Category: TLS Chapter 1

Episode 94 – Practice the Six Perfections in All Actions

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>> We should always remain pure in our hearts as we practice giving to others. Applying purifying virtues and precepts will prevent and cure mental aberrations. [Thus, we can] endure all difficulties and all worldly pleasures.

>> Therefore, be focused, pure and undefiled to advance in the practice of myriad actions. Be meditative and uphold your vows to have. Right Thought, Mindfulness and Practice. With the Power of Samadhi, make great vows to practice giving to and benefitting others.

>> “I also see Bodhisattvas who renounce all frivolity and deluded kin to draw near to those with wisdom. [They] single-mindedly cast out confusion and collect their thoughts in the forests for tens of thousands of millions of years to seek the Buddha-way.”

>> “Or I see Bodhisattvas who, with delectable food and drink, and with hundreds of different medicinal broths, make offerings to the Buddha and the Sangha.”

>> “Fine robes and superior garments, valued in the millions, and even invaluable robes, are offered to the Buddha and the Sangha [along with] a million different kinds of precious dwellings of sandalwood.”

>> “Many wonderful beddings and furnishings are offered to the Buddha and the Sangha. Clean and pure gardens and groves with abundant flowers and fruits, and flowing springs and bathing ponds, are offered to the Buddha and the Sangha. Offerings such as these, of many varieties, and extremely fine, are given joyously and tirelessly as they seek the unsurpassed way.”

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As we learn the Buddha’s teachings, [we must practice mindfulness].

We should always remain pure in our hearts as we practice giving to others. Applying purifying virtues and precepts will prevent and cure mental aberrations. [Thus, we can] endure all difficulties and all worldly pleasures.

Learning the Buddha’s teachings truly means taking good care of our hearts. Even the slightest defilement or craving must not be allowed to contaminate our hearts. Therefore, when we practice giving, we should do so without attachments. These are the necessary conditions for. Bodhisattva-practitioners.

To be among people in this world, to continually benefit others and to give with a sense of undefiled Great Love, we must be courageous. If we give without being diligent, or if we have diligence but not courage, then it is difficult to be free of attachments and have a pure heart. “We should always remain pure in our hearts” so our hearts will reach a state in which virtue can manifest. Virtue is what we attain by doing and the essence of what we have accumulated. That is called virtue. Otherwise, [we find that] “Forming an aspiration is easy,” [while] “persevering in it is hard.” Giving is easy, but to do so unconditionally is difficult.

In the Sutra of 100 Parables, there is a story that illustrates this. Once, there was a person who was pulling a large cart. As he was climbing a hill, he could not pull [the cart] up. The cart was heavy and the road was steep, so he could not haul it up. Just then, two people happened to be passing by, so the person pulling the cart said to them, “Please, com help me push this up. Please, come help me push this up.” One of them replied, “If I help you, what will you give me?” The person pulling the cart then answered, “Nothing;” he had nothing to give. But these two people still hurried to help him push the cart up to level ground. One of the two people then said to the person pulling the cart, “Come, didn’t you say you will give me something?” He said, “Indeed, here is nothing.” That person then said, “No-thing is still something. Nothing must be something.” The person pulling the cart then said, “I already told you, [I have] nothing.”

One of the two people gave the other a relaxed smile. He said to his companion who kept asking, “I am telling you, he does not have anything to give us. Why must you stubbornly demand it from him?” But this person was very stubborn. “He speaks of ‘no thing,’ but no-thing is still some-thing. How can I not demand it from him?” But the other one who also pushed the cart explained to him, “’No-thing’ is a false name, it is illusory ‘No’ and ‘thing’ together form a false name. Why take issue over an illusion?”

Even though this passage in the sutra is very simple, it contains true principles. In the Diamond Sutra, the Buddha also says, “The mind should act without forming any attachments.” Doesn’t this describe us ordinary people? According to these principles, our hearts should be free of attachments, but we insist on giving rise to such thoughts. Don’t we always talk about how thoughts arise, abide, change and cease? In the minds of ordinary beings, a thought of diligence may arise. So, we begin to work hard and are diligent, yet not long after, [this thought] changes. “The aspiration that I formed in the past may need to be reconsidered.” This is the change. Then, after more time passes, the thought ceases. This thought, this aspiration, abides for only a short period of time. After abiding, it changes, and after changing, it ceases.

So, for us ordinary beings, “Forming an aspiration is easy,” but “persevering in it is hard.” We give, but we always want something in return. This kind of craving and desire easily unsettles our will to practice. So, impure things can easily defile a pure heart. But eliminating ignorance and bringing purity to our defiled hearts is not easy. So, when we learn the Buddha’s teachings, this is where the difficulty lies.

We should know that everything in this world is an illusion; since they are illusory, why do we take issue over them? Practitioners with no attachments will not take issue over anything. We engage in spiritual practice to become peaceful and at ease. This is how we can be liberated from life and death. When can we be liberated from cyclic existence? Right at this moment. When our hearts are constantly free of attachments, that sense of peace and freedom is called liberation. Being liberated begins with having purifying precepts and virtues.

Precepts and virtues prevent and cure mental aberrations. Only precepts can guard against wrongs and stop evil. Then with each thought that arises, we will not be defiled by desire or ignorance. We have aspired to engage in spiritual practice, whether as monastic or lay practitioners. As monastics, we must remain pure for our whole lives. Our bodies and minds must not be defiled. Lay practitioners have to uphold the ten precepts and practice the ten good deeds. If we do this, we can avoid crossing the boundaries of propriety. Thus, precepts and virtues are naturally purifying.

A pure heart is [achieved through] monastic practice of the mind and body. Take our lay monastic practitioners for example. Though they have the appearance of laypeople, they have the heart of a monastic. Their mindset is the most important thing. Thus, their hearts can also attain a state free of hindrances and obstacles. Without any other attachments or burdens, their minds can be free of all disturbances. Thus, precepts can protect us. So, we can “be patient through all difficulties and all worldly pleasures.” Courage is required to endure and persevere, even when things are difficult.

Previously, in discussing the Water Repentance, didn’t I speak of “Tathatagas in bonds”? Ordinary people intrinsically have Buddha-nature. But passions, cravings and desires bind them. Eliminating those bonds is not easy. So, we must endure these tests of passions and cravings; we must continue even when things are difficult. Therefore, “we can endure all difficulties and worldly pleasures.” All the enjoyment in this world, this kind of lavishness and extravagance, is as fleeting and ephemeral as smoke. After enjoyment passes, sorrow follows. So, when spiritual practitioners are faced with worldly pleasures, they are not influenced by them at all. With precepts and virtues, our hearts are very disciplined, and we are not moved by those things.

Therefore, be focused, pure and undefiled to advance in the practice of myriad actions. Be meditative and uphold your vows to have. Right Thought, Mindfulness and Practice. With the Power of Samadhi, make great vows to practice giving to and benefitting others.

“Be focused, pure and undefiled.” To be focused means to be free of distractions. To advance is to move forward without hindrance. So, we advance in the practice of all actions. We often say, “Actualize the Six Perfections in all actions.” To actualize the Six Perfections, we must practice myriad actions. Whatever we do, we must be able to give without hindrance, which is to actualize the Six Perfections in all actions.

“Be meditative and uphold your vows to have. Right Thought, Mindfulness and Practice.” We must practice meditation, but not just sitting meditation. We practice to always be in a state of Samadhi. In our daily living, we must work on upholding our vows to have Right Thoughts, Mindfulness and Practice. We must constantly have Right Thoughts. Whether we have Right Thoughts, Right Mindfulness or Right Practice, they all fall under meditative thinking and the Eightfold Noble Path.

“With the Power of Samadhi, [we] make great vows to practice giving and benefitting others.” These are the true principles contained in the Lotus Sutra. All the Buddha wanted is for us to give without asking for anything in return. Our hearts must manifest precepts and virtues. So, aside from giving, upholding precepts and being patient, we also need to be diligent. This way we can attain Samadhi and wisdom. Then we can freely and easily actualize the Six Perfections in all actions. This is what we have to practice.

So, the Lotus Sutra states,

“I also see Bodhisattvas who renounce all frivolity and deluded kin to draw near to those with wisdom. [They] single-mindedly cast out confusion and collect their thoughts in the forests for tens of thousands of millions of years to seek the Buddha-way.”

Frivolity refers to things that make our hearts scattered and confused. When we encounter temporary worldly pleasures and stay to enjoy them, then we are certainly scattering and confusing our minds. This is called lack of restraint.

Our mindset must “renounce all frivolity and deluded kin.” Some people will use love to bind us; these are called “deluded kin.” So, deluded kin cause us to become afflicted. Ordinary people in this world do not seek to be free of the five desires. If we willingly immerse ourselves in the five desires, then we cannot be liberated. Therefore, we should leave behind these five kinds of worldly desires. So, a Bodhisattva’s mind must uphold precepts. To avoid becoming scattered and confused, we must collect our thoughts. We have to work on focusing our mind and not allow ourselves to become unrestrained. This is how we practice Samadhi.

Next, it states,

“Or I see Bodhisattvas who, with delectable food and drink, and with hundreds of different medicinal broths, make offerings to the Buddha and the Sangha.”

We have to always give by reverently making offerings. The Four Offerings include clothing, food, bedding, etc. [Creating] clean and pure surroundings is another way to give.

Consider our volunteer Bodhisattvas. In the hospital, when we help patients bathe we say, “We are bathing the Buddha.” Even when we clean the homes of those suffering from poverty and hardship, when we bathe them and cut their hair, we see them with our intrinsic Buddha-nature and therefore, everyone is a Buddha.

When we practice in a monastery and embrace this spirit, we are making offerings to Buddhas of clothing, food, bedding and conduct. So, we must not think, “The Buddha is no longer here; how do I make offerings to Him and the Sangha? He is in everyone’s intrinsic nature.” Every person is a spiritual practitioner and worthy of our reverence. We can use everything around us to make offerings. This is all possible.

“Fine robes and superior garments, valued in the millions, and even invaluable robes, are offered to the Buddha and the Sangha [along with] a million different kinds of precious dwellings of sandalwood.”

These examples encourage everyone to mindfully give away all kinds of subtle and wondrous things. We do so happily, unconditionally and without desires. By giving in this way every day, we are also happy; this is the unsurpassed Way. We must not think, “These actions are ordinary, is it really the unsurpassed way?” Yes, it is; by giving willingly, [we have] no attachments or hindrances. Thus, we can benefit everyone, and everyone is happy. Isn’t this the case? So, when we happily, tirelessly and continuously give, we are giving out of our spiritual joy.

“Many wonderful beddings and furnishings are offered to the Buddha and the Sangha. Clean and pure gardens and groves with abundant flowers and fruits, and flowing springs and bathing ponds, are offered to the Buddha and the Sangha. Offerings such as these, of many varieties, and extremely fine, are given joyously and tirelessly as they seek the unsurpassed way.”

Our lives cannot be separated from the four necessities. The four necessities include clothing. As monastics, naturally we have to look the part. The clothing that we regularly wear allows others to know, as soon as they see us, that we are dignified and transcendent monastics. We need to care for ourselves, and our appearance also needs to be very proper. See how orderly everyone looks with their Buddhist robes worn neatly. This is about our clothing.

Though we are engaging in spiritual practice, we still need a place to work and rest. In the Buddha’s lifetime, when the Sangha was first established, they simply slept under trees. [But to them, it was] wonderful bedding. If their hearts are clean and pure, sleeping on the ground is like being in heaven. If spiritual practitioners’ hearts are content, anything is wonderful bedding to them. If we feel very content; even if we sleep on the ground, it feels like heaven. If we are not content, even the most expensive [bedding] will not satisfy us.

Regarding the environment in which we live, we must be very content. As for our bedding and the place where we sleep, we have to look at them and say, “We are very blessed. This bedding is wonderful.” Consider those who are impoverished or ill. What are their surroundings like? When we are close to the place where we rest, we have to be very satisfied about our wonderful bedding. We need to apply this state of mind toward the four necessities.

Among ourselves, we need to be grateful to each other for this environment. This is our offering to one another. We need to be grateful that so many people make offerings and contribute to the abode. If we have this mindset, flowers and fruits will flourish in our surroundings, and every place will be very orderly and clean. Truly, in our daily living, we must always feel a sense of gratitude, a sense of great contentment and no expectations.

All our spiritual states fall within the Ten Dharma-Realms. Which state do we choose? Is it the state of Buddhahood, of Bodhisattvas, of solitary realizers or of Arhats? Everyone, [we must all consider] our mindsets. Even if all phenomena are always of one nature, what mindset do we use to face each of them? So, we must always be very mindful.

Episode 93 – Illuminating the Intrinsic Nature of Our Minds

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>> To attain thorough faith and understanding is to know that the 18,000 lands all exist in the state of our minds. When we clearly see our intrinsic nature, we take refuge in the Land of Calm Illumination. The light between the Buddha’s brows illumines all ten directions, throughout the Three Periods of Time.

>> In the Dharma-realms of living beings and Buddhas, all worldly appearances are of one nature. Good or evil, noble or vile are small differences that can cause great divergences.

>> “I also see Bodhisattvas, quiet, still and solemn. Though honored by heavenly beings and dragons, they did not take it as a cause for joy.”

>> “I also see Bodhisattvas dwelling in forests and radiating light, relieving those suffering in hell, and leading them into the Buddha-way.”

>> “I also see the Buddha-children, who do not sleep and practice walking meditation in the forest to diligently seek the Buddha-way.”

>> “I also see those who follow precepts and are flawless in demeanor, who are as pure as precious pearls, and thus they seek the Buddha-way.”

>> Next, “I also see Buddha-children abiding in the strength of patience. When those with overbearing arrogance maliciously rebuke and beat them, they are able to endure it all. Thus, they seek the Buddha’s Way.”

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In learning the Buddha’s Way, we have to be mindful. We must have thorough faith and discernment. “Faith is the source of the Way, mother of merits.” ․We have to have deep faith in the Buddha’s compassion and wisdom. We have to have deep faith in the true principles of the world He taught. Not only must we have deep faith, We must not only have deep faith but thorough comprehension as well. So, if we have thorough faith and understanding, then we can know that the 18,000 lands are all beautiful states of the mind. Don’t we learn the Buddha’s teachings so that we can reach these states?

At the beginning of the Lotus Sutra, there is a description of the assembly. After expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, the Buddha went into meditation. A ray of light from the tuft of white hair between. His eyebrows illuminated 18,000 worlds. These 18,000 lands express the beautiful states of mind in all people. If all can deeply comprehend the Buddha-Dharma, if they can accept the teachings He expounded, they will comprehend His [original] intent.

So, the light from between the Buddha’s brows helps us thoroughly understand the conditions we come in contact with. Some people could only accept the skillful means of the past. They could understand the law of karma, which the Buddha had taught before, while other people’s minds were more advanced. By thoroughly understanding the law of karma, they grasped the inherent emptiness of all things. Subsequently, they comprehended that in our lives within the Six Realms, “all things are created by the mind. All Buddhas of the Three Periods [know that] all things are created by the mind.”

We have to know that sentient beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature. If we eliminate all afflictions, what remains is our true and pure intrinsic nature. This wondrous existence, this Buddha-nature, remains. With this true and pure cause, which is everyone’s intrinsic Buddha-nature, the effect will also be true and pure. This is a subtle, wondrous and clear principle. This kind of truth and purity is everlasting, non-arising and non-ceasing. It is not [a principle of] emptiness that denies the law of karma, nor is it bound by the Six Realms and entangled by karmic conditions. It is none of that.

So, we must clearly understand that the 18,000 lands refer to every person’s state of mind. Each of us needs to understand that what the Buddha wants to show us is that we all have this clear intrinsic nature. This light helps everyone clearly realize that they need to direct their minds toward the Land of Calm Illumination. The Land of Calm Illumination is the non-arising, non-ceasing. Buddha-nature intrinsic in everyone, which is “tranquil and clear, with vows as vast as the endless void.” This sense of steadfastness [is part of] our intrinsic nature.

To attain thorough faith and understanding is to know that the 18,000 lands all exist in the state of our minds. When we clearly see our intrinsic nature, we take refuge in the Land of Calm Illumination. The light between the Buddha’s brows illumines all ten directions, throughout the Three Periods of Time.

The ten directions that are illuminated are the eight compass directions, above and below. We can also understand this as the dimension of space, where no place is without illumination. Next, “through the Three Periods of Time” refers to the dimension of time, past, present and future.

Whether extending into the past, present or future, or across the vast universe, the Buddha’s wisdom is unhindered. Where is the hindrance? We unenlightened beings hinder ourselves. So, the Buddha must use many kinds of methods to teach us so that everyone can clearly understand. Because the Buddha is compassionate and patient, sentient beings have time to accept the teachings. But time flies quickly, like an arrow. In the human realm, the Buddha had already spent over 40 years expounding the Dharma, and He could wait no longer. So, He began carrying out His original intent. In this Dharma-assembly, He began to expound the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, which contains worldly wisdom. Then, He meditated, manifesting appearances of miraculous transformation to help quiet everyone’s minds.

[The light from] between His brows also represented the Middle Way and the discussion of emptiness and existence. With true emptiness and wondrous existence, we cannot be biased toward either. [His teaching] at this time was in the middle. So, light from the middle of His brows indicates that He was teaching the Middle Way and skillful means were a thing of the past. Whether He taught emptiness or existence, He did so according to people’s capabilities. Now, He was about to carry out. His original intent of teaching the true Dharma. So, from between His eyebrows, the Buddha radiated light from a tuft of white hair. We must all mindfully seek to comprehend the atmosphere of this Dharma-assembly.

So, “in the Dharma-realms of living beings and Buddhas, all worldly appearances are of one nature.” These Dharma-realms refer to the Ten Dharma-realms. The Ten Dharma-realms are Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas and Hearers, along with the heaven, human, asura, hell, hungry ghosts and animal realms. Altogether, there are ten states.

Can we experience the state of the Buddha-mind, the Buddha’s wisdom and Bodhisattvas’ compassion? [Can we grasp] how Pratyekabuddhas observe the environment to realize this world’s impermanence? [Meanwhile], Hearers listen to the Dharma and gain realizations from [His] voice. These are the various states. As we seek the Buddha-Dharma, exactly which state are we in? Which Dharma-realm?

Perhaps it is the heaven (realm), where we enjoy heavenly blessings and live in a state of happiness. Perhaps we seek blessed retributions as humans, or, perhaps we are like asuras, blessed, yet we do not see our blessings and often give rise to anger and resentment. Perhaps we are in the hell realm, the hungry ghost realm or the animal realm, and so on. Really, what is our state of mind? Which Dharma-realm are we in contact with now?

Actually, we are all dealing with phenomena. Whether in the state of sentient beings or of Buddhas, all phenomena are always of one nature. We are continually dealing with phenomena that undergo birth, aging, illness and death, formation, existence, decay and disappearance or arising, abiding, changing and ceasing. They keep going through these kinds of cycles.

“Good or evil, noble or vile are small differences that can cause great divergences.” In the Ten Dharma-realms, though all phenomena are of one nature, they nonetheless all fall within the range of good and evil, noble and vile. Our good deeds are virtuous Dharma, evil deeds are negative phenomena; good deeds beget good retributions, evil deeds beget evil retributions. Thus, with every day and every moment spent within the beginning and ending phenomena, only a slight deviation will cause us to go far off course; this hinges on a single thought. So, in our daily living, we truly have to be very mindful.

In the Dharma-realms of living beings and Buddhas, all worldly appearances are of one nature. Good or evil, noble or vile are small differences that can cause great divergences.

Therefore, the sutra states,

“I also see Bodhisattvas, quiet, still and solemn. Though honored by heavenly beings and dragons, they did not take it as a cause for joy.”

Bodhisattva-minds are quiet, still and solemn; theirs minds have to be free of defilements. We must eliminate ignorance so our minds can be “quiet, still and solemn,” which is a very peaceful state. After spiritual practitioners help others and are “honored by heavenly beings and dragons,” they do “not take it as cause for joy.” If we do a small good deed or become firmer in our morality, and everyone praises us, what is there to feel happy about? This is a spiritual practitioner’s core duty. Giving unconditionally is also a fundamental responsibility.

So, praise does not make Bodhisattvas joyful, nor does slander anger them; this is the virtue of wisdom. We do not become joyful just because people praise us. When people dislike and slander us, we do not regress in our spiritual aspirations. Our minds are forever still and calm.

Next, [it says],

Next, it states,

“I also see Bodhisattvas dwelling in forests and radiating light, relieving those suffering in hell, and leading them into the Buddha-way.”

So, a Bodhisattva’s mind must always stay pure, and they are always willing to remain still. When you tell people, “Do good deeds,” some are willing. When you say, “Be still in a simple environment,” many people find that difficult. “My life is so colorful and exciting. If you ask me to stay in a monotonous place where nothing is happening, I cannot do that.” So they are not willing to remain still, which can also be very taxing.

However, even while we are in action, our minds can remain in a state of stillness. Our minds are still very vibrant. Our nature is intrinsically still, quiet and bright. Our minds can take refuge in the Land of Calm Illumination. So, Bodhisattvas dwelling in forests emit light. Though they are in a very quiet place, their virtue is still able to influence others. Just by sitting there, without talking, the sight of them makes people feel happy and able to quiet their minds. Since Bodhisattvas’ every movement is calm, people who see them can also quiet down their minds, even in moments when afflictions arise. This is called a virtuous appearance. The radiated light is [a sign of] their virtue. It already affects the minds of others, “relieving those suffering in hell and leading them onto the Buddha-way.” These realms, whether hell, hungry ghost or animal, are all states of mind. So, of these ten Dharma-realms, do we want to be in the realm of Buddhas, the realm of Bodhisattvas or the realm of Hearers or Pratyekabuddhas? Our minds can choose the realm we want to be in. But, if we do not manage this state of mind well, it is possible that even when we are among humans, our minds may be in the hell, hungry ghost, animal or maybe even the asura realms. So, we need to remain in this tranquil state and elevate our virtue of wisdom.

So, radiating light and relieving suffering are [signs of] Bodhisattvas’ compassion. Because Bodhisattvas are compassionate, they cannot bear for sentient beings to suffer. So, Bodhisattvas are able to relieve sentient beings’ suffering.

The above summarizes, sequentially, the principles of how Bodhisattvas follow the Six Paramitas.

Next, it states,

“I also see the Buddha-children, who do not sleep and practice walking meditation in the forest to diligently seek the Buddha-way.”

Here, diligence is described. We should realize we must cherish our time. Every day we get up, and time flies just as quickly as an arrow. In the morning, we hear drums and bells. In that moment, it is not yet light out. As we sit here motionlessly, the sky has already brightened. This is called time. Time passes by silently and continuously. Since time continues to pass, we have to cherish it and focus on receiving the Dharma.

We come to this place early in the morning, before sunrise. For what? For wisdom-life. Therefore, we must cherish time; it is more important than cherishing life. For those who sleep in, their time fades away. Those who are here are focused and advancing; they are developing their wisdom-life. So, time is more important than life. Having focus means not having discursive thoughts. Wholehearted concentration is the way to advance. The way forward waits for no one. So, diligently seeking the way to enlightenment is how we should make use of our time.

Next,

“I also see those who follow precepts and are flawless in demeanor, who are as pure as precious pearls, and thus they seek the Buddha-way.”

We must all understand and quickly follow the precepts; the precepts guard against wrongs and stop evils, so we must respect them. Those who are disciplined will have a very dignified demeanor. They are as pure as pearls and will not be defiled. So, the precepts can ensure that we will always be [born into] the human and heaven realms, or [born as] Three Vehicle-practitioners. The Great Vehicle, Middle Vehicle and. Small Vehicle are the Three Vehicles. Because we follow precepts, we understand that we need to do more than respect the law of karma; we must also eliminate the hindrances in our minds. Thus, when we follow precepts, [we become] “as pure as precious pearls.”

Next, “I also see Buddha-children abiding in the strength of patience. When those with overbearing arrogance maliciously rebuke and beat them, they are able to endure it all. Thus, they seek the Buddha’s Way.”

This shows the attitude of patience. Those who claim to have attainment but do not, or claim to have more than they do, are called those with overbearing arrogance. When those with overbearing arrogance make even a slight effort, they believe, “I have already achieved a lot, I understand a lot. I have also done a lot.” Actually, they have only started on the path, and having just begun, they do not have much understanding, [despite] having overbearing arrogance. Just think, those like this have already hindered themselves.

Fellow Bodhisattvas, we are already committed to being Bodhisattvas; we want to achieve deep comprehension. We have to know that walking the Bodhisattva-path is impossible without the Six Perfections. So, we practice giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, (Samadhi and wisdom). We must make great efforts to comprehend. Learning the Buddha’s teachings requires us to learn about our states of mind. The wisdom of the Buddha has illuminated this, but are we receptive to it? When we are able to receive it, it is because of the Buddha’s universal compassion. In the past, present and future, He endlessly comes to this world out of compassion solely to spread His wisdom to all places in the human realm. But people hinder themselves with greed, anger, ignorance and other delusions. When greed, anger and ignorance are eliminated, then the mind is free of hindrances and the Buddha’s wisdom can illuminate it. So, everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 92 – Causes and Conditions for Entering the Way

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>> Having faith in, understanding and upholding diligent practices is the Bodhisattva-path. When adverse or favorable conditions manifest, one can be courageous and decisive. Therefore, having faith in, understanding and practicing diligence is the cause and condition for entering the Way.

>> Having faith in, understanding and practicing. Samadhi is entering the Bodhisattva-path. Upholding our vows and practicing untiringly is having Samadhi. Upholding our vows is the cause and condition for entering the Way.

>> So, “wisdom is the Bodhi-path. This is the path to clear understanding, so wisdom is the cause and condition for entering the path.”

>> “I also see Bodhisattvas with the peace of Dhyana, palms pressed together with 1000 or 10,000 verses, they sing the praises of the King of Dharma.”

>> Next, “I also see Bodhisattvas of profound wisdom and solid resolve, who are able to question all Buddhas and accept and retain all they have heard.”

>> Next, “I also see Buddha-sons with perfect wisdom and Samadhi. With infinite analogies, they expound the Dharma to the assembly. Joyfully, they preach the Dharma to transform all Bodhisattvas. They defeat the troops of Mara and beat the Dharma-drum.”

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I often say, “Faith is the source of the Way, the mother of merits. It nurtures all roots of goodness.” To develop our wisdom-life, we must begin with “faith,” and we have to have “understanding.” We need to “have faith and understanding.” We need to have solid faith and a deep and profound understanding. If we have these, then we can diligently advance.

Time flies like an arrow; it truly passes very quickly. Our diligent practice must be even quicker than time, since, in our short human lifespan, we live in a state of impermanence. So, we must be diligent.

So, “Having faith in, understanding and upholding diligent practices is the Bodhisattva-path.” Those who can [practice] diligently are already on the Bodhisattva-path. We have to seize the moment. Once we choose to do the right thing, we have to seize and preserve that resolve forever. After we develop this aspiration, it has to remain very solid, starting from now all the way through endless future lifetimes. To always hold firm to this aspiration is called preserving that resolve forever. Therefore, whether adverse or favorable conditions manifest, we can always be courageous and resolute. To be resolute means to be firm in our decision and never waver in our spiritual aspiration.

I often say, “Forming aspirations is easy, persevering in them is hard.” This is the key problem in spiritual practice. Worldly traps and desires are everywhere, thus ordinary people are easily affected by worldly desires. So even if faith arises, when conditions appear, it declines again. So, we must be solid in this aspiration and unwavering in our commitment to our mission. No matter what conditions appear, “having faith in, understanding and practicing diligence is the cause and condition for entering the Way.” Whenever we face circumstances, we still resolutely have faith and understanding. Our faith is deep. We need to have a deep and resolute faith, which is the cause and condition for us to diligently enter the Way.

Having faith in, understanding and upholding diligent practices is the Bodhisattva-path. When adverse or favorable conditions manifest, one can be courageous and decisive. Therefore, having faith in, understanding and practicing diligence is the cause and condition for entering the Way.

We want to enter the path to Buddhahood, the awakened path of Bodhi; [whether we can do so] depends on us. We cannot lack the cause and condition of diligence. Next, “having faith in, understanding and practicing Samadhi” means that after having faith in and understanding diligence, we must also practice Samadhi. Only with diligence can we enter Samadhi. In the past, people said that carrying water and firewood is also meditation. True Samadhi is not sitting in quiet meditation; it is about having a mind that is unaffected by external conditions. So, no matter what circumstance appears, our states of mind remain unmoved. This is what we call Samadhi. With Right Understanding and Right View, we “uphold our vows and practice untiringly.” We begin to properly uphold our vows and work on our practice. Everything in this universe, every state, is a wondrous truth. Consider any condition. As long as we are mindful, we can see its wondrous truth.

When adults educate children in Malaysia, at what age do they begin? At the age of four. Can children as young as three or four understand what is said? They do understand! Often, deep principles are used to educate these children. Look at how these very young children can accept and practice the Dharma and uphold the vegetarian precept. They start with a piece of paper. They simply let the children draw on it. Then they say, “Since you used it, you need to know its origin.” With this, they begin the children’s lesson on nature.

[First,] the children stand under the bright sun, and sweat. Then [the teachers] bring them under a tree. “Is it cool [here]? It’s very cool! Standing under the sun was very hot! Should we be grateful for this tree? Yes, we should be grateful! If we are grateful, we must love this tree. Do you love it? We love it! Why do you love it? Because we are grateful. Since we feel gratitude and love, let us hug the tree.” The children and teacher hold hands and hug it. As they hug the tree, they touch and cherish it.

The teacher then asks, “What happens if this tree is cut down?” The children then ask, “Why will it be cut down? Why will it be taken away? Because we need to make paper. Paper is made from trees?” The teacher begins applying wisdom to guide the children to feel connected to the tree. After their feelings develop, the children know that if humans cut it down, the water and land will not be preserved. When the tree is there, it absorbs the rainwater, its roots can protect the earth, and rain can enter the earth’s water ways. When such profound principles are in the children’s hearts, they can grasp [these connections] one by one.

Though children are naive, their hearts are very pure. They understand, so when they hear the tree is to be cut down, they become saddened. The teacher says to them, “The tree is cut down to make paper. How do you normally use paper?” They can even be taught to make paper, so they know that making paper is very difficult, so when now they use paper, they realize how they have been wasting it. See, using this method on three- or four-year-old children helps them understand profound and wondrous principles.

In other words, when we engage in spiritual practice, the Buddha also teaches us in a similar fashion. He uses very subtle principles to guide us. He teaches us that these subtle principles contain something wondrous. Even with very tiny things, He uses the most wondrous principles to explain them to us. So, we cannot underestimate small things. Some small things are so small that our eyes cannot see them. Yet, the Buddha can use more apparent things to slowly guide us to penetrate the very minute, subtle things that we cannot see but still contain principles. This is the Buddha’s wisdom.

Thus, we must practice diligently, “upholding our vows and practicing untiringly,” and not become lazy. Time flies quickly like an arrow. So, we must uphold our vows. Time can slip away, but we cannot let go of our mission. We must uphold our vows and follow the path; then our path will be wide. I say that often, too. So, we want to uphold our vows and practice.

There is truly a lot we want to learn. There is also much to hear. Once, the Buddha was walking through a village with His disciples. The weather was very hot. Finding a place in the woods, the Buddha said, “Come, let us rest a while in this place.” Around the place where they sat down to rest, the leaves kept falling. Therefore, the ground was covered with leaves. The Buddha casually grabbed a bunch of leaves in His hand. He said to the bhiksus, “Everyone come see how many leaves are in my hand?”

Everyone looked and thought. “We need to count the leaves grasped by the Buddha one by one to know how exactly many there are, but without counting we can tell there are quite a few.” The Buddha then said, “Let me tell you this. You have all followed me for a long time. The Dharma that I have expounded does not even amount to the leaves in my hand. The teachings not yet been expounded is more than all the leaves that fall from all trees in this world.” In other words, the Buddha has not yet expounded a great number of teachings.

Clearly, the number of subtle principles of everything in the universe, whether tangible or intangible, hidden in the Buddha’s mind are indeed very numerous. So in the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha began to carry out His original intent, which is to take these subtle principles from His mind and share them with everyone. So, He can further strengthen our intent to seek the Dharma and our causes and conditions to enter the Bodhisattva-path. Everyone must cherish the causes and conditions for entering the Bodhisattva-path.

The Bodhisattva-path has Six Perfections. They are giving, upholding precepts, patience diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. Samadhi maintains our causes and conditions. We want to make a vow and then remain unwavering in upholding it. “May our vows be as vast as the boundless void.” No matter what kind of conditions manifest, they do not cause our minds to waver. Thus, “upholding our vows and practicing untiringly is having Samadhi.” When we no longer waver in our vows, we are in a state of Samadhi. Therefore, upholding our vows is the cause and condition for entering the path.

Having faith in, understanding and practicing. Samadhi is entering the Bodhisattva-path. Upholding our vows and practicing untiringly is having Samadhi. Upholding our vows is the cause and condition for entering the Way.

Next is “having faith in and understanding wisdom.” Samadhi begins with faith and understanding. Then we can enter the Buddha’s wisdom.

So, “wisdom is the Bodhi-path. This is the path to clear understanding, so wisdom is the cause and condition for entering the path.”

Then “[our mind] is tranquil and clear, our vow vast as the void, remaining unwavering for countless eons. Infinite Dharma will become readily apparent.” Everyone, this is the state of Samadhi.

The sutra states,

“I also see Bodhisattvas with the peace of Dhyana, palms pressed together with 1000 or 10,000 verses, they sing the praises of the King of Dharma.”

Maitreya Bodhisattva said to Manjusri Bodhisattva, “In the past, I have seen Bodhisattvas with their minds in the peace of Dhyana, with palms pressed together.” In a state of Samadhi, reverence arises in their minds. They reverently praise the Dharma-King. The Dharma-King is the Buddha. They use various verses which are poetic verses of praise.

So, we all need to use Prajna wisdom to practice Samadhi. We cannot just think that by sitting in meditation we can reach a certain state. Not at all. Samadhi is used in our daily living, in facing all matters with our wisdom. I have said that the [truths] of heaven, earth, all beings, and all kinds of phenomena are all in our wisdom and Samadhi. So, we must respect and love nature and collectively create blessed conditions. We have to be respectful.

Next, “I also see Bodhisattvas of profound wisdom and solid resolve, who are able to question all Buddhas and accept and retain all they have heard.”

The wisdom of Bodhisattvas is profound, and their resolve is solid. They can question all Buddhas. What we do not know, we must hurry and ask. With doubts come questions, and thus awakening. Therefore, we need to clearly understand each and every principle. After listening, we must be earnest and diligent in applying this Dharma. Do not forget it right after hearing it. This is not the way.

So, this part of the sutra is describing, “The Bodhisattvas seen practice PrajnaParamita. These Bodhisattvas practice the path to. Buddhahood with wisdom of intense effort.”

This practice of intense effort does not only take place inside the monastery, within the forest or in places of silence. They use this practice of intense effort in the face of all challenges. When we encounter these situations, they allow our spiritual aspirations to remain firm. We truly want to be tested so that our spiritual aspirations will not waver under any circumstances. The Bodhisattva-path has always been like this; it is not focused solely on our own enlightenment. If we have questions, then we have to quickly ask. If we can ask, then naturally our surroundings will not disrupt our minds.

Next, “I also see Buddha-sons with perfect wisdom and Samadhi. With infinite analogies, they expound the Dharma to the assembly. Joyfully, they preach the Dharma to transform all Bodhisattvas. They defeat the troops of Mara and beat the Dharma-drum.”

Buddha-children refer to the Buddha’s disciples, who were already replete with perfect wisdom. They used various infinite analogies to expound the Dharma to the assembly. The previous passage was about seeking the Dharma from the Buddha. Now, they were going to expound the Dharma so they still needed to be replete in Samadhi and wisdom to transform others with infinite analogies. Thus, “with infinite analogies, they expound Dharma to the assembly.”

“Joyfully, they preach the Dharma to transform all Bodhisattvas.” They are very joyous. When we are replete in wisdom, we have already realized fundamental wisdom. We already thoroughly understand, so we preach more and more joyfully. To preach Dharma is not the least bit distressing. We become more joyful because when we speak, the merits come back to us. We preach joyfully and are very happy.

“Defeat the troops of Mara, beat the Dharma-drum.” To defeat Mara is to defeat afflictions. Troops are the surrounding afflictions; if we let surrounding afflictions cover our minds, then we cannot understand the Dharma. So, we must defeat the troops of Mara and beat the Dharma-drum to let the sound ring out. With one beat of this drum, the sound can warn everyone to quickly awaken, not be deluded and endlessly transmigrate in the Six Realms. So, I hope that everyone can awaken. This is [why we] beat the Dharma-drum.

Fellow Bodhisattvas, as Buddhist practitioners we must deeply believe and understand how subtle and wondrous His teachings are. In our daily living, we cannot underestimate them. We must always be mindful.

Episode 91 – Uphold Precepts to Enter the Way

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>> “All causes and conditions related to our practice depend on our own inherent blessings and virtues. By planting roots of goodness in the fields of blessings, when the causes and conditions ripen, we will fulfill our vow to seek liberation from. Samsara through the supreme Dharma.”

>> “I also see Bodhisattvas who happily give heads, eyes and bodies as they seek the Buddha’s wisdom.”

>> “Manjusri, I see kings who visit the Buddha, Manjusri, I see kings who visit the Buddha, to ask Him about the unsurpassed Way. They forsake their pleasant worlds, their palaces, ministers, and concubines. They cut off their beards and hair and clothe themselves in Dharma robes.”

>> “I see some Bodhisattvas who become bhiksus. They live in peace and solitude and chant the sutras with joy.”

>> “I also see Bodhisattvas with diligence and vigor going deep into the mountains to contemplate the path to Buddhahood.”

>> “I also see those who renounce desire and constantly dwell in solitude. They deeply practice Samadhi and attain the five spiritual powers.”

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As we engage in spiritual practice, we must first have faith and understanding. “Faith is the source of the Way, mother of merits.” We believe in the Dharma taught by the Buddha; ․we comprehend His teachings. This way, we can apply them in our daily living. The Dharma is inseparable from worldly principles. Life in this world is also inseparable from the Buddha-Dharma.

So, “having faith in, understanding and upholding pure precepts is walking the Bodhisattva-path. These many Great Vehicle precepts are what we must accept and uphold to stay pure. Upholding precepts is the cause and condition for entering the Way.”

If we truly believe this, we will realize that in our daily living, we must not stray from the path of the precepts. This is how we walk the Bodhisattva-path. So, the Bodhisattva-path is [found] in our daily living. Especially, “these many Great Vehicle precepts are what we must accept and uphold to stay pure.” The precepts that we need to accept and uphold are the Great Vehicle precepts.

Great and Small Vehicle precepts are not the same. The Great Vehicle precepts allow us to open our hearts so we can comprehend the principles of all things in the universe. We should develop an expansive wisdom through the Six Paramitas. By cultivating compassion and wisdom together, we will not violate rules as we work with others. By following the precepts, we can work with people without hindrances. These are Great Vehicle precepts.

There are many precepts but even when we are among infinite sentient beings, we will not even consider violating them. So, these are purifying precepts. Following them requires us, in dealing with people and matters, etc., to take good care of our minds and be able to complete our mission of practicing the Bodhisattva-path. This is not difficult. As long as we have deep faith and thorough understanding of the Buddha-Dharma, this is not difficult.

“Upholding precepts is the cause and condition for entering the Way.” We must uphold precepts to have these causes, conditions. We need to follow the rules. Even if we understand a lot of Buddha-Dharma and can even expound it, if we cannot practice it, how can we enter the Bodhisattva-path? We can only explain the Bodhisattva-path, but cannot really enter it. If we cannot enter it, that means we do not have these causes and conditions. We enter the Bodhisattva-path not by talking, but by putting [the teachings] into practice.

Previously, we discussed the verses,

“I also see Bodhisattvas who happily give heads, eyes and bodies as they seek the Buddha’s wisdom.”

Following the Bodhisattva-path, we must be able to give inwardly and outwardly; head, eyes and body are all joyously given away. For what purpose? For attaining the Buddha’s wisdom. So, the Buddha’s wisdom cannot be attained just by talking about it. It requires taking action with our bodies. Overcoming difficulties is what truly allows us to practice the Buddha’s teachings. Only by believing in and understanding the Dharma can we create the causes and conditions to be on the Bodhisattva-path.

Maitreya Bodhisattva explained his understanding of the Buddha’s appearance to. Manjusri Bodhisattva. Next he said,

“Manjusri, I see kings who visit the Buddha, Manjusri, I see kings who visit the Buddha, to ask Him about the unsurpassed Way. They forsake their pleasant worlds, their palaces, ministers, and concubines. They cut off their beards and hair and clothe themselves in Dharma robes.”

This part of the sutra also describes how. Bodhisattvas practice the Paramita of upholding precepts.

Previously, [I spoke of] the Paramita of giving. We must give and let go, whether [those things] are tangible or intangible. Of course, tangible refers to the material, letting go of palaces, ministers and concubines, of the head, eyes, marrow, brain, etc. These are all things to relinquish, to give to others. We are very willing to give.

Now, I want to talk about precepts, the Paramita of upholding the precepts. Everyone knows that Paramita refers to crossing over to the other shore. So by using these teachings, we can cross over from the shore of unenlightened beings to that of noble beings. To turn an ordinary mind into the mind of a noble being, the first requirement is giving and letting go.

Next, we must abide by the precepts. We must understand the law of cause and effect; no matter what kind of negative conditions appear, we must patiently endure them to eliminate our past karma. This is part of our discipline. Precepts can protect our heart and allow us to subdue it.

We often speak of habitual tendencies. Indeed! In the past, we developed many negative habitual tendencies. If another person says something that is not to our liking, immediately our habitual tendencies [tell us] if we do not respond we will be unhappy. One unpleasant comment is quickly answered with a string of harsh words. This creates conflicts and arguments. When people fight, there are no kind words. So, this creates negative karma of speech. But when we are disciplined, we can immediately subdue [our reactions], not reacting when insulted. If he feels happier after he insults us because his anger has dissipated, then karma will no longer continue to entangle us.

The best is if we can train ourselves to not become angry when others insult us, not to feel anything when insulted. Being yelled at is a manifestation of our karma. When you yell at me, if I can feel grateful, I will have eliminated another bit of karma. If we can joyfully deal with this, these habitual tendencies of anger and rage will be subdued by our minds. Since our minds have been subdued, of course we will not respond with mean words. Instead, we will apologize to that person, “You are right, I will change.”

See, in our daily living, there are so many people who present these conditions to us. When we face these conditions, do we react? Do we react with gratitude? Or do we react with frustration? If we react with gratitude, then we are manifesting the Paramitas, and the Dharma has entered our minds. So, we use the Dharma to transform our minds, to transform ourselves from ordinary beings to noble beings. This is the Paramita of upholding precepts.

So, [even kings] “visit the Buddha.” We want to attain the path to Buddhahood, to use precepts to reach the state of the Buddha. We follow the Bodhisattva-path to reach the Buddha’s state. So, Bodhisattvas walk on the Buddha’s enlightened path.

Even though the Buddha entered Parinirvana over 2000 years ago, His Dharmakaya still exists. As long as we hear the Buddha’s Dharma, we will become joyful and let the Buddha’s heart into our hearts. The Buddha still lives in our hearts so the Buddha abides in this world at all times.

For the Buddha-Dharma to flourish in this world, the Buddha’s community, the Sangha, must be very solid. Upon seeing the Sangha, if people feel very safe, peaceful and harmonious in body and mind, then that is because the Sangha are following the true path. When we witness the true path to enlightenment in the Sangha, naturally goodness will arise in our minds. There will be no negative thoughts. There will be peace and harmony in our minds and daily living. This is the dignified and harmonious state of the Sangha. So, the Three Treasures must all be present in this world for the Buddha-Dharma to be passed on forever. Therefore, we talk about Dharma-lineage. Dharma-lineage is very important; especially in how [the teachings] are actualized in the conduct of those in the Sangha.

So, our way of life is already part of our mission of shouldering the family business of the Tathagata. In shouldering the work of the Tathagata, if we do not relinquish our personal family life, how can we possibly be a part of the Tathagata’s greater family? So for the sake of this world, we have to help train the bodies and minds of sentient beings. For a society to be harmonious requires a virtuous group of religious practitioners. This great family can “shoulder the family business of the Tathagata.” So to follow the way of the Buddha, we must let go of our families. If we are leaders, we must give up our attachment to power and status. Thus, we can quiet our minds and contemplate the truths of the world. So, we let go of family and nation, then respect and follow the rules and conduct the Buddha taught us. We must truly accept and practice them.

So to become a monastic, we must shed the worldly. We must leave home to become a monastic, to take up the family business of the Buddha. So, “to clothe oneself in Dharma-robes” means to be diligent in upholding precepts. Not only do we wear this robe, we abide by the precepts in our actions. Clothing is just an appearance and has nothing to do with which precepts we follow. Lay practitioners have their garments and monastic practitioners have theirs. When I saw the clothing of. Catholic nuns and priests, I could tell that theirs was a purifying religion. So, clothing can evoke respect in everyone. Therefore, we must pay attention to our living.

To truly help the world, we must let go of the smaller family to enter the greater family of the Tathagata. When we enter this great family, we have to abide by the rules, uphold the precepts.

Next, the verses state,

“I see some Bodhisattvas who become bhiksus. They live in peace and solitude and chant the sutras with joy.”

After becoming a monastic, we take on the appearance of a monastic. We “live in peace and solitude,” because the mind must first become still. Since this world is full of distractions, how do we subdue our minds when we interact with others? Such “peace and solitude” allow us to have a pure heart to “chant the sutras with joy.” This means to read them earnestly. Meditation, chanting sutras, circumambulating the Buddha, and walking, running and jogging, all need to be practiced in this way. Initially, beginners use these methods. Later, they must progress.

“I also see Bodhisattvas with diligence and vigor going deep into the mountains to contemplate the path to Buddhahood.”

As we begin to subdue our minds, we look for ways to find purity and understand the Buddha-Dharma among people. Afterwards, to advance even more, we may go deep into the mountains for thorough contemplation. Just chanting the sutras is not enough. We must ensure the sutras enter our hearts so we can carefully consider them. So, Bodhisattvas practice the Paramita of diligence. Besides upholding precepts, we must also diligently advance. As we are among the crowd, we must find purity in our hearts. With this pure heart, we understand the sutras, and then we need to further contemplate them and become even more diligent. To seek the path to Buddhahood, we must become very courageous and do so out of this sense of joy. To courageously advance, we have to be joyous. Thus, “It is named the armor of diligence, as a metaphor for the bravery of someone who enters battle wearing armor.”

The Sutra of Forty-two Chapters has a similar saying. When we truly engage in spiritual practice, we have to be diligent. We have to mentally prepare ourselves so that no matter what challenges come to disturb us, we are not affected by them. Whether they are worldly pleasures or worldly afflictions, etc., or some kind of adverse condition, we are already mentally prepared. For example, a courageous warrior wanting to engage in spiritual practice would make preparations as he would for battle so he will not be defeated by any circumstances. It is as if he is wearing a suit of armor onto the battlefield.

Next,

“I also see those who renounce desire and constantly dwell in solitude. They deeply practice Samadhi and attain the five spiritual powers.”

To advance even more, we must, through the practice of diligence, enter the Paramita of Samadhi. No matter what happens, we are already wearing our armor. We will not be hurt by our surroundings. At this time, our minds and our resolve to engage in practice are very firm. Thus, with this firm aspiration and resolve, we are close to the state of Samadhi. Samadhi is right mindfulness. We need to have right thinking, right views, right understanding and right mindfulness. Then we will not be influenced by deviant thinking, views and thoughts. So, we must constantly have this state of mind so we can attain the five spiritual powers.

When the Buddha was in this world, He always mentioned that by stilling and quieting our minds, we can naturally attain the five spiritual powers. What are the “five spiritual powers”? First we have to abandon desires, then we have to abandon form, sound, smell, taste and touch, these five things. In our present external conditions, these forms, sounds, smells, tastes and sensations are indeed traps along every step of the way. We are all immersed in the five desires, which have defiled our minds. So, we should quickly distance ourselves from them. If we can be far from them, then our minds will naturally be pure. After distancing ourselves, we can then attain the five spiritual powers.

Actually, the five spiritual powers are now easy to attain with the advancement of technology. Now, through computers or the Internet, etc., we all exhibit spiritual powers. However, one power, “power of being flawless,” refers to thoughts in our minds. If our minds and thoughts are not pure, then we have no means to truly enter the state of the Buddha. So, we must eliminate our afflictions until we reach a flawless state. This is where we have to put in the effort. So, when we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must dedicate ourselves to learning the Dharma. We faithfully accept and practice the [teachings] so we can perfect the Six Paramitas in our lives. So everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 90 – Give Joyously without Attachment

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>> “If people believe in, understand, and practice giving, they can enter the great, direct Bodhisattva-path. Giving is the cause and condition for entering the Way.”

>> “When one internally has a giving heart, one externally has a happy appearance. When one internally has an unwavering mind, one externally has a disciplined appearance.”

>> Faith, understanding, practice and patience is the Bodhisattva-way. Even if one is maliciously insulted or beaten, one gently and patiently endures.

>> “[Gifts] of diamonds and of other gems, servants and carriages, jeweled hand-drawn carts and palanquins, are all offered up with joy. They are dedicated toward the path to Buddhahood with a vow to attain the vehicle that is foremost in the Three Realms and praised by all Buddhas.”

>> “There are Bodhisattvas who give jeweled carriages drawn by four horses, with railings and flowered canopies adorning their top and sides.”

>> “Further, I see Bodhisattvas who give flesh and limbs, hands and feet, even their wives and children, as they seek the unsurpassed way. I also see Bodhisattvas who happily give heads, eyes and bodies as they seek the Buddha’s wisdom.”

>> “I also see Bodhisattvas who happily give their heads, eyes and bodies as they seek the Buddha’s wisdom.”

>> There are two kinds of giving: 1. Out of respect 2. Out of compassion.

>> One does not see oneself as the giver. One does not see others as the receiver. One does not see what is given as a gift. The Three Spheres of Emptiness means that one does not hold on to the appearances of giving and does not seek blessed retributions. Instead, this giving is dedicated toward to the path to Buddhahood.

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We, as Buddhist practitioners, have to first learn “equanimity” to let go. Let go of what? ․Of afflictions. In life, afflictions arise from desires. Desires can be for tangible or intangible things; they bring us many difficulties and also create many afflictions. So, we must be able to let go.

Therefore, it is said,

“If people believe in, understand, and practice giving, they can enter the great, direct Bodhisattva-path. Giving is the cause and condition for entering the Way.”

To give is to let go. We must be willing to give up the source of the many afflictions in our minds, which is none other than material desires. Material wealth and objects, etc., all entangle our minds and elicit much ignorance. Life’s sufferings come from scarcity. Just think, in this world, how many people lack food and clean water? Yet, some places have these things in abundance. These places of abundance should quickly support places of scarcity. So, if we want harmonious societies and peaceful countries, we must have this perspective of giving extensively to everyone.

The Buddha teaches us that we have to give. To give is to let go, to let go of material things, to let go of fame and status. To meet people’s needs, we should be able to give. “Giving is the cause and condition for entering the Way.” By being able to let go and give, we show that our hearts are free of attachments, that we can let go of tangible and intangible afflictions.

So, it is said,

“When one internally has a giving heart, one externally has a happy appearance. When one internally has an unwavering mind, one externally has a disciplined appearance.”

In giving, we must give completely; we must give out of a sense of inner joy. Some people say that we must persuade others to give. Persuasion is a form of guidance. But if we force others to give, if they do not give happily, then they are not joyful and that is not true giving. If they feel peaceful and at ease afterwards, that is true giving. So when their hearts are peaceful and at ease, naturally they will manifest a happy appearance.

In particular, with giving, “When one internally has an unwavering mind, one externally has a disciplined appearance.”

“When one internally has an unwavering mind” means that one has no expectations. When we give unconditionally, not only do we not seek to obtain merits, we also become grateful after giving. This is a heart that is peaceful and at ease.

“One externally has a disciplined appearance.” Aside from giving, we also have to uphold precepts. Giving is not conditional; it is our fundamental responsibility. Not only should we not seek merits, we also have to take good care of our hearts. We give with absolutely no conditions. If we give conditionally, we may easily make mistakes. So, we must have unwavering minds. We do not seek to gain merits; we give unconditionally, and we are also grateful! So, we should have a disciplined mind. Giving is our fundamental responsibility. In engaging in spiritual practice, giving is a tool for crossing to the other shore, a method of spiritual practice.

Therefore,

Faith, understanding, practice and patience is the Bodhisattva-way. Even if one is maliciously insulted or beaten, one gently and patiently endures.

No matter how much suffering there is in life, no matter how many challenges we have undergone, learning the Buddha’s teachings is to learn patience. It is also one of our practices.

To reach the other shore, we must first know the law of karma. When the conditions are right, we must quickly let go and give. When situations present themselves, we must be vigilant and uphold the precepts. When karmic retributions manifest, we must be patient. This is how we practice the Bodhisattva-path. In this way, even if we are “maliciously insulted and beaten, we gently and patiently endure,” no matter what happens to us. Do you remember? In the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters, one story relates what happened as the Buddha was walking. A cruel Brahmin came in front of Him, yelled at Him, spat at Him, and even grabbed sand to throw at Him. The Buddha remained peaceful and at ease, and He gently endured it. The Buddha recognized that this happened because of causes and conditions; when a past cause encountered present conditions, He would bear the karmic retributions. To face things with this attitude is how we engage in spiritual practice and learn His Way. The Buddha could do it, so why can’t we? So, “patience is the cause and condition for entering the Way.”

In learning the Buddha’s teachings, we first learn to let go. We must let go; whether good or bad, we have to let go of everything so our minds will be free of afflictions. In other words, we have to be joyous; to be able to let go is a very joyous thing.

“[Gifts] of diamonds and of other gems, servants and carriages, jeweled hand-drawn carts and palanquins, are all offered up with joy. They are dedicated toward the path to Buddhahood with a vow to attain the vehicle that is foremost in the Three Realms and praised by all Buddhas.”

Next it says, “They are dedicated toward the path to Buddhahood with a vow to attain this vehicle.” No matter how we give, no matter what we give, it is all done with joy. This joy is “dedicated toward the path to Buddhahood.” We give as part of our spiritual practice, not because we seek to obtain something, nor for some kind of repayment of our generosity. We hope that everyone, not only those on the path. Buddhahood, will give. When we give these things, such as mother of pearl, agate or jeweled carriages, we hope that after they receive them, people can also feel our sense of gratitude and our aspiration to learn the Buddha-Dharma.

This is the wish of those who give; in fulfilling our responsibility to give, we also hope the other party can feel our gratitude and also aspire to emulate the Buddha-mind. This is true spiritual practice, to practice and to inspire others to practice. Their wish is “to attain this vehicle” and travel on the Bodhisattva-path, Everyone can be dedicated to the Bodhisattva-path. Thus it is said to be, “foremost in the Three Realms and praised by all Buddhas” because these great aspirations and vows are about giving unconditionally and transforming others so they become awakened.

“There are Bodhisattvas who give jeweled carriages drawn by four horses, with railings and flowered canopies adorning their top and sides.”

These are all tangible things, or external material objects, that. Bodhisattvas are willing to give. So, in giving internally from our hearts and externally in our actions, we must be “without any attachments,” free of attachments one that follows the Bodhisattva’s Six Paramitas one that follows the Bodhisattva’s six practices. The Bodhisattva’s Six Paramitas are giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom; these are the six principles. “Without any attachments” means we do not hold onto things. So in learning the Buddha’s teachings, we must always have a loving heart.

Next, it says,

“Further, I see Bodhisattvas who give flesh and limbs, hands and feet, even their wives and children, as they seek the unsurpassed way. I also see Bodhisattvas who happily give heads, eyes and bodies as they seek the Buddha’s wisdom.”

Giving the body, head and eyes, etc., is internal giving, giving completely from our hearts. We do not only give external material goods; from within, we are willing to give our own flesh and limbs, hands and feet. See how advanced modern medical science is; besides organ donation of the deceased, now there is also organ donation by the living. Some people give their bone marrow, giving others the ability to form blood cells again. To perfect strangers, they willingly donate from their own bodies.

See, giving flesh and limbs is not impossible. The Buddha, in His wisdom, over 2000 years ago already spoke of the medical advancements we have now, 2000 years into His future. If people are willing to make these vows, they can give their flesh and limbs without harm to their bodies. This is called internal giving, giving from our own bodies; this is the heart of a Bodhisattva.

Also, “[they give] even their wives and children.” In the past, treasures were not only gold, silver and crystal, children were also treasures that they willingly gave. The goal of spiritual practice was “to attain the unsurpassed way.” Now, we also often hear of how the wives of some families will say, “Master, let me donate my Dharma-brother (husband) so he can concentrate on the Tzu Chi mission, so he can focus on serving people.” Some husbands also say, “Master, I have donated my wife. She can decide what she will do to be happy. As long as she helps others, then I also rejoice in her merits.”

Furthermore, some couples say at the same time, “In the past, we worked together for our family and have given a lot [of ourselves]. Now, we are entering [Tzu Chi] to fully repay the kindness of others and of the Buddha; we have learned the Dharma so we understand that in life it is useless to seek and [acquire] more. In the past, we worked for our family. Now we will work for our wisdom-life.” So, they let go of their comforts and dedicate themselves to give to others. This is also giving with body and mind.

Some couples even feel that the two of them are not enough, they even want their children to be transformed. So, the family is full of Bodhisattvas; how blessed and fortunate [they are]! This is called wisdom. We can all do this now, it is not unachievable. If our minds can comprehend the Buddha-Dharma and develop wisdom, there is nothing tangible or intangible in the world that we cannot achieve.

Therefore,

“I also see Bodhisattvas who happily give their heads, eyes and bodies as they seek the Buddha’s wisdom.”

They give this all to attain the Buddha’s wisdom, whether it is their heads, eyes or bodies, or as we just mentioned, their organs. Now, even the head and eyes can be given as alms. A while ago, I said to our neurologist, “Can’t the brain be transplanted now?” He said, “Yes, this is being studied now. We can transplant stem cells from the brain.” The Buddha had said a long time ago, “head, eyes, marrow and brain.” Now, stem cells from the brain are starting to be transplanted. And the eyes, the cornea has long been able to be transplanted. So, this is joyful giving of the head, eyes, body. They “happily give,” very joyously give, “as they seek the Buddha’s wisdom.” We give unconditionally to attain the Buddha’s wisdom.

There are two kinds of giving: 1. Out of respect 2. Out of compassion.

Next, let us discuss the two kinds of giving. One kind is giving out of respect, such as making offerings to all Buddhas or to the Three Treasures or to support our parents and teachers. These all require respect to arise before giving. The second is out of compassion. That is, we cannot bear to see sentient beings live in poverty and are suffering, so we give. Our giving is dedicated toward

the path to Buddhahood. What does this mean? Earlier, I said it is to be free of attachments. By giving unconditionally, we hope that our minds will be equal to the Buddha-mind and our wisdom will be the same as Buddha’s wisdom, free of afflictions and attachments. Giving this way is dedicated toward the path to Buddhahood. Giving is our fundamental responsibility; it is a tool for spiritual practice. A method of spiritual practice is to give. Because there are people to whom we can give, who provide the opportunity for us to practice, we must be grateful. That is why we are grateful and give without expectations.

One does not see oneself as the giver. One does not see others as the receiver. One does not see what is given as a gift. The Three Spheres of Emptiness means that one does not hold on to the appearances of giving and does not seek blessed retributions. Instead, this giving is dedicated toward to the path to Buddhahood.

“One does not see oneself as the giver.” We are not attached to the fact that we can give. We do not have this kind of mindset. “One does not see others as the receiver.” No one is actually receiving our help. Those who [seem to] receive our help are actually helping us to complete our spiritual cultivation. So, those who let us help them are those to whom we must be grateful. We also do not think about how much we give. We do not have any attachments to it, no matter how much we give. So, this is the Three Spheres of Emptiness. When we do not hold on to the appearance of giving we are not attached to giving to obtain blessings. This is then truly great giving.

Fellow Bodhisattvas, as Buddhist practitioners, we have to learn to give genuinely. We must not allow attachments and greed to arise. So, our hearts must constantly give and let go. We must not be tainted by expectations. What we seek is the path to Buddhahood, so we are dedicated to follow it and attain great wisdom. Therefore, this is what we seek, but we seek it without attachments. So everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 89 – The World’s Ten Arrows of Great Illness

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>> So, there are Ten Arrows of Great Illness. When they come together, the resultant suffering is great. 

>> Ten Arrows of Great Illness: The arrows of craving, of ignorance, of desire, of greed, of anger, of delusion, of arrogance, of views, of formation, of decay.

>> “In these lands, I see Bodhisattvas as numerous as Ganges’ sands, with various causes and conditions, seeking the path to Buddhahood.”

>> “There are those who practice giving gifts of silver, gold and coral, of true pearls and of mani, of mother-of-pearl and carnelian, of diamonds and of other gems; along with servants and carriages, jeweled hand-drawn carts and palanquins, are all offered up with joy.”

>> The Six Paramitas, or the Six Perfections: giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, samadhi, prajna.

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There is a saying, “People spread the Way, the Way cannot spread itself.” After hearing the Dharma, we need to keep passing the teachings to others. This is spreading the Buddha’s teachings.

When the Buddha was in this world, He traveled and taught. Previously, we mentioned that after the summer retreat with the Sangha, the Buddha left Rajagrha to travel to Magadha. While the Buddha was on His way there, an elder named Bhadrapala had so much respect for the Buddha’s virtues that he recruited 500 elders to welcome Him. Seeing the Buddha’s long procession and how dignified it was, the elders felt great admiration. The Buddha’s every action captivated their hearts so a sense of reverence arose in them.

They followed the Buddha’s procession, and when they arrived at the place He was staying, they reverently requested that the Buddha expound the Dharma for them. The Buddha knew that this group of 500 elders had tremendous influence in their country, so He explained the sufferings of life for them.

Then the Buddha taught that the major problem in our lives is disharmony. In particular, in our daily living, the Ten Arrows of Great Illness exist all around us. There is always an arrow waiting for the chance to strike.

So, there are Ten Arrows of Great Illness. When they come together, the resultant suffering is great. An “arrow” refers to something that can very quickly harm our bodies and minds.

Ten Arrows of Great Illness: The arrows of craving, of ignorance, of desire, of greed, of anger, of delusion, of arrogance, of views, of formation, of decay.
“Of these ten arrows,” the Buddha said, “the first is the arrow of craving.” The arrow of craving can harm our bodies in an instant, at any time. Our minds encounter external conditions, [and give rise to] all kinds of material desires for wealth, fame and profit, as well as sexual desires. There are also various kinds of cravings. Once cravings arise in our hearts, it is as if arrows have pierced our bodies.

The arrow is a metaphor for craving, and also for ignorance. The second [arrow] is ignorance, third is desire, fourth is greed, fifth is anger, sixth is delusion, seventh is arrogance, eighth is views, and next are formation and decay. These are the ten kinds of arrows. These arrows are poisonous and bring illness. Once you are struck by one of these arrows, your body and mind will become imbalanced. These are called the Arrows of Great Illness, and there are ten different kinds. These ten arrows surround us in our living. Whenever our thoughts begin to stir, these arrows quickly strike at us.

So, of course, the Buddha analyzed them in detail. Everyone listened, and afterwards, everyone heightened their vigilance. These elders were wealthy, famous and powerful. They had absolutely no idea that while they indulged in worldly pleasures, they were surrounded by these ten arrows, which constantly struck at them. They were not at all aware that they were constantly being harmed in their daily living. They were very forlorn. Consider how the Buddha could have enjoyed many worldly pleasures in the palace as the prince. Why was He willing to give up worldly pleasures and undergo so much suffering and difficulty? He was determined to go through this period of ascetic practice as part of spiritual cultivation. What exactly was His mindset?

With His wisdom-eyes, the Buddha saw that these 500 elders had come to an awakening. But they still had questions and doubts. The Buddha could see this, so He said, “I was the same. As I enjoyed pleasures, I understood that in life [these arrows] were constantly wearing down the body and mind in every moment, in every day and every situation. If we do not quickly awaken, perhaps our life will be over before we know it. We keep creating karma until we have wasted away our entire lives. So, we must quickly eliminate all our desires; we must quickly eliminate all this suffering. It is as if, in our daily living, we must quickly dodge these ten arrows that are constantly striking at us. In addition to dodging them, if we are struck, we must quickly remove them. Therefore, we choose to become monastics out of pure faith.

Only by being monastics can we truly focus on learning because “when we remain with our [immediate] families, in this world, there are not only ten, but tens of thousands of arrows that are striking at us. So, only by transcending worldly family matters can we focus on seeking the path of enlightenment. Then we will focus on attaining the fruits of Annutara-samyak-sambodhi, which is to focus on seeking right understanding, right views, right awakening, the fruits of unsurpassed, perfect and universal enlightenment.”

The Buddha talked to these elders about becoming monastics because He saw that they were already moved and could all give up their worldly undertakings. He also wanted to guide these people to aspire to free themselves of sufferings and eradicate their past thoughts of greed, anger, delusion, ignorance, etc., so that they could focus on becoming monastics. This was the Dharma the Buddha taught to. Bhadrapala and the 500 elders.

Of course, there are many different methods in the. Right Dharma sutras and teachings. Yet, all are inseparable from life in this world. In pleasure, there are hidden dangers like arrows that can instantaneously harm us. This was what the Buddha told them.

In the Lotus Dharma-assembly, Maitreya Bodhisattva recounted the path the Buddha had taken in this world, the different classes of people He encountered and how He taught according to their capabilities. So Maitreya Bodhisattva said,

“In these lands, I see Bodhisattvas as numerous as Ganges’ sands, with various causes and conditions, seeking the path to Buddhahood.”

Maitreya Bodhisattva explained that everything the Buddha had done was solely to educate and transform sentient beings. So, this passage talks about the lands that he saw. There were many places, not only the Saha World, but other worlds as well. How many worlds were there? 18,000. With the path the Buddha walked, His light reached far and wide. “The light of the Buddha” mentioned here is the Buddha’s teachings, which reach all places. When people encounter them, their spiritual ignorance can be illuminated. The Buddha’s wisdom can reach everyone’s mind. So it is said, “In these lands, I see.” These lands refer tangibly to the 18,000 worlds and intangibly to everyone who was present or everyone the Buddha had encountered. Because they were taught according to their capabilities the Dharma had already entered their hearts.

So, Bodhisattvas as numerous as the Ganges’ sands, with Dharma in their hearts, they form aspirations. If we can encounter the Buddha-Dharma and truly take the Dharma into our hearts, we can awaken our enlightened nature. With this nature, we are enlightened beings. If we help the suffering after we awaken, then we are Bodhisattvas. How many [Bodhisattvas] are there? As numerous as the Ganges’ sands, As numerous as Ganges’ sands, which are countless in number. The Buddha’s teachings can be so universal that

they reach Bodhisattvas under all conditions. No matter their causes and conditions, they all seek the path to Buddhahood. Consider various karmic conditions [as examples]. Throughout countless past kalpas, the Buddha seized opportunities to live among people. Countless kalpas is a very long time. By seizing these opportunities, He formed affinities with so many sentient beings. Thus as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must emulate His great heart. If we can open up our hearts, we can gain realizations.

So, the Buddha came to this world to help sentient beings realize and enter the Buddha’s wisdom. The Buddha opened and revealed [His wisdom]. Realizing it is dependent on us. Therefore, [to teach is] to open and reveal. The Buddha unlocks the door to the hearts of sentient beings. Realization depends on us sentient beings and whether we can open that door and let the light shine into our hearts. If our hearts are open, the light of the Buddha’s wisdom can shine in to show us all things in the world, including how time passes by as quickly as an arrow. All worldly cravings, desires and so on give rise to our ignorance, greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, doubt, etc. This all happens in our minds when we invite something from our external conditions to harm us.

Most people cannot understand this. Only the Buddha can open up and illuminate our hearts with His wisdom. He leads us to realize, “So this is the case!” After we gain a realization, shouldn’t we immerse our hearts in the Dharma? If we take the Dharma into our hearts and devote ourselves to the Buddha-Dharma, then our daily living is inseparable from the Dharma; this is called “entering.” When our hearts are immersed in the Dharma, then the teachings will always be in our lives. Using various karmic conditions, we can advance in our quest of the Buddha’s teachings. So, in our daily living, it is extremely important to be mindful of our external conditions and internal state of mind.

Next,

“There are those who practice giving gifts of silver, gold and coral, of true pearls and of mani, of mother-of-pearl and carnelian, of diamonds and of other gems; along with servants and carriages, jeweled hand-drawn carts and palanquins, are all offered up with joy.”

There are truly many things in this world. On top of cravings for the necessities of life, what else do people crave? Treasures such as gold, silver and crystal. People who walk on the Bodhisattva-path give these things away. Furthermore, they give very joyfully. This shows that these Bodhisattvas who give are practicing the Paramita of giving. Teaching the Bodhisattva Way requires the Six Paramitas, six ways to transform sentient beings’ hearts.

The Six Paramitas, or the Six Perfections: giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, samadhi, prajna.

How can sentient beings be transformed? First, by giving. By giving we can reach the other shore.

Paramita means to cross to the other shore. How can we truly enter the Path? In this Saha World full of sufferings and traps, arrows of illness are being shot at us all the time. It is easy to fall into a trap with any of our actions. We are oppressed by many sufferings. We need to recognize suffering and renounce it. From this treacherous shore of danger and suffering, we must quickly seek to reach the other shore.

So, we should rely on these six methods as our tools to reach the other shore. From this shore of suffering, from this place of impermanence and danger, we want to reach the other shore of ever-lasting safety. So, we must have tools. What kind of tools? We must have a boat to ferry us across. What [makes] that boat? Giving makes the first boat for safe crossing. The Dharma is like a boat. So, the method of giving is what we use to cross to the other shore.

Giving is the Dharma. We must start by being determined to let go, and we must also give joyfully. So, the Four Immeasurables of loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity are the first step we must take on the Bodhisattva-path. This means we must put into practice the Dharma we have accepted. So, the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra to teach the Bodhisattva Way so that we can develop kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. So, to have equanimity is to give. Thus, we must always accept the Buddha-Dharma and clearly understand “equanimity.” By giving willingly, we can leave [suffering] behind. Only by giving up [all afflictions,] can we free ourselves from all kinds of suffering.

So in learning the Buddha’s teachings, we must first recognize suffering and use different methods to let go and give. So, we should always live according to, and be mindful of, the Dharma. Everyone, please do not lose sight of this when it comes to tangible or intangible actions. We must always be mindful.

Episode 88 – End Suffering by Seeking the Path

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>> “Recognize and understand that the cause of suffering is accumulation. To be free from suffering and to end that accumulation, we must seek the Path. People disturb their own minds due to ignorance.”

>> “For those who are Buddha-children, who engage in various practices and seek unsurpassed wisdom, [all Buddhas] expound the pure path.”

>> “Manjusri, as I dwell here, I see and hear such things, and a thousand million other things. Numerous as they are, can you please now speak of them in brief?”

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We should.

“Recognize and understand that the cause of suffering is accumulation. To be free from suffering and to end that accumulation, we must seek the Path. People disturb their own minds due to ignorance.”

Indeed, we need to recognize suffering. With each passing day, whatever favorable or unfavorable things we encounter in our daily living may disturb our minds. This is also suffering! There are various kinds of suffering, in our external conditions, in the way we live and in the way we feel in our hearts. Are these sufferings internal or external? Where does such internal and external suffering come from?

The Buddha has explained to us that the accumulation of various kinds of internal and external causes and conditions creates suffering. We know that by accumulating [karmic causes], we reap the fruits of these seeds of suffering. So, we need to investigate how much suffering we have accumulated through ignorance and afflictions. How can we cease this? We must practice the Path.

The Buddha transformed people as He traveled and always taught according to their capabilities. This was solely to help people free themselves of their disturbances and return to the brilliance of their intrinsic nature. Once, during the Buddha’s time, He was at a summer retreat for the Sangha in the Kingdom of Sravasti for three months. After three months, the summer retreat ended, so He left the place where it was held and led a group of bhiksus and bhiksunis to continue traveling and teaching.

They traveled from Sravasti to Magadha. Besides the bhiksus and bhiksunis, there were also kings and ministers, those who had sincere faith in the Dharma. This very long procession traveled along the road. At the time in Magadha, there lived a respected elder named Bhadrapala. He had heard that the Buddha was coming. He admired the Buddha-Dharma and knew that to be able to receive the Buddha’s teachings would be a blessing. So, he recruited a group of 500 elders to welcome the Buddha to Magadha.

When the long procession was about to arrive, he stood and watched the solemn and orderly procession slowly approach them. These 500 elders saw the Buddha’s solemn and dignified appearance. Even without hearing His teachings, a sense of reverence and respect naturally arose in their hearts. Furthermore, their minds suddenly felt refreshed. All their afflictions and discursive thoughts were eliminated. Simply by seeing the procession and the dignity of the Buddha, their minds were naturally purified.

As the Buddha slowly approached, this group of elders knelt with utmost reverence to welcome Him. The Buddha walked ahead slowly while they followed. When the Buddha reached the place He would stay, this group of elders quickly came forward. After the Buddha sat down, the elders paid respect and prostrated to Him. They gave speeches to praise Him and shared how they felt when they saw Him approach. Each of them expressed their joy. They also expressed that upon seeing the Buddha, they were able to let go [of their afflictions].

The Buddha was very joyful upon hearing this. To reinforce the experience, He told these elders, “Why do people have so many afflictions? Actually, you can immediately let them go as long as you understand the causes of these afflictions.” The Buddha then explained that there are ten things that cause us to disturb ourselves.

Once our minds are disturbed, much suffering will naturally accumulate. Of these disturbing things, biologically, there is birth, aging, illness and death which are already four kinds of suffering. Psychologically, we have worry, sadness, suffering, afflictions, distress and cyclic existence. These are the ten kinds of self-disturbances. The first eight kinds of physical and psychological afflictions distress us. Fears of birth, death, aging and illness constantly arise in our minds. These afflictions arise, abide, change and cease. After understanding what distresses us, how do we let go? It is truly lamentable that These very subtle afflictions cause us to remain in cyclic existence in the Six Realms and the Three Evil Destinies. They are the sources of suffering.

Therefore, we need to practice the path to the cessation of suffering. To eliminate suffering, we need to practice on this path. What is this path? Surely, we must abide by and practice according to the Buddha’s teachings. The Buddha has paved this great Bodhi-path, this very straight and broad path, so we can walk on it. So with body and mind, we must take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Then we are called Buddha-children.

The next passage says,

“For those who are Buddha-children, who engage in various practices and seek unsurpassed wisdom, [all Buddhas] expound the pure path.”

As Buddha-children, we are very sincere in seeking the Buddha-Dharma and developing our wisdom-life. Thus, we are called Buddha-children. To develop our wisdom-life, we need spiritual food to nourish it. This food is the Dharma, so we need to absorb the Buddha’s various teachings. We need to seek the Buddha-Dharma with utmost sincerity. If the Dharma enters our hearts, we must put the teachings into practice. We must “engage in various practices.” If the Dharma enters our hearts, we need to uphold and practice it. We cannot just hear it and let it pass. We must take the teachings to heart and not just store them in our hearts. We must manifest them in our actions and put them into practice. This is to “engage in various practices” for the sake of “seeking unsurpassed wisdom.” What we are pursuing is unsurpassed wisdom.

Every day, we hear of ways to end afflictions. In order to end afflictions, we must find their sources. It seems like we hear this every day, but have we eliminated our afflictions yet? Do we still have a mindset of gain and loss? Do we still have interpersonal conflicts? We must ask ourselves this. If we still do, then the Dharma has been constantly leaking away. So if we do not develop our wisdom, then Dharma will leak out.

Thus, we must keep pursuing unsurpassed wisdom. If there are people who are willing to work hard to engage in various practices, diligent people who pursue unsurpassed wisdom, the Buddha will “expound the way of purity.” For instance, Bhadrapala brought 500 people to welcome the Buddha. Just from seeing the Buddha, they became diligent. Seeing how diligent they were, the Buddha told them that the source of afflictions lies in these ten kinds of self-disturbances. This was what the Buddha asked of His disciples. As long as they sincerely requested, He gave them meticulous analyses.

This means that for the Bodhisattvas in the Three Realms, the Buddha expounded the pure path of unsurpassed Bodhi. The Buddha taught according to the capabilities of the Bodhisattvas in the Three Realms. Earlier I mentioned that the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra so that. Small Vehicle practitioners, Hearers and Solitary Realizers can move beyond self-interested spiritual practice. He encouraged them to turn from the small to the great, and to let go of their Small Vehicle practices and move toward the Great Vehicle teachings. So, the Great Vehicle sutras are for those in the Three Realms who have developed Bodhicitta, so they can be taught the pure Bodhi-path. So, He taught this for those who seek the unsurpassed way. For those who “seek unsurpassed wisdom,” the Buddha expounded the pure Dharma.

Small Vehicle practitioners are still selfish and have attachments to ending their own afflictions and to purifying their own minds. Every one of us should seek purity of mind, but if we seek only for our own benefit, we will still have afflictions. Only by working among people can we thoroughly understand the cause of worldly sufferings. Only by seeing how afflictions arise in others can we understand how to let go and be free of conflicts when we become afflicted. Indeed, we must work among people. Isn’t it said that “infinite Dharma-doors readily appear in front of them”? If we do not engage with countless people, we will not see the infinite Dharma-doors. So, infinite Dharma-doors are found among people. Only after we experience this can our wisdom truly manifest.

So, to truly practice the unsurpassed path and to cultivate unsurpassed wisdom, we must eliminate the ego and purify ourselves. On top of purifying ourselves, we must also help others purify themselves. When others are pure, then we can be as well. How can we be at peace? Only when everyone is at peace. If others are not at peace, how can we be at peace? If we wish everyone to be at peace, we need to seek to free the world of disasters. This is the ultimate solution for the cause of suffering.

What the Buddha taught us was to turn away from the small toward the great. So this phrase, “turning from the small to the great” means to turn those who practice the Small Vehicle around so they can practice the Great Vehicle. So, the Lotus Sutra states it is very important to “set aside the provisional for the true.” The skillful means teach that, “If you practice this, your mind will be pure.” Although these teachings are very good, it is even better to purify your mind while helping others become pure. This is called turning from the small to the great. This is the pure path that we must understand.

In order to teach the pure path, the Buddha began with the principles of purification. This helps us purify our minds so that we can [gain] prajna, which is wisdom. This wisdom is non-arising and non-ceasing. But non-arising and non-ceasing wisdom must be used to develop our potential amidst wondrous existence. So, we cannot focus on emptiness. That would be biased. Solely seeking our liberation from birth and death is also biased. So we must manifest the emptiness of unsurpassed wisdom amidst wondrous existence. In this wondrous existence, we can apply the wisdom of non-attachment to turn our minds around. In the wondrous existence of this world, there are all kinds of appearances. When we apply wisdom to transforming our attachments to the appearances in this world and thus manifest our pure and wondrous wisdom, that is called perfect harmony. This is also called perfect enlightenment.

The next passage states,

“Manjusri, as I dwell here, I see and hear such things, and a thousand million other things. Numerous as they are, can you please now speak of them in brief?”

Who is saying, “As I dwell here”? Maitreya Bodhisattva. At the Lotus Dharma-assembly nobody knew what wondrous Dharma the Buddha would teach after. He entered Samadhi and began radiating light. No one was able to understand this. Do you remember, when.Maitreya Bodhisattva was the initiator and sought out a responder, who was the one that answered? Manjusri Bodhisattva. His question for Manjusri Bodhisattva led to the previous passage.

Maitreya Bodhisattva first said, “In the past, I know that the Buddha came in such a way. Manjusri Bodhisattva, as I understand, this is what I have seen and heard of the Buddha. Such things” are what was said earlier. “A thousand million other things” still remain. There were still many things for. Manjusri Bodhisattva to explain to everyone. So, this was why Maitreya Bodhisattva asked Manjusri Bodhisattva to give teachings. They were the initiator and responder at that place and in that state.

Everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, we must have aspirations like Maitreya Bodhisattva. Although we have a general understanding, what was the motive behind this teaching? Why did the Buddha come to this world? When He was expounding the Dharma in this world, how did He teach according to capabilities? Actually, the compassionate Maitreya Bodhisattva already knew everything. But in order to strengthen everyone’s faith, he respectfully invited Manjusri Bodhisattva to give an explanation to everyone.

This is the meaning of the previous passage. In our daily living, all environments, matters, people and objects are there to teach us the Dharma. The teachings can be readily found in them. As I have shared with everyone, all things in the universe contain the truth. If we can mindfully deal with external conditions, we find that whatever conditions we encounter can become subtle and wondrous Dharma. So everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 87 – Recognize and End Suffering

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>> One who has transmigrated for a long time experiences and faces suffering. There is no end to the cycle of life and death. How can one not prepare for crises in times of peace or not renounce the cycle of life and death?

>> “To those who possess blessings, having in the past made offerings to Buddhas and resolved to seek the superior Dharma, He expounds the way of the Solitary Realizers.”

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In this world, we have lived countless lives within this cyclic existence. We are completely unaware of how long we have been in this cyclic existence. Cyclic existence is indeed lengthy and endless. As unenlightened beings, we do not know what happened in the past. How many past lives have we lived? Furthermore, can we understand that suffering is the nature of living in this world? In just this lifetime alone, are we mindful of the way we live and what surrounds us?

This is a world of endurance, what must be endured is suffering. We have to endure suffering in order to live in this world. But we sentient beings do not recognize suffering, so we willingly stay in this cyclical existence of life and death. If we recognize suffering, we need to endure it. However, this also requires an awakening. We need to realize that we must endure things in this life to attain our goal in a future lifetime. So, we all need to have an awakened mind and establish a vow to engage in spiritual practice.

The Buddha taught us the Dharma for over 40 years. The First Turning of the Dharma-wheel began with “suffering.” He first analyzed the truth of suffering for us so we could recognize it. Only by recognizing suffering can we understand [the need] to seek the Path.

So, recognize suffering, its cause, cessation and the path to its cessation. First, recognize the origin of suffering. Previously, we talked about the cause of suffering and learned that accumulation of various actions committed out of ignorance and afflictions has caused society to become unethical and immoral. This is the cause of suffering, the accumulation of many karmic forces. After knowing this, we need to quickly cultivate the Path. To cease this suffering, we need to cultivate the Eightfold Noble Path.

We should know that if we do not recognize suffering, we will not think to eliminate it. So, we need to first recognize it. With recognition comes renunciation. Then we will detest this world and will not want to return again. What do we do if we do not want to return anymore? We must seek to end the causes of our returning.

One who has transmigrated for a long time experiences and faces suffering. There is no end to the cycle of life and death. How can one not prepare for crises in times of peace or not renounce the cycle of life and death?

So, we need to start by understanding the cause of cyclic existence. Once we fall into it, there will be no end. Since ancient times, many people have diligently studied Buddha-Dharma. They could understand the past with the spiritual power of knowing past lifetimes. They knew how past lives came about and that practice in this lifetime requires continuous pursuit of this long path to enlightenment.

Speaking of the past, in the ancient kingdom of Kabul, there was a practicing holy monk who already understood cyclic existence. Yet, he continued to diligently [practice] to seek true liberation. Just understanding was not enough, he really sought to attain true liberation. This man was Venerable Jeyata. He already knew about his 500 previous lives.

Meanwhile, two bhiksus from Southern India had been admiring this sage’s virtues. He was very well-known for being virtuous. These two spiritual practitioners arranged to travel together for the long trip from. Southern India to Kabul. The trip was arduous, but they finally arrived at the region where the sage practiced. However, that mountain was tall and vast, how would they find the exact location where this venerable one practiced?

As they stood there, at the base of the mountain, they saw a dark and thin person who looked frail yet energetic at the same time. They rushed to asked him. He was just about to kindle a fire with branches. They quickly asked him, “Excuse me, fellow practitioner, do you know where the sage lives? Do you know him?” He replied, “Who are you looking for?” They said, “Venerable Jeyata. Do you know this person?” The person who was kindling a fire with branches answered, “I know him. May we ask where he lives?” He pointed, “At the top of this mountain, the third cave is where he lives. Oh, thank you!” These two bhiksus quickly headed toward that cave.

Climbing the mountain was very exhausting, [the top] was quite far. By the time they arrived, they saw a person standing outside the third cave. This person was actually the same man who had been kindling the fire at the base of the mountain. These two bhiksus saw that he was clearly the same person. “From down below, we worked so hard to finally made it to the top of the mountain. How did he arrive before us?” One of the bhiksus contemplated for a moment and suddenly realized that this man must be Venerable Jeyata.

So with great reverence, both of them quickly came before this spiritual practitioner. They bowed, prostrated, paid obeisance and said, “Venerable one, clearly you have attained realizations and achieved spiritual powers. Why did you bother to make a fire with such great effort?” This sage had a very dignified appearance. Although he was very thin, his eyes beamed with vigor. After hearing their question, he kindly answered, “You think that I have spiritual powers. I can heat up water for everyone without great difficulty. But I remember all the suffering. I experienced in my previous 500 lives. So, I rather use my limbs to manually kindle the fires to heat water for everyone. If my offering to the Sangha this way can liberate me from cyclic existence, I am willing.”

He had spent his previous 500 lifetimes as a dog. During that time, he experienced extreme starvation and suffering. In these past 500 lifetimes, he only had a full stomach twice. He said, “Once it was from a drunk person. After he became drunk, he vomited. I ate the filthy things he vomited. I got to eat till I was full, but the food was very dirty and filthy.”

“The other meal was from a couple in a village. The husband worked in the fields while his wife stayed home to cook. When the rice was cooked, the wife went outside. I took this opportunity to steal rice by eating it right from the pot. I ate till my stomach was full; I was very happy. But the opening of the pot was small. So when I tried to pull my head out, I could not. Then the husband came home. My head was stuck so I could not escape. In a fury, he chopped my head off with a knife. Although I got to be very full, the price I paid was unspeakably painful.”

He explained the starvation and suffering he faced in the animal realm, not only the anxiety but the pain. He cried as he talked about the past. After these two bhiksus heard this, they sighed with regret. They said to each other, “Perhaps in our past lives, we also experienced this kind of suffering, but we forgot. We should prepare for crises in times of peace. Since we are born human now, we can encounter the Buddha-Dharma and engage in spiritual practice. We live in peace now and can carry out our intention to seek the Dharma through spiritual practice. So, we should thoroughly contemplate the karma we have created in the past, the places of suffering we have fallen into, and the unexhausted karma in our future, which will trap us in the Three [Lower] Destinies. These are all possibilities. So we need to quickly renounce cyclic existence and heighten our vigilance.”

Whether we speak of the past, present or future, if we spend time to figure out where our suffering comes from, we can attain the state of non-arising and non-ceasing. What will no longer arise or cease? The mind. Then we will not be vexed by gain and loss. With a sense of gain and loss, we have afflictions. If we do not have that mindset, there will be no arising or ceasing in our minds. Since our minds go through arising, abiding, changing and ceasing, we continuously go through cyclic existence. Thus, birth and death in the mind are the states of arising and ceasing. So, we need to heighten our vigilance. How do we liberate our minds? How can we be liberated from life and death in the future? It is better to seek to have no afflictions of gain and loss right now. Then our minds can quickly be liberated.

We hear that this sage who attained realizations was still very worried about being liberated from cyclic existence. Though he attained spiritual powers, would he completely eliminate samsara and attain liberation? We need to learn from the warnings of our predecessors and renounce aging, illness and death. If we can be like this, the Buddha will abide in this world forever through the Dharma that remains in this world. The Buddha continuously taught us. “[All Buddhas] speak to them of Nirvana, the end of all suffering.” If we can accept and practice the Buddha’s teachings, our minds will be non-arising and non-ceasing. So, we should make good use of time and engage in spiritual practice.

Next, it states,

“To those who possess blessings, having in the past made offerings to Buddhas and resolved to seek the superior Dharma, He expounds the way of the Solitary Realizers.”

Earlier we said after realizing suffering, we should know to pursue the Buddha’s path. When His teachings are analyzed for us, and we understand them, we can end all suffering. Some have made offerings to Buddhas in the past, which means they did this in past lifetimes. Therefore, they still have karmic connections with Them and can still make offerings to Them now. In making such offerings, and in their spiritual practice, they have one goal, which is to seek the noble teachings. These offerings are not made to gain blessings, but to seek the Dharma of liberation. For them, “[All Buddhas] expounded the way of the Solitary Realizer.”

For those with such capabilities, the Buddha expounded the Solitary Realizer teachings, which is the law of interdependent origination. Solitary Realizers were usually born in an era without Buddhas. So, it is often said that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. But our unenlightened minds are deluded, and our Buddha-nature is buried under ignorance. Therefore, we are lost and confused. Thus, we are unaware. Actually, since we have this Buddha-nature, if we made offerings to Buddhas and heard the Buddha-Dharma in past lives, our past afflictions become more diluted. Then if we are born in an era without Buddhas, we can mindfully contemplate the cycle of the four seasons as well as birth, aging, illness and death. By constantly contemplating where life comes from, we realize the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. So, the Buddha taught the Twelve Links of. Cyclic Existence for Solitary Realizers so they could become awakened on their own.

By contemplating the four seasons of the world, or the four states of human life, they can realize this all started from one ignorant thought, which brought about consciousness, action, then name and form. Each condition is linked to the next and is inseparable from birth, aging, illness, death. When people are reborn, they are still ignorant, so they continue to follow this cycle. This is what the Buddha taught Solitary Realizers.

If we seek the supreme Dharma, we must investigate how we came into existence. The ways in which humans live on Earth are closely related to the cycle of the four seasons. So, it is often said that time, space and our relations with others are also inseparable from the law of interdependent origination.

So everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, we need to work on calming our minds. We have been blessed in the past and had karmic connections with the Buddha. Perhaps we have made offerings to Him so that we are now blessed to become monastics and are able to engage in spiritual practice. Therefore, we need to be mindful of the law of interdependent origination. From all things in the world, to our own birth, aging, illness and death, to the people and things we encounter therein, we should not be careless. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 86 – Realize the Four Noble Truths

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>> “All causes and conditions related to our practice depend on our own inherent blessings and virtues. By planting roots of goodness in the fields of blessings, when the causes and conditions ripen, we will fulfill our vow to seek liberation from. Samsara through the supreme Dharma.”

>> “Their clear voices, profound and wondrous, fill those who hear with joy. Within Their own worlds, “each proclaims the Right Dharma.”

>> Next, “For people who have encountered suffering, and detest aging, illness and death, [all Buddhas] speak to them of Nirvana, the end of all suffering.”

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“All causes and conditions related to our practice depend on our own inherent blessings and virtues. By planting roots of goodness in the fields of blessings, when the causes and conditions ripen, we will fulfill our vow to seek liberation from. Samsara through the supreme Dharma.”

I also want to share with everyone [the passage] we have previously mentioned,

“Their clear voices, profound and wondrous, fill those who hear with joy. Within Their own worlds, “each proclaims the Right Dharma.”

This means when the Buddha expounds the Dharma in this world, He uses His voice. The Buddha-Dharma must be obtained by listening to the teachings. There has to be someone who speaks and someone who listens, and they must have karmic causes and conditions between them. When the Buddha expounds Right Dharma, He has to use various causes and conditions to teach according to sentient beings’ capabilities. The Buddha’s compassion is the cause; sentient beings’ needs are the conditions.

So, when we start to engage in spiritual practice, we need to pay attention to causes and conditions. To have the cause, we must first learn to have great compassion. Then we can exercise our wisdom and respond to the conditions of sentient beings. So, only with wisdom can we teach according to capabilities. A person with suitable capabilities has inherent blessings and virtues. With the karmic causes of blessings and virtues, they awaken immediately upon finding the Dharma. That is a person who has cultivated blessings. However, cultivating and accumulating blessings and virtues take long periods of time. It is not the work of only one lifetime. We cannot cultivate enough blessings and virtues in just a short period of time; they must be accumulated. We cultivate blessings by giving continuously. By practicing to give and creating blessings, we are cultivating wisdom, and wisdom is virtue, hence “blessings and virtues.”

When we give, are there still discursive and scattered thoughts in our minds? When we give, if we seek to obtain merits, or hope to obtain other people’s approval, these are discursive thoughts, which we bring to the cultivation of blessings. If we do so, we gain blessings without virtue. Because we have these discursive thoughts, we lack wisdom and Samadhi. So when we give without discursive thoughts, we gain virtues at the same time. Thus, we gain blessings and virtues.

We must keep planting roots of wisdom in our field of blessings and constantly cultivate them. This cannot only be done once. This field must be cultivated constantly. Besides creating blessings, we should deepen the roots of wisdom. This is the wisdom-root in the field of blessings. I often remind everyone to give unconditionally. Not only that, we also need to feel gratitude. This is the wisdom-root. To give without asking anything in return grows the wisdom-root in the field of blessings. This is cultivating blessings and wisdom. We need to do this constantly for a very long period of time, until causes and conditions ripen.

Remember that the cause is compassion and the conditions refers to the needs and interests. We should be compassionate and interested in continuously giving. We must nurture this habit. Interests and needs are not only about wanting or pursuing things. We can also be interested in giving. So, we must have the causes and conditions of blessings and virtues. The Buddha, in His compassion, keeps returning to this Saha World. He possesses loving-kindness and compassion in His heart.

This was His original intent, which He is now freely carrying out. He cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer. He hopes all beings can be freed of suffering and can return to their intrinsic Buddha-nature. This is the wondrous Dharma in the Buddha’s mind, which He wanted to teach to all sentient beings.

Everyone of us must first have an interest and take joy in the Buddha-Dharma. In order to do so, we must first purify our mind; only then can we accept the great Dharma. So, the cause of the Buddha and the conditions of sentient beings must be present. Thus, the Buddha said He used various causes and conditions as analogies, all to clearly illuminate the Buddha-Dharma. Since we sentient beings want to engage in spiritual practice, we need to quickly vow to seek the supreme Dharma of liberation from Samsara.

As Buddhist practitioners, we seek neither heavenly blessings nor worldly blessings when we give and dedicate ourselves. Not at all. From the Buddha’s teachings, we are really learning to return to our intrinsic nature. Please truly be mindful of this. When we listen to the teachings, we understand to “do nothing that is evil, do all that is good.”

While “doing nothing that is evil,” we must not give rise to afflictions. Only then are we truly pure and can eliminate ignorance and refrain from evil deeds. This is a stage we need to reach. When we “do all that is good,” we truly must have no expectations. Only then can we be very pure. Only this can be called the True Dharma.

In the past, the Buddha taught the Agama Sutra. Skillful means are still used to encourage people to do good and avoid evil. The Buddha also taught, “When you do evil you will receive retributions” everyone became afraid and dared not do it. But now He says, “Do no evil, and do not give rise to afflictions,” which is different. Only by doing good deeds without expectations can we end the cycle of life and death and truly realize the state of the Buddha. Then, although we come and go in this world, our minds can remain pure and tranquil. No matter how defiled or turbid the world is, we can come to the world and remain settled, upholding our mission and following the path. Our will to practice will not be tainted by worldly corruption and turbidity. Then, we can come and go freely and end the cycle of life and death. This is the spiritual state of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

We must be mindful when listening to the sutras. Otherwise, how is the Lotus Sutra different from other sutras in the past? The differences are being defiled and having expectations compared to being undefiled and having no expectations. These are very different. When we are defiled, we interpret the law of karma as doing good to obtain heavenly blessings. This is an expectation and still [creates] karmic retribution. Having no expectations, we remain undefiled by the world’s turbidities. Thus, we can reach the pure state of the Buddha. Everyone must be very mindful.

Next, “For people who have encountered suffering, and detest aging, illness and death, [all Buddhas] speak to them of Nirvana, the end of all suffering.”

This passage says that the Buddha expounded the Four Noble Truths for Hearers. Since the Buddha first began teaching, He was already adapting to all beings’ conditions. Everyone knows that five bhiksus, including AjnataKaundinya, followed the Buddha into spiritual practice. They did so conditionally and did not know the cause of suffering. Therefore, they could not end their suffering. So after the Buddha attained enlightenment, He wanted to transform these five people first.

Thus, the first turning of the Dharma-wheel was to talk about the principles of suffering. This was the True Dharma. However, when He began to teach about suffering, its cause, its cessation, and the path thereto, these five people had very different capabilities. The first to awaken was. AjnataKaundinya. He understood the Buddha’s teachings on the truth of worldly sufferings, that it is caused by the accumulation of causes and conditions. With every thought, every word, every action, every convergence of causes and conditions in our relationships, all kinds of karma is created. This karma keeps accumulating. This is the karmic law of cause and effect.

Since we understand this law, what should we do? We must seek the principle of ending suffering. How can we end suffering? How can we end the resentments, enmities and afflictive emotions in people’s relationships? We must follow the [Eightfold Noble] Path. How do we walk on this path? By walking on this path, we can reach a state of safety and understanding. We can unlock our wisdom and comprehension. We need to walk on this path and reach the end safely and smoothly. This is the Bodhi-path, the path of enlightenment. By taking this path of enlightenment, we can progress diligently. Once we gain this understanding we will not form more negative affinities. How do we bear our past negative affinities? We need to face [retributions] to eliminate them, then move ahead without creating bad affinities. This way, we can understand the Four Noble Truths.

AjnataKaundinya understood, but what about the others? They only had a partial understanding; they were still unclear. After the second turning [of the Dharma-wheel] there were still people who did not understand, hence, a third turning. For these five people, the Buddha expounded the Four Noble Truths three times. This was the Three Turnings of the Dharma-wheel. He had to explain three times for five people. Therefore, we can see that the conditions sentient beings are interested in, which is what they are seeking in their hearts, all varied greatly. Moreover, there are so many beings in the world. The Buddha expounded the Agama Sutra with the skillful means of various analogies.

We understand that He had to turn the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths three times for five people. Think about it, for Him to teach to so many people, surely, He had to use various worldly phenomena as analogies.

For instance, the Buddha talked about a woman and her sick young child. After he could not get medical help and died, she brought the child to the Buddha and begged, “What can I do to bring my child back to life?” The Buddha answered, “Quickly go look for a household where no one has died and ask them for mustard seeds.”

Mustard seeds were very common in India, so this mother thought that they would be easy to find. For a whole day, she went door to door to beg. Every household had mustard seeds. She then asked, “Has anyone in your family ever died? Our ancestors, our parents and grandparents have passed away. How could we not have had anyone die? That is impossible.” So after a full day, she still had not obtained mustard seeds from any household.

When she went back to the Buddha she was extremely tired. She said, “Every household has mustard seeds but all have had family members die.” The Buddha then asked, “How old were the ones who died? “I found that elders were not the only ones who passed away; younger family members did as well.” The Buddha said, “That is correct. Death does not discriminate based on age. It is a law of nature. We do not have control over life and death. It happens naturally. This is life, which is suffering.” This woman became awakened.

Her mind and spirit were liberated. In the future, when someone else suffered, the Buddha related other stories. This is also the Dharma. In various conditions, different analogies are used according to sentient beings’ capabilities. So, the Buddha taught accordingly. Out of His compassion, He taught according to sentient beings’ capabilities.

So, “for people who have encountered suffering, and detest aging, illness and death, [all Buddhas] speak to them of Nirvana, the end of all suffering.”

So, the teachings of the Four Noble Truths must be used to guide them so they can understand that life is suffering. After knowing this, we must detest suffering.

People often ask, “Why is life like this?” In this world, we see so many people suffer from parting with their love ones, as well as birth, aging, illness and death. No matter how someone lives, they cannot escape the Eight Sufferings. With relationships and relatives come suffering, not to mention the other [types of suffering]. With just relationships and relatives, there is already much suffering. How do we end suffering? If we can stop giving rise to afflictions of greed, anger and ignorance, we can reach the state of Nirvana.

So, the Buddha says that only by transcending our environment can our minds be pure. This is the goal of our spiritual practice, to reach a state beyond creation and destruction. We just spoke of this earlier. The Buddha came and went in this world, but. His Buddha-nature cannot be created or destroyed. Though He manifests in this world, in this evil world of Five Turbidities, His mind still remains pure and tranquil. It is not affected nor defiled by the world’s turbidities. His goal is to bring relief to suffering sentient beings.

But everyone should remember the ways to guide sentient beings’ needs. [Before He said,] “If you do good you will be reborn in heaven or in wealth and luxury in the human realm.” Now He talks about walking the Bodhisattva-path without any attachments and with a pure heart. This is where the difference lies. Everyone, please mindfully contemplate the essence of this Dharma. So everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 84 – The Buddha Freely Carried Out His Intentions

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>> “All things in the universe are still, subtle and wondrous, difficult to express in words.”

>> He first “presented the Lotus Sutra without words. Without moving His lips, He presented it in front of the people.”

>> Their destinies within cyclic existence, their good or bad karmic conditions, their positive or negative retributions, “can all be clearly seen.”

>> “One could also see all Buddhas and saintly lion lords expounding the most subtle and wondrous sutras. The sound of the their voices was clear and pure, soft and gentle, teaching all Bodhisattvas, numbering in the countless millions.”

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“All things in the universe are still, subtle and wondrous, difficult to express in words.”

The Buddha, for the sake of one great cause, ․The Buddha, for the sake of one great cause, came to this world. Using very skillful means, He guided us on this course. And on this course, He concentrated and brought forth the pure light of His heart to freely carry out His original intent.

Truly, in our daily living, we must know that all things in the universe are still, subtle and wondrous. Our words cannot describe the true principles of all things in the universe. Indeed, the truth of all things is all around us every day, but we are totally unaware of it. The Buddha came to the world for this great cause, which was to help everyone understand that hidden in our lives is the truth of all things.

In the silence of our lives, true principles are available to us in abundance. Yet, we do not understand it. So, we have no way to experience and understand His one great cause. Thus, He found it necessary to use skillful means to guide us and lead us onto the right course. Our minds are very unfocused. How can we focus ourselves again? Turning discursive thoughts into pure thoughts is truly not easy. So, the Buddha had to very patiently guide and teach us, one by one. He used skillful means to guide us on a course that will help us concentrate and bring forth the bright, pure light of our hearts.

The Buddha considered this for more than 40 years. To eradicate everyone’s discursive thoughts and allow everyone to focus their minds, He spent a lot of time working among people and guiding them. Now everyone’s minds were focused with a spirit of seeking to learn how the Buddha would carry out His original intent. How will He set aside provisional skillful means that He had taught in the past so people could focus on realizing the great teachings? Now was the time for the Buddha to freely carry out His original intent.

The Lotus Sutra is the Buddha’s original intent. Thus, He had to preserve these teachings so that the Great Vehicle could be passed down forever. The Great Vehicle, or His original intent, was the teaching of the Bodhisattva Way. It had to be passed down continuously. If it was not expounded in this sutra, the Bodhisattva-path would not always remain in this world. So at that time, He wanted to explain the True Dharma. It can reveal the clear truth wherever it exists, and manifest the Dharma-realm perfectly. [He] hoped that the Lotus Sutra will be passed down forever in the world. Wherever the Great Vehicle sutra reaches, it can elucidate the truth. Then everyone can truly realize, accept and apply it to the world. So it can reveal the truth wherever it exists, and manifest the Dharma-realm perfectly. No matter where this Dharma goes, it will be accepted by whoever encounters it. This teaching can be truly perfected in the world; no matter what Dharma-realm it is in, it can always be applied.

What do we apply it to? To helping people understand that sentient beings, the mind and the Buddha are equal. How are they equal? In their [nature of mind]. So sentient beings and the Buddha are equal. This is the most fully complete Dharma in the Dharma-realm. If our mind was not equal to the Buddha’s, then we would remain unenlightened beings forever. Unenlightened beings are still far from the Buddha. So, we must follow the Buddha’s example to realize that everyone has this intrinsic Buddha-nature. Only when we can understand this Dharma will it perfectly, truly and completely manifest in the Dharma-realm. So, worldly appearances are always of one nature. All things in the universe are naturally still.

Actually, in such a still universe, if we can fundamentally eliminate the discursive thoughts in our minds, our state of mind can also be still. Thus, worldly matters are always of one nature. Although the world is very complicated, everything is actually the same, it is simply the Three Principles and Four States. Formation, existence, decay and disappearance, birth, aging, illness and death, these things are consistent in our lives in the human realm. These are worldly matters. Don’t these states manifest in everything that we see and encounter in our living?

The world, universe and all things constantly undergo formation, existence, decay and disappearance. But we have short lifespans. Compare our lifespans to those in the heavens of the four heavenly-kings. One day there is 50 years for us here. One day in Trayastrimsa Heaven is 100 years for us here. If we compare our lifespans with heavenly beings’, our lives are very short. What we experience is birth, aging, illness and death. Every one of us can feel these states. These worldly matters are always of one nature. Worldly matters have been the same since the beginning. Starting with the ancestors of our ancestors, don’t we all go through birth, aging, illness and death? In our present and far into the future, won’t the beginning and end of these phenomena still be the same?

So, sentient beings and the Buddha are equal. This is also true of the mind. Even in the Dharma-realms, time can be very long. We cannot comprehend the lifespan of the Earth and the truth of all things in the universe. That kind of time is calculated in kalpas. In these long kalpas, arising and ceasing, formation, existence, decay, and disappearance all take place in this universe. So this is to say, humans are merely one kind of living beings in this world. Human beings cannot escape birth, aging, illness and death. Since we all go through this process, why can’t we thoroughly realize our fundamental intrinsic nature?

The Buddha wanted us to understand that among all the beings of the universe, human beings can thoroughly realize the truth of the cosmos. Humans are also necessary for the world to remain in harmony. Humans also need to help all beings live and interact in peace and harmony. If everyone can thoroughly realize the truth of the cosmos, isn’t everything in the universe a pure land?

Everyone says to seek the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss exists, but it exists in the state of the human mind. We should conduct our affairs with purity and unity, or practice with these principles. Otherwise, these truths will always be a mystery to us. Do the truths still exist when we are deluded? Yes, the clear and enlightened truths do exist. But we as unenlightened beings are deluded, so we cannot realize these true principles. The world becomes chaotic because sentient beings are deluded.

So, worldly matters are always of one nature, there is just one wondrous truth. The truth is always like this. There is no other tranquil and clear truth. The truth is of one nature. But how do we help everyone understand it? The Buddha had long concealed it in His mind. How could He carry it out freely? So right before the Lotus Sutra was expounded,

He first “presented the Lotus Sutra without words. Without moving His lips, He presented it in front of the people.”

He manifested that light to guide everyone. He hoped that this ray of light would shine into people’s minds so that everyone’s complicated thoughts could be gathered into one ray of light. In order to guide everyone’s mind to the light, the Buddha radiated light from His brow to illumine the 18,000 lands and all kinds of realms. In all these worlds, all forms of sentient beings in the Six Realms could be seen clearly in the Buddha’s radiance. This light could penetrate everyone’s hearts, so they would understand,

Their destinies within cyclic existence, their good or bad karmic conditions, their positive or negative retributions, “can all be clearly seen.”

This was the previous passage, where. Maitreya Bodhisattva and Manjusri Bodhisattva focused everyone’s minds to inspire them to seek the Dharma. They wanted everyone to understand that the lands that the Buddha’s light illumined were not elsewhere, but in everyone’s minds. They hoped everyone could accept this ray of brilliance into the Dharma-realm of their minds. They hoped that everyone could understand that the truth of the cosmos was actually that pure and simple. It is all around us in our daily living, but we cannot realize it due to the ignorance in our mind.

During the long kalpas of formation, existence, decay and disappearance, we do not understand the things in the universe because we are lost. Thinking back to people and matters, who can escape birth, aging, illness and death? What era is free of the chaos of natural and man-made disasters? See, they all originate in the mind. The mind and the Buddha are equal. Everyone has this pure innate nature, but we just do not make use of it. So, we should understand this.

Then the next passage states,

“One could also see all Buddhas and saintly lion lords expounding the most subtle and wondrous sutras. The sound of the their voices was clear and pure, soft and gentle, teaching all Bodhisattvas, numbering in the countless millions.”

This describes the light the Buddha radiated, which illuminated everyone’s state of mind so that all could understand these 18,000 worlds. From the summit of existence down to hell, everything was illuminated. This describes the Buddha’s wisdom and the light of His mind. This untainted brightness, these true principles, are always in the Buddha’s heart.

The Buddha is the saintly lion lord; He expounded all sutras. He kept coming to the world for the sake of one great cause, which was to constantly teach the same principles. He tirelessly taught and explained these principles again and again. So, there is no other Great Vehicle, just one, the One Great Vehicle, which was the Buddha’s original intent, to teach the Bodhisattva Way. So, He expounded all sutras. The sutras were taught with skillful means. Sentient beings were still lost, so worldly matters had to be used to illustrate the principles. So, they were very subtle and wondrous. Skillful means also serve the purpose of guiding the hearts of sentient beings, so they are very subtle and wondrous.

The Buddha’s voice was “clear and pure.” All teachings must first be spoken. In order to expound so many sutras, He had to use His voice to guide others. So [He used] a “soft and gentle voice, teaching all Bodhisattvas, numbering in the countless millions.” Of course, the Buddha had spent a long time coming and going in this world, returning on the ship of compassion. The Buddha’s original intent was as vast as the universe. Since Beginningless Time we have had this intrinsic Buddha-nature. It has been concealed within us from the time the universe began. So, Buddha-nature is universal. Not only does Sakyamuni Buddha have it, we all intrinsically have it.

The pure intrinsic nature of Sakyamuni Buddha is not influenced or tainted by anything in the world. So, the radiance of truth is maintained. Seeing the confusion of sentient beings, He keeps coming back to the world to connect to worldly matters. Thus, converging principles and matters together. Since Beginningless Time, He has come to the world to teach sentient beings. So He is “teaching all Bodhisattvas, numbering in the countless millions.”

However, do we have the karmic conditions to be taught and transformed by the Buddha? Only if we do can we accept the Buddha’s teachings. We just need a longer time [to do so]. The Buddha had to accompany us very patiently. Sentient beings have dull capabilities so. He has to patiently accompany us. If He did not finish teaching in this lifetime, He will continue in the next life. So, Sakyamuni Buddha is the fundamental teacher of the Saha World. As the Saha World still exists, the Buddha returns again and again to teach the Bodhisattva Way.

So everyone, please be reverent and respectful. Where the Dharma exists, the Buddha exists. Where the Buddha exists, the Dharma exists. So in the Saha World, our fundamental teacher, Sakyamuni Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha are ever-lasting. So everyone, please always be mindful!