free, if we can be in this state of mind, that is such a beautiful thing. It is truth, goodness and beauty.

Calm: Sometimes said to be peaceful, it means one is content. It also means quiet and tranquil. This is a tranquil and clear state.

The Chinese character “calm” here can also be written as “peaceful.” It means one is content. It also means “quiet and tranquil.” When content, we are quiet and tranquil and nothing can trouble our mind. We are free of desires, uncontriving and without desire. We remain in truth, the essence of True Suchness, and are never contaminated, so we are said to be content, quiet and tranquil. In summary, we return to that tranquil and clear state.

If we can be content in our daily living, if we can live very simple lives, without desires and without defilements, that is our spiritual practice. In our spiritual practice, we must be tranquil and clear in our daily living, our minds always quiet and tranquil, not disturbed by any external states and so on. This is what we must master in our practice.

His eighth consciousness is already free of inner contamination. Thus, His mind is constantly content and calm. This means it is still and serene, just like the refreshing autumn moon with its boundless cool light.

“His eighth consciousness is already free of inner contamination. Thus, His mind is constantly content and calm.” The first Six Consciousnesses are [our Six Roots], which are what connect with external states. When this happens, the appearance enters our mind. Once it enters our mind, our mind naturally goes into action. This is called “inner contamination.” It is only when our mind connects with external conditions that afflictions begin to arise in us. We think, “I want this” or “I want that.” Our wants, those things we crave and desire, are truly too numerous. Or, because of our ignorance, afflictions and habitual tendencies, our mindsets become very narrow, so we cannot see the good in others. Others’ good qualities become afflictions for us. If so, this is a mistake; it is inner contamination.

We should take joy in others’ merits and virtues, take joy in others’ successes. When others enter this joyful state of spiritual practice, we should help them succeed. When they have a [dignified] demeanor, and can lead others, we should praise them. We should not, upon seeing others succeed, become jealous of them. If we do, our eighth consciousness already has inner contamination; we will have already been defiled. So, we must avoid inner contamination of the eighth consciousness; we must distance ourselves from defilement. “Thus, His mind is constantly content and calm.” We should praise and take joy in others’ success, not become jealous. This is what we must do. Spreading the Buddha-Dharma means helping others to attain the Buddha-Dharma and nurturing their wisdom-life. Helping others to succeed is the direction of our spiritual practice. This means we are at peace; “content” means we are at peace. We will not allow others’ actions to disturb our minds.

This is “just like the refreshing autumn moon.” It is like the autumn moon, the cool radiance of its light. When the sky is clear, it illuminates the land, yet its light does not feel hot. This shows that “His eighth consciousness is already free of inner contamination. Thus, His mind is constantly content and calm.”

What things cause inner contamination? When the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, the Six Roots, connect with external phenomena, these enter our [seventh] consciousness. Then contemplation and thinking occurs. To contemplate is to take external states into our minds and then mindfully consider them. People talk about “drawing up plans.”

What are you designing in your thoughts? “The mind is like an artist.” This artist is the sixth consciousness. It sees the outside world and begins to paint so many things. This is the sixth consciousness’s function. The previously-mentioned eye, ear, nose, tongue and body lead to the creation of much negative karma. Where does the karma go? The alaya consciousness. This is the eighth consciousness. When our mind is defiled by desire, we create many defiled things. The actions we take externally become seeds, which then are stored in the alaya consciousness. This is the eighth consciousness. The eighth consciousness, the alaya consciousness, is the consciousness of afflictions. So, “We take nothing with us when we die except our karma.” This is also the consciousness of afflictions. It is what prevents us from attaining liberation, lifetime after lifetime.

The Nine Consciousnesses: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness, manas consciousness, alaya consciousness, amala consciousness.

Now that we understand the Buddha-Dharma, we should immediately put it into practice. Not only must we prevent our eighth consciousness from becoming defiled, we must also purify it. We eliminate all afflictions to make it pure and thus return to the amala consciousness. This is the ninth consciousness, which is already pure. This is our nature of True Suchness. Thus we unite with our Buddha-nature, with unconditioned phenomena, with true principles. We are united with true principles. [Our nature] is without substance or appearance, so it never becomes defiled. This is the amala consciousness.

The ninth consciousness: Amala consciousness means undefiled consciousness or pure consciousness. It is True Suchness or the true mind.

The amala consciousness refers to [a consciousness] which is undefiled. This means it is without any defilement. So, a way of translating amala consciousness is to call it the “undefiled consciousness.” It is never defiled; it is a pure consciousness. This is our nature of True Suchness.

It is also called “pure consciousness,” which is True Suchness. This is the “true mind.” We must find where our true mind resides. Our true mind is not the brain. It is our nature of True Suchness, the mind that always remains undefiled. Everyone has a mind, a heart, a brain and lungs, and they are all connected. When one of these stops working, our life ends. However, the mind we are looking for is not this brain. What we are looking for is a truly pure mind, with no defilement or attachment. It is a pure consciousness, our pure mind. It is True Suchness, our true mind.

So, we are looking to “ultimately achieve everlasting tranquil extinction.” This is the mind that we truly seek. This mind is never scattered. We must not let our mind be scattered; we must remain very quiet and tranquil. We must continuously return to our nature of True Suchness and to walk the path we should walk. Only then will we truly have a way to find that “ultimate everlasting tranquil extinction,” that state of mind. This state of mind is inherently tranquil, always in a state of tranquil extinction. It is a quiet and tranquil mind, a very pure mind.

You ultimately achieved everlasting tranquil extinction: He has ultimately eliminated forever the root of ignorance and delusion and realized great tranquil extinction. He reached the principles, dried up His passions and learned to give unconditionally. Thus it says “ultimately.” Once this Path is realized, it extends to the boundless future, hence it says “everlasting.” The seeds and manifested [retributions] of the two obstructions have completely ceased. This is called tranquil. The retributions of the two kinds of samsara have ended. This is called extinction.

Thus, “He has ultimately eliminated forever ignorance and delusion.” Ignorance and delusion are very harmful to us. They can cause us to constantly doubt, to begin doubting the true principles. In our relationships with others, it will be very difficult for us to trust people. This kind of life will create chaos in the world. Indeed,

someone may say something, and it is taken the wrong way,

causing a conflict. Unable to distinguish good from bad, we stir up so much ignorance and trouble. This is delusion, the inability to distinguish right from wrong. A person like this is one without wisdom.

Everyone can be like this. To get something done, we must sometimes remind others three or four times. We are sincere in intent, and this is how it should be done, yet we must be careful with our words, so others do not distort them or misunderstand. We may be sincere in dealing with others, but with even a slight deviation, they may distort, misunderstand or completely misinterpret us. This can bring up all kinds of obstacles. This is what happens when minds are confused! To engage in spiritual practice, we must earnestly, mindfully seek out our wisdom, our nature of True Suchness. We must learn how, in interpersonal relationships, to mutually share this state of mind so we can all return to the same state of mind. This state of mind is pure.

Only with the foundation of having eliminated ignorance and delusion can we do this. We must realize great tranquil extinction. So, “He reached the principles, dried up His passions.” He had totally rid Himself of passion and desire and saw through all ignorance. It is like contaminated water after purification; the defilements are gone, and it is clean. Thus there is pure Dharma-water in His heart. So, we must learn, “learn to give unconditionally.” The way you give, the way we all give, is with a mindset free of hindrances; we do not worry about giving of ourselves. We do what we must do. We do not worry about how much we have done. In this way, we can achieve complete emptiness inwardly and outwardly, so empty that our ultimate wondrousness will manifest itself. In this way, we can return to amala consciousness.

So, “Once this path is realized, it extends to the boundless future.” This is why it is called everlasting. It had no beginning in the past, and there is no ending in the future. Thus, it is “everlasting” tranquil extinction. So, “You ultimately achieved everlasting tranquil extinction.” It is everlasting, with no beginning in the past

and no ending in the future. Our minds peacefully abide and remain unwavering, without Leaks, without impurities, and without defilements of evil or turbidity. So, we peacefully abide and remain unwavering. We must be mindful of this.

“The seeds and manifested [retributions] of the two obstructions have completely ceased.” The two obstructions are the obstructions of afflictions and of knowledge. This is all our afflictions and ignorance, as well as all of our knowledge. These obstructions must be eliminated. We should not think of how high our intellect is or how many doctorates we have. These also become obstructions for us, for they give rise to pride and arrogance in us. The obstruction of knowledge can lead us to reject true principles. So, there is the obstruction of afflictions and the obstruction of knowledge. Both of these must be totally eradicated, so that they have “completely ceased.” This is “tranquility,” everlasting tranquility.

“The retributions of the two kinds of samsara have ended.” The two kinds of samsara are fragmentary samsara and transformational samsara. When both have ended, this is extinction. So, “Steadily abide in the flawless Dharma” means we are always in the flawless Dharma. We very steadily abide in the flawless, wondrous Dharma,

which is True Suchness, our pure intrinsic nature.

He peacefully and steadily abides in the wondrous flawless Dharma and turns defiled, conditioned phenomena into the merits and virtues of His pure nature. Hence, “steadily abiding in the flawless Dharma.”

He “turns defiled, conditioned phenomena,” conditioned phenomena being that which is created, “into the merits and virtues of His pure nature.” He turned the conditioned into the unconditioned; He converged with  the wondrous principles of True Suchness. These are “merits and virtues of His pure nature.” These are unconditioned phenomena. This is “steadily abiding in the flawless Dharma.” Flawless means that the true principles will not leak away.

Today we see that the World-Honored One has peacefully attained Buddhahood: All of us on this day are able to see the World-Honored One peacefully and tranquilly achieve the attainment of Buddhahood.

“Today we see that the World-Honored One has peacefully attained Buddhahood.” Now, all of them had seen how peaceful and tranquil the World-Honored One was, how He had already attained Buddhahood. So, everyone was very joyful. They had waited for this moment to come for ten small kalpas already. After waiting such a long time, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha manifested the attainment of Buddhahood.

In fact, the process of attaining Buddhahood is just like this. The principles are fundamentally unobstructed. They are equal in everyone. It is just that our great perfect mirror wisdom has been covered by layer after layer of ignorance. As long as we work hard to lift these layers, we find that the great perfect mirror wisdom

is still there as always. It just depends on whether we practitioners are able to always be mindful.

Episode 993 – The Wisdom of Suchness

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>> With the wisdom of suchness, we resonate with the state of suchness. With external states we awaken our wisdom; with our wisdom we reflect external states. When external states and wisdom are united, that is the reward-body. That mind is deep, clear, still and tranquil, with vows as vast as the universe.

>> “Each of these sons had all kinds of precious and marvelous playthings. When they heard that their father had attained. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, they abandoned their precious playthings and went to where that Buddha was. Their mothers all wept and followed them to see them off.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “Their grandfather, a wheel-turning sage king, 100 great ministers and the other trillions of subjects all surrounded them and followed them to the place of practice. They all desired to draw near. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> Their grandfather, a wheel-turning sage king: This is Great Unhindered’s father. For the grandsons, he was called grandfather. Being a wheel-turning sage king is a stage Bodhisattvas reach through spiritual cultivation.

>> 100 ministers and the other trillions of subjects: He went with the ministers and officials who helped to govern and all the people in the kingdom.

>> All surrounded them and followed them to the place of practice: The princes’ grandfather, their mothers, the ministers and subjects of the kingdom all surrounded the princes and followed them all the way to. Great Unhindered Tathagata’s place of practice.

>> They all desired to draw near to Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata: The grandfather, a wheel-turning sage king, the mothers of the 16 sons and their kin all surrounded them and followed them to the place of enlightenment. All these people desired to draw near to the Buddha.

>> Their grandfather, the king, followed them there. He was a man of the Path; while the father had not attained enlightenment, his son had.

>> The ministers and subjects also went, because what those above did, those below followed.

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“With the wisdom of suchness, we resonate with the state of suchness.
With external states we awaken our wisdom; with our wisdom we reflect external states.
When external states and wisdom are united, that is the reward-body.
That mind is deep, clear, still and tranquil, with vows as vast as the universe.”

Such a state sounds so pure and undefiled. It is truly pure and undefiled. Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. We all have the wondrous wisdom of True Suchness. It is intrinsic in all of us. The Buddha told us this, so we must believe it to be true.

“With the wisdom of suchness, we resonate with the state of suchness.” This is saying that our wondrous wisdom of True Suchness is inherently pure. It is impossible for ignorance to seal or contaminate our nature of True Suchness. Afflictions also cannot defile the wondrous wisdom of True Suchness.

The wondrous wisdom of True Suchness, our pure intrinsic nature, can never be completely sealed by ignorance. It is just that these afflictions we speak of and the turmoil of the outside world have covered the wondrous wisdom of True Suchness. It is as if a mirror were covered by a cloth. The cloth is not mixed together with the mirror; the mirror itself is pure and clear. We have merely used many layers of cloth to pollute it. This is because we ordinary people continually generate many complicated afflictions in our daily living, without even being aware of it. If we know that we intrinsically have Buddha-nature, that wondrous wisdom of True Suchness is within us and that it is inherently pure, when we come to know this, we will begin heightening our awareness. We will constantly look within and reflect on ourselves. “With the wisdom of suchness,” we come to “resonate with the state of suchness” and return to our pure state.

The state of suchness [is found] in daily life, in dealing with the outside world, in facing all sorts of situations. What state of mind do we use to view the external environment? What kind of perspective do we use to understand people, matters and objects? Everything depends on this; are we being mindful? If we are not mindful, our minds will be transformed by the outside environment. If we are mindful, have awakened and understand the Buddha-Dharma, then in dealing with people, matters and objects, we are able to mindfully transform our afflictions. Thus we enter our nature of True Suchness. With True Suchness, once we transform afflictions, they become wisdom. We transform delusions into wisdom, transform afflictions into Bodhi, transform delusion into awakening. This is something we must seek to experience in our daily living.

“With external states we awaken our wisdom.” If we are mindful, then external states, those people, matters and objects around us, all become resources for awakening our wisdom. Wisdom-life must be nurtured through interacting with people, matters and objects. This is like a lotus flower in the mud. All the things mixed up in the mud provide the lotus with nutrients. It is because of the mud that the lotus blooms so fully and so beautifully; when the flower opens, the fruit is formed.

If you go now and have a look at our lotus pond, the lotus flowers already bloomed and withered, and their petals have fallen off. The lotus seed pod, the fruit, is very pretty. People have recently been cutting them and bringing them inside, and I will look at them. I sometimes hear about people and matters in the outside world and think, “How can there be so many afflictions?” I then quickly extend my hand to take a lotus seed pod and look at it. I see that when the flower opened, the fruit was formed. That lotus seed pod had grown from the mud. You can go now to have a look at the lotus pond. Although I have not been to the lotus pond for a long time, the lotus pods which they have cut down, this fruit, [is placed here]. When I hear of all the complicated situations surrounding people, matters and objects, I quickly go and take a look at these fruits. Indeed! They have grown up out of the mud without becoming defiled!

The seed pod of the lotus flower contains seeds inside. I often count to see how many seeds they have inside. Sometimes I count 16 of them. Sometimes I count 18 of them, and sometimes I even find over 22 of them. Even the lotus seed pods, the fruits of the lotus, come in different sizes. The larger seed pods have greater capacities and contain more seeds. The smaller ones have smaller capacities, so they contain fewer seeds.

From this real-life phenomenon, I can think of so many things. True Suchness has been present in us since birth. It is so pure and simple, yet it grows amidst defilement. Look at the severity of the world’s turbidities. Shouldn’t the lotus be grateful for the turbidities of the muddy pond? It is only the turbid mud that enables it to fully bloom. The mud is also lucky to have the lotus bringing beauty to it, for this is what makes people want to draw near, to go to the lotus pond to admire its flowers. Isn’t this the case?

The world the Buddha was born into was this world which must be endured, this place where the Five Destinies coexist, a world full of impurities. But the Buddha was born into such a place through His own aspirations and vows to deliver and transform sentient beings. He taught all kinds of Dharma to take our afflictions and ignorance and turn them around. This is turning the Dharma-wheel, turning afflictions into Bodhi, turning delusion into awakening. If we can listen to the Dharma, when we are facing this complicated life, naturally we will be constantly aware; our awareness will be heightened so we will be able to analyze the principles and thus guard against wrongs and stop evil. We practice the Three Flawless Studies, the precepts, Samadhi and wisdom we have learned. We are replete with many teachings, and we can use all these many teachings to cure the many different kinds of afflictions. There are 84,000 afflictions, and there are 84,000 teachings to cure them.

You probably heard last night that Bodhisattvas have returned from Malaysia. They will perform a musical adaptation for three days. Before performing it, they had to first participate in a study group to study the meaning of the sutra, and then they practice the lyrics. They not only have to memorize the lyrics, but also have to keep time with the rhythm. With rhythm and lyrics, they can begin to sing it. At the same time as they are singing, they also have to know the sign language and how to match it with their physical movements.

They have to rehearse it over and over, all in different places, in their own communities and their own teams, training earnestly, before finally gathering together. They have all already studied the books. They have also already memorized the lyrics. They also have the sign language almost down. This is when they come together to adjust how they can perform with each other, keeping the same timing and the same mind.

So, 10,000 people have a single mind. They begin training in their own districts, where everyone gradually learns it, so that when they come together in a large group, they naturally display the same timing and the same mind. So we often say, “Take the Buddha’s heart as our own heart.” To have the Buddha’s heart, we must first go through a great awakening, for only then can we realize the Buddha’s heart. How long does it take to attain such a great awakening? Does it take several years? The seeds of this probably came from five years ago in Taiwan, when we first performed the musical adaptation of the Water Repentance. They began to form aspirations then. I told them, “We can do it here in Taiwan, so you can also do it in Malaysia!” It was so dignified and praiseworthy; I told them, “You can do the same too! With the resolve and the vow, you naturally will have the strength.” It was the same scene repeated in six performances over three days, involving 60,000 people. Every performance lived up to its name of having 10,000 people united with a single mind.

That was not the end of it either. Many people were moved by them! They truly repented openly. During the performances, what everyone saw with their eyes and what they heard with their ears entered their hearts word by word, like drops of water. The Dharma is like water; it cleanses everyone’s hearts, moistens this patch of withered earth. Now the land has been moistened by the Dharma-rain. Didn’t we keep discussing this at length in the Chapter on Medicinal Plants? The earth needs water. To attain Dharma-water we must wait for the “gathering of dense clouds,” for the ripening of causes and conditions. Many causes and conditions must come together. When dense clouds gather, that indicates it is going to rain. When the rain falls, all the things on the earth are revived, the plants and trees and so on. When the land is moistened, the plants and trees thrive. This also requires time and causes and conditions to accumulate.

It is the same for the ground of our minds. We need to nourish the ground of our minds. The ground of ordinary people’s minds is dry, so when the seeds of the virtuous Dharma fall upon that earth, they are like seeds in a desert, with no way for them to possibly sprout. When a seed falls in the desert, with the passage of time, it will shrivel and dry up. It will have no chance to sprout. So, we must nourish the ground of our minds well, constantly using Dharma-water to moisten it. Then when seeds of Dharma fall upon it, they will be able to sprout and grow. These seeds of Bodhi grow into Bodhi-sprouts, Bodhi-trees, then Bodhi-forests. This is what we all must seek to experience.

Everyone has Buddha-nature; it is inherent in us, but when we encounter external states, an ignorant thought creates the Three Subtleties. Thus we have greed, anger and ignorance. With greed, anger and ignorance, external states are the conditions that lead us to give rise to the Six Coarse Marks, to the afflictions of the Six Coarse Marks. A thought of greed arises or a thought of anger, and when anger arises, we begin to display a furious attitude. This is an ignorant and unawakened state; this is the kind of life we live. Once we are ignorant and deluded, how can we manifest the principles of being a good person? We cling to our delusions and do not awaken! We are greedy for fame, wealth and status. If we become famous, we think we are the best; our arrogance begins to appear.

This is greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt; we may harbor doubt regarding the true principles, or lack sincere faith in the Dharma. Then, in our daily living, how can we remain constantly awakened? It is not possible, because we are already deluded. We do not take in the true principles, and external states are incessantly enticing us, constantly tempting us off course. Think about it; our nature of True Suchness, our “wisdom of suchness,” our inherent wondrous wisdom of True Suchness, has always been pure. It is just that external states have covered us, so we remain deluded, unable to activate our awakened nature . We have no resolve to activate it.

If we are to learn the Buddha’s Way, we need faith. “Faith is the source of the Path.” We must believe in the Buddha’s teachings. The Buddha said that dust-inked kalpas ago, beginningless dust-inked kalpas before now, lived Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. Are you willing to believe this? I believe it deeply, because I believe what the Buddha taught. I believe we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, that everyone, since Beginningless Time, has had a nature of True Suchness that has followed all of us as we come and go. For a long time, for dust-inked kalpas, our Buddha-nature has existed in us; our nature of True Suchness never decreases.

Recently, we have kept talking about this. So, we must “resonate with the state of suchness.” The wisdom of suchness must resonate with the state of suchness. Whatever external state there may be, we must immediately arouse our awakened nature to guard against wrongs and stop evil. The Three Flawless Studies are the precepts, Samadhi and wisdom we learn. To guard against wrongs and stop evil, we need precepts. We also must have Samadhi, so that whatever external states we encounter, none can tempt us or cause us to waver in our faith. Wisdom is then applied here in discerning right from wrong. This is resonating with the state of suchness. External states exist outside us, and True Suchness exists in our hearts. What must we do in our daily living so that from deep within us we can awaken to the people, matters and objects in life? How do we resonate with them, unite with them? This requires that we are constantly vigilant of ourselves.

So, “With external states we awaken our wisdom.” We should also be grateful for having these states that become provisions for our wisdom-life. There are so many external states that enable us to experience the truth of suffering, causation and cessation in the world, so that we know to practice the Path. These states are things like the way [Malaysian volunteers] practiced great repentance. How did they get up on stage, sincerely reveal their past mistakes and [vow to] earnestly correct them in the future? This is a mind of repentance.

Or the way during Nepal’s [2015 disaster relief], a group of young people there had to shoulder responsibilities daily. They had to be on their guard in that environment, thinking about how to fulfill their mission. They had to be very careful. So, they had to constantly arouse their nature of True Suchness, constantly arouse their awakened nature. Thus, “With external states we awaken our wisdom.” In states like those, they can awaken this. As they see the impermanence of life, the goodness of humankind, the suffering of the world and so on, they must also think about how they can bring the Dharma back to the Tathagata’s birthplace. This is also the meaning of. “With external states we awaken our wisdom; with our wisdom we reflect external states.” We must apply our wisdom in those states so everything is clear and distinct, then reflect on our own nature of True Suchness. With our mirror, we can see external states; it reflects external states. This mirror reflects external appearances, but once these states, appearances or images are gone, the mirror is pure. So in this way, “With our wisdom we reflect external states.” A mirror reflects external states very clearly.

So, during our video conferences, they can describe who they talked to yesterday. They expressed how, because Taiwan has sent so much love there, when [people there] saw in Taiwan the recent powder explosion at the Formosa Fun Coast Resort that injured many young people, and the love of so many in Taiwan was awakened with everyone praying reverently for them, in Nepal, a group of young people was also inspired. They prayed reverently for the [youth in Taiwan], writing cards of blessings and sending them to Taiwan in order to encourage everyone. A group of spiritual practitioners in their practice center there began officially initiating a Dharma-assembly to pray for blessings for Taiwan and for those young people.

It is mutual; individual states affect each other. The mirror and states reflect each other. We reflected the state of suffering in Nepal, reflected this phenomenon, their suffering, and thus arousing our nature of True Suchness and sending our love there. With Taiwan’s Formosa Fun Coast Resort explosion, where so many young people were seriously injured, everyone in Taiwan set their love in motion, and in Nepal they did the same. Reflecting this state [in Taiwan] also set in motion the pure love of their nature of True Suchness, that universal compassion and unconditional loving-kindness. Although this state was far away from them, their love was awakened.

See, “With external states we awaken our wisdom; with our wisdom we reflect external states. When external states and wisdom are united, that is the reward-body.” The Buddha came to the world, to this environment, for one great cause, to open and reveal [teachings for] sentient beings. This was the Buddha’s objective in coming to the world in His reward-body. Did sentient beings realize and enter? For us to realize and enter, we must use all kinds of methods, skillful means, to interact with people, to help everyone see, “Oh! This is suffering! I have awakened and believe. I should always heighten my awareness of people, matters and objects and analyze them very clearly.” This is what the Buddha taught us. Are we able to awaken to this? Are we able to take this Dharma so it enters our hearts? In our daily living, our “minds are deep, clear, still and tranquil, with vows as vast as the universe.”

We should not allow our many afflictions to become defilements in our hearts. They should remain extremely pure, “deep, clear, still and tranquil.” Our minds remain undefiled by the environment. They are not disturbed by it. With our vows made, our minds unlocked, our minds can embrace the universe, and the Dharma can pervade the endless void. Our understanding will be complete. This is how “[with] the wisdom of suchness, we resonate with the state of suchness.” When our wisdom, our mind’s wisdom, resonates and comes together with external states without it being disturbed by them, we can then manifest the wisdom inside of us to help others. Whether tangibly or intangibly, we give for the sake of sentient beings. This was the Buddha’s goal in coming to the world and His goal in educating us. This is something we should always be mindful of!

The previous sutra passage says, “Each of these sons had all kinds of precious and marvelous playthings. When they heard that their father had attained. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, they abandoned their precious playthings and went to where that Buddha was. Their mothers all wept and followed them to see them off.”

“These sons” refers to the time of. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, when, like [Sakyamuni], He too left His palace, having resolved to engage in spiritual practice. He left behind His father, the king, as well as “these sons,” His 16 sons. These 16 were not born of the same mother. This is why it says, “their mothers.” By speaking of “mothers” in the plural, it shows that the prince had wives and concubines. He had wives and concubines, so He had many sons.

These many sons originally lived a wealthy life in the palace. We talked about this yesterday. Yet, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, after attaining Buddhahood, returned to the palace to teach the Dharma. After everyone there had heard the Dharma, their enlightened natures were awakened, especially His 16 sons. They realized that however valuable an object might be, it was still subject to “decay,” that it was impermanent and subject to “formation, existence, decay and disappearance.” Once they were clear on the principle that the tangible world of physical existence was impermanent, they wished to seek the unconditioned Dharma, the true principles that do not arise or cease. So, they too abandoned their many pleasurable things and resolved to follow their father, who by then had become a Buddha. They wished to follow Him in spiritual practice and become monastics.

Their mothers were reluctant, yet they wished to help them achieve their wishes. They wanted their sons to succeed in their aims, but they were still reluctant. These are the affections of ordinary people. This is how people are. They knew that these were the true principles, that these principles were correct, so they encouraged their sons to do this. Yet, it was difficult for them to let go, so they cried. However, they reverently sent them off to their place of spiritual practice.

The next sutra passage then says, “Their grandfather, a wheel-turning sage king, 100 great ministers and the other trillions of subjects all surrounded them and followed them to the place of practice. They all desired to draw near. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata.”

Not only did the mothers send off their sons, their grandfather, a wheel-turning sage king, also accompanied his grandchildren to their place of spiritual practice. Because [they all knew] this was the True Dharma, the true principles of the world, even their grandfather supported his grandchildren in their desire to become monastics.

Their grandfather, a wheel-turning sage king: This is Great Unhindered’s father. For the grandsons, he was called grandfather. Being a wheel-turning sage king is a stage Bodhisattvas reach through spiritual cultivation. 

“Their grandfather, a wheel-turning sage king,” refers to the wheel-turning sage king, the father of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. Because the [16 princes] were his grandchildren, it calls him “their grandfather.” He was their grandpa.

So, a “wheel-turning sage king is a stage Bodhisattvas reach through spiritual cultivation.” A wheel-turning sage king is a benevolent king, a benelovent and loving king. If there is a benevolent king in the world who governs with the principles, using the principles to lead his subjects, the people will all follow morality, as well as family ethics, making for very satisfactory lives. This is a wheel-turning sage king. He rules the country benevolently, using the Dharma to teach and transform all, sharing it with his people. So, since his son had become a Buddha and the true principles had manifested in the world, he of course was very supportive of his grandchildren going to engage in spiritual practice and become monastics. So, when his grandchildren wished to become monks, “their grandfather, a wheel-turning sage king,” also sent them off, even bringing “100 great ministers and the other trillions of subjects”

100 ministers and the other trillions of subjects: He went with the ministers and officials who helped to govern and all the people in the kingdom.

Besides bringing his ministers, he even appealed to his subjects to go. “Let us all earnestly draw near to the place of practice and listen to the Buddha teach the Dharma.” This was the king’s royal edict. He hoped all of his ministers and subjects might draw near to the place of practice so that everyone could listen to the Dharma. He was a wheel-turning sage king. A wheel-turning sage king has the heart of a Bodhisattva.

Those “who helped to govern” were ministers. They assisted the king in promoting benevolent government among the people. There were many who assisted the king in spreading the principles of life among the people to use in their daily living. These were called ministers. The kingdom’s citizens were “all the people.” These were the many commoners who “all surrounded them and followed them all the way to the place of practice”

All surrounded them and followed them to the place of practice: The princes’ grandfather, their mothers, the ministers and subjects of the kingdom all surrounded the princes and followed them all the way to. Great Unhindered Tathagata’s place of practice.

“The princes’ grandfather” means the princes, their grandfather and their warm and caring mothers, the mothers of the 16 princes, [all went]. “The ministers and subjects of the kingdom,” so many people, “all surrounded the princes.” Everyone was filled with joy during the process of seeing them off. Everyone had come to offer them blessings. Think about it; becoming a monastic is such a momentous occasion! For a single kingdom to have 16 princes vowing to become monastics, the grandfather must have been so delighted as the ministers and his subjects all surrounded the princes. What a grand formation it must have been. So, they all set out, grandly marching forward in procession. All the people wanted to go to Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata’s place of practice.

Episode 992 – Abandoning Precious Playthings and Going to Where the Buddha Is

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>> The body of joyful use is a response to the causes that He Himself cultivated. Put to use according to intrinsic nature, it brings all kind of Dharma-joy, freely and without hindrances. It means body and mind are free and at ease. Thus it is the body of joyful use, also called the perfect reward-body.

>> The body of benefiting others: This is what others see in response to their capabilities. All Buddhas and Tathagatas, in order to help the assembly of Bodhisattvas receive great Dharma-joy and advance in superior spiritual practice, manifest in suitable ways so that others benefit.

>> “Before this Buddha became a monastic, he fathered 16 sons. The first among these was named Wisdom Accumulated.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “Each of these sons had all kinds of precious and marvelous playthings. When they heard that their father had attained. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, they abandoned their precious playthings and went to where that Buddha was. Their mothers all wept and followed them to see them off.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> Each of these sons had all kinds of precious and marvelous playthings: Each of these princes normally had precious playthings for their joyful use.

>> All kinds of precious playthings: With exquisite headpieces, they enjoyed themselves with no restraint. Common people could never attain this. They enjoyed the ultimate pleasures of sight and hearing and fully satiated their enjoyment of their taste and their body. The palace was very beautiful and the concubines very charming. Everywhere they went, there were precious playthings.

>> They abandoned their precious playthings and went to where that Buddha was: They all gave up the playthings that they used to enjoy and went to the place where their father, the king, had attained Buddhahood.

>> Hearing their father had attained enlightenment, they each abandoned their precious playthings and went to the place where their father had attained enlightenment and taught the Dharma. They had all understood, and this showed that they took prosperity lightly and valued the Path.

>> They saw all the things the wealthy desire and all the affections in the world as fleeting clouds. Thus, they abandoned worldly affections and left, never to return. By skillfully continuing His aspiration and skillfully relating His teachings well, they exhibited filial piety.

>> Their mothers all wept and followed them to see them off: The mothers who gave birth to the princes saw their sons abandon the lay life to follow their father as monastics. Therefore they cried, and each followed her son to send them off.

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“The body of joyful use is a response to the causes that He Himself cultivated. Put to use according to intrinsic nature, it brings all kind of Dharma-joy,
freely and without hindrances. It means body and mind are free and at ease. Thus it is the body of joyful use, also called the perfect reward-body.”

We engage in spiritual practice in order to attain a sense of peace and freedom. Attaining this peace and freedom through our spiritual practice requires our best efforts. Listening daily to the Dharma, we understand that the Buddha came to this world due to His causes and conditions for the Saha. World, the world that must be endured. Calling it a world that must be endured means that world the Buddha was born into required a lot of patience in order to endure it. What is patience? It is patience in the face of suffering.

So, in this world where beings of the Five Destinies coexist, suffering arises out of its great complexity. Some people are good, form great aspirations and are willing to create great blessings for others; these are the rich among the rich. They are like heavenly beings. Some faithfully fulfill their duties. They do no wrong. There are those who are good like this. Yet, there are also those with disordered minds, in whom good and evil are mixed. They are sometimes good and sometimes evil. They will at times do good, if causes and conditions allow, but often do evil depending on their surroundings, often by becoming greedy, angry or ignorant. Although people like this can perform good deeds, their doing so depends upon causes and conditions. If their normal environment is even slightly unsatisfactory, they can become angry. In not getting what they want, they become angry and may use all kinds of methods to get what they desire, what they crave. If they cannot get it, they may go to any length to get it, even if it means harming others. This is of no benefit to themselves either. These are asuras.

If the good in asuras is more or less lacking, and their evil is a bit heavier, then they will fall into hell. Sentient beings in the habit of wavering like this can easily commit the Ten Evils and fall into hell. Life in hell does end, but ending it is difficult. Once one descends into hell, it is not easy to become liberated from it. When causes and conditions are such that life in hell does come to an end, one then transmigrates to the animal realm as an ox or a horse, for there is still much to be repaid. This is in the Earth Treasury Sutra. When I taught the Earth Treasury Sutra previously, I cited many examples of causes and conditions where, due to a slight carelessness, people descended into hell for thousands and thousands of kalpas, and it became very difficult for them to extricate themselves from that hell. When they were finally liberated from hell, their karma still had not been exhausted, where, due to a slight carelessness, people descended into hell. Truly, it was beyond their control. They were not free.

What we hope for in our spiritual practice is to gain an understanding of the principles, of how we can be very clear about the paths upon which we come and go. Similarly, we wish to have the same mind as the Buddha as well as the same vow as the Buddha. We should make a vow to return to the world. If we wish to vow to return to the world, we most definitely must listen to the Buddha’s teachings. It is through the Dharma-stream of the sutras, the teachings of the Buddha that were passed down from more than 2000 years ago until now, that we can respect the Buddha as if He were still here. Then, wherever we open the sutras will become our spiritual training ground.

So, we reverently engage in daily morning recitation. The essence of the Lotus Sutra is contained in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. Everyday at our Vulture Peak Assembly, we should be very mindful. In essence it explains the origin of the teaching, the most important part of it is benefiting others. When we benefit others, our mind naturally feels at ease. We do this in our daily lives through the body of joyful use. Having listened to the Buddha-Dharma, we practice according to the teachings. If we do not deviate from the teachings, then naturally our “body of joyful use” will respond to causes we ourselves have cultivated, and today again we can practice according to the teachings.

When it comes to the teachings, how are the teachings ultimately expressed in our daily lives? If we feel joy when we see others and they are similarly joyful when they see us, then this is when we can say to ourselves, “This is the Dharma!” When we form good affinities with others, it is because of these good affinities that they smile when they see us and we feel joy when we see them. These are good affinities.

If we see someone carrying something, we pick up our pace without delay to hurry to help him with it, to help him lighten his burden. After having helped him carry it, he thanks us and we feel Dharma-joy because we have applied the teachings. If what they are carrying is very heavy, and we move quickly to take it for them to help them lighten their heavy weight, they will naturally thank us for it. This is to accord to the Dharma, and we experience acting in accordance to the Dharma. We have done it. Actually, it is really that simple. “The body of joyful use.” Why has this body been given us? To help others according to the Dharma. This is what is known as cultivating a cause. In our daily lives, it is nothing special, we just practice like this. To help others according to the Dharma. This is what is known as cultivating a cause. The response is mutual.

“According to intrinsic nature.” This is our pure Buddha-nature. Where does pure Buddha-nature lie? It lies in goodness. Any act of goodness we do accords with our pure Buddha-nature. Our nature of True Suchness is intrinsically good. When we are willing to help others, when we are willing to interact with others, when our intrinsic natures mutually accord and we never go backwards, then our interactions will always be ones of joyful acceptance. You accord with your nature of goodness, and I accord with my Buddha-nature, then this way we both “put to use according to our intrinsic natures.”

Of the many things we do in our daily lives, which among them does not bring us joy? We are joyful! This is called Dharma-joy. Everything we do every day accords with the Dharma. We are very joyful. Think about it, how can anything be difficult for us when we practice like this? It is this simple in our daily lives. When we joyfully use our bodies like this, our experiences with one another accord with our own intrinsic natures, and [we experience] joy and delight. This is our spiritual training ground, and this is how we practice in this spiritual training ground.

“Freely and without hindrances.” We naturally feel free, for nothing really obstructs us. “It means body and mind are free and at ease.” As long as we have not wronged others, as long as our intentions are good and everyone works together wholeheartedly, in concert and in harmony, naturally we will be physically and mentally free, for no afflictions will constrain or hinder us. There will be none. If we have a guilty conscience, it means our mind is not perfect and complete. Our goodness is not perfect and complete. We are still deficient, still not perfect. These are our obstacles. Defects and deficiencies like these are obstacles. If we always have a guilty conscience, then our minds will always be hindered.

If we can handle our interpersonal relationships so we never have mutual wronged one another, naturally we will physically and mentally be free. It is often said that if our conscience is clear, then regardless of how others treat us, after self-reflection we can decide that our conscience is still clear. If we have not done enough, if we are deficient, then we will again fortify ourselves, further strengthen our spiritual aspirations, further steady our steps. Although we are still not perfect and complete, we do have our “body of joyful use.” We continue accordingly by the rules of the teachings with no guilty conscience, for we have done nothing to feel guilty about. We have just not yet become perfect and complete, and so continue at once to work hard. This is “body and mind free and at ease.”

“Thus it is the body of joyful use, also called the perfect reward-body.” All of us are still unenlightened beings, so I often say I still need to strengthen myself, I still need to bolster myself, pull myself together to do the things I should do. It is just that now I feel that time is running out! I am almost out of time. This is the law of nature. Will the time ever come when the things I do are perfect and complete? This is the deficiency I constantly feel now. I definitely must be a little more earnest. With deficiencies like these, I must become even more serious and do my best to reach that level of perfection and completeness.

However, that is truly not easy at all! It does not matter, as the Buddha told us it would take dust-inked kalpas. As long as our minds do not again become deluded, we have many lifetimes worth of time. The Buddha continually practiced for periods of dust-inked kalpas, over the course of many lifetimes, choosing circumstantial and direct retributions in the Saha World, for this was His vow! Such is the power of His vows have severe afflictions, and sentient beings in the Saha World are intermingled with good and evil, He vowed to come to the world.

The human world is not an ideal world, but look at Earth Treasury Bodhisattva. Earth Treasury Bodhisattva also listened mindfully to the Dharma, resonated with the Buddha-mind and made vows of Buddhahood, but the vow he chose was, “Until hell is empty, I will not attain Buddhahood.” The Buddha, however, chose the place where beings of the Five Destinies coexist so as to educate the people beforehand, for if they were taught well, then they would not fall into hell. In the event that they fall into hell, their suffering there would be unbearable, so the disciples were willing to save those sentient beings. This was an aspiration of both master and disciple. Though the place He chose was one of suffering,

So, we all have this “body of joyful use,” also called the reward-body. With regard to the reward-body, why did you choose to be born in this place? Was your coming here beyond your control? Or was it because you had affinities with Sakyamuni Buddha that you were born in this era of Dharma-degeneration in order to accept the Dharma and put it to use, to listen to the Dharma and to spread the Dharma? Were these the affinities that brought you here? Perhaps each of us has our own causes and conditions that have brought us here.

The Buddha was among those 16 novices at the Lotus Dharma-assembly of. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, and we had the affinities to be part of that assembly as well. For dust-inked kalpas, very long periods of time, we have continually passed through existences where good and evil coexist, sometimes doing good, sometimes evil, with good causes and negative conditions all mixed together, and this is how we have continued until today. So, now that we have had the causes and conditions to attain birth in human form, now that we have the Dharma and are able to listen to the Dharma, what else are we waiting for? We must seize the moment * we can easily help other people, then why don’t we go and help others at once?

When we see each other, we all form good affinities with one another. There are so many of us here in this place of spiritual practice constantly forming good affinities, all “putting to use” our “intrinsic natures accordingly” in order to attain Dharma-joy. This truly is our spiritual training ground, and in this spiritual training ground, we are free and unhindered. Because we wish to engage in spiritual practice, whenever someone does good, we must praise them. When they do good, when they transform others, we must continually praise them. We will always at ease every day, free in body and mind, in our bodies of joyful use. We should earnestly utilize our bodies, we should use, to the utmost, these reward-bodies to do the things we should do, use these reward-bodies to earnestly practice the teachings we should and carry them out well, hoping we may be able to journey upon the Dharma in our subsequent lifetimes.

This is what I have been recently and continually emphasizing to you all, how spiritual practice is really not difficult. As we have just said, by bringing joy to others, we ourselves also feel joy. By helping others, by moving just a little faster in hurrying to help others, when people feel gratitude toward us, we ourselves become filled with the Dharma-joy. In daily life it is just that simple. It is really not that difficult.

The body of benefiting others: This is what others see in response to their capabilities. All Buddhas and Tathagatas, in order to help the assembly of Bodhisattvas receive great Dharma-joy and advance in superior spiritual practice, manifest in suitable ways so that others benefit.

“The body of benefiting others,” as we mentioned yesterday, serves to “respond to others’ capabilities.” Through the impartial wisdom of the Tathagata, we turn the wheel of Right Dharma. This serves to “enable others to be benefited.” Having understood this, we go on to teach others so they can similarly accept the Right Dharma. We “turn the wheel of Right Dharma” to allow others and everyone to hear it, so that everyone else can also put it to use, form great aspirations and make great vows. This is why we turn the Dharma-wheel the way we do in daily life, to enable everyone to experience great joy. This is our spiritual training ground.

The previous sutra passage says, “Before this Buddha became a monastic, he fathered 16 sons. The first among these was named Wisdom Accumulated.”

We spoke of this yesterday. The eldest of the 16 sons was named Accumulated Wisdom because he had inherited Buddha-wisdom, having accumulated it continually over a long period of time. This is what [the name] means.

It continues, “Each of these sons had all kinds of precious and marvelous playthings. When they heard that their father had attained. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, they abandoned their precious playthings and went to where that Buddha was. Their mothers all wept and followed them to see them off.”
Parting with family is heartbreaking, and when a son wishes to enter the monastic life, the mother parts with her son reluctantly. These 16 sons all had the same father but had different mothers. It is because the king had many concubines that he had so many sons, each born to different mothers. Each of the sons wanted to follow their father to engage in spiritual practice, and there were many different mothers, thus it says “their mothers.” They were reluctant to part and so they wept when they accompanied their sons, seeing them off to engage in spiritual practice as they went to realize their aspirations.

Each of these sons had all kinds of precious and marvelous playthings: Each of these princes normally had precious playthings for their joyful use.

“Each of these sons had all kinds of precious and marvelous playthings:” Princes normally live in palaces. In the mundane world, with princes in a palace, they have everything they could ever want; they have many precious treasures. There had many precious treasures there “for their joyful use.” Everything they used was a treasure. They had golden bowls and silver chopsticks, and they wore gold, silver, precious treasures, clothing made of jade and so on. Of all the things they used, none were not worldly treasures. They lived in palaces, which meant they were rich. Of all the things they used, all that was given to them were precious treasures.

All kinds of precious playthings: With exquisite headpieces, they enjoyed themselves with no restraint. Common people could never attain this. They enjoyed the ultimate pleasures of sight and hearing and fully satiated their enjoyment of their taste and their body. The palace was very beautiful and the concubines very charming. Everywhere they went, there were precious playthings.

“Exquisite headpieces of dragons and phoenix.” These were carved dragons and painted phoenixes, all very exquisite, things of very fine workmanship. This applied even to the helmets they wore upon their heads that were called headpieces. Whether things adorning their bodies, carved with dragons and painted with phoenixes, or things they wore upon their heads, all were similarly ornately carved with gold, silver and gems. All were of exquisite workmanship. From head to toe, everything they wore was all very precious. All were of exquisite workmanship, all ornately carved. Their hats and shoes were like this, not to mention the clothes they wore were all very precious. So, they “enjoyed themselves with no restraint.” They lived extravagant lives and enjoyed themselves to their hearts’ content. They got whatever they wanted.

Life like this, life like this inside the palace was something that ordinary people would never be able to enjoy. So, “they enjoyed the ultimate pleasures of the eye and ear.” Whatever the eye saw were things created with care and precision, things to play with and enjoy. Everything the eye saw there was all very exquisite, not only of excellent quality, but very valuable. All workmanship there was very exquisite, so “they enjoyed the ultimate pleasures of sight and hearing.” Of all the eye saw there, even the musical instruments and the music produced were all delightful and “fully satiated their enjoyment of their taste and their body.” Everything seen and heard there was all quite subtle and wondrous. Everything enjoyed there were precious things, and everything they ate there satisfied their desires of the palate. The things they ate were also very good; their drinks, whatever they were, were all of high quality and satisfied all their desires.

“The palace was very beautiful and the concubines very charming. Everywhere they went, there were precious playthings.” For every concubine, meaning all the women there, whether they were the imperial consort, the concubines or the palace maids, everything they wore was like this; everything they used was precious. So, everything you saw, everywhere you looked, “Everywhere they went, there were precious playthings.” Everything you passed, and everything you saw, whether people, objects or whatever, all were most entertaining and exquisite precious playthings, enjoyments not found elsewhere in the world. There were so many things to enjoy there. Indeed, these pleasures, impossible to enjoy elsewhere in the world, were all enjoyed there.

The 16 princes enjoyed pleasures in such an environment, but then they heard that their father had achieved Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. He engaged in spiritual practice for a long time, for who knows how long, not to mention that He sat under the Bodhi-tree for a full 10 small kalpas. Beginning with one small kalpa, He continued sitting through 10 small kalpas. Such a very long time had passed before He finally attained enlightenment. Compassion arose in Him, and, exercising wisdom in accord with that compassion, great perfect mirror wisdom manifested, and He attained Buddhahood, achieving Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, supreme universal and perfect enlightenment, unsurpassed [enlightenment].

He had attained Buddhahood. The news began to spread that this Buddha had begun expounding the Dharma. His place of enlightenment was just like Sakyamuni Buddha’s. Both taught the Dharma according to capabilities. Many people came to take refuge, and when this news began to spread, even the palace found out about it. So, those 16 princes were originally enjoying their surroundings when they heard that their father, who renounced the lay life, had already attained perfect enlightenment. They heard He was spreading the Dharma, for the news had reached the palace as well. When Sakyamuni Buddha spread the Dharma, didn’t the news return to the palace as well? So, after hearing the Dharma, they realized that only the Buddha-Dharma is everlasting; pleasures are short-lived, last a single lifetime, and when blessings are exhausted, who knows what future rebirth will bring. So, the 16 princes took joy in the Buddha-Dharma and formed aspirations to renounce the lay life. This was their aspiration, to pass on the Buddha’s will. They had inherited the Buddha’s aspiration, so they all renounced the lay life.

They abandoned their precious playthings and went to where that Buddha was: They all gave up the playthings that they used to enjoy and went to the place where their father, the king, had attained Buddhahood.

“They abandoned their precious playthings and went to where that Buddha was.” They all gave up their most precious things, they became willing to abandon their most precious playthings and go to the place where their father, the king, had attained Buddhahood.

Everyday they lived in an environment where there were so many pleasures, yet when they truly encountered the Buddha-Dharma and contemplated it carefully, [they realized] all these things were impermanent and subject to “formation, existence, decay and disappearance.” Through the principles, they realized that these objects had come into existence, that these precious playthings had been purposely created by man. Now, during their current stage of existence, they could enjoy them, but that sooner or later they would eventually come to an end. This is to say nothing of human life. Contemplating these things carefully, the 16 princes often discussed the Dharma amongst themselves. In the end they all came to the same conclusion and left together to engage in spiritual practice. So, because of this, they abandoned and gave up everything. They gave up their wealth and status, gave up their riches and nobility. They abandoned all these and “went to the place where their father, the king, had attained Buddhahood.” They went to the place where. He attained enlightenment and expounded Dharma.

“Hearing their father had attained enlightenment, they each abandoned their precious playthings and went to the place where their father had attained enlightenment and taught the Dharma.”

They had all understood, and this showed that they “took prosperity lightly and valued the Path.” Glory and splendor are like the fleeting clouds, so why place great importance on them? After they listened to the Dharma, they thoroughly understood that wealth and high status were like fleeting clouds, so they took “prosperity lightly.” They no longer placed importance on wealth and splendor; these were no longer important to them. They no longer placed importance on fame, profit or status. What was most important to them then was the Path. So, they “took prosperity lightly and valued the Path. They saw all the things the wealthy desire and all the affections in the world as fleeting clouds”

They saw all the things the wealthy desire and all the affections in the world as fleeting clouds. Thus, they abandoned worldly affections and left, never to return. By skillfully continuing His aspiration and skillfully relating His teachings well, they exhibited filial piety.

The things the wealthy desire, the passions of intimate relationships, all pass by the eyes like mist, gone in a moment, all are illusory. Having understood this, they became willing to give them all up. “Thus, they abandoned worldly affections.” All worldly affections inevitably result in conflicting emotions. They knew worldly affections are like ropes that bound them up in passions. Now, they abandoned these “and left, never to return. By skillfully continuing His aspiration and skillfully relating His teachings well, they exhibited filial piety.” They knew how love came and went repeatedly. They knew that love, hate, passion and animosity were not everlasting, so they completely abandoned them. Getting rid of these tangible material things as well as the entanglements of worldly affections.

Episode 991 – Buddhas Share the Same Mind, Thoughts and Path

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>> We must know that all Buddhas teach the Dharma with the same mind, thoughts and path. In the Introductory Chapter, Manjusri related how in the past he had transmitted the light of Lamp [Radiant] and transformed many disciples. Now they all had attained Buddhahood and were transforming sentient beings. Venerable Sakyamuni described His past and how He continued the path of. Wisdom Superior Buddha.

>> The body of joyful use: This is brought about in response to cultivating causes over a long period of time. Put to use according to intrinsic nature, it brings all kinds of Dharma-joy, freely and without hindrances. It is also called the perfect reward-body.

>> The body of benefiting others: This is what others see in response to their capabilities. All Buddhas and Tathagatas, in order to help the assembly of Bodhisattvas receive great Dharma-joy and advance in superior spiritual practice, manifest in suitable ways so that others benefit.

>> “Bhiksus! Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha went through ten small kalpas until the Dharma of all Buddhas finally manifested before Him, and He attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “Before this Buddha became a monastic, He fathered 16 sons. The first among these was named Wisdom Accumulated.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> Before this Buddha became a monastic: There are still differences between the body of joyful use and the body of benefiting others. The reward of joyful use is the principle and wisdom of Suchness. The reward of benefiting others is unlimited Marks and Characteristics. This is all the reward-body.

>> He fathered 16 sons: Wisdom Superior Buddha had 16 sons. This refers to using the Eightfold Noble Path in one’s own practice as well as in transforming others. Two sets of eight add up to sixteen.

>> Great Unhindered Buddha represents innate enlightenment. The sons represent initial enlightenment. They are father and sons because, it is by relying on the innate principles that one gives rise to initial wisdom. The sons also took monastic vows, which means, relying on initial enlightenment, they resonated with innate enlightenment.

>> taking the eldest as an example that covers all the younger ones. As for Wisdom Accumulated, his true wisdom is replete with merits and virtues as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. His true wisdom is replete with merits and virtues as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Thus his name is Accumulated.

>> So, The first among these was named Wisdom Accumulated. Thus, The first prince had profound wisdom, hence his name was Wisdom Accumulated. By accumulating all kinds of right wisdom, he began to continue the Buddha’s wisdom-life as the son of the Dharma-king.

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“We must know that all Buddhas teach the Dharma with the same mind, thoughts and path.
In the Introductory Chapter, Manjusri related how in the past he had transmitted the light of Lamp [Radiant]
and transformed many disciples. Now they all had attained Buddhahood and were transforming sentient beings.
Venerable Sakyamuni described His past and how He continued the path of. Wisdom Superior Buddha.”

All Buddhas share the same path; we need to understand this. Since ancient times, beginningless kalpas ago, all Buddhas who taught the Dharma in this world all spread the Dharma in the same way. Every Buddha expounds the Dharma with the same mindset, “with the same mind, thoughts and path.” It is all for the sake of sentient beings. Due to sentient beings’ afflictions and ignorance, they create such severe karma. All Buddhas are awakened; They are the Enlightened Ones. Enlightened Ones have become one with the principles of all things in the world. This is the ultimate truth. Enlightened Ones with ultimate truth all have the same mind and thoughts. All Buddhas share the same path.

For instance, in the Lotus Sutra, we can recall the Introductory Chapter. While the Buddha was in Samadhi, Maitreya Bodhisattva stood up to seek guidance from Manjusri Bodhisattva. Why did the Buddha, after expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, now radiate light while in Samadhi? This had never happened in the past. What were the causes and conditions behind this? Manjusri Bodhisattva began to answer and thus recounted the era of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha.

How long ago was the era of. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha? It was also endless and countless kalpas ago. It was likewise a very long time ago that this Buddha appeared. This Buddha had similarly gone through this process of spiritual practice. He had also practiced for a long time. In the past, this Buddha was born into the palace; He was a king, and while in the palace, He fathered eight sons. After the king renounced palace life and engaged in spiritual practice for a very long period of time, He finally reached enlightenment and Buddhahood and then began expounding the Dharma in the world. In the palace, His eight princes also listened to the Buddha-Dharma and gave rise to great joy in their hearts. They realized that the world was impermanent and everything is suffering, empty, without self. So, the eight princes also became monastics and accordingly engaged in spiritual practice. As they were taught by Wondrous Light Bodhisattva, each of them perfected their practice and attained Buddhahood. This was in the past, as recounted in the Introductory Chapter.

Now, Sakyamuni Buddha, in the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City, also described [the past] in a similar way. He recounted how in the past He continued the path of Wisdom Superior Buddha. He likewise shouldered the path of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha and has been doing this ever since. This is how all Buddhas share the same path. His final accomplishment was to expound the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra is the Dharma-lineage of all Buddhas. How can it be passed down? The principles contained in the Lotus Sutra are extremely subtle and wondrous. They include all the world’s most wondrously profound principles. These profound principles, when taken in, are subtle and wondrous. When expanded, they can encompass the universe and all Dharma-realms. This is the Dharma’s subtlety, wondrousness, vastness and boundlessness.

This is the Dharma that the Buddha wished to teach. He wanted to tell us that everyone intrinsically has this kind of wondrous Dharma. So, we must be very mindful.

Every person has a Sambhogakaya (reward-body). Every Buddha has a Dharmakaya (Dharma-body), Nirmanakaya (transformation-body) and Sambhogakaya as He repeatedly comes to this world. Manjusri Bodhisattva had attained Buddhahood in the past, but he still came to assist at Sakyamuni Buddha’s Dharma-assembly, remaining in this world to deliver sentient beings. As for Guanyin and Earth Treasury Bodhisattva, these Bodhisattvas we are familiar with, they had already attained Buddhahood in the past. Do Bodhisattvas today still come to the human realm? All Buddhas share the same path. They come to the human realm to transform sentient beings and manifest with a form and appearance. But where do they appear? We are all able to come in contact with them, but as unenlightened beings, we do not know this. Which Bodhisattva are we interacting with?

Many Living Bodhisattvas are in the human realm. Wherever there is suffering, there will be Bodhisattvas that manifest there to save and transform sentient beings. These Living Bodhisattvas respond to the suffering in the human realm, this world that must be patiently endured, this place where the Five Destinies coexist. Although this world is full of afflictions, they still come to the human realm and live the same lives as us. Sometimes they seem deluded, but they are not truly deluded. This is to show all people that in the past they had these [afflictions], but causes and conditions changed their lives. “Since I am able to change my life, you are all able to change your lives and turn from confusion to awakening.”

So, among the Fourfold Practice, one is “practice with reverence.” We need to respect all people. We should be understanding of everyone because all people have this “body of joyful use.” The body of joyful use (reward-body) is “brought about in response to cultivating causes over a long period of time”

The body of joyful use: This is brought about in response to cultivating causes over a long period of time. Put to use according to intrinsic nature, it brings all kinds of Dharma-joy, freely and without hindrances. It is also called the perfect reward-body.

The Buddha had cultivated causes for a long time. In order to cultivate good causes, He spent a long time in the turbulent world of temptations with the multitudes of sentient beings, observing their ignorance and afflictions. In the midst of ignorance and afflictions, He found ways to experience the principles and develop wisdom-life. With His body of joyful use, He had dedicated Himself to sentient beings and engaged in spiritual practice.

Thus, “Put to use according to intrinsic nature, it brings all kinds of Dharma-joy.” Although I say to everyone, “It looks like serving others is such hard work,” you still say, “We are so happy and blessed. You work so hard! This is so fulfilling!” See, even though you are serving others, you take joy in doing it. Everyone is able to give with such joy and work so hard to serve others. When we see suffering people receive relief, it brings us all kinds of joy. Acting according to our intrinsic nature means we willingly help others. The joy that comes after giving is Dharma-joy. In helping others, we receive Dharma-joy and become “free and without hindrances.” In this way, as we practice in this world, we have this reward-body; we have this body of joyful use and also the body of benefiting others.

The body of benefiting others: This is what others see in response to their capabilities. All Buddhas and Tathagatas, in order to help the assembly of Bodhisattvas receive great Dharma-joy and advance in superior spiritual practice, manifest in suitable ways so that others benefit.

“The body of benefiting others is what others see in response to their capabilities.” Depending on what others need, “all Buddhas and Tathagatas, in order to help the assembly of Bodhisattvas receive great Dharma-joy” and “advance in superior spiritual practice,” will teach others how to advance in superior spiritual practice. Thus, They “manifest in suitable ways so that others benefit.” In facing different situations that appear, all Buddhas help Bodhisattvas dedicate themselves to helping others. For the sake of all people, They teach them to help others so that after they serve, all are joyful. This is “so that others benefit.”

So, we can see that with the Buddha-Dharma, we should not think it too profound. We should not think of it as very mysterious. We should not think of it as very deep. We just need to seize the present moment. Everything comes from our thoughts in the present. At this very moment, our thoughts are about finding ways to help others and to call on everyone to come together to accomplish something [great]. This is the body of joyful use and the body of benefiting others. We ourselves are so happy to do the work, and we can also call on others to do it, too, so they too will attain Dharma-joy.

The previous sutra passage says, “Bhiksus! Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha went through ten small kalpas until the Dharma of all Buddhas finally manifested before Him, and He attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

After ten small kalpas, this long period of time, the Buddha-Dharma finally began to manifest. Over this long period of time, He was to take in all the principles of the world. In calm and still contemplation, He thought for ten small kalpas. This was all to find out how to relieve and save sentient beings. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha [sat for] ten small kalpas. When Sakyamuni Buddha came to this world where the Five Destinies coexist, since a human lifespan is quite short, He only spent 21 days worth of time cultivating calm contemplation. In that instant, He had become one with the universe. This is the Buddha’s state of mind. His all-encompassing wisdom had manifested.

So, the next sutra passage states, “Before this Buddha became a monastic, He fathered 16 sons. The first among these was named Wisdom Accumulated.”

Now we start to learn about [the time] “before this Buddha became a monastic.” That Buddha had a body of joyful use, which we spoke of earlier. He had the body of joyful use as well as the body of benefiting others; this is the same for all Buddhas, since all Buddhas share the same Path

Before this Buddha became a monastic: There are still differences between the body of joyful use and the body of benefiting others. The reward of joyful use is the principle and wisdom of Suchness. The reward of benefiting others is unlimited Marks and Characteristics. This is all the reward-body.

The body of joyful use is “the principle and wisdom of Suchness.” This principle and wisdom is inherent in everyone. “The reward of benefiting others is unlimited Marks and Characteristics.” In His appearance, His spiritual practice had already brought Him many virtues and much dignity. Those who saw Him were joyful. With that, He taught sentient beings and captivated the assembly. Everyone listened to and accepted His teachings. This is the body of benefiting others; that which benefits people is the body of benefiting others.

He fathered 16 sons: Wisdom Superior Buddha had 16 sons. This refers to using the Eightfold Noble Path in one’s own practice as well as in transforming others. Two sets of eight add up to sixteen.

“He fathered 16 sons. Wisdom Superior Buddha had 16 sons”  As for Wisdom Superior Buddha, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, before He had become a monastic, He was also a prince and a king. This is how it must have been. So, He fathered 16 sons. “This indicates using the Eightfold Noble Path in one’s own practice and in transforming others.” Whether in His own joyful use or in transforming sentient beings, He did not deviate from the Eightfold Noble Path. As He Himself walked the Eightfold Noble Path and transformed others on the Eightfold Noble Path, put together that makes 16. Similarly, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha’s 8 sons also represent the Eightfold Noble Path.

So, now we understand that the body of joyful use does not deviate from the Eightfold Noble Path and that to transform and teach others, everyone must practice the Eightfold Noble Path. So, we say the 37 Practices to Enlightenment are the foundation of our spiritual practice. The Seven Factors of Bodhi and the Eightfold Noble Path are the Bodhisattva-path.

Great Unhindered Buddha represents innate enlightenment. The sons represent initial enlightenment. They are father and sons because, it is by relying on the innate principles that one gives rise to initial wisdom. The sons also took monastic vows, which means, relying on initial enlightenment, they resonated with innate enlightenment.

We all intrinsically have innate enlightenment. We all have a nature of True Suchness. Everyone intrinsically has this, but we do not realize it. After we listen to the Dharma, we start to become aware of it and attain initial enlightenment. Actually, we already had this original seed, but in the past it was buried deep inside, so we did not know. Now we hear the Dharma and understand; we attain knowing and understanding.

So, they are father and sons. “It is by relying on the innate principles that one gives rise to initial wisdom.” Fundamentally, the principles are infinite. Since countless kalpas before Beginningless Time, these principles have always existed. From the innate principles, initial wisdom arises. This is how we begin to have wisdom, all-encompassing wisdom. In fact, going back to the distant past and all the way up until now, all the principles of the world are inherent in us. But, we have forgotten about them.

So, “The sons also took monastic vows,” which means “Relying on initial enlightenment, they resonated with innate enlightenment.” This is because they began to understand. In the past, they still indulged in pleasures of the mundane world. But now, they had realized that all is empty, so they must quickly engage in spiritual practice and become completely pure again.

“taking the eldest as an example that covers all the younger ones. As for Wisdom Accumulated, his true wisdom is replete with merits and virtues as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.” His true wisdom is replete with merits and virtues as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Thus his name is Accumulated.

If we can return to our true wisdom, which is all-encompassing wisdom, we will be replete with merits and virtues as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Everyone intrinsically has this innate enlightenment. Thus, his name is Wisdom Accumulated, and he has true wisdom. Everyone intrinsically has a nature of True Suchness and true wisdom. However, we need to continuously accumulate merits and virtues as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. It requires a long span of time for us to earnestly accumulate them. This is how wisdom is accumulated

So, The first among these was named Wisdom Accumulated. Thus, The first prince had profound wisdom, hence his name was Wisdom Accumulated. By accumulating all kinds of right wisdom, he began to continue the Buddha’s wisdom-life as the son of the Dharma-king.

So, the first son’s name had to have wisdom in it. Only wisdom can continue the Buddha’s wisdom-life.

“Bringing up the first son of the sixteen” means “taking the eldest as an example that covers all the younger ones.” They are the same. Wisdom Accumulated had his “true wisdom replete with merits and virtues as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.” We must remember to continuously accumulate wisdom. The father’s name was Wisdom Superior, so the son’s name was Wisdom Accumulated. This was the son continuing the legacy of the father. He must have wisdom and compassion to continue his father’s mission. So, appearance is a manifestation of the mind. Causes and conditions must converge. If causes and conditions have not converged, how do we attain the fruition and retributions? The Buddha-Dharma requires patience; we cannot rush. We must have patience and gradually accumulate [our wisdom]. So, we must always be more mindful.

Episode 990 – Attaining Realizations after Long Practice

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>> Wanting to help sentient beings awaken to His views and understanding, the Buddha appeared in the world. After long practice, He attained realization of the true principles of pure and wondrous wisdom. Sitting upon the Vajra throne beneath the tree of enlightenment, He comprehended the great path. With His innate ocean of enlightened wisdom, He embraced compassion and exercised wisdom’ in perfect harmony.

>>  “…until He entered Parinirvana. They constantly rained down these flowers. All in the Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings continuously beat upon celestial drums as an offering to the Buddha, while other heavenly beings played celestial music. For a full ten small kalpas, until He entered Parinirvana, they continued on this way.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “Bhiksus! Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha went through ten small kalpas until the Dharma of all Buddhas finally manifested before Him, and He attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> Bhiksus! Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha went through ten small kalpas: He earnestly called out, saying, Bhiksus! He told them that dust-inked kalpas previously, before Great Unhindered had attained Buddhahood, He sat for ten kalpas.

>> The Dharma of all Buddhas finally manifested before Him: With extended practice, after ten kalpas, He embraced compassion and exercised wisdom, allowing Him to attain the fruit of enlightenment. The Dharma of all Buddhas appeared before Him. Awaiting the causes and conditions of being replete with compassion, wisdom and the power of vows along with the bright illumination of His great perfect mirror, the Buddha-Dharma would then appear before Him. This is the realization of all-encompassing wisdom.

>> The Dharma of all Buddhas finally manifested before Him: With extended practice, after ten kalpas, His embracing compassion and exercising wisdom, allowed Him to attain the fruit of enlightenment. The Dharma of all Buddhas appeared before Him. Awaiting the causes and conditions of being replete with compassion, wisdom and the power of vows along with the bright illumination of His great perfect mirror, the Buddha-Dharma would then appear before Him. This is the realization of all-encompassing wisdom.

>> Great Unhindered Tathagata sat upright in the place of enlightenment for ten small kalpas. After this time passed, the Buddha-Dharma finally appeared before him. This is how Buddha-Dharma started to manifest. This was to manifest an appearance of the great path being very difficult to attain.

>> And He attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: This is the state all Buddhas realize Themselves. How could sentient beings fathom it? Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: Supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment.

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“Wanting to help sentient beings awaken to His views and understanding, the Buddha appeared in the world.
After long practice, He attained realization of the true principles of pure and wondrous wisdom.
Sitting upon the Vajra throne beneath the tree of enlightenment, He comprehended the great path.
With His innate ocean of enlightened wisdom, He embraced compassion and exercised wisdom “in perfect harmony.”

We engage in spiritual practice in order to comprehend the great path. Do we comprehend the great path for ourselves or to transform all sentient beings? The Buddha’s goal is to help sentient beings awaken to. His views and understanding. That is why He manifested in the world. As I have often said, He manifested in the world for one great cause, to open and reveal the Buddha’s understanding and views for all sentient beings. His greatest hope is for all sentient beings to accept, comprehend, awaken to and enter the Buddha’s understanding and views. This requires interaction! When the Buddha gives [teachings], sentient beings must learn to experience them. If we sentient beings do not experience what the Buddha has given to us, we will forever be deluded and lost.

The Buddha came to this world to guide us away from our delusion toward the path to enlightenment. This is the Buddha’s compassionate goal. So, the Buddha manifested in the world for sentient beings.

“After long practice, He attained realization of the true principles of pure and wondrous wisdom.” This means that it has been very long time since

the Buddha attained enlightenment. How long ago was it? Countless kalpas ago. How long is countless kalpas? This is referring to dust-inked kalpas. This Buddha had awakened after such long practice. Actually, so long ago, the Buddha had engaged in spiritual practice with Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. He listened to the Dharma taught by. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. Back then, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha had already begun to teach the Lotus Sutra. There were 16 novices in His spiritual community. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior’s teaching was completely realized by the 16 novices. After Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha entered Samadhi, the 16 novices started to travel to different places to propagate the Lotus Sutra; they likewise taught the Lotus Sutra. Among these 16 novices, the last one, the 16th novice, was our Sakyamuni Buddha.

We can see that Sakyamuni Buddha, for a long time, since beginningless, countless kalpas ago, had already comprehended the Lotus Sutra and awakened to and entered the wondrous and great principles of the path to Buddhahood. Think about it; the Buddha came to the Saha World where the Five Destinies coexist, this world of endurance, in order to deliver all sentient beings. His vow was to stay for a long time in Saha World. This was His goal, and this is the place where He dedicated Himself to transforming sentient beings. Look at how long it has been. Have sentient beings been decreasing in numbers? No, sentient beings grow in numbers every year. Think about it; the population continuously grows. Every day new babies are being born. When these new babies grow up, what will their life’s direction be? Will it be to benefit people or will it be to harm the world?

We often hear about natural disasters and manmade calamities. Manmade calamities have caused ceaseless warfare in our world. These battles have resulted in waves of refugees. Why does this happen? Ignorance and afflictions are multiplied more, and people are entangled in karmic retribution. The cycle of retributions grows increasingly worse. The human population grows on this earth, and karmic forces increase as we bring karma with us. This collective karma of endless retributions result in many manmade calamities. Then there are natural disasters. How do natural disasters develop? There is an overpopulation of humans. For [the comforts of] life, natural resources are continuously extracted from the earth. As the mountains are constantly dug out and mined, the surface of the earth is destroyed. Have we taken enough resources? Not yet. We dig deeper into the ground.

We should know we have destroyed the earth, the place where humans reside. This environmental destruction is caused by humans. Humans were born in the world with impure hearts. When we are born in this world, if we can respect heaven and earth and follow the natural cycles of the seasons, we will be grateful for the planet and its climate. The earth provides us with grain for food and cotton for clothing. The earth contains an abundance of things.

In ancient times, people planted cotton and hemp for weaving cloth, etc. Thus the land provides clothes to keep us warm and keeps us well-fed with the grains. This should be sufficient. But humans have a [different] mindset. We continuously destroy the earth. Let us think about [more] humans being born, is it benefiting or harming humanity?

Honestly speaking, how can the Buddha teach sentient beings? After a long practice, He attained realization of the true principles of pure and wondrous wisdom. How could He provide and give [these teachings] to humankind? There are so many humans. How many will be able to accept His teachings? The Buddha, over this very long period of time, still continuously came to the world. This is the power of His vow. It was not His karmic forces but the power of His vow.

This is why He manifested in the world, sitting upon the Vajra throne beneath the tree of enlightenment. The tree of enlightenment refers to the Bodhi-tree. Upon the Vajra throne under the Bodhi-tree, upon this rock, [the Buddha] contemplated earnestly 5 years of travel, 6 years of ascetic practice, then contemplating for 21 days, He finally comprehended the great path. On the Vajra throne, He comprehended the great path. Seeing the morning star, the Buddha awakened. In the vast universe with so many sentient beings and their endless afflictions, how could He transform people?

Therefore, “With His innate ocean of enlightened wisdom, He embraced compassion and exercised wisdom.” He was fundamentally already awakened; He intrinsically has Buddha-nature. And from His past practice, He had accumulated this innate ocean of enlightened wisdom. Finally, He awakened His compassion. He resonated with and embraced compassion. With this perfect harmony, He embraced compassion and exercised wisdom, becoming one with all sentient beings. He exercised His wisdom this way, so He was in harmony with all. With both compassion and wisdom, He realized universal compassion. With compassion and wisdom in perfect harmony, the Buddha attained Buddhahood. This is merely the method the Buddha used in order to teach us. So, we must be very mindful.

The previous sutra passage says that it had already been such a long time of Him sitting at the spiritual training ground. After awakening, He transformed sentient beings for such a long time. This went on until this Buddha’s long life [was over], until His Parinirvana,

“until He entered Parinirvana. They constantly rained down these flowers. All in Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings constantly beat celestial drums as an offering to the Buddha, while other heavenly beings played celestial music. For a full ten small kalpas, until He entered Parinirvana,” they continued making offerings in the same way.

After the Buddha sat under the tree, [heavenly beings] kept joyfully making offerings. After the Buddha attained enlightenment, they were even more joyful and continued to make offerings in this way all the way until the Buddha entered Parinirvana. Imagine this union of heavenly and human beings; how beautiful it must have been!

The next sutra passage states, “Bhiksus! Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha went through ten small kalpas until the Dharma of all Buddhas finally manifested before Him, and He attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

This is the Buddha, with an earnest voice, calling on us again, “Those listening to the sutra! Disciples! Practitioners! Bhiksus! Everyone must be mindful!” This was the Buddha’s sincere intent. Imagine, at this late stage of the Buddha’s life, how earnest His hopes for His disciples were! So, when He started teaching the Dharma, He called out again and again. In the past He had called out, “Sariputra! Maudgalyayana!” He called everyone through these representatives. At this moment, Buddha called on all bhiksus with such earnestness. We can see the earnestness of the Buddha’s heart

Bhiksus! Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha went through ten small kalpas: He earnestly called out, saying, “Bhiksus!” He told them that dust-inked kalpas previously, before Great Unhindered had attained Buddhahood, He sat for ten kalpas.

So, “He told them that dust-inked kalpas previously.” Sakyamuni Buddha earnestly told us that a very long time ago, a very long time in the past, before Great Unhindered [Wisdom Superior] Buddha attained Buddhahood, He sat for ten small kalpas. Once He sat down in the place of enlightenment, such a long period of time passed. This was all to transform all sentient beings. It took such a long period of time “until the Dharma of all Buddhas manifested before Him.” Clearly, attaining the wonders of Buddha-Dharma is not so simple. It requires “extended practice,” meaning that it takes a very long time, It must be a long time of “uninterrupted practice” and “practice with nothing further.” Not even one tiny bit of the Dharma can be missing. Thus, the passage speaks of “after ten kalpas.” Such earnest practice takes a very long time. So, “After ten kalpas, He embraced compassion and exercised wisdom”

The Dharma of all Buddhas finally manifested before Him: With extended practice, after ten kalpas, He embraced compassion and exercised wisdom, allowing Him to attain the fruit of enlightenment. The Dharma of all Buddhas appeared before Him. Awaiting the causes and conditions of being replete with compassion, wisdom and the power of vows along with the bright illumination of His great perfect mirror, the Buddha-Dharma would then appear before Him. This is the realization of all-encompassing wisdom.

With His universal compassion, He became one with all sentient beings. This is how He awakened His wisdom to discern all sentient beings’ capabilities and teach them accordingly. This is how He “embraced compassion and exercised wisdom.”

“Embracing compassion” is having universal compassion. With universal compassion, He embraces compassion. As for “exercising wisdom,” He applies this wisdom, which “allows Him to obtain the fruit of enlightenment.” At this moment, He truly [attained realization]. Apart from fully knowing the Dharma and the principles of the universe and all Dharma-realms, at the end, He had to embrace compassion and exercise wisdom. Only when His universal compassion was awakened could He attain the fruit of enlightenment.

“The Dharma of all Buddhas appeared before Him.” In this way, all Buddhas share the same path. All Buddhas’ teachings appeared readily before Him. This is how, “Awaiting the causes and conditions of being replete with compassion, wisdom and the power of vows along with the bright illumination of His great perfect mirror” the illumination of His perfect mirror wisdom, the “Buddha-Dharma would then appear before Him. This is the realization of all-encompassing wisdom.” Wisdom of all Dharma, wisdom of enlightenment and all-encompassing wisdom, these three wisdoms, were perfected in Him. In the era of Great Unhindered Buddha, [that Buddha] gave teachings in this manner. When Sakyamuni Buddha appeared in the world, He also manifested and taught in this way. He manifested to guide us, so He had to follow the same course

Great Unhindered Tathagata sat upright in the place of enlightenment for ten small kalpas. After this time passed, the Buddha-Dharma finally appeared before him. This is how Buddha-Dharma started to manifest. This was to manifest an appearance of the great path being very difficult to attain.

Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior taught this way, and Sakyamuni Buddha taught in this way too. This is to show us that, truly, the great principles are very intricate and subtle. When we take them in, they are very subtle, but when we expand them, they encompass the universe.

So, from dust-inked kalpas ago all the way until now and on into the future, to fully comprehend all principles of the world is not that simple. This shows that this is a very rare and precious path that requires a great amount of time, resolve and effort to understand. Only then can we attain thorough comprehension and supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment.

And He attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: This is the state all Buddhas realize Themselves. How could sentient beings fathom it? Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: Supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment.

For ten small kalpas, for such a long time, He sat under the Bodhi-tree and engaged in contemplation until He embraced compassion and exercised wisdom. Then the state of great mirror wisdom manifested. The principles of the mountains, rivers, land and the whole universe were completely taken into His heart, and He thoroughly understood them. “Supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment” is a state of understanding that is unlike the partial understanding ordinary people, who focus on and specialize in only one area. Supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment encompasses everything in the entire universe. Throughout all the worlds across space and across all time in the Dharma-realms, there is nothing Buddhas do not understand and no principle They do not comprehend.

“This is the state all Buddhas realize Themselves. How could sentient beings fathom it?” How would we ever be able to fathom it? That is why it is called “supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment.” That is a realization we ordinary people cannot relate to. So, we must work even harder in our practice, with uninterrupted practice, extended practice, practice with nothing further and practice with reverence. We must actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions. Only then can we achieve such a state of mind. So, all of us must always be mindful.

Episode 989 – All Time Is Inseparable from the Present Thought

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>> He first revealed the far-reaching illumination of the Tathagata’s Three Understandings, then He taught the causes and conditions of past lifetimes from dust-inked kalpas ago. We must know that the past and the present are inseparable from the present thought. Apart from this, there are no real phenomena in the past or future that can be attained.

>> “So, It was fitting for him to sit in this throne. At this time, the Brahma kings rained down all kinds of celestial flowers over an area of 100 yojanas. A fragrant breeze at times arose to blow away the withered flowers while newer ones rained down. Continuing like this without interruption for a full ten small kalpas, they made offerings to that Buddha.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “…until He entered Parinirvana. They constantly rained down these flowers. All in the Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings continuously beat upon celestial drums as an offering to the Buddha, while other heavenly beings played celestial music. For a full ten small kalpas, until He entered Parinirvana, they continued on this way.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>>  Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings: King Dhrtarastra in the east is able to protect the land, therefore he lives on Mt. Sumeru’s gold slope.

>> Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings: King Virupaksa in the west is able to use his pure heavenly eye to constantly observe and protect Jambudvipa, therefore he lives on Mt. Sumeru’s silver slope.

>> Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings: King Virudhaka in the south is able to make one’s roots of goodness grow, therefore he lives on Mt. Sumeru’s water jade slope.

>> Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings: King Vaisravana in the north is famous for his blessings and virtue throughout the four directions therefore he lives on Mt. Sumeru’s crystal slope.

>> These Four Heavenly Kings live on Mt. Sumeru. With the two superior forms of blessed karma, practicing giving and upholding precepts, the retribution they receive in response is being reborn there. In Sanskrit, it is called Sumeru. In Chinese, it is called Marvelously High.

>> While other heavenly beings played celestial music means All of the other heavenly beings in the desire realm

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“He first revealed the far-reaching illumination of the Tathagata’s Three Understandings,
then He taught the causes and conditions of past lifetimes from dust-inked kalpas ago.
We must know that the past and the present are inseparable from the present thought.
Apart from this, there are no real phenomena in the past or future that can be attained.”

Going back to Beginningless Time, to Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s time, it was very long ago; such a long time is impossible to calculate. This Buddha, this Tathagata, responded to the Dharma of Suchness to come to the world. At that time, He came to the world in response to that Dharma. Who was this? It was Sakyamuni Buddha. The analogy here is used for countless kalpas. Countless kalpas ago, the 16 novices listened to the Lotus Sutra. Then they also sat in the place of enlightenment to teach the Lotus Sutra. This already happened countless kalpas ago, before Beginningless Time, and it has continued to the present.

This is the “far-reaching illumination of the Three Understandings.” We should all remember the Three Understandings. There are the Three Insights, then there are the Three Understandings. For Arhats, they are called the Three Insights and Six Spiritual Powers. For Buddhas, they are called the Three Understandings and Six Spiritual Powers. “Insight” means clear understanding. “Understanding” means unhindered comprehension. It is more than just an understanding, it is completely unhindered. It is unobstructed across any length of time, unobstructed across the vastness of space. Whether with universal or specific phenomena, it is completely unhindered. Thus, this is His “far-reaching illumination of the Three Understandings.”

“Far-reaching illumination” means it is unhindered. Regardless of the length of time, regardless of the vastness of space or the complexity of the world, He has penetrated the principles of universal phenomena and completely comprehended the differing phenomena of the complicated attitudes, afflictions and ignorance of the human mind.

The Tathagata, the World-Honored One, beginning a very long time ago, countless kalpas of past lifetimes ago, formed His causes and conditions of past lifetimes. He went everywhere creating blessed affinities with sentient beings and experienced the different states of sentient beings’ afflictions and ignorance. So, He could thoroughly understand [everything]. He had already understood the principles, but sentient beings’ appearances differed; their various kinds of ignorance and afflictions were truly numerous, as numerous as dust. Everyone’s causes and conditions had accumulated like dust[-inked kalpas]. These were “the causes and conditions of past lifetimes from dust-inked kalpas ago.” They accumulated over incalculably long periods, over lifetimes, over truly long periods of time, lifetime after lifetime.

We should know that the past and the present are inseparable from the present thought, the thoughts we have in this moment. “Apart from this, there are no real phenomena in the past or future that can be attained.” If we depart from the present thought, then there is no need to speak of the past, present or future. There is no need to say anything further if we have no intention of accepting this; we will deny the law of cause and effect. We will not believe in past lives. In the past, the Tathagata listened to the Dharma, worked hard and in the process never abandoned sentient beings. He went among people to give. Do you believe this? I believe it. It has been this way since Beginningless Time. Our intrinsic nature of True Suchness has no beginning and no end. There is no time when it began, and there is no time when it will end. This is the Buddha-nature intrinsic to all of us. I truly believe this. I do not know; do all of you believe this? Believing in the past means making best use of the present. Once we seize the present, we must continue it on into the future.

Our present thought is our thought in this moment. At every moment, our present thought in every second should be well taken care of. These present thoughts accumulate to form those periods of dust-inked kalpas. In our spiritual practice, we must earnestly be mindful of the present moment. The power of love must be extended from the past into the present and from the present into the future.

The previous sutra passage goes on at length about how heavenly beings set up, at the place of enlightenment, a lion throne So, “It was fitting for him to sit in this throne. At this time, the Brahma kings rained down all kinds of celestial flowers over an area of 100 yojanas. A fragrant breeze at times arose to blow away the withered flowers while newer ones rained down. Continuing like this without interruption for a full ten small kalpas, they made offerings to that Buddha.”

These were the Brahma kings of the form realm together with heavenly beings of the desire realm; beings of the form and desire realms came to make offerings to the Buddha. They “rained down all kinds of celestial flowers.” In any case, these heavenly Dharma-protectors came to protect the aspiring spiritual practitioner who would go among people to deliver sentient beings. Heavenly beings and Dharma-protectors came to make offerings to this spiritual practitioner soon to attain Buddhahood.

The next sutra passage says, “…until He entered Parinirvana. They constantly rained down these flowers. All in the Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings continuously beat upon celestial drums as an offering to the Buddha, while other heavenly beings played celestial music. For a full ten small kalpas, until He entered Parinirvana, they continued on this way.”

This went on for a very long time, from first sitting at the place of enlightenment, right up until He entered Parinirvana. During this time, from both the form and desire realms, and even from the human realm, He was showered with so many wonderful offerings in His environment. So, it says, “Until He entered Parinirvana, they constantly rained down these flowers.” This means that His place of enlightenment was continually magnificent, a place guarded and protected by heavenly beings.

“From before He attained Buddhahood,” from even long before He attained Buddhahood, “until He entered Parinirvana, many kalpas passed.” Truly, from the beginning, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha had to pass through many kalpas, kalpas as incalculable as dust particles! Over and over again, many people and heavenly beings came to be Dharma-protectors in such a beautiful setting.

“All in the Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings,” in order to make offerings, “continuously beat upon celestial drums as an offering to the Buddha.” All in the Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings continually came to make offerings to the Buddha. We often hear of how a single day in the. Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings is equivalent to 50 years in our human world. Where are the Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings? These are the realms that are found in the four directions surrounding Mt. Sumeru

Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings: King Dhrtarastra in the east is able to protect the land, therefore he lives on Mt. Sumeru’s gold slope.

In the Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings, to the east is King Dhrtarastra. King Dhrtarastra of the east protects the land, so he lives on Mt. Sumeru’s gold slope. This is the land where he lives. To the east of Mt. Sumeru is the place where King Dhrtarastra lives.

Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings: King Virupaksa in the west is able to use his pure heavenly eye to constantly observe and protect Jambudvipa, therefore he lives on Mt. Sumeru’s silver slope.

In the west is King Virupaksa, who “is able to use his pure heavenly eye.” He uses his pure heavenly eye to constantly observe the world while at the same time protecting Jambudvipa. Jambudvipa is our Earth. He observes it with his pure heavenly eye   So, we often say, “There are spiritual beings above us. What people do, heaven sees.” His pure heavenly eye is like this. This is King Virupaksa; with his pure and expansive vision, he observes the good and evil in the world. He protects those who are good, and he protects the Buddha-Dharma. Jambudvipa refers to our Earth, our world. He lives to the west of Mt. Sumeru, on its silver slope

Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings: King Virudhaka in the south is able to make one’s roots of goodness grow, therefore he lives on Mt. Sumeru’s water jade slope.

To the south is King Virudhaka, who can enable one’s roots of goodness to grow. He lives on Mt. Sumeru’s southern vaidurya slope.

He enables one’s roots of goodness to grow. He teaches everyone to have roots of goodness. Human nature is inherently good, and he supports everyone’s roots of goodness. He not only protects mankind’s roots of goodness, but he encourages them to nurture their roots of goodness. He lives on Mt. Sumeru, on its southern vaidurya slope.

Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings: King Vaisravana in the north is famous for his blessings and virtue throughout the four directions therefore he lives on Mt. Sumeru’s crystal slope.

To the north is King Vaisravana, who is “famous for his blessings and virtue throughout the four directions.” He can hear the voices of sentient beings from anywhere in the four directions. So, this is why we say we should be reverent, for our voices to resonate so that they reach the ears of heavenly beings. King Vaisravana is the one among the Four Heavenly Kings who hears the voices of sentient beings on earth. Thus, he lives on Mt. Sumeru’s crystal slope.

These Four Heavenly Kings live in the four directions surrounding Mt. Sumeru. Each supervises his portion of the human realm, the good and evil done there, all that humans do on earth. The places the Four Heavenly Kings live are places that are the closest to our Earth. They are very close

These Four Heavenly Kings live on Mt. Sumeru. With the two superior forms of blessed karma, practicing giving and upholding precepts, the retribution they receive in response is being reborn there. In Sanskrit, it is called Sumeru. In Chinese, it is called Marvelously High.

“Practicing giving and upholding precepts” means they were able to give and to uphold the precepts. This is how they practiced in past lives. By willingly practicing giving and upholding precepts, we too can be reborn in that heaven. This depends on how much we benefit others and how well we uphold the precepts. Depending on our causes and conditions, we can be reborn into these kinds of heavens. Because of all their blessings, the retribution of these heavenly beings was to be reborn there.

In Sanskrit, it is called Sumeru. In Chinese, it is called Marvelously High. When we recite the sutras we say, “Even Marvelously High Mountain can be shaken.” Do you remember? Truly, “Even Marvelously High Mountain can be shaken.” In Nepal [in 2015], in the Himalayas, in that place over 5000 meters high, there was an earthquake that still caused the monasteries there to be shaken. This is saying that the Buddha is saying that in the material realm, when blessed karma is depleted, collective karma will manifest and cause damage. So, most important for us is to earnestly engage in spiritual practice. Why do we wish to transcend the Three Realms? The form realm is filled with material objects, and we create much karma in the desire realm, so we should put effort into spiritual practice.

While other heavenly beings played celestial music means All of the other heavenly beings in the desire realm

This is “the Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings”. “While other heavenly beings played celestial music” means “All of the other heavenly beings in the desire realm” each played celestial songs and music.

Other heavenly beings made celestial music there. We also often see in the media how in the Himalayas there are still many spiritual practitioners. You see them blowing a very long [horn] that emits the sound of a conch. They blow the conch to awaken people’s minds. People’s minds must face toward the Path, face toward the Dharma.

“For a full ten small kalpas,” in such a setting, they were continually making offerings. They beat celestial drums and made music for a full ten small kalpas. “The Four Kings, Yama and other heavenly beings made offerings of celestial music” right up until He entered Parinirvana. This is how they made offerings to the Buddha.

“Heavenly beings made offerings of flowers and offerings of music for a full ten small kalpas.” This went on for a very long time. “Until the Buddha entered Parinirvana, they continued in the same way.” It remained like this until the Buddha entered Parinirvana. “This is how heavenly and human beings manifested their offerings to the Buddha.”

“Until the Buddha entered Parinirvana, they continued in the same way.” From the beginning of the ten kalpas until the time He entered Parinirvana, think about it; how long must this have taken? The Buddha’s lifespan alone was 540 trillion nayutas of kalpas, which was already very long. Those past ten small kalpas were also already very long. We know about kalpas right? One small kalpa is one increasing and one decreasing kalpa. If we can calculate the number of years in a small kalpa, then we can figure out ten small kalpas and how long Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha had to maintain His determination and patience until attaining perfect and complete great perfect mirror wisdom. After attaining Buddhahood, His lifespan was 540 trillion nayutas of kalpas. This was a very long time.

We believe the Buddha, and the sutras have already told us that “neither a mathematician nor his disciples” could calculate this [amount of time]. It is impossible to calculate, let alone kalpas as numerous as dust particles. That is even more impossible to calculate. In conclusion, this is called Beginningless Time. This time has continuously accumulated since before beginningless kalpas. We all have the intrinsic nature of True Suchness. We are born with it. However, through ignorance we create karma, and we carry this karma along with our nature of True Suchness. We carry our nature of True Suchness, follow the karma we create through ignorance and are thereby born into subsequent lifetimes.

So, our nature of True Suchness is truly treated wrongfully, becoming covered with ignorance. With ignorance we incessantly create karma, and because of the karma we suffer, we become tormented by suffering. In this suffering and torment, we again create more karma, and it repeats like this for who knows how many lifetimes. We indeed cannot know. We have a rare opportunity in this lifetime to hear the Buddha-Dharma. We should remind ourselves to be vigilant, to take hold of our present thoughts and earnestly safeguard them. There are 86,400 seconds in a day, and during every second, we should earnestly safeguard our thoughts.

Although the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City may seem, at first glance, to be all about these numbers, it is really about us. It is actually intimately related to us. So, be mindful in listening to the Dharma and always be mindful!

Episode 988 – Giving Rise to Compassion and Forming Great Vows

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>> In this way, Great Unhindered Buddha gave rise to compassionate contemplation. With universal compassion for sentient beings, He widely transformed the world. Likewise, the present Buddha sat for 21 days in calm contemplation. Wishing to transform all, He formed the aspirations of the [Four] Great Vows and [Four] Infinite Minds.

>> “At that time, heavenly beings from Trayastrimsa Heaven, first, for the sake of that Buddha, placed a lion throne beneath the Bodhi-tree. The throne was one yojana in height. On this throne, that Buddha would attain Anuttara[-samyak-sambodhi.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “It was fitting for Him to sit in this throne. At this time, the Brahma kings rained down all kinds of heavenly flowers over an area of 100 yojanas. A fragrant breeze arose at times to blow away the withered flowers while newer ones rained down. Continuing like this without interruption for a full ten small kalpas, they made offerings to that Buddha.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> The Bodhimanda (place of enlightenment) where the Buddha attained Buddhahood was in the kingdom of Magadha, beside the river Niranjan. Beneath the Bodhi-tree, upon the Vajra throne, Venerable Sakyamuni attained Buddhahood. Thus, this is the Bodhimanda.

>> The Brahma kings: Brahma can be translated as free of desire or as pure. It means that those heavenly kings are wondrous and perfect in body and mind. They do not lack awe-inspiring demeanor and are pure in upholding precepts. Additionally, they have a clear awakening, so they lead those in the Brahma heavens. In the Lotus Sutra, he is called the ruler of the Saha World. The great Brahma Sikhin is the lord of the great trichiliocosm.

>> At this time, the Brahma kings rained down all kinds of heavenly flowers over an area of 100 yojanas. Drifting down from the heavens were celestial flowers of four forms, over an area of 100 yojanas on all four sides.

>> A fragrant breeze arose at times to blow away the withered flowers while newer ones rained down: During this same period of time, a fragrant breeze would come and blow away the scattered flowers that had withered, as more fresh flowers rained down.

>> Continuing like this without interruption for a full ten small kalpas, they made offerings to that Buddha. Not yet revealing Himself as the Buddha, that Buddha sat for 10 kalpas. Heavenly beings constantly rained down flowers as offerings.

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“In this way, Great Unhindered Buddha gave rise to compassionate contemplation.
With universal compassion for sentient beings, He widely transformed the world.
Likewise, the present Buddha sat for 21 days in calm contemplation.
Wishing to transform all, He formed the aspirations of the [Four] Great Vows and [Four] Infinite Minds.”

Although His spiritual practice took a long time before He could give rise to compassionate contemplation, once His mind began to give rise to compassion, He could enter Samadhi and cultivate contemplation. He entered a state where. He was one with the universe. This is “unconditional loving-kindness and universal compassion,” the compassion of being one with sentient beings. Once He began cultivating contemplation, “With universal compassion for sentient beings, He widely transform the world.” This mindset is so important.

“Likewise, the present Buddha sat for 21 days in calm contemplation.” Both the past Buddha, Great Unhindered, and the present Buddha, Sakyamuni, did this. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha sat at His place of enlightenment from the first to the tenth small kalpa. This was a very long time! The present Buddha, Sakyamuni, spent 21 days in calm contemplation for the sake of one great cause, to widely transform sentient beings. When this thought arose,

He spent 21 days in calm contemplation. He wanted to transform all sentient beings. He formed the aspirations of the [Four] Great Vows and practiced the Four Infinite Minds. These aspirations had arisen in His mind. Thus, I have often said that. Buddhas engage in spiritual practice and attain Buddhahood for the sake of sentient beings. Right now, we have these causes and conditions. We already know that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. How do we converge with and fully understand the true and wondrous principles? Sentient beings each have causes and conditions. Take Sariputra, for instance. Sariputra was waiting for the opportunity to transform sentient beings.

Once in the city of Sravasti, there was a wealthy elder. The more everyone praised him as being wealthy, the more importance he placed on money. He was very stingy and could not let go. Because he had money, he was admired by everyone, which led him to want more and more. While in Samadhi, Sariputra learned of this elder and decided to transform this elder.

One day, before the elder closed his gate, Sariputra entered through the open door. When this elder saw that this monastic, Sariputra, had come in, he was very unhappy and chose to ignore him. After this elder finished his meal and water was brought to him to rinse and wash, the elder intentionally walked down to where Sariputra was with his alms bowl and spat the water he rinsed his mouth with into Sariputra’s alms bowl. But Sariputra continued to smile and respectfully bowed and left.

Sariputra held this bowl in his hands that contained the water from the elder’s mouth. Sariputra’s mind was not affected at all. “In the past, he must have created blessings, so he is able to be wealthy in this life, but he has now become lost in this life. He is very stingy and greedy and treats practitioners with such arrogance; he will suffer unimaginably in future lives.” Was there any way to help this elder? Holding the alms bowl, he thought, “What should I do with this water?” He had an idea; he could take some dirt, pour out the water into the dirt pile and mix it around. He could use this mud to pave the ground where the Buddha would pass by or stop. Once he thought of his, he carried it out. The Buddha saw Sariputra’s actions and understood his intentions. Sariputra and the Buddha very calmly and easily smiled at one another in understanding.

The elder had spat his dirty water into Sariputra’s alms bowl, but saw how Sariputra remained polite and did not get angry at all. He saw how Sariputra walked out with such serene steps. This led the elder to become very frightened.

He was afraid Sariputra would do bad things to him. So, he sent his servant to follow close behind Sariputra and observe what he was doing. He followed him to the place where the Buddha and Sariputra met [and saw Sariputra pave the ground]. Sariputra put his palms together, and the Buddha smiled and said, “I understand your intentions. Let us pray for this elder and hope that life after life, he will do good and have the karmic conditions to listen to Dharma.” After hearing these words, the servant quickly returned, reported back to the elder and repeated word for word what he had seen and heard. After the elder listened, he felt very repentant. He felt how compassionate these two were, so he brought all his family and followers and his servants to the abode to repent and take refuge with the Buddha.

This is how Sariputra transformed this Brahmin elder. He understood that in order to attain Buddhahood, he must go among people to observe sentient beings. Given the afflictions and ignorance sentient beings have, what methods could be applied to transform them? This is what we have to learn and practice.

The previous sutra passage states, “At that time, heavenly beings from Trayastrimsa Heaven, first, for the sake of that Buddha, placed a lion throne beneath the Bodhi-tree. The throne was one yojana in height. On this throne, that Buddha would attain Anuttara[-samyak-sambodhi.”

The heavenly beings set up the seat for Him. Before this Buddha attained Buddhahood, He had already understood the principles, but there was still something missing; He was not yet able to converge with and fully understand the intangible true principles. At that time, He was still under the Bodhi-tree, where heavenly beings had placed a throne for Him. This was before He attained Buddhahood. At this point, His compassion arose, and. He began to cultivate compassionate contemplation.

The next sutra passage describes that it was fitting for Him to sit there. This all began at that time “It was fitting for Him to sit in this throne. At this time, the Brahma kings rained down all kinds of heavenly flowers over an area of 100 yojanas. A fragrant breeze arose at times to blow away the withered flowers while newer ones rained down. Continuing like this without interruption for a full ten small kalpas, they made offerings to that Buddha.”

The heavenly beings saw this Buddha start to develop compassionate contemplation. So, “It was fitting at this time for Him to go sit in the throne of Bodhi.” In this place, they set up this throne, so in this way He sat down on it

The Bodhimanda (place of enlightenment) where the Buddha attained Buddhahood was in the kingdom of Magadha, beside the river Niranjan. Beneath the Bodhi-tree, upon the Vajra throne, Venerable Sakyamuni attained Buddhahood. Thus, this is the Bodhimanda.

“The Bodhimanda [is] where the Buddha attained Buddhahood.” So, where was this place? Sakyamuni Buddha’s Bodhimanda was in the kingdom of Magadha, beside the river Niranjan under a Bodhi-tree, upon the Vajra throne, which was placed there by heavenly beings. In this very natural scene, a stone under the Bodhi-tree, a very flat-surfaced stone, was the Vajra throne. This is in our Saha World. Sakyamuni Buddha’s. Bodhimanda was very natural. There was this tree, and there was also a flat rock. This was where the Buddha sat. “Venerable Sakyamuni attained Buddhahood [here].” So, that place was called a Bodhimanda. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha sat in the same way in the past.

The Brahma kings: Brahma can be translated as free of desire or as pure. It means that those heavenly kings are wondrous and perfect in body and mind. They do not lack awe-inspiring demeanor and are pure in upholding precepts. Additionally, they have a clear awakening, so they lead those in the Brahma heavens. In the Lotus Sutra, he is called the ruler of the Saha World. The great Brahma Sikhin is the lord of the great trichiliocosm.

“At this time, the Brahma kings….” Who were the Brahma kings? Brahma can be translated as “free of desire” or as “pure.” That is the meaning of Brahma kings. They are “wondrous and perfect in body and mind,” very dignified physically and mentally. Their minds are peaceful and perfect and “[did] not lack awe-inspiring demeanor.” They are very dignified, and their demeanor was not lacking “and are pure in upholding precepts.” They uphold all precepts. Additionally, they have a clear awakening. This Brahma King came to understand the principles and was able to “lead those in the Brahma heavens.” He leads those in the Brahma heavens. So, in the Lotus Sutra, there is such a passage that states, “[He is] the ruler of the Saha World. The great Brahma Sikhin is the lord of the great trichiliocosm.” It means “the ruler of the Saha World [is] the great Brahma Sikhin.” That is that Brahma king’s name

Trayastrimsa Heaven’s lord is Sakro-devanam Indra, but the lord of Brahma heavens is Sikhin. The great Brahma Sikhin is is the lord of the great trichiliocosm. In [Chinese tradition], there is the Jade Emperor and the God of the Three Courts. The Jade Emperor should be similar to Sakro-devanam Indra, while the God of the Three Courts should be like this great Brahma Sikhin, who is a Brahma king

“At this time, the Brahma kings rained down all kinds of heavenly flowers over an area of 100 yojanas. Drifting down from the heavens were celestial flowers of four forms, over an area of 100 yojanas on all four sides.”

Starting from the Introductory Chapter, there were many celestial flowers. “There fell from the heavens a rain of Mandarava [and] Manjusaka flowers.” Large and small varieties among the four kinds of flowers came from the heavens. Similarly here, these flowers of four forms fell from the heavens “over an area of 100 yojanas on all four sides.” These flowers fell from the heavens on four sides, meaning that as He sat at this place of enlightenment, on all four sides, fragrant flowers of four forms fell.

Not only were there flowers of four forms, but also “a fragrant breeze [that] arose at times to blow away the withered flowers”

A fragrant breeze arose at times to blow away the withered flowers while newer ones rained down: During this same period of time, a fragrant breeze would come and blow away the scattered flowers that had withered, as more fresh flowers rained down.

The flowers were falling from the sky, and after they fell and slowly withered, in the midst of this was a fragrant breeze that gently blew. This breeze that blew in was fragrant because all around were trees that bore flowers. As it blew the flowers, it became very fragrant. For [any flowers] that withered, a slight breeze would blow them away. Once these wilted flowers were blown away, new flowers would fall down again. This is such a beautiful scene! The fragrant breeze blows away the wilted flowers “while newer ones rained down. More fresh flowers rained down.” When these old flowers were blown away, fresh flowers rained down again. This is a very beautiful scene

“Continuing like this without interruption for a full ten small kalpas, they made offerings to that Buddha. Not yet revealing Himself as the Buddha, that Buddha sat for 10 kalpas. Heavenly beings constantly rained down flowers as offerings.”

These ten small kalpas were a very long time. Yet, we have not yet been able to converge with the true principles and True Suchness. During this time, in the surrounding conditions, the air was very good, whether rain fell or a fragrant breeze blew. In these conditions, fresh flowers rain down, old ones are blown away. Offerings are endlessly made by heavenly beings. This is the offering of the natural world.

“In the heavenly realm, the Buddha sat at His place of enlightenment.” In the form realm, or the realm of physical objects, or Brahma heavens, they “rained flowers to make offerings” until He entered Parinirvana.

This is an analogy for. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s time. In the process of His spiritual practice, He similarly had to be in natural conditions, this state of natural formations. He used this as an analogy. Material objects exist in the material world. The things you can see, conditions and objects, make up this world. The world a Brahma king rules is the natural world. What we refer to as the natural world is this realm.

Practitioners came to this place, which is the best for practicing; this is the place where He sat. In the great natural world, flowers floated down in the wind. In these conditions, with the fragrance of the flowers in the air, it should have been a very beautiful scene. Before this Buddha attained Buddhahood, He possessed this kind of mental state, and He understood all of the principles. What He still lacked was the principles behind. True Suchness, the natural world and all things. He had yet to converge with all of these. This was the only thing He lacked. But how could He comprehend these? What was still missing? While He was replete with the Dharma, He had to awaken His compassion and bring together His compassion and wisdom.

Wisdom is [knowing] the principles, and compassion is putting them into action. With compassion, He is willing to go among people. Wisdom is innately possessed principles. When compassion and wisdom converge, we will develop universal compassion. “With universal compassion for sentient beings, He widely transformed the world.” In the time of. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, He also cultivated compassionate contemplation. “He started to go among people” with this mindset. Similarly, Sakyamuni Buddha was waiting for His disciples to form such great aspirations and make great vows. He was also waiting for this mindset.

All in all, we humans innately have the place of practice at Vulture Peak within us. So, why should we look outside? We have to let this innate place of enlightenment truly show its ability to deliver sentient beings. This is our goal. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 987 – The Unhindered Application of the Three Wisdoms

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>> We intrinsically possess the three kinds of wisdom and the one mind. When the one mind is purified, the three kinds of wisdom are revealed. Subtle and wondrous, they are neither three nor one. They are both three and one, therefore they are wondrous. Their essence is perfect and complete, thus they are flawless. They can be applied everywhere, thus they are unhindered.

>> The three kinds of wisdom: The wisdom of all Dharma, the wisdom of enlightenment and all-encompassing wisdom.

>> The first of the Three Kinds of Wisdom: The wisdom of all Dharma. This is the wisdom of Hearers and Solitary Realizers. It is knowing that the universal state of all phenomena is the state of emptiness.

>> The second of the Three Kinds of Wisdom: The wisdom of enlightenment. This is the wisdom of Bodhisattvas. It is knowing all the differing kinds of teachings that lead to enlightenment.

>> The third of the Three Kinds of Wisdom: All-encompassing wisdom. This is the wisdom of the Buddha. Buddha-wisdom is perfect and clear all universal and differing phenomena. It encompasses all Dharma that can transform beings and eliminate delusions.

>> All matters and principles are inseparable from the one mind. Therefore, we need true faith in the one mind. This is the ultimate.

>> “In this way, one small kalpa and then ten small kalpas passed as he sat in the lotus position with body and mind unmoving. Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas still did not appear before him.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “At that time, heavenly beings from Trayastrimsa Heaven first, for the sake of that Buddha, set up a lion throne beneath the Bodhi-tree. The throne was one yojana in height. On this throne, that Buddha would attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> At that time, heavenly beings from Trayastrimsa Heaven: This is called the Heaven of the Thirty-three, second of the six heavens in the desire realm. It is located on the peak of Mt. Sumeru, 80,000 yojanas above the Saha World. The sentient beings in this heaven xare one yojana in height, with a lifespan of 1000 years 100 years in our world is one day and night for them.

>> First, for the sake of that Buddha: When Great Unhindered Buddha was about to attain enlightenment, the heavenly beings from Trayastrimsa prepared for that Great Unhindered Tathagata. Before He sat in the place of enlightenment, they first set up a throne beneath the Bodhi-tree.

>> [They] placed a lion throne. The throne was one yojana in height: The Buddha’s body was large, so the throne they set up was also spacious and grand. It was 40 li in height.

>> On this throne, that Buddha would attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: Heavenly beings set up a throne out of their wish to serve that Buddha. They invited Him to attain Bodhi on this throne. >> On this throne, that Buddha: This means since they had laid out the throne, they again expressed their wish that this Buddha would attain enlightenment on this throne. When any Buddha attains enlightenment, it is always the lord of the desire realm that sets up a throne. This is the routine.

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“We intrinsically possess the three kinds of wisdom and the one mind. When the one mind is purified, the three kinds of wisdom are revealed.
Subtle and wondrous, they are neither three nor one. They are both three and one, therefore they are wondrous.
Their essence is perfect and complete, thus they are flawless. They can be applied everywhere, thus they are unhindered.”

When we look at our mind, we see that we have always had the three kinds of wisdom and the one mind. We have always been replete with these. Once our mind becomes pure, the three kinds of wisdom will be revealed. When the Three Wisdoms are revealed, [we can see] how subtle and wondrous they are! The Buddha-nature that we all intrinsically have is neither three nor one, is both three and one. This is a very subtle and wondrous principle.

The one mind is the three kinds of wisdom, and the three kinds of wisdom return to the one mind; their wondrous essence is in perfect harmony. For the Buddha this is very clear, but for us ordinary people it is still confusing. So, in our spiritual practice, I hope we understand this very clearly. Whether with principles or matters, the wondrous essence can be perfect and complete, with matters and principles in perfect harmony. We continue this until our one mind is pure. When our one mind becomes pure, naturally we will be flawless in [our study of] all Dharma; none of the true principles will leak away. The true principles that are inherently within us will not leak away.

When it comes time to apply them, they can be used everyhere unhindered. This is what the Buddha attained, so He is called the Great Enlightened One; He has attained Buddhahood. The reason we are called unenlightened beings is that unenlightened beings are confused, very dazed and confused. We seem to know everything, yet when we face the matters of the world, we take issue over everything. We fight about who is right and who is wrong. We are always in conflict over right and wrong this is so taxing!

What are the three kinds of wisdom?

The three kinds of wisdom: The wisdom of all Dharma, the wisdom of enlightenment and all-encompassing wisdom.

The first of the Three Kinds of Wisdom: The wisdom of all Dharma. This is the wisdom of Hearers and Solitary Realizers. It is knowing that the universal state of all phenomena is the state of emptiness.

Of the three kinds of wisdom, the first is the wisdom of all Dharma. The wisdom of all Dharma is the wisdom of Hearers and Solitary Realizers, the knowing that the universal state of all phenomena is the state of emptiness.

Over the course of our spiritual practice, we first take the Buddha’s voice into our ears. However the Buddha teaches us, that is how we accept the teachings. We know the principles of the Dharma and understand everything about the world and suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. We “know that the universal state of all phenomena is the state of emptiness.” All suffering stems from the karmic forces of causes and conditions we face after creating them while in the midst of illusion. This is where ordinary people’s quarrels come from. Thus we continually, under the influence of ignorance, affliction and delusion, create more karma. As is always the case, everything passes and nothing remains, except for our karma. This is suffering. So it says, “The universal state of all phenomena is the state of emptiness.” Yet we still take issue over this emptiness. No matter how much wealth we have, “We cannot take anything with us when we die.” Isn’t this emptiness? If we can be clear about all things in the world, then from listening to the Dharma, we understand the impermanence of everything in the world. Thus, from the wisdom of Hearers we reach that of Solitary Realizer. This is the wisdom of all Dharma

The second of the Three Kinds of Wisdom: The wisdom of enlightenment. This is the wisdom of Bodhisattvas. It is knowing all the differing kinds of teachings that lead to enlightenment.

The second kind of wisdom is the wisdom of enlightenment. The wisdom of enlightenment is the wisdom of Bodhisattvas. The wisdom of Bodhisattvas is “knowing all the differing kinds of teachings that lead to enlightenment.”

Bodhisattvas understand everything about the world and also know that they must transform sentient beings. Not only do they know that all things are empty, that everything [happens] due to the law of karma, they also dedicate themselves to helping others [Understanding the law] of causes and conditions, they form good affinities with others, to have the affinities to transform others. By going among people, they experience all the different kinds of principles. With all of these different kinds of teachings, they must understand and analyze and try to overcome maras. If even the slightest of impurities is missed, then among the different teachings of the Path, they will still be slightly off in [understanding].

The third of the Three Kinds of Wisdom: All-encompassing wisdom. This is the wisdom of the Buddha. Buddha-wisdom is perfect and clear all universal and differing phenomena. It encompasses all Dharma that can transform beings and eliminate delusions.

The third is all-encompassing wisdom. This is not just the wisdom of all Dharma, but also the wisdom of enlightenment and all-encompassing wisdom, the three kinds of wisdom, together. This is the Buddha’s wisdom. “Buddha-wisdom is perfect and clear. With it one can understand all universal and differing phenomena. It encompasses all Dharma that can transform beings and eliminate delusions.” This is the wisdom of the Buddha. It is not merely the understanding of all worldly phenomena. With it one is also able to understand the afflictions of sentient beings and all kinds of principles. So, He had already completely understood all,

both universal phenomena, the state of all things in the world, and differing phenomena, the inner states of the world’s sentient beings, each of which is different. However many sentient beings there are is how many kinds of afflictions and ignorance there are. All are different, so how does the Tathagata go about transforming and delivering people? He transforms and delivers them in accordance with their capabilities. The Buddha did this in the world for over 40 years. All of these matters and principles are in fact inseparable from the one mind. The Dharma is fundamentally equal in all. The Buddha-mind is one, the Dharma is also one. The Buddha had only the one mind and worked for one great cause. All matters and principles are in the one mind.

All matters and principles are inseparable from the one mind. Therefore, we need true faith in the one mind. This is the ultimate.

So, “All matters and principles are inseparable from the one mind.” This is the Buddha-mind. “Therefore, we need true faith in the one mind.” This is the true ultimate wisdom.

We unenlightened beings are all different, with many discursive thoughts and afflictions. Now that we have encountered the Buddha-Dharma, we must [have faith]. When it comes to true principles, we must have “true faith in the one mind.” We must believe in this, for only this is the true ultimate wisdom.

So, these are the three kinds of wisdom. I hope that in all matters and all principles we are able to understand things clearly. Actually, from our distracted minds we can return to the one mind. We must believe in the true principles that the Buddha taught; then our compassion and wisdom can manifest. Only by cultivating contemplation will we be able to concentrate our minds. To truly put oneself in another’s shoes is truly the ultimate state of spiritual practice.

“One mind” is “a single thought.” In the Buddha’s every single thought, “The mind-nature is all-pervasive.” Our mind and our nature are truly all-pervasive. It is truly inconceivable! We are ordinary people yet it is possible to have this all-pervasiveness of mind. We have always had this [potential]. “This spirit reaches through the void unhindered.” Throughout the Dharma-realms of the universe, we can move smoothly and unhindered. When I tell you about Malaysia, your [thoughts] go to Malaysia. When I tell you about Nepal, your [thoughts] go to Nepal. They can connect to any place. When your thoughts spread, “They are all-pervasive; its spirit reaches through the void unhindered.” Bringing our thoughts back, they are the one mind.

This is our mind; there is only the one mind. Good and evil actions both come from the same mind. Afflictions and ignorance or wisdom and total understanding are also determined by this mind. So, everywhere in the sutras we see, “In the Three Realms there is no other Dharma; everything is created by the one mind.”

Everyone, the three kinds of wisdom and one mind were originally one, but in relation to matters are split into three. In relation to principles, they are singular. So, they are not one nor three, are both one and three. The three kinds of wisdom and the one mind, the one mind and the three kinds of wisdom, are fundamentally of one essence. How long have we had them? In fact, since before Beginningless Time, for many dust-inked kalpas. It is impossible to know how long it has been. We all inherently have the one mind and three kinds of wisdom. The three kinds of wisdom and the one mind are intrinsic to everyone.

So, the previous passage says, “In this way, one small kalpa and then ten small kalpas passed as he sat in the lotus position with body and mind unmoving. Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas still did not appear before him.”

In the past, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s lifespan was 540 trillion nayutas of kalpas. Everyone should remember this. “That Buddha had already sat in the place of enlightenment and destroyed the army of Mara.” Just how long did He “sit in the place of enlightenment”? He sat for one and then for ten small kalpas. This was His spiritual practice. “As he sat in the lotus position with body and mind unmoving,” the Dharma of all Buddhas still did not appear.

The next sutra passage then says, “At that time, heavenly beings from Trayastrimsa Heaven first, for the sake of that Buddha, set up a lion throne beneath the Bodhi-tree. The throne was one yojana in height. On this throne, that Buddha would attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

“At that time,” heavenly beings came from Trayastrimsa Heaven, also called the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the second of the six heavens in the desire realm. Beneath the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, beneath Trayastrimsa Heaven, is which heaven? The Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings. One day there is 50 years in the human realm. Above the Heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings lies Trayastrimsa Heaven. How long is one day there? One day there is 100 years in the human realm.

At that time, heavenly beings from Trayastrimsa Heaven: This is called the Heaven of the Thirty-three, second of the six heavens in the desire realm. It is located on the peak of Mt. Sumeru, 80,000 yojanas above the Saha World. The sentient beings in this heaven xare one yojana in height, with a lifespan of 1000 years 100 years in our world is one day and night for them.

So, lifespans in the Trayastrimsa Heaven are long. The lifespans of those living there are very long. People are also very tall there. So, that place is “80,000 yojanas above the Saha World. The sentient beings in this heaven are one yojana in height” ․At that time, heavenly beings from Trayastrimsa Heaven: This is called the Heaven of the Thirty-three, second of the six heavens in the desire realm. It is located on the peak of Mt. Sumeru, 80,000 yojanas above the Saha World. The sentient beings in this heaven xare one yojana in height, with a lifespan of 1000 years 100 years in our world is one day and night for them. Do you know how high one yojana is? It is 40 li. The heavenly beings there all grow so tall. This is not impossible. How big is an ant? They are just small creatures. Look how tall humans are [when compared to them]. So, if we compare humans to heavenly beings, then heavenly beings would be just that tall. Their lifespan there is 1000 years. It also says “100 years in our world is one day and one night for them” 100 years in our world is merely one night and one day for them

First, for the sake of that Buddha: When Great Unhindered Buddha was about to attain enlightenment, the heavenly beings from Trayastrimsa prepared for that Great Unhindered Tathagata. Before He sat in the place of enlightenment, they first set up a throne beneath the Bodhi-tree.

“First, for the sake of that Buddha,” refers to the time when. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha was about to attain enlightenment. Heavenly beings from the Trayastrimsa Heaven began to prepare the place of enlightenment for the sake of that Buddha. This place of practice under the Bodhi-tree is called the Bodhimanda. They set up a throne beneath the Bodhi-tree.

“Beneath the Bodhi-tree: All Buddhas in Their response-bodies attain Bodhi underneath a tree” Beneath the Bodhi-tree: All Buddhas in Their response-bodies attain Bodhi underneath a tree. Because in the causal ground, They give rise to Bodhicitta and engage in Bodhi-practices, They are like the seeds of the Bodhi-tree, whose roots, stems, branches and leaves gradually grow. Thus, the fruit They attain is reaching enlightenment beneath the tree. Every Buddha follows a pattern similar to this. They all sit beneath a tree, out in nature. In nature, amidst the mountains and rivers, and with a tree, when it is sunny, they have some shade. Therefore, He chose to sit beneath a Bodhi-tree to become one with nature. So, all Buddhas are the same.

[They] placed a lion throne. The throne was one yojana in height: The Buddha’s body was large, so the throne they set up was also spacious and grand. It was 40 li in height.

They “set up a lion throne beneath the Bodhi-tree.” Heavenly beings set up this throne. How tall was it? It was “one yojana in height.” We just mentioned how tall the bodies of heavenly beings are. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha was probably also this tall, so the throne which they set up would also have to be that tall. So, “The throne they set up.” So, “The throne they set up” “was also spacious and grand. It was 40 li in height.” It was one yojana. One yojana is 40 li. They set up such a tall chair.

The “lion throne” is the Buddha’s throne, the place where the Buddha would sit. It was in this place that. He could practice calm contemplation. By earnestly practicing calm contemplation there, all things and all principles of the world and all matters and principles of all things in the world became clear to Him.

On this throne, that Buddha would attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: Heavenly beings set up a throne out of their wish to serve that Buddha. They invited Him to attain Bodhi on this throne.

However, at the very end, sentient beings needed different teachings. Sentient beings’ mindsets are all different. What methods could He use to train them? This passage is very important. So, “On this throne, that Buddha would attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.” He was about to attain it. “Would attain” meant it would happen very soon, that He was almost there. The process of spiritual practice is a long one, and we must perfect and complete it. We understand matters and principles, but what about people’s minds? Most important in the Buddha-Dharma is dealing with and taming sentient beings, purifying and transforming sentient beings’ minds. This is the most important thing. On this throne, that Buddha would attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: Heavenly beings set up a throne out of their wish to serve that Buddha. They invited Him to attain Bodhi on this throne. So, “Heavenly beings set up a throne out of their wish to serve that Buddha.” They were very reverent, for that Buddha was about to attain Buddhahood. He would soon attain Buddhahood, so heavenly beings all came to make offerings. They “made offerings” for one worthy of offerings. Heavenly beings all came to make offerings and to set up the lion throne. “They invited Him to attain Bodhi on this throne.” It was there that they invited the Buddha to sit when He was about to attain Buddhahood.

On this throne, that Buddha: This means since they had laid out the throne, they again expressed their wish that this Buddha would attain enlightenment on this throne. When any Buddha attains enlightenment, it is always the lord of the desire realm that sets up a throne. This is the routine

“On this throne, that Buddha [was awakened].” It says, “Since they had laid out the throne, they again expressed their wish.” They were expressing their wish that the. “Buddha would attain enlightenment on this throne.” This is how these heavenly beings gave blessings, gave blessings to the Buddha, this practitioner, to sit upon that throne and quickly attain universal perfect enlightenment. “When any Buddha attains enlightenment, it is always the lord of the desire realm that sets up a throne.” This is because all Buddhas share the same path. When someone gets to that point in their spiritual practice, respects arises in heavenly beings and they set up a seat for him, a throne, as a way to make an offering of respect. This is when all [His practices] are about to become perfect and complete. His Buddha-wisdom was already complete.

So, in learning the Buddha-Dharma, we take the Dharma to heart and put it into practice. We cannot wait until attaining Buddhahood before we begin to transform sentient beings. Now is the time that we have thorough understanding of the principles, so now is the time that we must go among people to form good affinities, to understand the habitual tendencies of sentient beings, in all their varieties all of their kinds of ignorance and afflictions. We must seek to understand these. These are the three kinds of wisdom and the one mind, the one mind and the three kinds of wisdom. Let us always be mindful.

Episode 986 – Attain Buddhahood with Unmoving Body and Mind

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>> We must know that everyone intrinsically has a Great Unhindered Buddha. Shouldn’t we carefully reflect on ourselves to find the flawless Dharma? We can understand this pure, subtle and wondrous wisdom which is unobstructed and superior. This is what sentient beings intrinsically possess, from Beginningless Time to now.

>> “The Buddha told all the bhiksus that. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha had a lifespan of 540 trillion nayutas of kalpas. That Buddha had already sat in the place of enlightenment and destroyed the army of Mara.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> “He was about to attain. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, yet the Dharma of all Buddhas had not appeared before him.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> He was about to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: About to attain: He would soon attain it .

>> Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: This is the name of Buddha-wisdom; it means supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment It is the supreme wisdom of truly and impartially realizing all true principles.

>> Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas had not appeared before him: Having awakened to the Path, he could see the Dharma of all Buddhas close enough to be right in front of him. Yet there was still a little unrevealed. He was now about to attain it. Hence it says it had not appeared before him.

>> “In this way, one small kalpa and then ten small kalpas passed, as he sat in the lotus position with body and mind unmoving. Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas still did not appear before him.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> In this way, one small kalpa and then ten small kalpas passed: He went through such a long time, as one small kalpa and then ten small kalpas passed. After he destroyed Mara, this is how much time had passed.

>> He sat in the lotus position: This is to cross the legs and sit with them on top of each other. He sat in the lotus position: This is the Buddha’s sitting posture. It is to sit with legs crossed on the ground. There are two types of this posture: the subjugating maras posture and the auspicious posture.

>> He sat in the lotus position with body and mind unmoving: This means he did not leave the Bodhi-tree in performance of the great Avatamsaka.

>> Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas still did not appear before him: Despite long focusing his mind in stillness, he still had not achieved complete awakening and enlightenment. Hence it says it still did not appear before him.

>> In this way, Great Unhindered Buddha gave rise to compassionate contemplation on the meticulous methods to transform sentient beings. This refers to the present Buddha’s 21 days of contemplation, of wishing to transform all, which is in alignment with forming the aspirations of the [Four] Great Vows and [Four] Infinite Minds.

>> He attained true Bodhi and reached the other shore of true wisdom. He had already realized the essence and wondrous truth of all Buddhas’ wisdom. This is like how the present Buddha looked upon the morning star and in an instant His enlightened nature became one with the universe and all Dharma-realms. His nature had awakened to the truth.

>> He contemplated for 21 days: After, He attained Buddhahood. For 21 days, He observed the tree and practiced walking meditation, contemplating how to expound the wondrous Dharma to transform sentient beings.

>> “When I first sat in the place of enlightenment, I contemplated this tree and walked in meditation. For three periods of seven days, I thought over matters such as these. The wisdom which I achieved is foremost in its subtlety and wondrousness. But sentient beings have dull capacities, are attached to pleasures, blinded by delusion. When it comes to beings such as these, how can they possibly be transformed?”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 7 – On the Conjured City]

>> With body and mind unmoving: With body unmoving, one is awe-inspiring, tranquil and still. With mind unmoving, one tranquilly extinguishes deluded thoughts.

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“We must know that everyone intrinsically has a Great Unhindered Buddha.
Shouldn’t we carefully reflect on ourselves to find the flawless Dharma?
We can understand this pure, subtle and wondrous wisdom which is unobstructed and superior.
This is what sentient beings intrinsically possess, from Beginningless Time to now.”

Please be mindful. We must understand and know that everyone intrinsically has a Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha within, the Buddha-nature which has been present since Beginningless Time. We keep seeking outside of us, seeking that Buddha from so very long ago. How did He come to be awakened? How did He engage in spiritual practice in order to attain Buddhahood? It would be better for us to instead closely examine ourselves, to look inside ourselves and seek the flawless Dharma, the Buddha-nature we all intrinsically have.

Everyone has a Buddha-nature, which neither increases nor decreases and is equal to the Buddha’s. It is just that we have been deluded by ignorance. The true principles of the Buddha-Dharma, which are always deep inside us, have leaked away. This is because ignorance from the outside world continually covers us. So, let us earnestly and meticulously contemplate and work hard in the field of our minds. In the vast and borderless ground of the mind, we must earnestly seek and find our Buddha-nature, which is the same as Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s. If we can do this, “We can understand this pure, subtle and wondrous wisdom which is unobstructed and superior.” When “we can understand this pure, subtle and wondrous wisdom,” this very clean, subtle and wondrous wisdom, we understand everything without any obstruction. This [wisdom] is superior to all things, and we inherently possess it.

“This is what sentient beings intrinsically possess, from Beginningless Time to now.” This intrinsic nature has been inherent in us ever since Beginningless Time, since long ago in the distant past, for an extremely long time. To this day, it still exists in us. If we believe what the Buddha taught, we earnestly take the Dharma to heart, put the Dharma into practice and go among others to create good affinities, while at the same time observing the Bodhi-seeds that exist within sentient beings’ afflictions. People’s afflictions are Bodhi. Within every sentient being, there is intrinsic wisdom that is the same as the Buddha’s. So, it is by going among others that we see the appearances of sentient beings. It is among others that we can find that subtle and wondrous, that pure and wondrous wisdom. There is nowhere else we can find it. The ground of our mind exists everywhere. However vast space may be, our mind is equally as vast. Time, space and interpersonal relations are all inseparable from the fundamental essence of our awakened nature. Let us be a little bit more mindful. We ourselves possess infinite wealth. Let us not let it leak away.

The previous sutra passage says, “The Buddha told all the bhiksus that. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha had a lifespan of 540 trillion nayutas of kalpas. That Buddha had already sat in the place of enlightenment and destroyed the army of Mara.”

Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha had a lifespan of 540 trillion nayutas of kalpas, which is a very long time. As we explained yesterday, 500 represents the Five Realms, and 40 represents the four forms of birth. Why is Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s lifespan used as an analogy here? Actually, this is already very clear. All of us sentient beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature; it is just that for a very long time, for 540 trillion nayutas of kalpas, we have continually been reborn, remaining in the Five Realms and four forms of birth.

“That Buddha had already sat in the place of enlightenment and destroyed the army of Mara.” Actually, in everyone’s mind there is a place of enlightenment. We have just not yet destroyed the army of Mara. Many maras of afflictions are still within our minds.

The next sutra passage states, “He was about to attain. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, yet the Dharma of all Buddhas had not appeared before him.”
He had already been sitting in the place of enlightenment for a long time. He sat in the place of enlightenment, but still could not break through. The Buddha-Dharma still had not appeared because he had still not destroyed the maras. This is why we must be mindful.

He was about to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: About to attain: He would soon attain it .

When it says here, “He was about to attain. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, about to” means he was starting to attain it. “He would soon attain it.” It takes such a long time before we can be considered to have attained the Buddha-Dharma. For unenlightened beings like us, wandering in the Five Realms and four forms of birth, how many still have no means to even listen to the Buddha-Dharma? They do not know of the Buddha’s teachings. But we are very lucky; we have heard it. Not only have we heard it, we have also put it into practice in our actions. At this time we have encountered the Buddha-Dharma, and we are “about to” attain it. Thus it says “about to”; we are almost there. We have almost attained the Dharma. So, “Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi” means he was close to attaining Buddha-wisdom.

Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: This is the name of Buddha-wisdom; it means supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment It is the supreme wisdom of truly and impartially realizing all true principles.

Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi is supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment. It says, “He was about to attain. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi,” the supreme wisdom of truly and impartially awakening to all true principles. Everyone has this. The noble caste has this awakened understanding, as do the lower castes and the untouchables. Everyone has this enlightened nature. It is equally present in all sentient beings. Not only humans, but all animals, all in the Five Realms and four forms of birth, have this enlightened nature too. All are equal. This is viewing all with equal compassion. Viewing all equally with compassion is supreme wisdom. It is the true principle; it is supreme wisdom.

Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas had not appeared before him: Having awakened to the Path, he could see the Dharma of all Buddhas close enough to be right in front of him. Yet there was still a little unrevealed. He was now about to attain it. Hence it says it had not appeared before him.

“Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas had not appeared before him”.” Even after such a long time he had still not fully penetrated those principles. He had only come close to attaining them, but had not yet truly attained them. He had spent so much time seeking the Buddha-Dharma, but because of the maras, because he had not yet destroyed the army of Mara, therefore, “The Dharma of all Buddhas had not yet appeared before him.”

That is, “Having awakened to the Path, he could see the Dharma of all Buddhas, close enough to be right in front of him.” But he was still missing something. “There is still a little unrevealed.” He clearly knew, but still could not see it completely. There was a little bit unrevealed to him, which means “He was now about to attain it.” Now, sitting in the place of enlightenment, he had drawn very near to the Path. He just had not yet destroyed the army of Mara. He knew almost all of the principles, but there were still impurities in his mind. He was off by a bit because of these impurities, such as discursive thoughts. He had not completely eliminated the army of Mara.

The next sutra passage says, “In this way, one small kalpa and then ten small kalpas passed, as he sat in the lotus position with body and mind unmoving. Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas still did not appear before him.”

This went on for such a long time! He sat in the Bodhimanda, the place of awakening. One small kalpa passed and nothing manifested. Then ten small kalpas passed. From the first moments through the long kalpas, he spent such a long time, from one small kalpa through ten small kalpas. During this time, he was waiting until he could destroy Mara, which took him a long time.

In this way, one small kalpa and then ten small kalpas passed: He went through such a long time, as one small kalpa and then ten small kalpas passed. After he destroyed Mara, this is how much time had passed.

So, for such a long time, “He sat in the lotus position.” Do your legs hurt? Sitting for a long time hurts, but this is part of the process of spiritual practice. We still have those thoughts of “pain. How can my legs possibly hurt so much? Why is time passing so slowly?” This is what happens after a long time. To sit from the first kalpa to the tenth kalpa while in the lotus position would be truly tiring.

He sat in the lotus position: This is to cross the legs and sit with them on top of each other. He sat in the lotus position: This is the Buddha’s sitting posture. It is to sit with legs crossed on the ground. There are two types of this posture: the subjugating maras posture and the auspicious posture.

“He sat in the lotus position. This is to cross the legs and sit with them on top of each other.” This is called “sitting in the lotus position.” The legs are crossed and brought together, stacked upon each other. It is called “sitting in the lotus position.” The Buddha’s sitting posture is to sit with legs crossed. There are two types of this posture: the subjugating maras posture and the auspicious posture.

First taking the right leg and placing it upon the left, then taking the left leg and placing it on the right is called the “subjugating maras posture.” First taking the left leg and placing it upon the right leg is called the “auspicious posture.” These postures require us to put in our efforts.

He sat in the lotus position with body and mind unmoving: This means he did not leave the Bodhi-tree in performance of the great Avatamsaka.

So, “He sat in the lotus position with body and mind unmoving”. His body and mind were unmoving. This is “not leaving the Bodhimanda.” Beneath the Bodhi-tree, he remained in the Bodhimanda. He sat there ceaselessly contemplating the Dharma. Though he continuously contemplated the Dharma, “Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas still did not appear before him”

Yet the Dharma of all Buddhas still did not appear before him: Despite long focusing his mind in stillness, he still had not achieved complete awakening and enlightenment. Hence it says it “still did not appear before him.”

Although he mindfully sat in the lotus position like this, sitting in this great spiritual training ground, the Dharma still did not appear before him. “Despite long focusing his mind in stillness” means he had to settle his mind, yet “He still had not achieved [awakening].” He had not yet attained it. He knew almost all of the Dharma, but when it came to realization, he had yet to realize that awakened state “[Without] complete awakening and enlightenment, [it says] ‘still did not appear before him’.” He knew all of the Dharma, yet he still could not attain complete awakening and enlightenment. Therefore, it still did not appear before him. He knew all the Dharma but that instant of enlightenment had not yet arrived.

In this way, Great Unhindered Buddha gave rise to compassionate contemplation on the meticulous methods to transform sentient beings. This refers to the present Buddha’s 21 days of contemplation, of wishing to transform all, which is in alignment with forming the aspirations of the [Four] Great Vows and [Four] Infinite Minds.

So, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha “gave rise to compassionate contemplation”. After going through this, he continued contemplating there, and compassion began arising within him, thoughts of compassionate contemplation on the meticulous methods to transform sentient beings. How should he transform sentient beings? He considered it very carefully and meticulously. During this time, he had already begun caring about sentient beings.

This was just like the “21 days of contemplation, of wishing to transform all, which is in alignment with forming the aspirations of the [Four] Great Vows and [Four] Infinite Minds.” It was only then that this began. During this period of 21 days, the Buddha began to have a thought that resonated with the minds of all sentient beings. This is the [Four] Great Vows. The Four Great Vows and the Four Infinite Minds were what he then very meticulously began to consider.

He attained true Bodhi and reached the other shore of true wisdom. He had already realized the essence and wondrous truth of all Buddhas’ wisdom. This is like how the present Buddha looked upon the morning star and in an instant His enlightened nature became one with the universe and all Dharma-realms. His nature had awakened to the truth.

So, “He attained true Bodhi.” From this aspect, he kept on contemplating “and reached the other shore of true wisdom. He had already realized the essence and wondrous truth of all Buddhas’ wisdom”. From contemplation, He meticulously and thoroughly considered how He would arrive at that state. This was the present Sakyamuni Buddha. “This is like how the present Buddha looked upon the morning star.” Sakyamuni Buddha sat beneath the Bodhi-tree and saw the morning star. His mind was concentrated upon the earth’s sentient beings. Then “In an instant His enlightened nature became one with the universe and all Dharma-realms. His nature had awakened to the truth.” It was then that His mind really and truly, in the span of an instant, became one with the universe and pervaded all Dharma-realms. His realization was instantaneous. He saw the bright morning star and connected to it.

He contemplated for 21 days: After, He attained Buddhahood. For 21 days, He observed the tree and practiced walking meditation, contemplating how to expound the wondrous Dharma to transform sentient beings.

So, “He contemplated for 21 days. He attained Buddhahood.” And after that? “For 21 days, He observed the tree and practiced walking meditation.” He practiced walking meditation and contemplated how to teach the wondrous Dharma to transform sentient beings.

After His enlightenment, He decided to transform sentient beings. Whatever our spiritual practice is, in the end, we must still care for sentient beings. This was at the end [of His practice], when He realized how sentient beings suffered and used His compassion to engage in contemplation, considering how He could transform them. For 21 days, He observed the tree and practiced walking meditation. In the Bodhimanda, He still observed the tree and walked around the tree. He walked around and around it, contemplating how to teach the wondrous Dharma to transform and deliver sentient beings.

So, in the Chapter on Skillful Means there is this sutra passage. Do you all remember it?

“When I first sat in the place of enlightenment, I contemplated this tree and walked in meditation. For three periods of seven days, I thought over matters such as these. The wisdom which I achieved is foremost in its subtlety and wondrousness. But sentient beings have dull capacities, are attached to pleasures, blinded by delusion. When it comes to beings such as these, how can they possibly be transformed?”

This was in the Chapter on Skillful Means. We already chanted this sutra passage before, and we already listened to the explanation. We should all put our hearts into remembering this from the past, to remembering the Dharma we heard in the past

With body and mind unmoving: With body unmoving, one is awe-inspiring, tranquil and still. With mind unmoving, one tranquilly extinguishes deluded thoughts.

“With body and mind unmoving” means that with the body unmoving, “One is awe-inspiring, tranquil and still.” With the mind unmoving, “One tranquilly extinguishes deluded thoughts.” This is “with body and mind unmoving.”

Whatever spiritual practice we may engage in, let us practice until body and mind are unmoving. So, this is why we must learn the Buddha’s Way. We learn the Buddha’s Way for no other purpose but to learn how to focus our minds. We must constantly experience how the Buddha-nature never leaves us. Our wisdom comes from the knowledge we gain in daily living. If we can transform knowledge into wisdom, we can give while seeking nothing in return. In any time, in any space, when we are among people in the world, that is when our Great Unhindered. Wisdom Superior Buddha manifests. So, let us always be more mindful!