Category: TLS Chapter 1

Episode 154 – With a Pure Heart, Understanding is Not Hindered

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>> He develops the Three Insights, Six Spiritual Powers and [37] Practices to Enlightenment. He gives rise to loving-kindness, compassion, the Ten Powers and [Fourfold] Fearlessness. He appears with the good karmic causes and conditions of sentient beings.

>> They are the insight into previous lives, the insight of the heavenly eye and the insight into ending all Leaks.

>> The Three Insights: 1. Insight into previous lives means we understand everything about the previous lives of ourselves and others. The second is insight of the heavenly eye. “We understand what will happen in future lives for ourselves and others.”

>> Third is insight into ending all Leaks, which means, “with the wisdom of the sages, we can thoroughly eliminate all afflictions.”

>> The aforementioned Three Insights are called Three Insights in Arhats. But for those who have attained Buddhahood, they are called Three Understandings.

>> The methods of practice are the 37 Practices to Enlightenment that lead us on the path to Nirvana. Because each practice is different, they are called Practices to Enlightenment.

>> “The light radiated from between the Buddha’s brows and. He manifested each of these rare events. The light illuminated the east and 18,000 Buddha-lands there.”

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He develops the Three Insights, Six Spiritual Powers and [37] Practices to Enlightenment.
He gives rise to loving-kindness, compassion, the Ten Powers and [Fourfold] Fearlessness.
He appears with the good karmic causes and conditions of sentient beings.

Every moment, we maintain the same mindset and advance on the right path, step by step. We cannot deviate from it in the slightest, and our minds must always be bright and clear. This is the goal of our spiritual practice. The slightest confusion or bit of darkness in our minds may cause that minute deviation.

“The Three Insights, Six Spiritual Powers and [37] Practices to Enlightenment are developed.” These are very important, so we should make great effort to [develop them]. What are the Three Insights?

They are the insight into previous lives, the insight of the heavenly eye and the insight into ending all Leaks.

[First is] the insight into previous lives. What are our lives like in this lifetime? Why did we encounter such negative conditions? We need to know that this is due to our past lives. In the past, if we had not formed a connection with that person or created this cause in the past, we would not have met in this lifetime. Our past causes and conditions with this person created this karmic retribution in this life. The Buddha wants us to know the law of karma.

“When you meet such a person in this lifetime, you can joyfully repay your debt to each other.” If we can understand these principles, we can take a step back and broaden our minds. We must not limit our minds so that we are caught up in an endless loop that [we cannot escape]. There is no need. The Buddha has already told us that we should not be superstitious, that we must have Right Faith. We must even know the law of karma. If we clearly understand the law of karma, our past lives will become apparent.

So, in our living, we must not get sucked into that whirlpool. Instead, we must very clearly understand cause and effect. There is nothing worth pursuing; since we are already here, let us be at peace. If we are settled and have spiritual support, our minds will be very open and broad.

The Three Insights: 1. Insight into previous lives means we understand everything about the previous lives of ourselves and others. The second is insight of the heavenly eye. “We understand what will happen in future lives for ourselves and others.”

If someone asks us, “I suffered so much in this life, what will my next life be like?” About the future, we can say, “That depends on what you do in this lifetime. You can eliminate ignorance and avoid creating bad affinities with others. If you create bad affinities, make amends right away by repenting before them and giving with love. Then the negative causes and conditions from this lifetime will be changed for the better in future lifetimes.”

Here, “lifetime” may not refer only to this life. Past, present and future are called the Three Periods.

Therefore, the insight of heavenly eye requires not only clarity of vision but also clarity of mind. Thus, we clearly understand ourselves and others. In the past, we may have had an ignorant thought that caused conflict with someone else. If we quickly self-reflect now, we will have a positive future. With self-reflection, we can naturally dissolve the bonds of resentment.

So, “insight” means we must have clear understanding in our minds. We do not understand only what we need to say or do, but we can also guide others’ [speech and actions]. We must always clearly understand the Threefold Karma of body, speech and mind. If we use this perspective to view the world, we know the past is in the past, and we must clearly discern [that from] the present. This is how we broaden our perceptions. This is the insight of heavenly eye. With this insight, we can understand all things in the world. Therefore, when our minds are clear and bright, naturally our state of mind will be broad, and all will be clear. This is insight of heavenly eye.

Third is insight into ending all Leaks, which means, “with the wisdom of the sages, we can thoroughly eliminate all afflictions.”

We need extraordinary wisdom such as that of the sages, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Isn’t that what we are learning? We learn from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, in their wisdom, have already eliminated all afflictions. This is what we must seek. This is what we must learn.

Whether we have insight into previous lives or insight of heavenly eyes, we must still eliminate all afflictions until there are no Leaks in our minds. We are familiar with “no Leaks” [or flawlessness]. “No Leaks” is a state of purity and clarity, a mind without any afflictions. “The perfection of precepts, Samadhi, wisdom, liberation and liberation’s understanding and views” is the insight into ending all Leaks.

So, we must all clearly understand that the source of all suffering is ignorance. The goal of spiritual practice is to eliminate ignorance. Once our minds are cleansed, naturally we have attained a sage’s state of mind. To have the same state of mind as sages, we must eliminate all afflictions. This is the basic principle. But are our minds in a constant state of heightened vigilance?

The aforementioned Three Insights are called Three Insights in Arhats. But for those who have attained Buddhahood, they are called Three Understandings.

Once we have thoroughly understood all principles, naturally our wisdom will broaden. So, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings teaches us that “infinite Dharma-doors readily appear before us.” What we need to learn are the Three Insights, then the Six Spiritual Powers. In “the Three Insights, Six Spiritual Powers and [37] Practices,” the Three Insights plus Three Spiritual Powers are the Six Spiritual Powers. Added are the power of heavenly ear, the power of transporting oneself and the power of knowing others’ minds. Together, the powers of heavenly eyes, of heavenly ears, of transporting oneself, of knowing past lives, of knowing others’ minds, and of ending all Leaks are the Six Spiritual Powers.

How do we acquire the power of heavenly ears? With the advance of modern technology, we constantly exhibit the power of heavenly ears. I am speaking here, and sitting there are a group of spiritual practitioners. They are far away from me yet they can listen from there. Even though there is so much space between us, they can also hear me. They are employing the power of heavenly ears. The original principles of this power was stated in the Buddha’s time. The Buddha explained this in His wisdom. Now, people applied their knowledge to develop this technology and implement it in our modern lives. This is not difficult!

As for the power of transporting oneself, I did not really go anywhere, and they did not come over here. How are they able to hear these spiritual teachings? Actually, they are also using the computer. They can also see me in front of them. So, did I go there or did they come here? Again, technology has delivered me to them. This is the power of transporting oneself.

What about the power of knowing others’ minds? Speaking of minds, does your mind really understand my mind? You are all listening to me speak. Listening is one thing, but do you understand? You [say you] understand. But the understanding is in your mind. The words come from my mind. I do not know what [your understanding is]. How could I know? By looking at your actions in front of and away from others. You may tell others, “my Master says such and such.” I am very touched when I hear that because you actually took in my words. However, when you are doing things, dealing with people and handling matters, have you [acted on what you learned]?

After hearing people say something, we must also observe their actions. After you have heard what I said, have you absorbed it? You have already learned to say it yourself. But do you use it in dealing with people and matters? It will take some time to see if everyone has absorbed [these teachings].

The Three Insights and Six Spiritual Powers [are related] to our past, present and future. If we made mistakes in our past, are we rectifying them in the present? Once we change our ways now, we will go in the right direction in the future. So everyone, when we hear [teachings] like this, do we accept and apply them? If we do, we truly have the Three Insights and Six Spiritual Powers.

Other than thoroughly understanding the Three Insights, we still need “practices.” As we walk on this path, we should clearly know the different states that we will pass through. What are these “practices”? They are methods. What are they? “The 37 Practices to Enlightenment.”

The methods of practice are the 37 Practices to Enlightenment that lead us on the path to Nirvana. Because each practice is different, they are called Practices to Enlightenment.

I often tell everyone about the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. They are an important process to go through for spiritual practice. The 37 Practices to Enlightenment begin with the first step of spiritual practice and lead us on the path directly to Nirvana. This indispensable road takes us from the beginning to the very end. The 37 Practices to Enlightenment has different categories, each with different names. For a period of time, Da Ai TV had an announcement that mentioned “three Fours, two Fives, a Seven and an Eight.”

Do you know what the “three Fours” are? Fourfold Mindfulness, Four Right Efforts and. Four Bases of Spiritual Power. These three groups of four are “the three Fours.” Of the “two Fives,” one is Five Roots and the other is Five Powers. Seven Factors of Bodhi and Eightfold Noble Path are the “Seven” and “Eight.” All these numbers add up to the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. They assist us on walking this path, so we can take firm and steady steps. We walk steadily ahead on this path, so these are the Practices to Enlightenment.

Everyone, in our spiritual practice, we must start with that initial aspiration and aim in the right direction. If we do not aim ourselves correctly, even if we have already chosen the right path, if we have the slightest deviation in our minds, the slightest deviation in direction, a single deviant thought can cause 1000 erroneous thoughts. One deviant step can take us 1000 miles off course. So, we must always take good care of our minds. If we do not take good care of our minds, we may make numerous mistakes. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings constantly reminds us of [how to] direct our minds in our daily living.

The Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the essence of the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha had already taken the essence of Lotus Sutra into His mind before He started to speak, and He [now] concentrated His mental power. So,

“The light radiated from between the Buddha’s brows and. He manifested each of these rare events. The light illuminated the east and 18,000 Buddha-lands there.”

He radiated light from between His brows and manifested each of these rare events. All Buddhas share the same path. Before They expound the Lotus Sutra, They first manifest the Six Auspicious Signs. So, the light radiating from between His brows illuminated the east. From this we can tell that the Buddha’s seat faced the east and the light from the rising sun. The curl of hair between His brows is one of 32 Marks of the Buddha. The reflected light from this white curl shone forth so everyone felt that the light from between His brows illuminated everything. This is the manifestation of an auspicious sign. Everyone saw this and felt very happy. Happiness is an auspicious sign that brings peace and joy to people’s hearts. So, this light illuminated the east and the 18,000 Buddha-lands there. The intrinsic nature of each person was clearly seen at this time.

If we explain things this way, as the Buddha faced the world, His first auspicious sign before teaching Dharma had already illuminated everything. At that moment, people were already very enthusiastic in body and mind. This was because they were all very happy. When they felt happy, they were open and understanding. So, everyone can [develop] “the Three Insights, Six Spiritual Powers and [37] Practices.” Very naturally, the teachings the Buddha had given, from the Four Noble Truths to the Twelve Links to the Six Paramitas and the 37 Practices to Enlightenment, had been practiced by all of them in the past. These had all been taught by the Buddha. Now, when they all saw this light radiate from the Buddha, [the teachings] had been “revealed” in their minds. The Buddha taught them to open their minds so He could reveal this teaching to them. Therefore, we should treat these two sutras, the Lotus Sutra and Sutra of Infinite Meanings, as companion texts. I hope everyone will always be mindful.

Episode 153 – Buddha-nature Is Pure and Undefiled

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>> “[His body is] neither blue nor yellow, neither red nor white, neither scarlet nor purple nor any variety of colors. He gives rise to precepts, Samadhi, wisdom, liberation and liberation’s understanding and views.”

>> The Buddha’s Dharmakaya is pure and will not be defiled by material appearances.

>> Arising of precepts, Samadhi, wisdom, liberation, liberation’s understanding and views: the five kinds of merits and virtues used to attain the Buddha-body. These are the Fivefold Dharmakaya.

>> First is the Dharmakaya of precepts. It tells us that “the Tathagata’s Threefold Karma is free from any faults.”

>> Next is the Dharmakaya of Samadhi. This refers to how “the Tathagata’s true mind of stillness is free from all deluded thoughts.”

>> Third is the Dharmakaya of Wisdom. It refers to how “the Tathagata’s genuine wisdom and perfect clarity understands the nature of all things.”

>> 4. Dharmakaya of liberation: the Tathagata’s body and mind are completely free from all entanglements. Fifth is the. Dharmakaya of liberation’s understanding and views. He is also aware of His liberation. So, “The Tathagata inherently has perfect understanding of Himself.”

>> The light radiated from between the Buddha’s brows and He manifested each of these rare events. The light illumined the east and the 18,000 Buddha-lands there.

>>Between His brows is a tuft of white hair between His brows is a tuft of white hair. “It is clear inside and out, like a white crystal, with a rightward swirl.”

>> Right before the Buddha began expounding the Lotus Sutra, He first manifested six auspicious signs as the sequential conditions for the beginning of the sutra. These are called the Six Auspicious Signs of the Opening of the Lotus Sutra.

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Every day, we prudently come together in this place to mindfully experience the Buddha’s teachings. His every phrase and every word is a part of our daily living. Do [the teachings] apply to our daily living? If they are not [applicable] in daily life, then this is not the true Dharma. Also, if we do not apply the Dharma in our lives, then we are not true spiritual practitioners. In our daily living, we cannot separate the Dharma from how we deal with people, matters and objects. Then we can clearly discern right from wrong. Matters may [appear] a certain way, but the underlying principles are always there. Appearances are constantly changing, but principles are steady and have always been there. Still, we must make an effort to experience them.

Today’s reading of the Sutra of Infinite Meanings states,

“[His body is] neither blue nor yellow, neither red nor white, neither scarlet nor purple nor any variety of colors. He gives rise to precepts, Samadhi, wisdom, liberation and liberation’s understanding and views.”

The Buddha’s Dharmakaya (Dharma-body) is pure. It has no appearance. It cannot be touched. It cannot be seen. It cannot be smelled. Its principles are serene and still, but it is still found everywhere in our lives.

It has no form and no appearance, so nothing can defile it. Our Buddha-nature has been covered by ignorance but not defiled by it. This is like when a dark cloud in the sky covers the sun or the moon. Once the dark cloud passes, the sun or moon looks the same as it did. When it is time for the sun to rise, we see sunlight. When it is time for the moon to rise, we see moonlight. No matter when clouds come out, it can only cover the sun or moon; it cannot defile it.

So it is with our intrinsic nature, which was originally pure. Our intrinsic nature is the principles. This body of principles is called the Dharmakaya. The principles we realize upon enlightenment are called the Buddha’s Dharmakaya. It is pure because it has always been pure, and it will not be defiled by material appearances.

The Buddha’s Dharmakaya is pure and will not be defiled by material appearances.

Next, we talk about how. “[He gives rise to] precepts, Samadhi, wisdom, liberation and liberation’s understanding and views.” We already know about precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. I often talk about how we need to practice the Three Flawless Studies, which are precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. Precepts can protect our bodies and minds. They guard against wrongs and stop evils. Body and mind, we will know to heighten our vigilance against evil, so we will not be tempted by external phenomena to commit evil deeds. When we have precepts, we can guard against wrongs and stop evils.

[Next is] Samadhi. Since we are forming aspirations, we should make great vows. To make aspirations and vows, we need Samadhi. If the mind is not stable, naturally it will easily be influenced by external phenomena. But as we go about our daily living, when we deal with people and matters, when external phenomena manifest, do we become troubled? Do we become anxious? Do we want to retreat? If we do not have Samadhi, our minds will be led by these things. So, we must have the power of Samadhi and also exercise our wisdom. This is precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. If we can bring forth our wisdom, naturally we can discern right from wrong. Then we will have clarity and be flawless. When we are flawless, we have no leaks.

I often tell people that when we learn precepts, we must have “flawless precepts” and focus on upholding the precepts. With Samadhi we make aspirations and vows. We must uphold our state of Samadhi. This is called “flawless Samadhi.” We have already experienced what it is like to discriminate between worldly phenomena. We have already experienced what it is like to discriminate between worldly phenomena. We are determined to effortlessly play in this world. We are focused on helping people, on relieving the suffering of sentient beings. We are single-minded and will never turn back. This is called wisdom. We compassionately behold all equally. When we feel compassion, we treat all sentient beings equally. This is called “flawless wisdom.” These are the Three Flawless Studies.

If we add liberation and understanding, we get precepts, Samadhi, wisdom, liberation, and liberation’s understanding and views. These are five kinds of merits and virtues. Merits are related to internal cultivation. Virtues are related to external conduct. We need to practice internally and externally to achieve the Buddha-body. These are the Fivefold Dharmakaya.

Arising of precepts, Samadhi, wisdom, liberation, liberation’s understanding and views: the five kinds of merits and virtues used to attain the Buddha-body. These are the Fivefold Dharmakaya.

We have always said that the Dharmakaya is the principles.

First is the Dharmakaya of precepts. It tells us that “the Tathagata’s Threefold Karma is free from any faults.”

What is the Tathagata’s Threefold Karma? His body, speech and mind. When the Buddha opens His mouth, He speaks the Dharma. His body is already pure and the thoughts in His mind are wise. His Threefold Karma is completely pure and free from any faults. His body does not commit any transgressions. His mouth expounds the Dharma and does not err. His mind is pure. This is how the Buddha’s Threefold Karma is pure and free from any faults.

Next is the Dharmakaya of Samadhi. This refers to how “the Tathagata’s true mind of stillness is free from all deluded thoughts.”

Of course, the Buddha’s mind is tranquil and still. The Buddha’s mind is truly tranquil and still. That is why in the beginning we always say, “With minds tranquil and clear, vows as vast as the universe.” This is the state of the Buddha’s mind.

Third is the Dharmakaya of Wisdom. It refers to how “the Tathagata’s genuine wisdom and perfect clarity understands the nature of all things.”

The Tathagata’s wisdom is “the perfect and radiant Buddha-nature.” This perfect and radiant Buddha-nature can clearly illuminate all people, matters and principles in the macrocosm. We all have this pure Buddha-nature. The Buddha, with His pure intrinsic nature, has already achieved perfect and radiant wisdom, great, perfect mirror wisdom. This mirror in His mind is already pure, perfect and radiant and can penetrate the nature and appearances [of reality].

“Appearances” refers to people and matters. “Nature” refers to principles. So, nature cannot be touched, but appearances can be seen. What we can see includes all people, matters and things. They all have their principles. Therefore, matters and principles can come together harmoniously; that is how we penetrate the Dharma-nature by using our original and pure wisdom to deal with myriads of sentient beings and principles of people, matters and things. If we thoroughly penetrate them, that is the Dharmakaya of wisdom.

Fourth is the Dharmakaya of liberation. This world is full of appearances and afflictions. As the Buddha deals with people, matters, things, He is not bothered by afflictions.

The Buddha came to this world for one great cause. He hoped to awaken the enlightened nature of sentient beings, one by one. But have sentient beings realized [this nature]? Have they awakened? Has the Dharma entered their minds? This is all up to the myriads of sentient beings. To awaken means to clearly know our self-nature. Not to awaken means to continue to be defiled by afflictions. The defiled remain in the state of ordinary people. The Buddha’s mind is not tainted by ordinary people’s defilements. So, He is still liberated and can still guide deluded sentient beings. His mind has not been defiled. This is called “liberation.” The Buddha is liberated from all entanglements. This is the Dharmakaya of liberation.

4. Dharmakaya of liberation: the Tathagata’s body and mind are completely free from all entanglements. Fifth is the. Dharmakaya of liberation’s understanding and views. He is also aware of His liberation. So, “The Tathagata inherently has perfect understanding of Himself.”

Perfect understanding is being clear on everything and having complete realization and understanding, [perfect] understanding and views. He fully understands that. He already has the wisdom of liberation and also knows He must liberate others to enable them all to attain liberation as well. This is what we need to work on and understand. We must be replete with these five [attributes]. Precepts, Samadhi, wisdom, liberation and liberation’s understanding and views are what we must learn. These are the Fivefold Dharmakaya.

Dharma is principles; these are five principles. These principles are the nature of the Buddha. We all intrinsically have it; it is not greater in the Buddha or lesser in unenlightened beings. This is the principle of the Fivefold Dharmakaya. I hope we can all realize and understand this.

The light radiated from between the Buddha’s brows and He manifested each of these rare events. The light illumined the east and the 18,000 Buddha-lands there.

The next part of the Lotus Sutra explains that at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, the Buddha first taught the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. After the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, He entered the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings. As I have mentioned, that principle is like a clean mirror. This is the great perfect mirror wisdom. When the Buddha sat down to meditate, He contemplated everything. So, He manifested [auspicious] appearances and radiated light while in Samadhi.

As for “the light radiated from between His brows,” we all know that the curl of white hair that reflects light is one of the 32 Marks of the Buddha. The Buddha has soft, curly hair between His brows. When light is present, it seems that this patch of soft white hair is radiating the light. This is something that we ordinary people lack. But among the Buddha’s 32 Marks is this very special appearance.

So,

Between His brows is a tuft of white hair between His brows is a tuft of white hair. “It is clear inside and out, like a white crystal, with a rightward swirl.”

That tuft of white hair looks like a white crystal that can reflect light, and it has a circular, rightward swirl. So, before the Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra, He manifested six auspicious signs. The light from between His brows was one of them. These six auspicious signs were a prelude to the teachings. All Buddhas share the same path. Before expounding the Lotus Sutra, every Buddha did the same thing. Didn’t all 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas do the same? So, all Buddhas share the same path. Before expounding the Lotus Sutra, they all manifest the six auspicious signs. This is the sequence of teaching this sutra.

Right before the Buddha began expounding the Lotus Sutra, He first manifested six auspicious signs as the sequential conditions for the beginning of the sutra. These are called the Six Auspicious Signs of the Opening of the Lotus Sutra.

Before expounding this Great Vehicle sutra, there were “Six Auspicious Signs of the Opening of the Lotus Sutra.” These were: His opening teachings, His Samadhi, the rain of flowers, the quaking of the land and delight in the beholders’ hearts. Everybody in the assembly was very happy. These six auspicious signs are the ceremonial ways of teaching that. Buddhas of the Three Realms and ten directions must manifest before They expound the Lotus Sutra.

In the Buddha’s heart, He only came for one great cause, to help the myriads of sentient beings in their state of delusion and confusion. Because sentient beings are deluded and confused, they create much collective karma. This collective karma leads to many disasters in the world. The Buddha comes to this world for one reason, to save our minds by helping us thoroughly understand principles. So, the Buddha only came to spread these principles so we can all comprehend them. All the afflictions in the world cannot defile the Buddha at all. This is the Buddha, so, He is called the Enlightened One of the Universe and the guiding teacher of humans and heavenly beings. So, to learn from the Buddha, we must learn [these principles]. Everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 152 – Buddhas’ Dharmakaya Are Like a Boundless Void

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>> “[His body is] neither moving nor turning, neither idle nor tranquil, neither advancing nor regressing, neither safe nor in danger, neither right nor wrong, neither gaining nor losing, neither that nor this, neither going nor coming.”

>> All Buddhas’ Dharmakaya is like a boundless void, tranquil and clear, and inherently unmoving, calm and still.

>> “All heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts and gods made offerings to the most honored among people. And, within all Buddha-lands, there occurred a mighty trembling.”

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Every day, at this same time, the conditions are the same. This is the same time and the same state, but is it the same moment? Actually, the states are the same, but the moment in time is different. If we can clearly distinguish between the labels and [underlying] principles, we will fully understand those principles. If we cannot clearly distinguish between them, we will often take issue with people and over matters and objects.

The Sutra of Infinite Meanings can bring us deeper understanding. So, this section of the sutra says,

“[His body is] neither moving nor turning, neither idle nor tranquil, neither advancing nor regressing, neither safe nor in danger, neither right nor wrong, neither gaining nor losing, neither that nor this, neither going nor coming.”

As we chant the Sutra of Infinite Meanings daily, have we thoroughly understood these principles? “Neither moving nor turning, neither idle nor tranquil.” At any moment, are we passing time in movement? Or, are we passing time in stillness? At the present, we are very still. This is a tranquil setting. It feels very still and stable. We can call this “not moving.” When we are sitting here, we are not moving. Yet, as we are not moving at all, everyone became still. Do you know how far the Earth had travelled around the sun during this brief length of time? We know it is moving because the minutes and seconds are passing. We feel both the sense of movement and moments of stillness. So, [things are] “neither moving nor turning.”

But really, is there a moment when the Earth is not turning? Is there a time when minutes and seconds are not passing? Even if we are very still, the world surrounding us, not only heaven and earth, but everything, looks like it is “neither moving nor turning.” At the moment, we feel that things are “neither idle nor tranquil.” They are not existing in stillness; they are still moving ceaselessly. Thus, “moving” and “stillness” are happening simultaneously. This is known as an “aggregate.” I often talk about the “aggregate of action,” which we are experiencing at any given time. We just do not sense it.

[Thus, it is] “Neither advancing nor regressing, neither safe nor in danger.” The same principle applies to advancing and regressing. Are things really advancing or regressing? After we are born, when we are young, we are constantly learning. We learn to walk, to listen, to read and to do things. This is advancing. But after our youth has passed, and we are middle-aged, we are at our peak. Next is old age, in which we begin to continually deteriorate. As our strength and memory wane, we lose our agility and alertness. So, we are constantly regressing. So, are we advancing or regressing? [By then], we are regressing, and at the very end of that regression, we pass away. After we pass away, we come back again because we are all in cyclic existence. Thus, “neither advancing nor regressing, neither safe nor in danger.”

Within this realm of impermanence, we may often think that we are safe and sound. But we must remember that we cannot stop time; we cannot stop impermanence. How can we say “neither advancing nor regressing” is a moment of great peace? We cannot. Are we living in danger at every moment? Also, no. Although impermanence strikes in a moment, we do not know when it will happen. When things [change suddenly] in a moment, that is called “impermanence.” We must be aware of dangers as we live in safety; then we feel both simultaneously.

I always say we must be vigilant. Even though we live in calm and comfort, we must always have this kind of vigilance. Though we see many instances of impermanence in the world around us, these are actually the laws of nature. Our minds can [feel safe in] the law of nature, but we must thoroughly understand these principles. We have to know that change is constant, [what moves forward] will recede; this is the truth. In the state of human existence, this true principle is everlasting, but the world we live in is ever-changing and impermanent. This is “neither advancing nor regressing, neither safe nor in danger.”

Perhaps you are all wondering what does this have to do with you. When I think about this, I realize that this really affects me because we do not just live within these conditions, we are also living on this planet. We need to understand other people’s timing and circumstances. We must have an understanding of the entire world to have an idea of what is stable and what is out of balance. From the imbalance of the elements, to the living circumstances of all creatures, everything is related. Thus, the Buddha taught us to have a very broad view. Although we live in this space, our wisdom, our hearts must encompass the universe and thoroughly understand these principles.

This is why it says, “neither right nor wrong, neither gaining nor losing, Neither right” means “not so”, the principle is not so. “Neither right” also means “false” and “incorrect. Nor wrong” means there is no mistake. In the end, is it correct or incorrect? “Neither gaining nor losing” means there are no gains or losses.

Indeed, why are we taking issue over things? To figure out [the situation], we must apply our wisdom. This is very important. At a time of [change], we need to discern right from wrong. We cannot just say, “This is correct and incorrect.” Some non-Buddhist texts begin their teachings with “AU,” which means “existence” and “non-existence.” They start with “existence” and “non-existence.” Is this true or false? It does not matter. They begin with this concept. But, in the beginning of Buddhist sutras, it states, “Thus have I heard,” which means this actually happened. The beginning of the sutra mentions the Six Fulfillments. There was a basis for this, a place and people who listened and a Buddha who spoke. The word “such” means it actually happened as described.

Thus, Buddhist sutras must have a basis to say that these are the true principles and those that are false are baseless. This analysis helps us understand what is fabricated and what is true. So, in studying the Buddha’s Way, we want to know how to remove our daily illusions, and how to face the true principles. Thus, we must constantly clearly discern right from wrong. This phrase is “neither right nor wrong.” We need to clearly know what is “correct” and “incorrect. Neither gaining nor losing” is also an ever-abiding true principle. Buddha-nature is forever within our minds. No one has more of it, nor does anyone have less of it.

Thus, it is no greater in Buddhas and no less in ordinary people. Buddha-nature is equal in Buddhas and in sentient beings. We just need to make an effort to understand what is true and what is false. If the course is wrong, we cannot follow it. If the course is right, we want to diligently advance. Clearly, discernment of right from wrong comes from our Buddha-nature. We intrinsically have principles and a Dharmakaya. “Neither gaining nor losing” means. [Buddha-nature] is no greater in Buddhas. They do not have more of it than we do, nor is it less in sentient beings; we do not have less of it than Buddhas. Buddha-nature is equal in everyone.

So, it is “neither that nor this, neither going nor coming.” Why distinguish between here and there? At this given time, “that” is on that side of the Earth; “this” is on this side of the Earth. Coming and going between this and that, in the past, it may have taken a long time to finally reach the destination. Now, that is not necessary. We do not even need to get on a plane. We can use video conferencing. Someone speaks, and I respond. You see, isn’t this “neither that nor this, neither going nor coming”? You need not go there, and he need not come here. We can communicate [without delay]. So, people nowadays can use technology to demonstrate these existing principles. So, it is “neither that nor this, neither going nor coming.”

All Buddhas’ Dharmakaya is like a boundless void, tranquil and clear, and inherently unmoving, calm and still.

“All Buddhas’ Dharmakaya is like a boundless void, tranquil and clear.” This is the principle behind all Buddhas. The Dharma is truly like a boundless void. It is that tranquil and clear, as well as pure. Time is pure and principles are also pure because we cannot see or defile them. Thus, these are the intrinsic principles of the Dharmakaya. And these intrinsic principles are encompassed within the enlightened Buddha-nature. “The Dharmakaya of all Buddhas is like a boundless void, tranquil and clear and inherently unmoving, calm and still.” Within this context, would we say it is moving or revolving?

In fact, it is unmoving, yet it also does not become still. Even when it becomes still, it continues revolving. The principle is that movement and stillness [happen simultaneously]. If we can understand this, we should be able to comprehend all things in the world, whether time, space or human relationships. We just need to make the effort.

Thus, in the Lotus Sutra, as I said before, the Buddha began by sitting in full lotus and in Samadhi, a state of concentration. He was very happy and eager. The people listening were also very joyful, knowing He was about to emerge from Samadhi and freely carry out His original intent. At that point in time, heavenly drums sounded and heavenly flowers fell. That condition was very beautiful.

Thus, at that time,

“All heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts and gods made offerings to the most honored among people. And, within all Buddha-lands, there occurred a mighty trembling.”

This is telling us that at that point in time, everyone was very respectful. Aside from the fourfold assembly and king and nobles in this world, heavenly beings, dragons and gods were also there and made the most reverent offerings.

Regarding the word “offerings,” the heart is the most important thing. Thus, heavenly beings, dragons and gods also made offerings to the most honored among people. By physically practicing the teachings, they made offerings of respect and conduct. This is how they protect the Buddha-Dharma. These are all known as “offerings.” They made offerings to and protected the most honored among people. The Buddha achieved Buddhahood in this world and realized the true principles of the universe, so He was the most honored among people and had perfect, universal enlightenment. He realized the most correct course and was the most respected among humans.

“And, within all Buddha-lands, there occurred a mighty trembling.” A Buddha-land is simply a place where a Buddha taught and transformed beings. We know that Sakyamuni Buddha’s place of influence is the Saha World. The Saha World is in this universe, on this planet and includes all sentient beings. It is the most beloved and protected by the Buddha. Thus, He caresses the Earth to show that He cherishes all beings, things and places on this planet. This is the Buddha’s land.

In fact, within the universe, there are many Buddhas. We have already heard about. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha and 20,000 other Buddhas with the same name. Then, after Them came Burning Lamp Buddha, and after Him there will be many other Buddhas. Yet, Buddha-lands are unchanging. Our Saha World is also unchanging; it is still guided by the Buddha. When we say something is “unchanging” it means the principles are unchanging. The true principles in the Saha World are the same as the true principles in all other Buddha-lands. Thus, we say that all Buddhas share the same path. When the Buddha-mind in the Saha World is happy, the Buddha-minds of all Buddhas in all Buddha-lands are also happy. This is the “mighty trembling.” Trembling means eager and happy.

Thus, as we learn the Buddha’s Way we must bring everything into harmony with the principles. More importantly, in our daily living, we must be mindful not to separate the way we live from the principles [we learned]. We must bring them together harmoniously. Then we will not be led astray by external conditions.

“Neither moving nor turning, neither idle nor tranquil, neither advancing nor regressing, neither safe nor in danger, neither right nor wrong, neither gaining nor losing, neither that nor this, neither going nor coming.” At this point, we can understand the sutras that we chant daily very well. If we do not understand the text but simply read it, that is not right. We really must [bring] these principles into our daily living, to this time, place and our relationships. We must be very thorough. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 151 – With Dharma in the Mind, Buddha-Nature Manifests

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>> “Neither square nor round, neither short nor long, neither appearing nor disappearing, neither arising nor ceasing.”

>> Therefore, “Dharmakaya has no fixed appearance, is not existent, not nonexistent, not square, not round, not short, and not long.”

>> [His body] is neither appearing nor disappearing, neither arising nor ceasing. The Buddha’s Dharmakaya is uncontrived, so it is neither appearing nor disappearing, neither arising nor ceasing.

>> [His body is] neither creating nor evoking, nor contriving nor producing, neither sitting nor lying, nor walking nor standing still. “Neither creating nor evoking, nor contriving nor producing.” Next it is saying. “A Buddha’s Dharmakaya transcends all appearances and has no beginning or end, nor is it created.”

>> “Neither sitting nor lying down, walking nor standing still.” The School of Sudden Enlightenment has a teaching that says, “What does it mean to see the Buddha’s true body? To not see its existence or nonexistence is to see the Buddha’s true body.”

>> “Sitting or lying down, at all times and in all places, during the day or at night, regardless of the time, place or conditions, cultivating these practices is not difficult.”

>> When the Buddha finished teaching this sutra, He sat on His Dharma-seat in full lotus and entered the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings. From the heavens fell a rain of Mandarava flowers, and heavenly drums naturally sounded.

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We live between heaven and earth. In this space between heaven and earth, is it round, straight, square, or long? Indeed, humans are very small compared to the vastness of the universe. Whether our principles are square, round or rectangular depends on how we live our lives and do things. Being square or round is all the same. As long as our minds are broad, there is no difference between being square or round. If our minds are narrow, we take issue with others. However, if we can broaden [our minds], we will have more than enough space [for others], whether [they] are square or round, long or short. Therefore, [Dharmakaya is].

“Neither square nor round, neither short nor long, neither appearing nor disappearing, neither arising nor ceasing.”

If we can thoroughly understand such principles, what is there to take issue with? Everything is neither this nor that. Since things are neither, why take issue over the arising and ceasing of anything? How much time do we have to take issue with others?

Therefore, “Dharmakaya has no fixed appearance, is not existent, not nonexistent, not square, not round, not short, and not long.”

Indeed, we can neither see nor touch principles, but we can feel them. But just whose feelings are correct? People can debate this, but let us come back to the principle itself, which is neither existent nor non-existent. “Neither” means there is no “existence” or “non-existence.” So, “neither square nor round, short nor long” means things are not really square, round, short or long. These qualities truly do not exist. Indeed, these are just labels for principles.

That the “Dharmakaya is without appearance,” [means] the Dharma originally has no appearance; it goes beyond “existence” and “nonexistence.” Don’t we see this when we are doing things in our daily living? In what kind of space do we place a table of a certain length? What sized table can fit precisely into this space? If the space is very small and we try to fit a very long table in there, that is not the appropriate configuration. The same applies to principles in daily living. Is whether something square, round, long or short worth arguing over? It really is not.

[His body] is neither appearing nor disappearing, neither arising nor ceasing. The Buddha’s Dharmakaya is uncontrived, so it is neither appearing nor disappearing, neither arising nor ceasing.

“Neither appearing nor disappearing, neither arising nor ceasing.” Is it appearing or is it disappearing? Is it arising? Or is it ceasing? Where were we before coming to this life? We humans calculate our age starting from our first day, the moment we are born. However, will we forever remain the same in this world? Our appearance at birth goes through a gradual process of aging. At birth, we have the appearance of a baby. Then, with the passage of time, we gradually learn to sit, crawl and walk. So, our physical body continues to develop. Thus, is our appearance fixed at birth? It is not.

When we were born, we cried loudly. Right now, we are sitting here quietly. From our first day up until this moment, where has [that original appearance gone]? There is no fixed appearance. However, there is a principle behind this. This principle is invisible. After we are born, our physical body continues to grow over time. We go from being carried to sitting on our own, from sitting to crawling to standing. This happens because of principles, which when applied to the human body are called physiology.

Physiologically speaking, we never truly remain [at that state we were in] at birth. Between the day we were born until now, we constantly experience intangible changes, so we do not remain the way we were at that moment of birth. Actually, nowhere along this process is there a moment when things are fixed. I often talk about “the aggregate of action.” [Things] intangibly and imperceptibly fade away like this. There is no fixed appearance. This is “negation.” Things are “neither appearing nor disappearing, neither arising nor ceasing.”

I hope everyone can be more mindful of how, in our daily living, our bodies and material things change according to these principles. Everything in life continuously passes and never stops changing. Thus, nothing is ever fixed. So, there is neither arising nor ceasing.

Thus, the Buddha’s Dharmakaya refers to the principles we realize. Buddhahood is an enlightened state that we intrinsically have. After we have awakened, we realize that the Dharmakaya is [comprised of His] principles. The principles of non-contrivance seem so obvious. A tree comes from a tiny seed, which will sprout and develop because there is earth, water, sunlight and air. This happens because of the constant convergence of karmic causes and conditions in this environment. Then, as things arise and grow, its initial [appearance] will naturally fade away.

So, this is the principle. Therefore, over time, [objects] form, exist, decay and disappear; [people] go through birth, aging, illness and death; [thoughts] arise, abide, change and cease. This is the natural state of things. If we know the law of nature, we can remain uncontriving and will not continue to create [karma]. It is impossible for something to be fixed in the state of arising and have that fixed appearance forever. This is not possible. Constant changes are part of the law of nature; thus this is an illusory life.

Since we humans are unable to awaken to [recognize] this illusory state, we get into disputes. In fact, there is actually nothing worth disputing. So, people who have been awakened understand that this is the natural course of things. This is non-contrivance. Non-contrivance means we seek nothing, so we are not constrained by our conditions. If we go along with what happens naturally, we will not be bound or restricted. Since this is the way the world turns, and we are born on this Earth, we must follow the natural course of things. So, non-contrivance means things should not be contrived by humans but must happen naturally. So, “neither appearing nor disappearing, neither arising nor ceasing.”

[His body is] neither creating nor evoking, nor contriving nor producing, neither sitting nor lying, nor walking nor standing still. “Neither creating nor evoking, nor contriving nor producing.” Next it is saying. “A Buddha’s Dharmakaya transcends all appearances and has no beginning or end, nor is it created.”

This principle is the same as the earlier one. After awakening and understanding the Dharma, we naturally will transcend all appearances and not be obstructed by them. Then we will not cling to appearances such as fame or wealth. We will not take issue over whether we are recognized. Once we have transcended all appearances, there is no beginning or end, nor creation. We will not take issue over who started first, [asking], “Did you begin [this work] earlier, or did I begin earlier?”

I often talk about disaster relief work. If we are not the first to act, we are then the last to leave because there will still be many difficulties, even at the end. If everyone leaves, there is no one left to help deal with the remaining challenges. That is why we should either be the first to act or the last to leave. [Or better yet, we can] be there from the very beginning to the very end. Thus, we become connected and continuously keep them company. So, we do not take issue over who came first, not at all. [Instead, we follow] the law of nature and do whatever needs to be done. This is the wisdom the Buddha taught us. We must not cling to beginnings, endings or doings. We must not take issue over these terms. However, we must do what ought to be done. This is the way the principles work. “Neither sitting nor lying down,”

“Neither sitting nor lying down, walking nor standing still.” The School of Sudden Enlightenment has a teaching that says, “What does it mean to see the Buddha’s true body? To not see its existence or nonexistence is to see the Buddha’s true body.”

We may have been disciples who followed the Buddha more than 2000 years ago. We may also have been just like Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva, still looking for recognition and wealth, so we are still transmigrating in the Six Realms. But we still have an enlightened nature, so we are still remain in the Buddha-Dharma. We still make offerings. To what? To the Dharma, because the Buddha is no longer in this world. We bring the Buddha-mind into our minds and uphold and practice His teachings. We respect the Dharma. Why do we respect the Dharma? For one great cause: to become enlightened. After attaining enlightenment, there is also another great cause, to help all sentient beings. This is called the cycle of enlightenment.

So, what does it mean to see the Buddha? What is the true body of the Buddha? Actually, His true body exists in our minds. “To not see its existence or nonexistence is to see the Buddha’s true body.” We do not see [its] “existence” or “nonexistence.” If we can understand these principles, [we see] the Buddha’s true body. Actually, the Buddha was in this world, and though we may not have encountered Him, we emulate Him in these Four Demeanors. This is part of learning the Buddha’s Way, and we will learn it well.

“Regardless of walking, standing,”

“Sitting or lying down, at all times and in all places, during the day or at night, regardless of the time, place or conditions, cultivating these practices is not difficult.”

Whether it is day or night, whether we are walking, standing, sitting or lying down, the Dharma is in our minds and we can act according to the Dharma. If we can do so, then seeing the Buddha of our self-nature is not difficult. Actually, learning the Buddha’s Way occurs in daily living, in all places and at all times, whether it is day or night. Regardless of causes and conditions, if the Dharma is in our minds, it is really not difficult to see the Buddha, because He is in our minds.

Therefore, “the way we behave and conduct ourselves is called the Four Demeanors.”

As we learn the Buddha’s Way, we need to attend to our Four Demeanors, the way we walk, stand, sit and lie down. These are the things we ought to learn to do.

The Sutra of Infinite Meanings teaches us these things to give us a better understanding. So, the Buddha’s mind is concerned with the [Sutra of] Infinite Meanings, which is the essence of the Lotus Sutra.

When the Buddha finished teaching this sutra, He sat on His Dharma-seat in full lotus and entered the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings. From the heavens fell a rain of Mandarava flowers, and heavenly drums naturally sounded.

The Lotus Sutra says, “When the Buddha finished teaching this sutra,” which refers to the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, as we have said, “He sat on His Dharma-seat in full lotus and entered Samadhi.” After the Buddha taught this sutra, He began to sit in meditation and teach the Lotus Sutra without words as. He radiated light and transformed His appearance. This was what happened when. He was in the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings.

This Samadhi exists as part of our daily living, as we eat, drink and so on. This means, if we take good care of our minds, our mind and body will be one, and the movements of the body and mind will remain in the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings. We also uphold and practice all the principles in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. Since this is a great teaching, naturally a rain of Mandarava flowers fell from the heavens [when it was given]. We have explained previously that. Mandarava flowers are soft flowers. There are big, as well as small, red, soft flowers, Mahamandarava and Mandarava flowers. Maha means big. Manjusaka flowers look very beautiful.

[The saying], “Flowers blooming in my heart” indicates “joyful.” We attain Dharma-joy if we feel very happy and peaceful when the Dharma enters our hearts. Happiness is like flowers blooming in our heart. So “a deluge of heavenly flowers” means to be very happy. It conveys how, when the Buddha entered the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings, He felt very peaceful and at ease. His surroundings were very tranquil and quiet, and heavenly drums naturally sounded. This was a very natural state.

The moment we feel very tranquil, we can hear the sound of the earth breathing. Not only do humans breathe, the earth is breathing too. We can hear the trees releasing fendoline. We can sense that, as well as hear the birds twittering. When our minds are tranquil and still, we can very easily hear all the natural and wondrous sounds in the land. We can hear all of it.

Therefore, Samadhi is “goodness abiding in one place, unmoving.” When all goodness is concentrated in one place, that is the state of Samadhi, which is Right Knowledge, View and Enlightenment. “All forms of meditative contemplation are called concentration as well as Samadhi.” They are when “right thoughts and actions converge harmoniously.” When thoughts, conduct are joined harmoniously, that is called Samadhi.

We need to remember that the only way to engage in spiritual practice is to focus wholeheartedly on helping all suffering sentient beings. We need to save ourselves first. Are we being tormented by ignorance and afflictions? If we can be released from them, naturally we can also help others to become liberated from both mental and physical suffering. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 150 – By Grasping One Truth, We Understand all Truths

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>> “His body is neither existent nor nonexistent, arises from neither causes nor conditions, does not discriminate self from others.”

>> “The Dharmakaya of all Buddhas is like a boundless void. It does not arise or cease, come or go.”

>> “Has neither appearance nor non-appearance, is neither with name nor without name. It is ever-abiding but does not exist. It is empty and still but is not non-existent.”

>> “Though it is said to exist, it leaves no traces or footprints. Though it is non-existent, it pervades the ten directions.”

>> [It] arises from neither causes nor conditions, neither self nor others: Causes and conditions, and self and others, converge to create appearances. In conclusion, when causes and conditions converge, they give rise to appearances. The Buddha’s Dharmakaya does not arise nor cease; therefore it arises from neither causes nor conditions, does not discriminate self from others.

>> “This Buddha then taught a Great Vehicle sutra by the name of Infinite Meanings. Amidst the assembly, and for their sake, He set it forth with broad distinctions.”

>> [He] then taught a Great Vehicle [sutra]: All Buddhas, Tathagatas have true and right enlightenment. The path They cultivate is the Great Vehicle, which is also the supreme vehicle, the wondrous vehicle, the unequalled, universal vehicle.

>> The sutra named Infinite Meanings: Because Buddha wanted to give Lotus teachings, the principles of ultimate truth, He first taught these infinite meanings and then entered the Samadhi of infinite meanings, which led back to the principles of ultimate truth.

>> “Within ultimate truth, there are endless wondrous meanings.” So, this is the Sutra of Infinite Meanings,

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Are our minds and bodies in harmony every day? Very often, our minds seem to be independent of our bodies. So, we engage in spiritual cultivation to learn how to harmonize the body and mind. But when we talk about them, what is a mind? And what is a body? The Sutra of Infinite Meanings states,

“His body is neither existent nor nonexistent, arises from neither causes nor conditions, does not discriminate self from others.”

This explanation seems so broad. The body and mind are existent, [yet] they are also nonexistent. What does a mind look like? We cannot see it nor touch it. How exactly would the mind appear? Unfortunately, we ordinary beings have a mind that causes us to face all kinds of afflictions and suffering throughout our lives. But everyone’s experience of suffering is different. So, still others may wonder, “It is so obvious I am suffering. But I cannot comprehend your suffering.” Existence and nonexistence may only be a matter of experience. One who experienced [suffering] can comprehend it. One who has not will not be able to comprehend it. No matter how one person explains it, the other person cannot understand his suffering. Therefore, [feelings of] the body and mind really cannot be described in words or seen by anyone in a way that can allow them to truly feel it.

So,

“The Dharmakaya of all Buddhas is like a boundless void. It does not arise or cease, come or go.”

This is the highest stage for a spiritual practitioner. He already transformed his body into a Dharmakaya, or Dharma-body. People come and go because of their causes and conditions. All things grow from the seeds of causes and from the conditions created by earth, water, fire and wind. This is how physical forms manifest in this world. Only the Buddha can understand the shared principles of all things, which is the true Dharma. The true Dharma and all principles are encompassed by the Buddha’s Dharmakaya, His wisdom, which is as vast as the universe. This is like how the universe encompasses all things on earth. He has an understanding of everything that is very clear.

He no longer arises nor ceases, [yet] all things in the universe do arise and cease. Similarly, the human body goes through birth, aging, illness and death. But, the true principle.

“Has neither appearance nor non-appearance, is neither with name nor without name. It is ever-abiding but does not exist. It is empty and still but is not non-existent.”

This may sound very profound. As I shared previously, we cannot truly connect to each other’s feelings and truly experience them. [One may say], “I feel great suffering! I feel great pain!” But it is impossible for others to feel this. Life is beyond our control. Non-appearance, Non-appearance [refers to how] what we say or wish to convey cannot be seen by other people. [Meanwhile], no non-appearance means that this person still truly has this feeling. But is this existent? Or is it non-existent?

Is there [a thing] named “pain”? In fact, pain is a noun, In fact, pain is just a noun, which can be [described] in many different ways. So, “pain” also has no fixed appearance, but it is not without a name. Indeed, the word “pain” is truly able to express that feeling. So, it is “neither with name nor without name.”

Humans are always bound by these labels and appearances, for others cannot feel exactly what we feel. Sometimes we feel up, sometimes we feel down. So, does this [feeling] really exist? Or is this [feeling] non-existent? This happiness we are enjoying, can we enjoy it forever? And those who are suffering, will they suffer forever? These things have no fixed appearance and are also not ever-present. But they are also not non-existent. They are in between existent and non-existent. This depends on what kind of mindset we use to turn them around.

So, “[His body] has neither appearance nor non-appearance, is neither with name nor without name. It is ever-abiding but does not exist. It is empty and still but is not non-existent.”

“Though it is said to exist, it leaves no traces or footprints. Though it is non-existent, it pervades the ten directions.”

Whether this world is existent or non-existent depends on whether our wisdom can penetrate the principles of all things in the universe. If we can clearly understand these principles, by grasping one truth, we understand all truths. In fact, “[it] arises from neither causes nor conditions, does not discriminate self from others.” We often talk about “causes and conditions.” How does one come into the world, how does one leave, how does one feel, and how does one comprehend? This requires the presence of “causes” and “conditions,” the convergence of self and others.

Take all of us for example, him [and her], you and me. Between us, there are causes and conditions that led to these appearances. Because we have the affinity to be teacher and student, we gather here to engage in spiritual practice together. This is our spiritual training ground, our Dharma-lineage and our school of Buddhism. Whatever we do in our daily living is an appearance created from the convergence of causes and conditions, of self and others. The formation of an organization is a kind of “appearance.”

Him [and her], you and me, we each have a different name, a different responsibility, our own causes and conditions. “In conclusion, when causes and conditions converge, they give rise to appearances.” How do they arise? How do they cease? The appearance of arising and cessation depends completely on causes and conditions.

“[It] arises from neither causes nor conditions, neither self nor others.” But, if these factors are separated, there is nothing at all. If these factors converge, they give rise to these names, these organizations, these appearances. When an appearance is created, that is called formation. Therefore, I speak of formation and abiding. After something has been formed and is present in this environment, it is abiding. This is the appearance created by the convergence of causes and conditions.

[It] arises from neither causes nor conditions, neither self nor others: Causes and conditions, and self and others, converge to create appearances. In conclusion, when causes and conditions converge, they give rise to appearances. The Buddha’s Dharmakaya does not arise nor cease; therefore it arises from neither causes nor conditions, does not discriminate self from others.

We are ordinary beings and are influenced by causes and conditions, So, each of us are led by causes and conditions. What about the Buddha? The Buddha’s Dharmakaya has neither a beginning nor ending, is neither arising nor ceasing, neither coming nor going. It is fundamentally ever-abiding. So, it does not arise nor cease; it is part of the Buddha’s original nature.

The Buddha, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, return to the world out of compassion for all suffering sentient beings. So, He “arises from neither causes nor conditions, neither self nor others.” The Buddha came to this world not because. He was led by any causes and conditions. If anything influenced Him, that would be His compassion and wisdom. With great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy and great equanimity, He could not bear to see sentient beings suffer. He came to this world with such a clear state of mind. He “arises from neither causes nor conditions, does not discriminate self from others.” The Buddha’s Dharmakaya does not continuously arise and cease in this world; He is ever-abiding.

So, this section of the Lotus Sutra states,

“This Buddha then taught a Great Vehicle sutra by the name of Infinite Meanings. Amidst the assembly, and for their sake, He set it forth with broad distinctions.”

“This Buddha then taught a Great Vehicle sutra.” The most important goal for the Buddha was to freely express His original intent. So, when the time came, He began to expound a Great Vehicle sutra. This Great Vehicle sutra is “the path all Buddhas and Tathagatas with true and right enlightenment have practiced.” This is the Great Vehicle, which is Annutara-samyak-sambodhi, or perfect and universal enlightenment. With His already enlightened nature, the Buddha walked this path. We can also walk this same path. It has always existed. If people have already walked on this path, others who follow them can also walk on it. The Buddha attained enlightenment, and we sentient beings also intrinsically have Buddha-nature, so why haven’t we attained Buddhahood? So, the Buddha taught the principle of the Way, the principle of this true path.

[He] then taught a Great Vehicle [sutra]: All Buddhas, Tathagatas have true and right enlightenment. The path They cultivate is the Great Vehicle, which is also the supreme vehicle, the wondrous vehicle, the unequalled, universal vehicle.

So, this vehicle “is the Great Vehicle.” [So, this vehicle travels] the great road, the truly broad path to the absolute, perfect, universal enlightenment. “[It] is also the supreme vehicle.” This path is supreme and unsurpassed. So, it is called the supreme vehicle. No other principle can surpass it. “It is also the wondrous vehicle.” There is no path safer or broader than this one. It can directly reach the state of Buddhahood, the most supreme, perfect, universal enlightenment. This is very wondrous and profound. So, it is called “the wondrous vehicle. The unequalled, universal vehicle” encompasses all Great and Small Vehicle [teachings].

I have previously discussed the Four Noble Truths, the Twelve Cyclic Links of Existence and the Six Paramitas. With the Six Paramitas, we can analyze the Twelve Cyclic Links of Existence, which are contained in the Four Noble Truths. Therefore, the great encompasses the small. This is like the way the universe encompasses all planets in the cosmos. The great can contain the small, all principles are encompassed within it.

The sutra named Infinite Meanings: Because Buddha wanted to give Lotus teachings, the principles of ultimate truth, He first taught these infinite meanings and then entered the Samadhi of infinite meanings, which led back to the principles of ultimate truth.

What is the name of this Great Vehicle sutra? “The sutra named Infinite Meanings.” As I have often said, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the essence of the Lotus Sutra. The essence of the Lotus Sutra is contained within the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. It encompasses all things; just one principle can encompass all things.

So, the Buddha wanted to expound the Lotus Sutra to freely carry out His original intent. The Lotus Sutra had always been in His heart, He had always wanted to give these teachings. “He first taught these infinite meanings.” He started by teaching about infinite meanings then entered the Samadhi of infinite meanings, When He entered Samadhi, He was actually [teaching] “the Lotus Sutra without words.” This was called Samadhi of Infinite Meanings. Whether He was radiating light or manifesting appearances, when He was in that state of Samadhi, He was fully in the Dharma-essence of infinite meanings. He was truly very happy and eager. So, when He first began to teach, He entered the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings, which led back to the principles of ultimate truth. Indeed, many principles are contained in the truth of the Great Vehicle. So, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings states, “One can give rise to infinity. Infinity arises from one.” For infinite Dharma to become readily apparent, we need to attain infinite wisdom. This depends on whether we can achieve thorough understanding. The principles of “infinite meanings lead back to the principles of ultimate truth.” So, [one truth] encompasses many principles.

“Within ultimate truth, there are endless wondrous meanings.” So, this is the Sutra of Infinite Meanings,

which was guarded and retained by the Buddha.

So, we can think about how within ultimate truth, there are endless wondrous meanings. Just by reading this phrase, our hearts become happy and excited about the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. When infinite meanings enter our minds, we can comprehend and understand all matters, objects, principles and appearances in the universe.

So it is said, actually, in these infinite meanings, “His body is neither existent nor nonexistent.” Do our bodies really exist or not? Are we that baby in our childhood? Are we that youth in our adolescence? Or, are we this elderly person? The questions go on. This same body is really “neither existent nor nonexistent.” It actually has no [fixed] appearance. I no longer have a youthful appearance. I certainly do not look like a child. Is there any appearance that can be ever-abiding? No.

“It arises from neither causes nor conditions, neither self nor others.” Actually unconditional loving-kindness and great universal compassion are the Buddha’s state of mind. With the Four Infinite Minds, He naturally is not led by His karmic retributions. This is all in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. So everyone, our minds must enter the Dharma; the Dharma must penetrate our hearts. Then, how can any affliction or hindrance still remain? None can. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 149 – Eliminating Delusional and False Thoughts

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>> A spiritual practitioner must “forever eliminate delusional thinking, perceiving and recalling. He is never again influenced by the 4 Elements, 5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances.”

>> Wanting and seeking are called thinking. Grasping appearances is called perceiving. Retrieving memories is called recalling.

>> “The Tathagata attained universal, perfect enlightenment and is not attached to any phenomena.”

>> He is never again influenced by the 4 Elements, 5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances. Elements refer to earth, water, fire and air. Skandhas refer to the Five Aggregates. Realms refer to the 18 Realms. Entrances refer to the 12 Entrances.

>> “All things are illusory and empty in nature. The four elements are empty. There is no permanent self in the Five Skandhas.”

>> “Before that Buddha became a monastic, eight princes were born to Him. Seeing the Great Sage become a monastic, they also followed Him to.”

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Are there discursive thoughts in our minds? Are our minds focused? I often ask myself this too. The purpose of a lifetime of spiritual practice is to cultivate a mind that can focus and concentrate. If our minds are focused and concentrated, matters and objects in the world become clear. But, we ordinary people have wild and unruly minds. In a short period of time, our mind can take a turn and veer wildly off course. Who knows how far it has wandered off already? This is what we ordinary people are like. So, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings [reminds us] to be vigilant.

A spiritual practitioner must “forever eliminate delusional thinking, perceiving and recalling. He is never again influenced by the 4 Elements, 5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances.”

We must be vigilant and take this passage to heart. Are there dream-like delusions in our minds? Life is like a dream, for it is out of our control. Are there discursive, false thoughts in our minds? If so, we need to eliminate them quickly because we are Buddhist practitioners. This is the most fundamental part of learning the Buddha’s Way. We must rid the mind of delusional, unreal and false thinking. Otherwise, we live every day as if dreaming and are influenced by whatever phenomena that arise. We must be very vigilant [to avoid] living this way. This means that we should permanently eliminate these dreams and illusions.

Doesn’t the Diamond Sutra [compare] all things to dreams, illusions, bubbles and shadows? Once we have thoroughly seen and understood life, what is there to take issue over? Since life is just like a dream, why are we so serious about what happens in this dream? Life is truly illusory; what part of it is actually real? In our daily living, [we need] clothing, food, housing and transportation. We are born with a naked body; we do not bring a stitch with us. [Likewise], after we pass away and our bodies are exhumed years later, there are only bare bones left. So, what is real? We brought nothing with us when we came, and we take nothing with us when we leave. This is like an illusion!

Life is a mixture of truths and illusions; the world is full of unreal and false things. Why do we give rise to afflictions for the sake of people, matters or objects? Those who see clearly recognize that these things are unreal and illusory. However, as humans, we are always thinking, perceiving and recalling.

“Thinking” refers to false thoughts. Yesterday’s issues stay in the fields of our minds, meaning they are stored in the mind and brain. What happens when we are “perceiving”? “Perceiving” is when the phenomena before us are stored in our minds and create false ideas about things.

As I have said in the past, we have discussed the seventh consciousness, the field of our mind that is “thinking.” The sixth consciousness is “perceiving.” [There is also “recalling”]. We recall things because we are still attached to things that happened in the past, such as kindnesses, resentment, enmity and hate. We take them in from our external phenomena. In the seventh consciousness, the field of the mind is continuously cultivated. Therefore, hatred and enmity deepen. These things we have thought are then stored in our minds, in the eighth consciousness.

Over the course of an entire lifetime, dreams and illusions lead us to think, perceive and recall things, and we keep all those thoughts in our minds. We cannot wash them away completely. Moreover, ordinary beings do not wash them away, but instead continuously reproduce them. So, a Buddha has practiced and attained a state that completely eliminates delusional thinking, perceiving and recalling. Thus, we praise the Buddha for forever eliminating this kind of delusional thinking in this world. He is not attached to any phenomena. Though He lived a human existence, He was not attached to any phenomena.

Wanting and seeking are called thinking. Grasping appearances is called perceiving. Retrieving memories is called recalling.

Now, let us discuss why “wanting and seeking are called thinking.” When it comes to our thinking, the appearances before us [cause] our minds to react to external forms and choose to want and pursue certain things. “I want this object. I want this person.” We become very attached, so we feel we must get what we want. This takes a lot of mental effort to think about, for we vow to achieve certain goals.

Bad things, as I have said earlier, [lead to] “unwholesome seeking of more.” This is the “thinking” of ordinary people. They wish to seek more and more by any means and at all costs. This is “thinking. Perceiving” is taking external appearances into our minds. “Recalling” is how we ordinary people constantly chase memories. “You and I made this agreement at some point, so how can you betray me now?” This is a way of chasing memories. In the past, we wanted so many things, and they all weigh on our minds; this is called “recalling.” This is what ordinary people are like.

We need to engage in spiritual practice to eliminate this kind of illusory and false thinking. Only then can we make great aspirations and vows [to benefit] humankind. So, we must first get rid of our illusive and false thinking. Afterwards our thinking will be correct. So, although the Buddha went among the people and [lived alongside them], His state of mind was completely free. So, this is the difference between the mental states of sages and ordinary people.

“The Tathagata attained universal, perfect enlightenment and is not attached to any phenomena.”

The Tathagata clearly understands interpersonal conflicts. These things do not exist at all in the mental state of a Buddha. His mind is completely clear and will not be affected by interpersonal conflicts or hindered by anything at all. Absolutely not. He has completely eliminated them. Thus, “He is never again influenced by the 4 Elements,” “5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances.” This tells us that in the mental state of the Buddha, since delusional thinking, perceiving and recalling have been eliminated, they will no longer enter His mind. They will no longer trouble Him.

He is never again influenced by the 4 Elements, 5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances. Elements refer to earth, water, fire and air. Skandhas refer to the Five Aggregates. Realms refer to the 18 Realms. Entrances refer to the 12 Entrances.

“Elements” refer to the four elements: earth, water, fire and air. The universe is made up of earth, water, fire and air. Look at how imbalance of the four elements has caused so many tremendous disasters in this world. This comes from the collective karma created by the minds of all sentient beings. Actually, in the Buddha’s mental state, He has only compassion for all beings, He does not feel alarmed or frightened.

The human body’s experiences of birth, aging, illness and death are all inseparable from the four elements. Whatever solid thing we can touch, be it bones or muscles, is considered a part of the earth element. Similarly, for this body to exist, it needs water. All the moisture in us, sweat, tears, etc., are part of the water element. When we breathe, that is the air [element]. So, if one of the elements, earth, water, fire or air is out of balance, the body will develop an illness.

The Buddha has transcended the four elements of the universe and of the body. He has escaped them. So, “He is never again influenced by the 4 Elements, 5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances” and can come and go in samsara with ease.

“Skandhas” refer to the Five Skandhas, which we also call the Five Aggregates: form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. Our daily living is also inseparable from the Five Aggregates. Everything we use in the world, as long as it has form, we can see it and touch it. Whether it is useful or not, it has a “form.” Not only is form all around us, we also refer to our body as our form-body. So, because we have this physical body, we naturally develop feelings about external form-objects. So, there is form and feeling. Feelings can be the happiness we feel when we pay respect to the Buddha. Every phrase in the sutras teaches us that if we have any false thoughts, we need to quickly gain focus again. These are feelings and perceptions. We must turn away from these discursive thoughts.

When we encounter setbacks in our environment, or when things happen against our wishes, afflictions arise. After form, feeling, perception, comes the aggregate of action. These feelings, whether they come from the mind or the body, over time, from the environment, etc., they undergo the aggregate of action.

I have talked to you all about the aggregate of action, about how conditions change over time. Our lives are also growing shorter over time, [which all occurs] [over a series of] very subtle actions. [By the same principle], celestial bodies in the solar system, the planets and sun, revolve around each other, revolving and rotating, without stopping for one moment. Yet, they move so subtly that we are completely unaware. These are the Five Aggregates. So, these are the aggregates.

“Realms” refer to the 18 Realms. We all know the 18 Realms. Our Six Roots [interact with] external conditions and [give rise to] our internal feelings. So, three times six makes 18. These are the 18 Realms.

Then we talked about “entrances.” These 12 Entrances are [none other than] the Six Roots and Six Dusts. They are inseparable from our daily living.

Everything in our daily living is related to earth, water, fire and air and the Five Aggregates, 18 Realms and 12 Entrances. We are constantly in contact with and are inseparable from them. These are all teachings [we must learn]. Our entire lives pass in this way as we are unaware of our unenlightened and false thoughts. As we engage in spiritual practice, we must constantly be vigilant. In our current conditions, if we constantly remind ourselves, then we know “all things are illusory and empty in nature.” Actually, what is there to take issue over? What are we so attached to?

So,

“All things are illusory and empty in nature. The four elements are empty. There is no permanent self in the Five Skandhas.”

Since this is the case, if we look at how we think and how our bodies function, everything in our bodies and in our thinking are just labels and functions, so we will not be attached to them. Once we have a physical body, it will naturally [experience] external phenomena. These external phenomena may then lead to correct or deviated thinking. This is something we need to work on as part of our spiritual cultivation.

To reach the state of Buddhahood is to “never again [be] influenced by the 4 Elements, 5 Skandhas, 18 Realms, or 12 Entrances.” The Buddha does not allow these things to invade His mind. He only focuses on saving others so He is absolutely unaffected by illusory and false thinking, nor do the elements, Skandhas, realms or entrances cause Him to become afflicted. So, we need to learn to focus. We need to learn to concentrate our minds. This is how the Sutra of Infinite Meanings constantly reminds and teaches us. This was the Buddha’s original intent.

This passage in the Lotus Sutra states,

“Before that Buddha became a monastic, eight princes were born to Him. Seeing the Great Sage become a monastic, they also followed Him to.”

As we have explained before, “the Great Sage” is “the epithet of the one most honorable and unsurpassed in Buddha-virtues.” We refer to the Buddha as the Great Sage because. He is the Great Enlightened One of the Universe and was revered by everyone.

We know that these eight princes saw their father become a monastic and a Buddha, and admiration arose in their minds. So, they engaged in spiritual practice like Him. The eight princes “followed Him to cultivate purifying practices.” Purifying practices is also called Brahma-conduct. We must remain pure in our spiritual practice, especially to eliminate lustful desires. In our world, lust creates much suffering in families, and unrest in society is also due to this desire in the mind. For our spiritual cultivation to be pure, we must eliminate lustful behavior.

Those cultivating purifying practices, after they pass away, may be reborn in Brahma Heaven. This was the belief in ancient India. So, we must know that, even those who become monastics and cultivate Brahmanism must abstain from desires. This is even more so the case in Buddhism. So, we must make an effort to control our desires.

Right now, the population of the world is very large. The earth is becoming increasingly more damaged and the four elements are imbalanced. Think about it, isn’t this a moment of collective karma, of the Three Great Disasters and Three Small Calamities, that the Buddha described? So, these are aggregates. This is why we must now be mindful and work on purifying our bodies and minds. We need to make a great effort to ensure that our thoughts do not go astray or disrupt our steps on this journey. So, everyone, please always be mindful!

Episode 148 – A State of Tranquility and Stillness

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>> “His wisdom is serene, His emotions calm and. His contemplation focused and tranquil. His thoughts cease, His consciousness extinct, and thus His mind is still.”

>> So, serene wisdom is the pure and clear wisdom we attain when we are serene.

>> “Patience is the way to have wisdom and peace. Wisdom is the way to be decisive and discerning under any condition.”

>> So, the “mind” is in the eighth consciousness, “thought” is in the seventh consciousness, “consciousness” is in the sixth consciousness.

>> Calm emotions: Also called being austere with our passions or austere with our desires, which means having a clear and still mind.

>> Focused and tranquil contemplation is free of desires, free of seeking and free of contrivance.

>> Greed, anger and evil views are negative karma of the mind.

>> “Without greed, there is no anger. Without incorrect views, there is only good karma.”

>>The Tathagata-garbha Consciousness, which does not arise or cease. The Buddha-mind is intrinsic, tranquil and pure. Perfect enlightenment does not arise or cease.

>> “I recall that in ages past, immeasurable, countless eons ago there was a Buddha, one honored among people by the name of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant. This World-Honored One proclaimed the Dharma, saving countless sentient beings and causing countless millions of Bodhisattvas to penetrate the wisdom of Buddhas.”

>> There was a Buddha, one honored among people. This is a virtuous epithet of the Buddha. A Buddha is the most venerated and magnificent among all beings.

>> Penetrate the wisdom of Buddhas. A Buddha’s wisdom is His true nature. His understanding lasts forever and can enter limitless states; such is the Buddha’s wisdom of limitless states.

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Is everyone’s mind serene right now? Only when the mind is calm can the Dharma enter it.

The Sutra of Infinite Meanings keeps reminding us.

The Sutra of Infinite Meanings keeps reminding us that wisdom arises when the mind is serene. Therefore it states,

“His wisdom is serene, His emotions calm and. His contemplation focused and tranquil. His thoughts cease, His consciousness extinct, and thus His mind is still.”

This passage also tells us that wisdom can produce a sense of serenity.

We all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, and we all intrinsically have wisdom, it is just that we cannot settle our minds. So, there are times when, we understand everything, but there are also times when we are ignorant and cannot comprehend the principles behind people, matters or things. Therefore, to have wisdom requires serenity. Then we can be austere and calm. So, serene wisdom is.

So, serene wisdom is the pure and clear wisdom we attain when we are serene.

If we remain pure and serene, if our minds are calm and stable, we can clearly understand and discern external phenomena. What does it mean to be serene?

“Patience is the way to have wisdom and peace. Wisdom is the way to be decisive and discerning under any condition.”

This means that our discerning wisdom makes distinctions between external phenomena. Our impartial wisdom [helps us] see how everything can be equal. Wisdom is used first to discriminate and to clearly discern right from wrong. With wisdom, we can know what is right and what is not. So, we must insist on [doing] what is right. If something is not right, we must find a way to resolve and deal with it. This takes decisiveness.

Some people will say, “We just have to be accommodating.” When we are being accommodating, we also need wisdom to know how to guide others. If we have no wisdom and just blindly accommodate everything, we will indiscriminately do good deeds and cannot distinguish right from wrong. So, our hearts must be broad, with the wisdom to accommodate everything. However, we must distinguish right from wrong. This takes wisdom. So, we must have discerning and impartial wisdom.

Therefore, discerning wisdom is very important and must contain impartial wisdom. So, “His wisdom is serene, His emotions calm and. His contemplation focused and tranquil.” Our minds have to be focused and tranquil and able to clearly distinguish right from wrong. When we need to, we must be accommodating for a period of time, and then we can exercise wisdom to deal with the matter. This is how we filter right from wrong. We rely on our wisdom to make choices, to remain steadfast, to find ways to accommodate others and maintain harmony with external phenomena.

“His thoughts cease, consciousness ends, and the mind becomes still.” Thoughts cease, and consciousness ends. We know we have a mind, thoughts and consciousness. I often speak of the Buddha-mind. The Buddha-mind should be within the Storehouse Consciousness. Our mind is in our Storehouse Consciousness. So, the Buddha-mind, at its purest, will then be in the ninth consciousness. The Storehouse Consciousness is the eighth. As I have said, the ninth consciousness is where [the mind] is the purest. The ninth consciousness is Buddha-consciousness. We all intrinsically have it, but we generally use our minds instead.

Our minds can contain everything. Earlier, I talked about the seventh and sixth consciousnesses. The sixth consciousness is connected to the Five Roots and Five Sense Objects. So, this mind-consciousness connects with external phenomena. Then it creates [actions], contemplates and thinks of ways to fight, or grasp, to crave or to be attached. This is all in the seventh consciousness. So, we must have both knowledge and wisdom.

So, the “mind” is in the eighth consciousness, “thought” is in the seventh consciousness, “consciousness” is in the sixth consciousness.

Earlier, I said they are all considered mind-consciousnesses and are related to external conditions.

It is very important that our minds remain very pure. This is why I talk about the mind every day. Only when the mind is pure can we distinguish the good from the bad among the phenomena that we connect with in external conditions. So, our minds are very important. If we are austere with our passions naturally our minds will become clearer, very pure and undefiled.

Calm emotions: Also called being austere with our passions or austere with our desires, which means having a clear and still mind.

The Sutra of Infinite Meanings begins with. “[Their minds] pure and tranquil, vows as vast as the universe.” This is the state of mind that we spiritual practitioners seek. “Focus” means to contemplate, to really concentrate our thinking. “Focused and tranquil contemplation” is to be more focused in our thinking.

Focused and tranquil contemplation is free of desires, free of seeking and free of contrivance.

I have said before that even though Bodhisattvas play effortlessly in this world, they are very focused in their thinking and focused and tranquil in their contemplation. We can also play effortlessly in this world, free of greed and desires, free of anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. “Contemplation” means to think. Deep thinking can lead to pure and undefiled contemplation. This takes great focus. Our minds cannot be scattered. To concentrate, we must be free of desires, seeking and contrivance. To be free of seeking or contrivance means we do not want to fight for or grasp at anything in the world of physical existence. This way, our minds can truly be austere and pure.

Next, let us speak of “thoughts,” the extinction of thoughts and consciousnesses. As I just mentioned, thoughts occur in the seventh consciousness. In this consciousness, we [must not] allow external phenomena to agitate our minds. We can begin to prevent our seventh consciousness from creating karma of the mind. If the seventh consciousness creates a good thought, we create good karma. If it gives rise to a bad thought, we will create bad karma. So, the karma of the mind can be good or bad.

When there is greed, there will be anger. This may lead to negative views. If greed or cravings arise, our right thoughts, views, mindfulness and our right path will go off course. Therefore, we cannot be greedy. A very important part of spiritual practice is eliminating desires.

Greed, anger and evil views are negative karma of the mind.

I often say, “one deviant thought leads to thousands of mistakes. One small deviation can take us far off course.” Deviance means having gone astray. Once we have deviated, we are wrong. If we are off by a little bit, we [create] bad karma. That is why I often say that we must take good care of our minds. If we do good deeds, our minds will often be inclined toward goodness.

“Without greed, there is no anger. Without incorrect views, there is only good karma.”

[When] our minds are calm and still, there will be no passions or cravings that can create ripples in our minds. If there is no greed, anger, resentment, no deviant views, then all our thoughts are positive. This positive karma will lead to actions. So, when we focus on rescuing others, what is it that we are rescuing? We are rescuing the minds of others from their suffering and deviance. This is why Buddhas and Bodhisattvas come to this world. Though they live like sentient beings, they are focused on saving people’s minds.

The Tathagata-garbha does not arise or cease. If we return to our true intrinsic nature, that is the Buddha-mind. Our intrinsic nature is naturally tranquil, still and clear. This is the Buddha’s intrinsic state of mind.

The Tathagata-garbha Consciousness, which does not arise or cease. The Buddha-mind is intrinsic, tranquil and pure. Perfect enlightenment does not arise or cease.

We engage in spiritual practice to [become] enlightened beings who cannot bear to abandon sentient beings. Thus, we remain in this world. However, our affection must be truly pure and simple, meaning it is free of defilements. This is how our minds can become pure and clear. Otherwise, our unenlightened affections will lead us to be biased toward this side or that one, to seek and to have endless desires, etc. So, as Buddhist practitioners, we must have very strong resolve.

The Lotus Sutra states,

“I recall that in ages past, immeasurable, countless eons ago there was a Buddha, one honored among people by the name of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant. This World-Honored One proclaimed the Dharma, saving countless sentient beings and causing countless millions of Bodhisattvas to penetrate the wisdom of Buddhas.”

This passage reminds us of a previous one, which was a long explanation. From this passage alone we can recall that, at that time, Manjusri Bodhisattva gave this long explanation as a response to Maitreya Bodhisattva. So, he talked about what happened a long time ago and everything that has happened since then. It took a very long time for all these Buddhas to attain enlightenment.

So, “there was a Buddha, one honored among people.” This did not refer to just one. There were 20,000 at that time, not to mention our present Sakyamuni Buddha, the future Maitreya Buddha and many others who will carry on. So, “there was a Buddha,” So, “one honored among people.” They all share the same epithet. One of the Buddha’s virtuous epithets was “one honored among people,” which we call those who have become Buddhas. They have perfected Their virtues. They are the most respected and accomplished among people. So, when we call Them “Buddhas,” we do so with the utmost respect because. Their Buddha-virtues are already perfect. They are very magnificent and extraordinary, so we must respect Them.

There was a Buddha, one honored among people. This is a virtuous epithet of the Buddha. A Buddha is the most venerated and magnificent among all beings.

So he said, “This World-Honored One proclaimed the Dharma, in order to help countless sentient beings.” Teachings given by the World-Honored One were solely to help transform infinite sentient beings, to enable countless beings to penetrate the wisdom of the Buddha. “Penetrat[ing] the wisdom of the Buddha” refers to [His] intrinsic nature.

Every Buddha came to this world to give teachings solely to enable sentient beings to become equal to the Buddha, to reach the state of Buddha-wisdom. [Buddhas come] to lead every person back to their intrinsic nature, their True Suchness. If we can return to our intrinsic Buddha-nature, our knowledge lasts forever and we will clearly comprehend everything. [Our knowledge] of things is then permanent, unlike the impermanent ways of unenlightening beings.

Ordinary people say, “I know, I know.” They know now, but when something new comes along, they are confused again. This does not happen in a Buddha’s state. A Buddha’s understanding lasts forever; He understands everything. Having discovered the true principles, He will not lose them again. He will always maintain this purity, the understanding that true principles will not change.

True principles are unchanging. Only in the state of unenlightened beings are there constant changes. If we reach the state of Buddhahood, everything will be calm and permanent, unchanging.

Penetrate the wisdom of Buddhas. A Buddha’s wisdom is His true nature. His understanding lasts forever and can enter limitless states; such is the Buddha’s wisdom of limitless states.

So, when we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must apply them to our daily living. We must live in the Buddha’s state every day and not let any of it leak away. This leaking is part of impermanence; it prevents us from keeping things in our minds. The minds of unenlightened beings constantly leak out true principles and constantly leak out worldly phenomena. What remains when we allow true principles to leak out? Ignorance and afflictions, and the affinities with sentient beings. Whether we create good or bad affinities with others, we continue to experience impermanence and cyclic existence.

We must understand all this. If our minds are not pure, true principles will constantly leak away and what remains are ignorance and afflictions. As unenlightened beings, time leaks away and so does life. This leaking happens over time, as our life grows shorter. Our desire for wealth [causes] things to leak away. But since we engage in spiritual practice, we also attain [merits and virtues] and can still attain Buddhahood in the future. But it is a pity to let these things leak away. So, we must constantly still our minds and prevent things from leaking away. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 147 – Guard Your Buddha-mind

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>> “When one enjoys only hearing about the Way, the Way is hard to attain. When one upholds vows and follows the Way, the Way is truly great.”

>> “He trains heavenly beings and humans like a trainer of elephants and horses. Like wind and fragrance, His cultivation and virtues permeate everything.”

>> So, the Way is like wind; “it can transform people just as the wind sways the grass.”

>> The Tamer: By exercising the strength of great men, one can expound all various kinds of teachings, in order to train all sentient beings, so they can transcend defilements and attain great peace and joy.

>> “At that time. Manjusri, in the midst of the assembly, wishing to restate these principles, spoke the following verse.”

>> In this verse, the time is extraordinary. The Buddha’s epithet is extraordinary. The Dharma is extraordinary. The benefit is extraordinary.

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“When one enjoys only hearing about the Way,”

“When one enjoys only hearing about the Way, the Way is hard to attain. When one upholds vows and follows the Way, the Way is truly great.”

Isn’t this what the Sutra of 42 Sections tells us?

We truly must focus on the Dharma taught by the Buddha. If we guard our vows and follow this path, it will become the widest path. So, are we all guarding our vows with our minds? Are we following this path? We must constantly ask ourselves this question. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings reminds us to always take good care of our minds. A very important part of spiritual practice is our minds. If we take good care of our minds as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we will not go astray.

Thus, as the Sutra of Infinite Meanings states,

“He trains heavenly beings and humans like a trainer of elephants and horses. Like wind and fragrance, His cultivation and virtues permeate everything.”

To follow the Buddha’s Way, we must abide by and practice His teachings. We must be earnest and diligent for our minds to be able to keep to this Way. So, the Way is like wind;

So, the Way is like wind; “it can transform people just as the wind sways the grass.”

It is like the blowing of the wind. Blown by the wind, the rows of grass softly bend down. Wave by wave, the grass ripples. This is very beautiful. This is an analogy. It compares the wind of spiritual cultivation to the way that grasses and flowers, bow in the direction that the wind is blowing. Education has a similar effect. Let us consider our etiquette. It represents the principles we follow “like the wind sways the grass.” This is the path we want to learn. When we act in accordance with the teachings, we exhibit etiquette.

Etiquette is very important for the process of our spiritual practice. Depending on our circumstances, and the education we have received, we express certain courtesies. It is the same for us Buddhist practitioners. We know that our past is not what we want to continue pursuing. Now that we understand life’s suffering, its causation, its cessation and the path to its cessation, we want to learn to walk this Path. We try to figure out how to change our surroundings because this world is part of our spiritual practice. How we accept and uphold the Way is our method of spiritual practice. So, the Way and virtue are like wind and fragrance. Whatever [He] taught, we need to accept.

What the Buddha taught are ways to purify our minds. Spiritual cultivation is about purifying the mind [and returning to] our original, intrinsic, pure nature. How do we follow this road directly to Buddhahood? In this process, we certainly must completely eliminate our greed, anger and ignorance. This is known as the fragrance of virtue.

Remember? It came from the following story. Ananda asked the Buddha. “Venerable Buddha, sometimes when we walk past gardens where many fragrant flowers are planted, when a wind blows, we can smell the fragrance. Yet, Venerable Buddha, this fragrant smell was blown here by the wind; it came downwind. But in this world, is there a fragrance that can go against the wind?”

The Buddha said, “Yes. There is one kind of fragrance we can still smell.” Ananda then asked, “What fragrance can go against the wind so that we will be able to smell it?” The Buddha said, “The virtue of spiritual practice. No matter which direction the wind blows, the fragrance of virtue can still be sensed in all directions.”

“This is the fragrance of virtue.” So, at the stage of unenlightened beings, our minds are not disciplined. If we learn something good, we will be good. If we learn something not good, which causes our minds to stir, we will quickly become defiled again. These are the undisciplined minds of unenlightened beings. Yet, if we are accomplished, the fragrance of our virtue can permeate everything. No matter which direction [the wind] goes, we can still smell that fragrance.

“Like wind and fragrance, the Way and virtue permeate everything.” This depends on our level of practice and [how disciplined we are]. When things go well, we develop aspirations. When things are unpleasant, our thoughts stir. Isn’t this what happens? So, when this is the case, we must pay careful attention. We must find a way to bring the virtues we gain from teachings into our minds. Then we must pass on our understanding by teaching others. This is how the fragrance of virtue permeates, so we can awaken ourselves and others and can transform ourselves and others. This is the fragrance of spiritual cultivation.

“He trains heavenly beings and men like a tamer of elephants and horses. Tamer” is one of the Buddha’s ten epithets. Tamer and. Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans are each among the Buddha’s ten [epithets].

The Tamer: By exercising the strength of great men, one can expound all various kinds of teachings, in order to train all sentient beings, so they can transcend defilements and attain great peace and joy.

Thus, we want to “exercise the strength of great men, who can expound all various kinds of teachings to train all sentient beings.” Because sentient beings are unyielding, they are difficult to train and subdue. Training sentient beings requires great strength. This is similar to an animal tamer. Tigers, lions and other beasts are well-behaved in front of their tamers. Indeed, when the Buddha was among multitudes of people, the minds of human beings were most unyielding. Only the Buddha was able to tame them.

In the Lotus Sutra, isn’t there a similar passage? After the Buddha expounded these teachings, He hoped someone could pass down the Lotus Sutra. He hoped that someone among His disciples would be capable of shouldering this task. Among His disciples, nobody dared to. Yet, Bodhisattvas from another place came, [some of whom] understood His intent, so they stood up and told the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha,” “we want to pass it on, but we are very scared.” The Buddha asked, “What are you afraid of? Beings in the Saha World are difficult to train because they are so unyielding. We are afraid we lack the strength to train these kinds of sentient beings.” Everyone’s minds fluctuate. Forming aspirations is easy, perseverance is difficult. It also seems like there is always another with a more unyielding disposition, who is even harder to train than the previous person.

Sometimes while reading this section, I am also very afraid. What is the best way to transform the myriad beings of this land? So, training sentient beings is not very easy. We need to “exercise the strength of great men,” to be able to give all the teachings to transform sentient beings and train them to transcend defilements. Sentient beings are unyielding because there are defilements in their minds such as greed, anger and ignorance, along with other very bad habitual tendencies. So, they are very difficult to train. We must use various methods to slowly convince and educate them. So we need the wisdom and strength of a tamer. If we want to know how to train sentient beings, we must first tame ourselves. We also have many unyielding and difficult-to-tame habitual tendencies. If we want to train others, we must first tame our own habitual tendencies. Only after taming them can we tame others’ habitual tendencies. This is spiritual practice. If we attain virtue, then our strength can manifest.

So, as we engage in spiritual practice our attitude [is very important]. In the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, there are multitudes of phrases, one after another, that are used in hopes that our minds can accept what the Buddha taught, the Dharma guarded by His mind. The Buddha’s mind is [focused on] taming the minds of sentient beings.

I have already discussed this next passage of the Lotus Sutra. As a Tathagata began to expound the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, a Great Vehicle teaching, Dharma Master Wondrous Light began to receive this teaching. Then he used it to transform everyone from the 800 disciples to the eight princes. He helped each one attain [enlightenment].

Manjusri Bodhisattva told Maitreya Bodhisattva that diligent ones can achieve Buddhahood quickly [as opposed to the ones] who are lax. As the Buddha said, we all have an intrinsic Buddha-nature. We just need to always have this belief and this sense of respect and constantly plant roots of goodness. In the same way, we created every bit of merit and virtue we possess. If we had already eliminated our craving for offerings of wealth, made offerings to Buddhas in the past and planted roots of goodness, we might have attained [Buddhahood] long ago. But because we still crave offerings of wealth, it will take longer for us to attain [Buddhahood].

As I explained before, we may remember how all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas made a great effort to teach and transform sentient beings. Manjusri Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva assisted Sakyamuni Buddha to help His Dharma-assembly be successful. Thus, everyone could become respectful, receive teachings based on the Way and uphold their vows while following the Way. In order for that to happen, in the middle of those circumstances, they played the parts of initiating and providing opportunities for teachings.

As the next section of the sutra states,

“At that time. Manjusri, in the midst of the assembly, wishing to restate these principles, spoke the following verse.”

From before, we all know that Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva was the present Maitreya Bodhisattva the present Maitreya Bodhisattva, and Dharma Master Wondrous Light was now Manjusri Bodhisattva. After he explained all these matters clearly, he repeated [those teachings] again. Earlier, in the long text of this sutra, he gave us this explanation. Because this is a Great Vehicle teaching, after it was explained, he was concerned that people would forget, so he repeated it in verse form for us once more.

In this verse, the time is extraordinary. The Buddha’s epithet is extraordinary. The Dharma is extraordinary. The benefit is extraordinary.

Thus, several extraordinary things were mentioned. Now, the next section repeats what had been expressed in prose. Because [this teaching] is very precious, he wanted to repeat it again. Similarly, as I teach every day, I often say things again. This is repetition. Verse form uses a different syntax to restate the Dharma.

This moment is very extraordinary because it had to happen at just the right time. Teachings have to be given according to the time, people and place. Thus, “With this verse, the time is extraordinary.” So, we have to seize this moment to repeat the Dharma. This moment is really extraordinary.

“The Buddha’s epithet is extraordinary.” In the middle of Sakyamuni Buddha’s teachings, Manjusri repeated again the story from countless kalpas earlier about. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha. That was also a very extraordinary occasion. All Buddhas share the same path. There is a reason for explaining the Buddha’s epithet again, which is truly extraordinary.

Next, “the Dharma is extraordinary.” The Buddha has protected the Dharma He had originally intended to teach for over 40 years. From the moment He attained enlightenment, He wanted to share with everyone that spiritual state, the true principles of all things in the universe, of how human life comes and goes, of the karmic law of cause and effect, and so on. He always wanted to share these with others, but the time was not right. After over 40 years had passed, He wanted to freely carry out His original intent. Thus, “the Dharma is extraordinary.”

Next, “the benefit is extraordinary.” This Dharma could benefit sentient beings. For over 40 years these beings had been following the Buddha and listening to His teachings, from the Agama period, through the Vaipulya period, to the Prajna period. Now, the teachings had returned to the Avatamsaka and Lotus states. All five periods had to occur for this Dharma to manifest. Thus, the Dharma that benefits sentient beings is extraordinary.

Everyone, as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must truly and thoroughly understand its essence from the bottom of our hearts. I often tell all of you that we must try to understand the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. The Lotus Sutra is very long, but it is actually explaining the principles of the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. So, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the essence of the Lotus Sutra. Again, why do we refer to the Sutra of. Infinite Meanings in explaining the Lotus Sutra? Because it is the [essence] of the Lotus Sutra and contains infinite principles. The explanation of the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is found in the Lotus Sutra.

So, I hope we all make an effort to [practice] this pair of sutras together, to refine our inner essence and outer conduct. Everyone, please always be mindful!

Episode 146 – Eliminate Delusions to See Truth

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>> “Supremely great and greatly awakened is the great lord of sages, undefiled, uncontaminated and unattached.”

>> “Great enlightenment,” which refers to “destroying delusions from Beginningless Time, unlocking true understanding and views to attain non-arising patience.”

>> So, “based on principles of true emptiness there is intrinsically no arising and ceasing.”

>> Uncontaminated refers to profound discerning wisdom.

>> “A Tathagata is unattached and thus attains supreme, perfect, universal enlightenment.”

>> “Maitreya, it should be known, could Wondrous Light Bodhisattva have been anyone else? I, myself, was him. And Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva was you, yourself!”

>> “The auspicious signs now seen do not differ from [those in the past], and so, as I surmise, today the Tathagata is about to speak a Mahayana Sutra called the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower. This teaching of the Bodhisattva-path is guarded and retained by the Buddha.”

>> “Infinite Buddhas all guarded and retained these thoughts,”

>> To guard and retain: Preventing invasion by external evils is to guard. Enabling the arising of internal goodness is to retain.

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We must learn the Buddha’s Way with great respect and deep reverence. In every Dharma-assembly, before the Buddha expounded the Dharma, many Bodhisattvas, bhiksus, Arhats, as well as the eight classes of Dharma-protectors surrounded Him and made offerings, scattering heavenly flowers, burning heavenly incense, [presenting] heavenly food, heavenly utensils and so on. So, before the Buddha expounded the sutras, everyone made an effort to make these kinds of tangible offerings. But reverence and praise from the heart [represent] greater earnestness.

They eagerly expressed their request and prayed that the Buddha could reveal the Dharma that He had long held in His heart and give that teaching to everyone. So, in their minds, they expressed this [wish]. With the same mindset and voice, they praised the Buddha and asked the Buddha to expound the Dharma expound the Dharma.

Before inviting the Buddha to expound the Dharma, they first praised Him, saying,

“Supremely great and greatly awakened is the great lord of sages, undefiled, uncontaminated and unattached.”

Their hearts united in this praise of the Buddha’s virtues.

His virtues are great! They are immensely great. Since the Buddha is the Great Enlightened One of the Universe, His greatness is vast and boundless. However immense the universe is, the virtues of the Buddha are just as immense. Therefore, the words “supremely great” represent this very heartfelt praise. “Supremely great and greatly awakened is the great lord of sages” is praising the Buddha’s virtues. Indeed, this expresses their deepest and most sincere respect toward the Buddha and His character.

“Greatly awakened is the great lord of sages.” His mind must be “undefiled, uncontaminated and unattached.” His mind must already be very pure. If His mind was not pure, He could not become the Great Enlightened One. Therefore, His mind was very pure. So, we need to understand the meaning of.

“Great enlightenment,” which refers to “destroying delusions from Beginningless Time, unlocking true understanding and views to attain non-arising patience.”

This is the enlightened state. If we want to reach it, we must destroy our delusions. One ignorant thought creates the Three Subtleties, so this is why unenlightened beings like us developed greed, anger and ignorance, due to our many deluded thoughts. We unenlightened beings can still attain Buddhahood, but we must work hard to destroy the delusions [which] [have accumulated since] Beginningless Time. In order to attain great awakening, we need to completely eliminate our ignorance to unlock true understanding and views.

A thorough understanding of the true principles of all things in the universe, of people, matters, things and objects, is called true understanding and views. The views and understanding of us unenlightened beings may not be true. Only the principles of things perceived by enlightened, holy ones are true. Therefore, right now we need to learn to discern the principles of physical appearances in this realm of material existence. Furthermore, we must thoroughly understand the origins of life. We also need to self-reflect and realize why our minds are always wavering and can never settle down. Our thoughts go through states of arising, abiding, changing and ceasing. This is our state as unenlightened beings. Therefore, we start by learning how to become enlightened. Only when we can “destroy delusions from Beginningless Time” we are able to “unlock true understanding and views to attain non-arising patience.”

So, “based on principles of true emptiness there is intrinsically no arising and ceasing.”

We need to understand that all things in the world are empty. Yesterday, we experienced many things and spent time on dealing with matters and objects. But can we [practice] any of that today? Time just passes; it is insubstantial, so we cannot hold on to it. It slips past us, so we call it “yesterday” or “the past.” Time that has passed is completely Empty; we cannot bring even a minute, a second, into today. However, the Buddha’s teachings also tell us not to cling to emptiness.

[Some wonder] if they did something yesterday but are empty-handed today, what is the point of doing things? [The point is] wondrous existence. The space you swept yesterday is much cleaner today, and if you had not cleaned it, it would certainly be a very dirty place today. The same principle applies to true emptiness and wondrous existence. Although things are [inherently] empty, every day, we must still make an effort if they are to be kept clean. This also applies to our minds. [Being] “supremely great and greatly awakened” requires great effort on our part.

So, the Great Lord of Sages is an honorable epithet for the Buddha. We revere the Buddha and praise His virtues. In our minds, [we hold] the Buddha’s virtues as supreme and unsurpassed and make Him the great lord of sages. The Chapter on Skillful Means of the Lotus Sutra also calls Him. “Great Sage, Sun of Wisdom.”

This means the radiance of His mind can illuminate the appearances and principles of all things in the world. This is what the Great Lord of Sages [can do]. His radiance is illuminating, “uncontaminated and unattached.”

Uncontaminated refers to profound discerning wisdom.

Our minds, after afflictions and ignorance are eliminated, will be uncontaminated and unattached. If our minds are still contaminated and attached, we cannot attain great enlightenment. So, we must be uncontaminated and unattached for our profound discerning wisdom to manifest.

What is profound discerning wisdom? This refers to the mirror of the mind. If it is very clean and bright, we can then see everything clearly. The Buddha, in His wisdom, can already observe the true principles of all things in the world, even the distances and the environments of the stars in the universe. This is profound discerning wisdom. A holy one who has attained great enlightenment must surely reach a state of no contamination for profound discerning wisdom to manifest.

With no contamination, there are no attachments “uncontaminated and unattached.”

“A Tathagata is unattached and thus attains supreme, perfect, universal enlightenment.”

This is Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

The state of Buddha’s wisdom is incredibly wondrous. Therefore, we say, “Supremely great and greatly awakened is the great lord of sages, undefiled, uncontaminated and unattached.” This is the Buddha’s spiritual state, which [comprehends] true emptiness and wondrous existence, and is the uncontaminated mirror in His mind, His intrinsic, profound discerning wisdom. This is the state of the Buddha and His wisdom. If we can attain Buddhahood, everything will be pure and transparent, especially the subtle beauty of our states of mind. This is something people really yearn for.

Don’t we Buddhist practitioners aspire to this state? However, what method can we use? Actually, the method is to be genuine. With a true sense of reverence and respect, we can steadfastly accept the Buddha’s teachings. We must interact with people to understand the source of their suffering, so we can find a way to eliminate the states of confusion, suffering and defilement. This is true Root Wisdom, which is this profound discerning wisdom. So, we need to be mindful.

Next, let us come back to the Lotus Sutra. I have mentioned previously that a dialog to introduce. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha. This name represented a very long process and a very large number of Buddhas 20,000 Buddhas had this same name. The last. Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha had eight sons who became monastics.

[In His Dharma-assembly], there was a Bodhisattva named Wondrous Light who was to pass down the Lotus Sutra. After bestowing predictions of Buddhahood, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha entered Parinirvana at midnight. Then the Dharma had to be passed on. The Dharma-lineage, these teachings, needed to continue. During this time, Wondrous Light Bodhisattva’s 800 disciples, which included the eight princes, attained Buddhahood one after another.

Among those 800 disciples was a Bodhisattva named Seeker of Fame. When Manjusri Bodhisattva reached this point in his narration, he said,

“Maitreya, it should be known, could Wondrous Light Bodhisattva have been anyone else? I, myself, was him. And Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva was you, yourself!”

At Sakyamuni Buddha’s Dharma-assembly, Manjusri Bodhisattva began to tell Maitreya that he should know that. Wondrous Light Bodhisattva was not anyone else but him, the present Manjusri Bodhisattva. So, “It was me, myself.” By saying “me,” Manjusri Bodhisattva referred to himself. “And Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva was you, yourself.” He told Maitreya that the Bodhisattva who craved offerings of wealth was him. “See, you were one of the 800 disciples of. Wondrous Light Bodhisattva. At that time, I had also accepted the task of passing on the Dharma-lineage. I have been handing down the Dharma all along, and the disciples I taught have attained Buddhahood one after another. At that time, you were still caught up in seeking fame.”

So, we need to be very vigilant. Though we are all engaging in spiritual practice, respectfully making offerings to all Buddhas and planting roots of goodness, if we seek recognition or offerings of wealth, attaining Buddhahood will drag on for a long time. You see, after such a long time, [Maitreya] was still in the rank of Bodhisattvas. He would not attain Buddhahood until after Sakyamuni Buddha. Moreover, Sakyamuni Buddha had to bestow a prediction on him. This makes us aware that we must be diligent and earnest in our practice. If we have eliminated afflictions, why would we still seek fame and fortune? Therefore, if we still seek them, we cannot eliminate our afflictions.

The Lotus Sutra then states,

“The auspicious signs now seen do not differ from [those in the past], and so, as I surmise, today the Tathagata is about to speak a Mahayana Sutra called the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower. This teaching of the Bodhisattva-path is guarded and retained by the Buddha.”

Manjusri Bodhisattva had uncovered the answer. “I was Wondrous Light Bodhisattva. You were Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva.” Since we aspire to engage in spiritual practice, we must do so seriously. We must recognize that when. Sakyamuni Buddha was radiating light and manifesting auspicious signs, He was about to start expounding a Mahayana sutra, namely, the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Sutra. He began to give teachings, to teach the Bodhisattva-path. This teaching had been long guarded and retained by the Buddha, which meant that He had protected it and could remember this Wondrous Dharma forever.

“Infinite Buddhas all guarded and retained these thoughts,”

not just Sakyamuni Buddha. All Buddhas share the same path.

You see, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha was the same, and so was Burning Lamp Buddha. Every single Buddha shares the same path, which is to come to this world to teach the Bodhisattva-path. This was His original intent. So, “Infinite Buddhas all guarded and retained these thoughts.” They were all the same. The thoughts they guarded were wondrous, Mahayana teachings.

To guard and retain: Preventing invasion by external evils is to guard. Enabling the arising of internal goodness is to retain.

So, “preventing invasion by external evils.” These are exceptional and holy teachings, so, They all protected them very well. All Buddhas guarded this Dharma very well and absolutely did not allow external evils, which are evil thoughts and evil views, to contaminate these teachings. This Great Vehicle teaching is very exceptional; this Dharma is truly wondrous and pure. So, external evils must not be allowed to disturb this supreme wondrous Dharma. Then there can be “arising of internal goodness,” which is “retaining.” Protecting it so no external evils can invade allows internal goodness to constantly arise.

So, we all need to maintain this mindset and nurture our wisdom, the profound discerning wisdom, which we call our wisdom-life. We need to continually grow our wisdom-life. This “enables the arising of internal goodness.” This is how we protect our minds. We cannot allow external evil knowledge, evil views and evil things into our minds. We must also continuously give rise to our inner good thoughts. This is the Bodhisattva-path.

So, every day as we interact with people and our thoughts stir, we must guard and retain [these teachings]. The Buddha retained and guarded these wondrous Great Vehicle teachings. We must also protect our minds so that evil thoughts and views will not enter our minds. Only a pure mind can accept the pure and great teachings so that our wisdom-life can grow. So, everyone, please be earnestly mindful.

Episode 145 – Craving Offerings of Wealth Harms Roots of Virtue

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>> “Gathering like clouds from all directions, they appeared before the Buddha.”

>> At that time, those at the Tathagata-assembly gathered together like a sea of clouds, so we say they “gathered like clouds.”

>> “Because he had also planted roots of goodness, he was able to encounter immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of Buddhas.” He also made offerings, paid his respects and praised all Dharma.

>> “For the sake of offerings of wealth, [one engages in] unwholesome seeking of more.”

>> The craving for offerings of wealth is like a thief. It harms the root of merits and virtues the way hail destroys grains. Offering of wealth, fame and recognition also [function] this way. They damage the seedlings of virtue, so they will not grow. People who crave offerings of wealth harm the roots of virtue in the same way.

>> “Planting all roots of goodness”: Goodness of the Threefold Karma of body, mind and speech is firmly and deeply secured in a kind heart and cannot be pulled up. Thus it is called a root. Goodness can also produce wondrous fruits. The remaining roots of goodness are deep and solid. Thus, he was able to meet all Buddhas and eventually achieve enlightenment.

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Are we dignifying our [inner] Dharma-assembly? In every mind there exists a Buddha and a dignified inner spiritual training ground. In the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, 80,000 Bodhisattvas gathered to reverently burn incense, scatter flowers, respectfully circumambulate the Buddha and prostrate at His feet, [representing great] dignity and reverence. When our inner spiritual training ground manifests, [Bodhisattvas] from all directions will gather like clouds. So, it is described as.

“Gathering like clouds from all directions, they appeared before the Buddha.”

Both the tangible and the intangible, the tangibility of paying respect and the intangibility of reverence, surrounded the Buddha. With utmost reverence, they paid their respect to the Buddha. This showed that this training ground where they all gathered was a Tathagata-assembly and everyone was coming together at this time. If we think about the 12,000 monastics and 80,000 Bodhisattvas there, we can imagine how orderly and how grand that occasion must have been.

At that time, those at the Tathagata-assembly gathered together like a sea of clouds, so we say they “gathered like clouds.”

In sutras, we often read about. Bodhisattvas gathering like clouds. They come together from all directions. Clouds are something we can see. But when we walk into those clouds, our sight is not obstructed by them. When the clouds come together, they do not get in each other’s way. This is a metaphor for Buddhist practitioners’ inner spiritual training grounds. Because everything originates from the mind, no matter what kind of phenomena it is, it will not obstruct our minds. When we engage in spiritual practice, this is the spiritual state we must attain.

As I have previously discussed in the Lotus Sutra, the last of the 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas [taught Wondrous Light Bodhisattva]. Wondrous Light Bodhisattva had 800 disciples, including the eight princes. At that time, Wondrous Light Bodhisattva was responsible for spreading the Dharma. As this was happening, those who were diligent early on became enlightened sooner. Those who were lax and slow to work diligently naturally took much longer.

Among these 800 disciples, there was one called Seeker of Fame. I have mentioned that Seeker of Fame craved offerings of wealth, so he could not retain [teachings] even though he read many sutras and also made offerings to countless Buddhas, But making offerings or reciting sutras and being mentally lax are two separate matters. We may make offerings and recite sutras, but that is certainly not the same as diligently and physically practicing what we have learned.

We need to try to do all three. We must pay respect to all Buddhas and make offerings. Besides that, we must diligently read and recite sutras. Then we must put what we have learned into action. If we do not practice what we learn and only make offerings to the Buddha and read and recite sutras, we may still crave offerings of wealth. If we are attached to these things, we are considered lax because [our study of] the Dharma has not progressed.

What is an offering to the Buddha? Why do we make offerings? Why do we recite sutras? Our minds will not be focused on those actions if we still crave offerings of wealth. With this kind [of mindset], we are only casually reading and reciting the sutras, but the principles we read leak away. Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva made offerings to many Buddhas; he also worked hard and read and recited many teachings. However, he would forget most of them. This tells us how we should study the sutras.

This is why, in the sutra, Seeker of Fame is mentioned.

“Because he had also planted roots of goodness, he was able to encounter immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of Buddhas.” He also made offerings, paid his respects and praised all Dharma.

He had also planted roots of goodness through his actions, but his mind was not focused. It was a pity that he still had [this weakness] of craving offerings of wealth. This craving for offerings of wealth is truly a damaging mindset. See,

“For the sake of offerings of wealth, [one engages in] unwholesome seeking of more.”

This kind of seeking, the search for wealth, is continual the search for wealth, is continual, always in the unwholesome search for more. This unwholesome search happens in our daily living. Our daily living can be very simple. For our three meals, it is enough to have a bowl of rice per meal. What more do we seek? Monastics in the Buddha’s time had one alms bowl. “Each bowl contains meals from 1000 households.” With it, “monastics travel alone for 10,000 miles.” No matter where they go, a single bowl is enough. They went from household to household with the bowl at mealtime and asked for alms. That was enough. This was spiritual cultivation!

But now, things are no longer this way. Spiritual cultivation these days is particular to the modern quality of life. People who now engage in spiritual practice enjoy modern conveniences. When the weather is hot, they turn on the air conditioner to cool down. This is the modern lifestyle they follow.

When we eat, we just need to eat enough to not be hungry. We can make do with simple meals. Dressing simply and looking clean and neat is good enough. But, if we are picky about the quality or the brand, we will be spending even more money. Is there much difference in fabric between brands? There is none. Only the “brand” is different. Some people feel that wearing a well-known fabric from a well-known manufacturer makes them glamorous.

Actually, if that same fabric was made into clothing and sold on the streets, it would only cost a few hundred (NT). In stores, with only the addition of that brand label, it becomes very expensive, thousands of dollars. This is an example of excessive and unwholesome seeking. So, all we need is simple clothing that can cover our bodies and shield us from the cold. As long as we look proper and neat, why do we need to wear a name-brand?

To get to the second floor of a building, climbing up the stairs can be a kind of exercise. Unfortunately, people these days climb one flight of stairs and are out of breath, so they take the elevator. Even though each story of this building can be reached by foot, they insist on taking the elevator. This is also unwholesome seeking of more.

There are many things we can simplify while still leading comfortable lives. We can rely on the abilities of our own bodies to carry on, but some persist in unwholesome seeking and insist on asking for more. What is it that they seek? They seek pleasure.

The craving for offerings of wealth is like a thief. It harms the root of merits and virtues the way hail destroys grains. Offering of wealth, fame and recognition also [function] this way. They damage the seedlings of virtue, so they will not grow. People who crave offerings of wealth harm the roots of virtue in the same way.

So, it is said in the Treatise on the Great Wisdom Perfection, “Cravings of offerings of wealth are like thieves.” If we crave offerings of wealth, it is like having a thief in our minds. We bring teachings from around us into our minds, but this mental thief then steals and moves them all out. This is called leaking. No matter how much we study, everything will leak out and be lost. These are the thieves in our minds.

This is why spiritual practitioners such as Arhats and bhiksus are also called “thief-destroyers.” We have no way of storing the Dharma in our mind if there is a thief in there. This thief will steal away the mind’s treasures. Whenever we bring in the Dharma-treasure, these evil thieves will steal them away. So, “Cravings of offerings of wealth are like thieves that harm the root of merits and virtues.” They can destroy our merits and virtues.

The “root” refers to the source. As for our merits and virtues, since we have formed aspirations, we must proceed diligently. However, if we proceed diligently but keep giving rise to cravings for offerings of wealth, then what use is it to be diligent? If we make offerings or do good deeds, but still have a strong craving for offerings of wealth, this will harm the root of our merits and virtues. I often share with everyone that our “merits” come from inner cultivation and humility. Outward courtesy and forging good affinities with others result in “virtue.” So, inwardly, we are being diligent, while outwardly we are helping others. But, if we still have thoughts of cravings and greed, our spiritual aspiration to work hard will not remain firm. If our spiritual aspiration is not firm, that damages our spiritual cultivation. So, it says, “that harms the root of merits and virtues the way hail destroys the grains.”

We often hear people say, “Why is it suddenly hailing?” Hail is like snow frozen solid [which is] as hard as rock. When the sky starts hailing, it damages everything on the land below. So, we compare the way hail damages the grains on earth to what happens if we spiritual practitioners crave offerings of wealth. Even if we painstakingly cultivate the grains and are about to harvest them, hail can suddenly destroy everything. Greed “also [functions] this way.” Greed can also “damage the seedlings of virtues, so they will not grow.” This causes damage to all the plants on earth, wiping everything out just as the flowers are blooming. Then the grains are unable to grow. So, those who crave offerings of wealth harm the root of merits and virtues in the same way.

When we engage in spiritual practice, we need to constantly take care of our minds so these greedy thoughts do not arise. However, Seeker of Fame still had roots of goodness. His roots of goodness existed because “he had also planted roots of goodness” on many occasions. But his greed damaged his spiritual aspiration. Otherwise, he already had many roots of goodness. So I often say, “If the husband practices, he attains. If the wife practices, she attains.” He still engaged in spiritual practice and created blessings. However, he was unfocused, undisciplined. But his merits and virtues were still there.

When we say “planting all roots of goodness,” what are roots of goodness? “Goodness of the Threefold Karma of body, mind and speech.” Doing good deeds, speaking good words and thinking good thoughts are collectively called goodness of the Threefold Karma. “Firmly and deeply secured in a kind heart and unable to be pulled out, it is called a root.” So, when we do good deeds, we must deeply secure [that goodness in our hearts]. To be deeply rooted, we must extend those roots far down.

“Planting all roots of goodness”: Goodness of the Threefold Karma of body, mind and speech is firmly and deeply secured in a kind heart and cannot be pulled up. Thus it is called a root. Goodness can also produce wondrous fruits. The remaining roots of goodness are deep and solid. Thus, he was able to meet all Buddhas and eventually achieve enlightenment.

“Goodness can also produce wondrous fruits.” This goodness can produce wondrous fruits. Fruits are seeds. Seeds are also fruits. The seed contains the fruit that is produced. Then in each and every fruit are many, many seeds. So a seed contains a sea of fruits. The fruit pits are seeds that can produce plentiful fruits. So, “goodness can produce wondrous fruits, the remaining roots of goodness are deep and solid.” He [stored] an abundance of goodness because he had planted so many roots of goodness. His goodness was plentiful, deep and solid. So, even though he was lax and craved offerings of wealth, he still had a kind heart. This described Seeker of Fame Bodhisattva. “Thus, he was able to meet all Buddhas and eventually achieve enlightenment.” He will become Maitreya Buddha in the future.

Fellow Bodhisattvas, as we engage in spiritual practice, we must walk toward the Bodhisattva-path, Since we are walking toward the Bodhisattva-path, if we can be more diligent, we will accomplish our goal earlier. If we become lax, then that will happen slowly. When we plant the roots of goodness, every single seed is stored. They do not disappear, but they will develop much later. So, when we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must begin by dignifying our inner spiritual training ground. We must not allow it to become messy. Every word of the Dharma must enter our minds. When the Dharma enters our minds, and manifests in our actions, then we are in a state of meditation. This requires us to put effort into our practice. So, everyone, please always be mindful.