Category: TLS Chapter 10

Episode 1223 – Believing and Understanding the Wondrous Dharma

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>> “To uphold the Dharma is extraordinary; those who do so are respected. Those who are respected are noble. When one is noble and thoroughly comprehends the cause of Buddhahood, one will skillfully realize the wondrousness of the fruit. Now, the Buddha teaches the Lotus Sutra. In the past, He gave the great teachings. All teachings have skillful means to make them easier to believe in.”

>> “Medicine King, now I tell you that, among all the sutras I have taught, the Lotus Sutra is foremost.”

>> “At that time, the Buddha again told. Medicine King Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, ‘The sutras I teach number in the countless trillions, including what I have taught, am teaching now and will teach in the future Among those sutras, this, the Lotus Sutra, is the hardest to believe and comprehend.'”

>> Now He explains the wondrousness of this sutra. It is hard to believe and comprehend. The Buddha teaches sentient beings all kinds of different teachings. He can teach in an indirect and tactful way to suit their capabilities, in order to dispel their doubts and eventually enable them to enter the Buddha’s understanding and views.

>> The sutras I teach number in the countless trillions, including what I have taught, am teaching now and will teach in the future: The Buddha said to Medicine King, “The sutras that I have taught in the past and teach now are countless trillions. Some I have finished teaching, some I am teaching today and some I will teach in the future.”

>> What I have taught: This refers to the great teachings which are all the immediate and gradual teachings before Prajna. What I am teaching now: This is The Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. What I will teach in the future: When the Buddha is about to enter Parinirvana, He will teach the Nirvana Sutra.

>> And among those sutras, this Lotus Sutra is the hardest to believe and comprehend: We must know the merit of attaining Buddhahood is so sublime that is hard to have faith in; This explains that the Buddha’s view and understanding is so profound that is hard to comprehend.

>> All teachings before the Mahaprajnaparamita sutras contain skillful means. They are easy to believe. Today the wondrous Dharma of this sutra can take all of these different teachings and unite them into one.

>> As to its meaning, how could it be easy for those who have not yet reached the first ground or above to comprehend? Thus it says, “It is hard to believe.” Because it is hard to believe, it is hard to comprehend.

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“To uphold the Dharma is extraordinary; those who do so are respected.
Those who are respected are noble.
When one is noble and thoroughly comprehends the cause of Buddhahood,
one will skillfully realize the wondrousness of the fruit.
Now, the Buddha teaches the Lotus Sutra.
In the past, He gave the great teachings.
All teachings have skillful means to make them easier to believe in.”

We must mindfully seek to understand this! How can we spread the Dharma widely in this world? Only when everyone mindfully accepts and upholds the Dharma together can the Dharma become widespread in the world. This would be something very exceptional. In this world, we need the Dharma to preserve [the propriety of] everyone’s mindset, aspirations and lifestyle. This way, there will not be chaos in the world. Thus, the Dharma is very important for this world.

“To uphold the Dharma is extraordinary. Those who do so are respected. Those who are respected are noble.” How can we be “respected and noble?” We must stay on track; [maintaining] our course in life is important. The principle of the Five Cardinal Relationships is essential [in life], the Three Bonds and Five Cardinal Relationships. Since ancient times, these [principles] have preserved propriety in our lives. Living in this world, everything is maintained in this way. So, “To uphold the Dharma is extraordinary; those who do so are respected. Those who are respected are noble.” With mutual respect among all people, our lives become greatly ennobled.

“When one is noble and thoroughly comprehends the cause of Buddhahood, one will skillfully realize the wondrous fruits.” If we want to understand even more thoroughly how to [uphold] morals and order in the world, if we want to more thoroughly comprehend this, we need to understand the cause of Buddhahood; we must thoroughly comprehend this cause. “Buddha” means “Awakened One.” How can we attain awakening? It comes from the seed of our initial cause, from that principle. [We must comprehend] how all things in the world, all these innumerable things, exist in cycles and how all things in the world give rise to each other. This law, this order, is truly very important. How can we thoroughly understand and awaken to the law of karma that governs all things? How can we understand it?

Only when we understand it can we truly, thoroughly awaken and attain the fruit, which we call “wondrous.” This wondrousness is difficult to comprehend; these are subtle and wondrous principles which are very difficult to thoroughly understand. What explanation will allow people to accept them, thoroughly comprehend them and become enlightened? These truly are very subtle, extremely wondrous principles. When we attain this ultimate understanding, [our minds] become one with the universe.

The world is boundless; there is no way to measure its vastness. The universe is truly vast beyond bounds! To explain all its principles and cycles, to explain all things from their origins and when exactly they began is truly impossible. So, in the Buddha’s Jataka Sutra and the Sutra on Causes and Effects, [it is described how], lifetime after lifetime, He came to thoroughly understand the principles of the Buddha-Dharma and the karmic law of cause and effect. This was truly difficult.

The Dharma we are discussing now is what Sakyamuni Buddha [has realized] [over the eons] since Beginningless Time, time without beginning. We cannot tell how long before the present it was. In Beginningless Time, He began forming this aspiration. In the Lotus Sutra it does not say how long ago this was, but the Buddha mentions, in the Parable of the Conjured City, “dust-inked kalpas.” How can we calculate this? It is incalculable.

“Dust-inked kalpas” compares each mote of dust to one kalpa, time that continually keeps accumulating. We can only express this simply as. “Beginningless Time,” meaning that it has no beginning. He intrinsically had the aspiration to, for the sake of sentient beings, engage in spiritual practice for countless lives. He continually practiced. This process was not just for Himself; He did so also for the sake of sentient beings. The principles He wished to understand were endless!

We also wish to seek these endless [principles], but will we be able to find them? We can not! The Buddha told us if we return to ourselves, it is very simple. In our minds, we have our nature of True Suchness; it is intrinsic to everyone, however we struggle to find it. Every day, our minds are always racing outside, connecting to external states. We observe the expressions and voices of others, [ever focused on] the outside world. Isn’t this what we do every day? In this [state] we are always discriminating and giving rise to discursive thoughts; these are constantly and continually replicated. This is something we have created for ourselves over countless dust-inked kalpas. We are creating endless afflictions and ignorance for ourselves. The Buddha’s continual hope is that we will return to seek out our own intrinsic nature. This requires us to uphold the Dharma.

“To uphold the Dharma is extraordinary. Those who do so are respected. Those who are respected are noble.” Truly, we must earnestly uphold the Dharma; we must take in the Dharma we hear and earnestly search within ourselves. This is what the Buddha taught us. We must seek within ourselves by using these external states to seek out our nature of True Suchness. We must follow this rule; we must uphold the Dharma. The Buddha taught us the Dharma and how to practice according to its teachings. So, “To uphold the Dharma is extraordinary. Those who do so are respected.” In practicing according to the teachings, naturally, when we encounter external conditions, we must collect ourselves and return to our own nature of True Suchness. When we follow the Dharma, the Buddha’s teachings, we will no longer replicate afflictions. This [wins us] the respect of others. “Those who are respected are noble.” Thus, [we become] truly noble.

“When one is noble and thoroughly comprehends the cause of Buddhahood, one will skillfully realize the wondrous fruits.” If we can understand this principle, we will not continue to replicate the afflictions caused by the external world. We must quickly return to our nature of True Suchness. This is what the Buddha taught us, and we must follow the Buddha’s teachings. We must put effort into realizing that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. When we understand this principle, naturally, we “are [noble].” We can remain firm in the noble Buddha-Dharma.

For lifetime after lifetime, for infinite kalpas, the Buddha went among people. What He obtained was the seeds of Bodhi. As He experienced afflictions among others, He [turned them into] awakening. Our awakened nature, Bodhi, is found among people; this is the experience that the Buddha gained through many lifetimes of practice. This is the Dharma He taught us. So, we must mindfully uphold the Dharma, for it is what the Buddha awakened to. We must earnestly and mindfully accept it. With a singular resolve, we must focus on accepting the Buddha’s teachings, returning to our nature of True Suchness and [practicing] according to His Dharma. In order to return to our own intrinsic nature, we must focus our thoughts. We must not let the Dharma we hear leak away. After listening to the Dharma, we must [apply it] to ourselves. We must bring the Dharma we hear back into our own awakened nature.

This is what the Buddha told us. He already awakened. His honored, supreme enlightened nature is something both the Buddha and all people possess. It is the enlightened nature of the Buddha. This awakened nature belongs not only to Him; it is the awakened nature intrinsic to all beings. This nature is intrinsic to all. It is just that we are deluded, while the Buddha has already awakened. So, what the Buddha experienced as He awakened.

So, what the Buddha experienced as He awakened, He taught to us in its entirety. He hoped we can return to our intrinsic nature. So, we must make an effort to realize the seed of the cause of Buddhahood. This seed of the cause of Buddhahood is something the Buddha possessed and something we too possess. It is just that the Buddha used a certain mindset to “skillfully realize the wondrous fruits.” Using all kinds of methods, He went where the Five Destinies coexist to comprehend the many kinds of ignorance and karma of sentient beings. He experienced them all and analyzed them for us one by one. This is why we must focus our attention on the precious teachings the Buddha awakened to. We have them in equal measure as the Buddha. We must now try to comprehend how the Buddha “skillfully realized wondrous fruits.”

These skillful means are what. He expounded again and again for us. Through this method, the Buddha very skillfully realized the wondrousness of the fruits. This sounds very profound, but in fact, with a simple and pure mind, we can broaden our heart to encompass the universe. By expanding it to be as boundless as the universe, our mind will become like the Buddha’s mind, equally expansive and vast. We too are able to do this! Can’t we all put more effort into [understanding] how our hearts can encompass the universe? Can’t we put more effort considering exactly how much can [our minds] encompass? They can encompass a lot! Since Beginningless Time, the number of lifetimes we have been through is not something we can presently understand. Still, in this lifetime, [we can] reflect back on the decades that we have experienced. These memories are also in our mind. We can remember our past, our parents, our family and our experiences; these are the memories of ordinary people.

Where do we find these memories? Ordinary people’s memories are very complicated, memories of interpersonal conflicts. The Buddha’s memories already encompassed the universe. Can we understand this? Yes, we can. Let me give you [an example]. If the Tzu Chi volunteers from mainland China were still here at the Abode these few days, I could ask them, “What does Kunshan look like? How do people live in Kunshan? What is Kunshan’s environment like?” If I were to ask this, these people’s minds would immediately return to the scenes in Kunshan.

I may then say, “What about Suzhou? What does Suzhou look like?” Some Tzu Chi volunteers from Suzhou and Hangzhou recently returned. If I lightly mention Taiwan, Suzhou or Hangzhou, they can immediately experience the scenes in these places. Wisdom comes from experience. These are the things ordinary people [focus on].

But since Beginningless Time, the Buddha has always only had one great cause, [to deliver] sentient beings. Myriad sentient beings remain lost in the world, and it is [to relieve] them from suffering that the Buddha made vows and formed aspirations. He made the Four Great Vows, including “to deliver countless sentient beings,” He wanted to transform sentient beings and “to eliminate endless afflictions.” This is the Buddha’s mindset! Do we have the same mindset as the Buddha? Are suffering sentient beings in our every thought? Are we constantly working to eliminate our afflictions and ignorance? Or are we, at every moment, accumulating afflictions? Awakened beings seek to eliminate afflictions, while deluded beings accumulate afflictions.

The Buddha and ordinary beings have the same intrinsic nature. A fine line separates enlightenment from delusion. The enlightened work for all sentient beings, while the deluded focus on themselves. There is nothing more to it. So, we can expand [our minds] to encompass the universe; what happens in the world is everyone’s responsibilities. The Buddha cared for sentient beings of the world, and we sentient beings must care for each other. This is how the great trichiliocosm will naturally return to the one pure land of the Buddha. There will no longer be so many worlds; there will be only one pure land, because the vistas of the innate enlightenment of everyone’s mind will be just like the Buddha’s pure land. Every day, we must mindfully comprehend this.

So, “When one is noble and thoroughly comprehends the cause of Buddhahood….” Our minds must be focused on the teachings and not become scattered. We must be focused on learning the Buddha-Dharma and on learning from the Buddha how He realized the principles of this world. The Buddha was able to attain enlightenment, and we are also definitely able to become awakened. The Buddha paved this path for us to follow, and we must also pave the path with every step as we follow it ourselves. Thus, “One is noble and thoroughly comprehends the cause of Buddhahood.” We must understand the cause of Buddhahood. Since the Buddha has this nature of True Suchness, we sentient beings also have it. Since the Buddha attained enlightenment and used skillful means to educate us, we should accept the Buddha’s skillful teachings; ultimately, they lead back to the True Dharma of the One Vehicle. This is the Bodhisattva-path we must follow. Without walking the Bodhisattva-path, we cannot reach the Buddha’s state. This is what we must mindfully understand.

The Buddha said, “Now I teach the Lotus Sutra. In the past, I gave the great teachings.” During the Buddha’s lifetime, He was teaching the Lotus Sutra. When He said, “Now I teach the Lotus Sutra,” that was the time to teach it. Thus He began expounding it. He taught the Lotus Sutra for over seven years. Before He started teaching the Lotus Sutra, after concluding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, He did not arise from His seat. He remained seated and emitted light. Then the Buddha began to teach the Lotus Sutra. “Now I teach” refers to that time, because the time needed to teach it was so long. Prior to the Lotus Sutra, [He taught] “the great teachings. The great teachings” refers to the Prajnaparamita sutras. Before that, He taught the Vaipulya sutras, and before that the Agama sutras. Before the Agama was the Avatamsaka state of the Buddha’s initial awakening.

This was the Buddha’s spiritual state. Having attained enlightenment, His mind was in this awakened state. He then devised skillful means to meet sentient beings’ capabilities. Starting from Deer Park, He taught the Agama sutras, after which He gradually, after 12 years, began teaching the Vaipulya sutras. After eight years of the Vaipulya sutras, He entered the Prajna period. These more than 40 years were spent paving the way for the Lotus Sutra. So, “All teachings have skillful means to make them easier to believe in.” It was the same with the Prajna teachings. Although the Prajnaparamita sutras teach that everything is empty in nature, it was the same with them; as He taught, He included previous teachings from the Agama and Vaipulya [periods]. They were all included.

Likewise, as I speak to you all now, we must “understand the old Dharma with new insight.” A long time ago, more than 50 years ago, the things I taught then and the causes and conditions for Tzu Chi’s founding are still things I repeat continuously 50 years ago, we had nothing. We started from the bamboo banks. The story of [how we started our charity work] [by helping] the elderly Mrs. Lin Zeng who had come to Taiwan from China is one I still repeat today. Without explaining the past, how can we [understand] the present? 40378

was also a historical day for us. That was when Tzu Chi joined the United Nations by receiving special consultative status as a non-governmental organization under the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Still today, when there are meetings at the United Nations, they will notify us to participate. This is called “being without boundaries”; we are not limited by national borders. If we want to take on the matters of the world, we should work for all people in the world.

So, while more than 50 years ago we had nothing, at present, we are now recognized internationally in the United Nations as a non-governmental organization. We have a special consultative status. We must understand the matters of the world. Thus, our hearts must encompass the universe and embrace the boundless worlds within. Regardless of national boundaries, we must offer our care and go to understand. We should go out to experience things that have very wide scope by looking after the matters of the world. This is the same idea. So, we must be mindful and realize this.

It was the same when the Buddha taught the sutras. His mindset encompassed the principles of all things in the universe. To help everyone understand [this], He had to teach from the beginning. Since sentient beings replicate ignorance layer by layer, [He had to think of] how to free us from our layers of ignorance so we can discover our nature of True Suchness. Then, the light of that wisdom will be able to shine forth. Thus, the Buddha used all kinds of skillful means in order to guide us.

So, “All teachings have skillful means.” They all use some skillful means. Even for the One Vehicle Dharma we discuss now, He used many kinds of skillful means to teach us. In the end, He would say to everyone, “That was the past. In the past, sentient beings had so much ignorance so I had to use many skillful means. Since the [time of] the 16 princes. I have continually returned to form affinities with countless sentient beings and continually teach the Dharma. I followed them lifetime after lifetime. Yet even now, they still cannot free their minds and form great aspirations and make great vows to give for the sake of sentient beings.” They are still quite far [from that stage].

[From this] we can understand that the Buddha, even now, is still our guiding teacher; He is still the kind father of sentient beings. The Dharma He teaches still contains skillful means to enable sentient beings to find faith in it and make it easier to understand. [This is necessary] to truly help everyone realize the same state as the Buddha, the Avatamsaka state. [This state] is “tranquil and clear, [with] vows as vast as the universe.” With this state of mind, He “remains unwavering for countless kalpas” and “infinite Dharma-doors readily appear in front of [Him].” To help everyone experience and understand how “infinite Dharma-doors readily appear in front of [us]” is easier said than done! So, when [teaching] the True Dharma, we must definitely use skillful means. Today, we must always talk about past causes, and it was the same for the Buddha. In the Lotus Sutra He had to teach about the past, countless kalpas prior. He did this to continually remind everyone.

Does everyone really understand this? This depends on everyone’s capabilities, whether they can gradually understand how to return to their intrinsic Buddha-nature. This enlightened nature refers not only to Sakyamuni Buddha. We all have this innate enlightenment, this awakened Buddha within. Have we realized this? This depends on our [ability] to remain unattached to the outside world and avoid outside conflicts. We must do our best not to argue, must try to let go of things and must put effort into opening our minds. This is the only way; there is no other. So, we must be mindful.

Let us listen to the previous sutra passage.

“Medicine King, now I tell you that, among all the sutras I have taught, the Lotus Sutra is foremost.”

Before the Buddha taught this sutra, He had taught many other sutras in the past. Everything He taught during those more than 40 years is included in the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra is foremost; it is the king of all sutras. The Lotus Sutra encompasses all other sutras. All those sutras likewise contain some principles from the Lotus Sutra, which He picked out to teach for everyone. So, now He gathered all these teachings, collecting them all in the One True Dharma, in the Lotus Sutra. We must mindfully comprehend the Lotus Sutra.

The following sutra passage says,

“At that time, the Buddha again told. Medicine King Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, ‘The sutras I teach number in the countless trillions, including what I have taught, am teaching now and will teach in the future Among those sutras, this, the Lotus Sutra, is the hardest to believe and comprehend.'”

This is describing to us the wondrousness of the Dharma in this sutra, the Wondrous Lotus Sutra; it is wondrous and difficult to comprehend. The Buddha’s teachings are difficult to believe and comprehend. [The Dharma] in this sutra is very profound. This is because it contains over 40 years of. His previous teachings; whether big or small, whether on the illusory or the real, all His teachings are found within this sutra. This sutra encompasses so much Dharma. What makes it so wondrous? It is difficult to believe and comprehend.

Now He explains the wondrousness of this sutra. It is hard to believe and comprehend. The Buddha teaches sentient beings all kinds of different teachings. He can teach in an indirect and tactful way to suit their capabilities, in order to dispel their doubts and eventually enable them to enter the Buddha’s understanding and views.

Now, He needed to synthesize all these teachings to enable us to understand. There is emptiness; all things are empty. Yet in emptiness, there is wondrous existence. The Prajnaparamita sutras went beyond the teachings in Agama and Vaipulya which [emphasized] “existence.” Thus, it taught that everything is empty. However, from “emptiness” the Buddha [taught] “wondrous existence.” So, this sutra [contains] the Dharma-essence of the entire sutra-treasury. It encompasses all previous teachings of “emptiness” and “existence” and refines them into the One True Dharma. They are all contained in the Lotus Sutra. So, for us to completely understand the Buddha’s teachings, we must experience them within the Lotus Sutra.

Before, the time was never right to teach the Lotus Sutra in its entirety, since sentient beings had not yet developed faith and understanding. So, He had to use the Agama and Vaipulya sutras to gradually build their faith. By understanding the law of karma, they could realize the suffering of the world. Once they began to understand this, He went beyond this with the “Prajna” [teachings] of freeing themselves from attachments and so on. But by letting go of attachments, completely ridding themselves of them, they instead became attached to “emptiness.” [To them] “emptiness” meant doing nothing at all. Or they thought that since everything is empty, they could do whatever they wanted. All of these [views] caused them to deviate.

For some, since everything is empty, they did not do anything. For others, since everything is empty, they had no fear of karmic causes and effects. These [views] are all deviant. Thus, the Buddha [taught] that causes lead to effects and effects in turn create causes. This is wondrous [existence]; He wanted to let us know the principle of wondrous existence in true emptiness. This is hard to believe and understand, but “the Buddha taught sentient beings” using “all kinds of different teachings.” Thus He gave the Agama teachings. Based on sentient being’s capacities, their suffering, afflictions and ignorance, He explained it to them one by one. He could “teach in an indirect and tactful way.” He adapted to each sentient being. This is like how water takes on the shape of its container; His Dharma is like water which takes the shape of the vessel. He “taught in an indirect and tactful way” based on the capabilities of sentient beings. [He gave teachings] “to suit their capabilities in order to dispel their doubts.” He gradually guided them and helped them find faith and dispel their doubts. He “eventually enabled them to enter the Buddha’s understanding and views.” Finally, He brought them all into the Buddha’s understanding and views. The Buddha’s level of perception and understanding is the level we must achieve. To [help people] observe all beings and all things in the world so they can become one with the universe requires slow and steady guidance.

So, “At that time, the Buddha again told. Medicine King Bodhisattva-Mahasattva.” This is a great Bodhisattva.

“The sutras I teach number in the countless trillions, including what I have taught, am teaching now and will teach in the future.”

The sutras I teach number in the countless trillions, including what I have taught, am teaching now and will teach in the future: The Buddha said to Medicine King, “The sutras that I have taught in the past and teach now are countless trillions. Some I have finished teaching, some I am teaching today and some I will teach in the future.”

The Buddha said to Medicine King Bodhisattva, “The teachings I have given in the past, the sutras I have taught in this lifetime, are already very many. There are countless trillions. Some I have finished teaching.” Those He had already “finished teaching” were the Agama, Vaipulya and Prajna teachings. He had already given these teachings. “Some I am teaching today and some I will teach [in the future].” These are the [sutras] He was about to teach. He had already taught the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra and the Agama sutras in the past. These, He had “finished teaching”; He had taught them before. “[Some] I am teaching today” refers to the Lotus Sutra. “[Some] I will teach” refers to. [His teaching] before entering Parinirvana, the Nirvana Sutra, the Buddha’s last teaching.

What I have taught: This refers to the great teachings which are all the immediate and gradual teachings before Prajna. What I am teaching now: This is The Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. What I will teach in the future: When the Buddha is about to enter Parinirvana, He will teach the Nirvana Sutra.

What the Buddha “has taught” refers to the teachings He gave prior to the Lotus Sutra. What He was “teaching now” was the Lotus Sutra. Then, before the Buddha entered Parinirvana, He would teach the Nirvana Sutra.

“Among those sutras, this, the Lotus Sutra, is the hardest to believe and comprehend.” [Among the teachings] He had given and those He was yet to give, the present Lotus Sutra was the hardest to believe and comprehend. “We must know the merit of attaining Buddhahood is so sublime that it is hard to have faith in.” It is truly difficult to comprehend. “The Buddha’s understanding and views,” the “understanding and views” that we speak of, [encompass] profound principles, “understanding profound and hard to comprehend.”

And among those sutras, this Lotus Sutra is the hardest to believe and comprehend: We must know the merit of attaining Buddhahood is so sublime that is hard to have faith in; This explains that the Buddha’s view and understanding is so profound that is hard to comprehend.

How profound is the Buddha’s understanding? It is truly very profound.

“All teachings before the [Prajnaparamita] sutras contain skillful means.” They all use skillful means to help everyone find faith. Since people’s capacities were limited, He had to use very limited teachings and simple principles so that everyone could understand them more easily.

All teachings before the Mahaprajnaparamita sutras contain skillful means. They are easy to believe. Today the wondrous Dharma of this sutra can take all of these different teachings and unite them into one.

“Today… this sutra.” Now, the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, “can take all of these different teachings and unite them into one Dharma.” It threads together all past teachings, uniting them into one Dharma. This is the Dharma the Buddha taught in the world.

The Buddha-Dharma is very profound; it is hard to explain clearly. To explain it clearly enough for us ordinary people to truly experience and understand it is a difficult task indeed. To truly believe and accept the Buddha’s teachings requires endless explanation.

[He did this for] the Bodhisattvas of this world so they could begin to form great aspirations to go among people and realize [the Dharma]. “As to its meaning, how could it be easy for those who have not yet reached the first ground or above to comprehend?”

As to its meaning, how could it be easy for those who have not yet reached the first ground or above to comprehend? Thus it says, “It is hard to believe.” Because it is hard to believe, it is hard to comprehend.

This Dharma is very profound. Now, He has included the Dharma He taught for over 40 years in the present Lotus Sutra for everyone to understand its essence. This is not easy. Only those with the great aspirations and vows of a Bodhisattva can gradually realize [the Dharma]. Only those who “reach the first ground or above” can comprehend. If not, then it is truly impossible to understand. So, this is why it is “hard to believe and hard to comprehend.”

This difficult-to-believe Dharma is very profound. However, the Buddha taught us to use our hearts to comprehend the teaching He gave us, that sentient beings are equal to the Buddha. Only a fine line separates us. Since Beginningless Time, the Buddha has gone among people [to help] sentient beings. He continually practiced, attained realizations, and [finally] attained enlightenment. We sentient beings remain deluded. As ordinary beings, in delusion, we repeatedly create afflictions. Thus, we remain deluded. So, enlightenment and delusion are separated by a fine line. Deluded ordinary beings are covered in ignorance. The enlightened Buddha has eliminated ignorance. His nature of True Suchness is one with the universe, so He has awakened to [the truth of] all things.

The Buddha achieved this. The reason He put in so much effort is that He believed sentient beings can also do it. So, we must also believe in ourselves, that we can achieve this too. It is just a matter of whether we can always be mindful.

Episode 1222 – The Lotus Sutra Is Foremost among All Sutras

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>> “The Buddha has completely eliminated delusions, so neither praise nor slander can move Him. Those who praise Him only benefit themselves while bringing no benefit to the Buddha. Those who slander Him only harm themselves while bringing no harm to the Buddha. Whether it is the offense of slandering or the blessing of praising the Buddha, the merits or wrongdoings are truly considerable.”

>> “For eight billion kalpas, they can use the most wondrous objects of form and sound, as well as smell, taste and touch to make offerings to those who uphold this sutra. Having made such offerings, if they can hear this sutra even for a moment, they should feel happy and fortunate that today they attain great benefits.” 

>> “Medicine King, now I tell you that, among all the sutras I have taught, the Lotus Sutra is foremost.”

>> Medicine King, now I tell you that among all the sutras I have taught: The Buddha lovingly called to Medicine King and said to him, “Today I tell you that since I have attained enlightenment, among all the sutras and teachings that I have taught….”

>> Among all the sutras [I have taught], the Lotus Sutra is foremost: This Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra has no match. This sutra is the foremost.

>> Among all the sutras: This means that this sutra is the king of all sutras. The teachings of all sutras, whether great or small, whether on the illusory or the real, were all taught in accordance with the capabilities of sentient beings, teaching each with distinct methods. Only this sutra’s wondrous Dharma, when revealed, can be understood by all. Thus, the Buddha bestowed predictions for humans, heavenly beings and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. He bestowed predictions for practitioners of the Two Vehicles and for Bodhisattvas. He helped them all realize this wondrous One Vehicle Dharma.

>> The Dharma of this sutra is so wondrous that it can encompass the wondrousness of the Dharma of all sutras. Without this sutra, the wondrousness of the Dharma of all other sutras is only relative; their wondrousness is not ultimate. Because of this sutra, the teachings of all other sutras can all reach absolute wondrousness. This is the reason why the Dharma of this sutra is so wondrous. So, among all sutras it is the foremost.

>> So, “Since the wondrous Dharma is worthy of respect, those who accept and uphold the teachings of this sutra are also worthy of respect. The meaning of this is very clear.”

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“The Buddha has completely eliminated delusions,
so neither praise nor slander can move Him.
Those who praise Him
only benefit themselves while bringing no benefit to the Buddha.
Those who slander Him
only harm themselves while bringing no harm to the Buddha.
Whether it is the offense of slandering or the blessing of praising the Buddha,
the merits or wrongdoings are truly considerable.”

Lately it seems like I have been emphasizing to everyone over and over again that as we safeguard and uphold the sutras, we absolutely must be vigilant. We must not bring harm to those who protect and uphold the sutras by defaming or slandering them etc. We must not do any of this! I hope everyone will be very mindful and vigilant.

In the Chapter on Dharma Teachers, the most important thing we need to know is that the Dharma helps us develop our wisdom-life. By mindfully accepting the Dharma, our own wisdom-life will grow. The Buddha-Dharma in the world brings harmony. When we apply the Buddha-Dharma in the world, the four elements will be in harmony, everyone will create blessings and disasters will be averted. With the Buddha-Dharma in the world, every family can be harmonious and uphold the principles of proper relationships. This is why we need the Buddha-Dharma in this world. The world is inseparable from the worldly Dharma, and the Buddha-Dharma must be applied in this world; they are inseparable from one another. We must all protect the Buddha-Dharma and spread it throughout the world. This is very important!

Look at this world. The population is already so high. With all the people in the world, people’s ways of thinking and living and so on come in every shape and form and are constantly changing. Our moral principles are constantly weakening. This is truly worrisome. And so we see, hear about and encounter so many calamities in this world. Recently, in the world, how many times have we helped with international disaster relief? In so many countries, Tzu Chi volunteers are mobilizing to provide disaster relief and emergency services, or they go to places of poverty and hardship to hold winter distributions; there are so many! We hear about many particularly worrisome things. For example, yesterday (July 15, 2016) the news constantly covered the coup attempt in Turkey. All of a sudden, a coup took place, with artillery fire from both sides and bombs both dropped from the air and shot from the ground.

Of course, it is unsettling to hear this. Moreover, among our Da Ai TV [staff], there is a husband and wife who have both formed great aspirations. Whether it is their vacation time or their work time, they dedicate all their time to truthful and accurate reporting. When it comes to natural disasters, they take it as their duty. In this way, they take the initiative to go to very dangerous places where people are suffering the most to report on what is happening there. Right now, these two have just gone to Turkey to interview refugees about their lives in Turkey and talk to Tzu Chi volunteers in Turkey about how they help [refugee] children go to school, their education methods and [the children’s] living situation. They have been there for over half a month already and hope to return with complete interviews. They are still there.

Early in the morning, they went out and started to cross the long bridge between Europe and Asia (the Bosporus Bridge). Early [yesterday] morning, they passed over this bridge. As they were conducting interviews, the coup suddenly occurred, and this bridge was blocked off. They wanted to return to their hotel but had no way to get back to the place they were staying at. Still, they [continued their work], sending eyewitness interviews back [to Taiwan]. They were still doing their jobs as usual; this is their duty, their mission and their responsibility.

Everywhere they looked, they were surrounded by chaos, with both sides firing at one another and bombs falling from the air. This was a manmade calamity. Why would people do something like this? [People there] had such a safe and happy life; everyone was able to live peacefully. What happened? Suddenly so many things happened, causing people injury or death; this was something very tragic. It was due to people’s minds. One thought went astray, causing this group and that group of people to clash together. “You’re on this side and I’m on the other.” When groups of people draw boundaries, “You are in that party, I am in this,” mutual [tensions] like these give rise to conflict and fighting. Why is this? If we live according to nature, if we can uphold the laws of nature and focus on fulfilling our own duties, then we can live in peace. The only [problem] is people’s minds. On this track in life, what state of mind causes them to go off the rails like this? They are unable to clearly discern right from wrong. This is truly worrisome.

However, yesterday, here [at the Abode], 20 or 30 volunteers returned from the Philippines. They came to make a presentation to report about last year and this year, letting me know what they have been doing during this time. Each person reported on their own areas of work, on behalf [of their teams]. After each person reported, I told them that. I was shaken and touched. I am very grateful.

In the Philippines, people have no relationship at all with Buddhism. Most people there are Catholics or Protestants. However, three or four years ago (Nov 2013), Typhoon Haiyan brought tremendous devastation. Over 40 countries started [fundraising] campaigns. Those with money gave money, and those with strength gave their strength. Tzu Chi volunteers from over 10 countries joined in the disaster relief work. Thus, in the short span of three to four years, the cities of Ormoc and Tacloban and the township of Palo have all completely [recovered]. The economy recovered quickly, and is now better than it was before the disaster.

In the past, in their interpersonal relations, there was still ethnic discrimination between locals and people of Chinese descent. They would still have conflicts, and public safety was not very good. After the disaster, the government announced that the entire city [should be abandoned]. But [with support] from so many countries, Tzu Chi volunteers from the Philippines took on responsibility [to help the city]. With so many countries supporting them, they continued to provide care for the long run. Even now, they have not abandoned them; they continue to accompany them, helping the people there to rebuild. Because after [the disaster] those impoverished people were unable to rebuild, in Ormoc, the mayor provided 50 acres of land. On this land, we have already finished building 1500 prefabricated homes. We have finished them all, and they are very neat.

I kept thinking, “Aren’t prefabricated houses very simple? Can they withstand typhoons? This can only provide temporary accommodation.” However, [volunteers] returned yesterday to report that these temporary prefabricated homes which had been constructed so simply have already become a big village. Using prefabricated buildings, not only can the children go to school, but most importantly, they are given professional training in handicrafts. In this way, we teach them how to sew, how to embroider and how to make bags and women’s purses, very beautiful ones. They come in every shape and color. They are all embroidered, made from different fabrics and so on. These are all made expertly by hand. Now [the residents there] are able to take orders to make uniforms for government [employees]. They are able to make these uniforms to sustain their livelihood and improve their life.

In the past, they did not have these skills, so their families lived very difficult lives. Now they can make various kinds of handicrafts in every shape and color, allowing them to sustain their family. There is also the making of food products, baking bread and so on; we also train them in this. When they make food products, they also do it very well. Both men and women have developed the skills they need to do things. So, because the entire [village] is like this, it has flourished into a very beautiful village.

[The volunteers] also brought up this year’s Buddha Bathing ceremony. They have truly brought the Buddha-Dharma [to the Philippines]. How do we do the Buddha Bathing in Taiwan? How do we arrange people in different patterns? Over there, they arranged even more patterns than Taiwan. Looking down from above, it was very beautiful, very well organized. In three locations, over 14,000 people bathed the Buddha on the same day. Aside from arranging the patterns so well, they also held a sutra adaptation performance. The rehearsals for the sutra adaptation began in March. Everyone took the initiative to sign up and attend rehearsals to learn [the choreography].

They also put up a stage, but they did not need to build it; the government provided a flatbed truck. Thus, they could decorate the truck bed and use it as a stage. On this stage, they performed the Sutra of Profound Gratitude toward Parents. Their acting was such that it truly [felt like] the interactions between a rebellious child and his parents. The parents’ helplessness, the son’s rebellious behavior, even [the scenes where] he joins a gang, gets locked in jail and his parents visit him in prison, were all expertly preformed. This was truly a praiseworthy [performance].

They also [performed] sections from the Sutra of Infinite Meanings [adaptation]. They did all this in all three places. Seeing it, I was very impressed and also very touched; it is truly praiseworthy. There was even a filial piety activity where children washed their parents’ feet off stage. [The children] were very touched themselves. They had never been taught these things before. They had never encountered the Buddha-Dharma. As it turns out, the principles of the Buddha-Dharma are very applicable. When we take its teachings to heart, it has a profound [effect on us]; it is deeply moving. This is what [the volunteers] reported yesterday. Though everything was very simple, every single picture we saw was very impressive. This is what it means to spread the Dharma and to teach the Dharma.

Moreover, in the course of a single year, the Philippines experienced several typhoons and floods. The volunteers in charge of charity work [reported on] how they went to dedicate themselves and serve. They had to travel a very long distance to do disaster relief and provide emergency care. In particular, on Bohol Island, a week prior to the disastrous [typhoon] in Ormoc, a big earthquake struck, causing severe damage. We were originally preparing to help there, but then the [typhoon] in Ormoc caused such large-scale [devastation]. So, a large number of [volunteers] went to Ormoc. But we still did not abandon Bohol Island. In that place as well, over these three or four years, we have continually been accompanying them. There too, the local people are very grateful. Now, over 20,000 people have started to [save money for donations] in bamboo banks.

We gave them prefabricated classrooms. As their regular school is gradually being repaired and equipped, our prefabricated classrooms are being recycled. We are bringing them to rundown places where they are put up again for others to use. We have already set up over 40 classrooms. The parents and villagers are all very grateful. So, in [Bohol Island], Tzu Chi has already become indispensable. The people there hope for Tzu Chi to take root and sprout there. We have already started both introductory and advanced volunteer training, with many people [attending].

Every month, they hold a Tzu Chi day. This day is now held all over the Philippines. They call it “Charity Day.” Whether in Ormoc or on Bohol Island, the Charity Day practice has spread all across the Philippines. Everyone gathers on the same day and “brings the bamboo banks home.” I am truly very grateful. Bodhisattvas use the Dharma to serve others and provide disaster relief. Moreover, “Having relieved them from suffering, they expound the Dharma for them.” Everyone knows that this is the Buddha-Dharma. They have accepted the Buddha-Dharma and dedicate themselves with the spirit of Tzu Chi, bringing together the power of each person’s love. Most importantly, it has changed them. Their [habits of] smoking, drinking and gambling have all been reformed. They have been greatly influenced.

This is the Buddha-Dharma; the Buddha-Dharma is the principles. It does not matter what religion you believe in; it will not obstruct the way you ordinarily practice your religion. However, it changes people’s minds and behavior, turning their lives around. There are so many people in suffering, people with severe illnesses or tumors who have also received help. In any case, our help influences [people at] the hospitals. In order to save their child’s life, [one family] needed to take a high-interest loan. However, Tzu Chi volunteers found out and wanted to help. When the doctor heard about this, [he said,]. “Oh, the Tzu Chi volunteers want to help him? As for my doctor’s fee, I’ll perform this surgery for him without charge.” So, there was no need for a high-interest loan. The doctor did not ask for money from them. When something like this happens, we all feel uplifted by this mutual love. This doctor even joined Tzu Chi and was willing to be part of the. Tzu Chi International Medical Association. There are so many touching stories. This is why the Dharma needs to be spread.

To slander the Buddha and harm the Dharma produces very severe karma. But as far as the Buddha is concerned, He suffers no loss; He remains unwavering. Those who praise Him benefit themselves, but this has no effect on the Buddha. However, those who slander Him will bring severe karmic obstructions upon themselves. So, where it talks about “the offense of slandering” and “the blessing of praising the Buddha” the karma from slandering the Buddha is very severe for the individual, yet to the Buddha, it makes no difference. In the same way, when we praise the Buddha, He is not impacted at all. Yet for us, what we attain from this is joy; we become filled with Dharma-joy. Moreover, when we encounter the Dharma, if we give rise to a joyous heart, we can all turn from evil to good. When we all do such joyful things, society will be at peace, families will be harmonious and people will get along together very happily.

Just think, this is what it means to be able to praise the Buddha-Dharma. By practicing according to the Buddha-Dharma’s teachings, we will help our society and our world to become joyful, harmonious, peaceful and at ease. This is the benefit of having the Buddha-Dharma in this world. We absolutely most not slander [the Dharma]. Some people will deliberately slander it. Others who do not know anything about it will hear [this slander] and spread it further. This is something we must never do. We must clearly discern right from wrong. The Buddha-Dharma is in this world for the purpose of creating blessings in the world and bringing peace to the world. Irrespective of religion, it has something to teach everyone in the world. These are very good principles. We should advance them, not slander them.

Let us look at the previous sutra passage.

“For eight billion kalpas, they can use the most wondrous objects of form and sound, as well as smell, taste and touch to make offerings to those who uphold this sutra. Having made such offerings, if they can hear this sutra even for a moment, they should feel happy and fortunate that today they attain great benefits.”

I explained yesterday about the eight billion kalpas. We must remember the Eight Consciousnesses. We use the Eight Consciousnesses to explain that in our daily life our eyes see, our ears hear, our mouth and tongue [produce sounds] and so on. In the actions of our body and the thoughts of our mind, we should mindfully [uphold the teaching of]. “Refrain from all evil and do all that is good.” If we can do this, all this goodness will return to our Eighth Consciousness, and within our Eighth Consciousness, nothing but seeds of goodness will be planted. When it comes to the Buddha-Dharma, we will use the tangible things of this world to bring [our spiritual practice] to fruition. This is all making offerings, practicing giving. Upholding the sutra is putting it into practice or praising those who uphold the sutras. Listening to the sutras and the teachings will inspire our minds so that we feel very happy, very fortunate.

Just look at the Philippines. Because of Typhoon Haiyan, they have now attained so much joy. Everyone joined in the musical adaption together. Over 10,000 people could join in the musical adaption together like this. That kind of joy is Dharma-joy. This is something they never had before. It is because of these causes and conditions that. Tzu Chi volunteers could take these teachings and spread them to that place. Think about it, isn’t this benefiting the people?

The next sutra passage says,

“Medicine King, now I tell you that, among all the sutras I have taught, the Lotus Sutra is foremost.”

Out of compassion, the Buddha specifically called out once again, calling out Medicine King’s name.

Medicine King, now I tell you that among all the sutras I have taught: The Buddha lovingly called to Medicine King and said to him, “Today I tell you that since I have attained enlightenment, among all the sutras and teachings that I have taught….”

“Medicine King Bodhisattva, I now tell you that among all the sutras I have taught this sutra, the Lotus Sutra, is foremost. Today I tell you” means “I am now telling you that since attaining Buddhahood, I have taught many sutras. For over 40 years, I have taught so many sutras.” Among all these teachings, “among all the sutras, the Lotus Sutra is foremost.” It is this sutra, the Lotus Sutra, that is foremost. There are no other sutras that can compare with the Lotus Sutra. None of them matches the level of the Lotus Sutra.

Among all the sutras [I have taught], the Lotus Sutra is foremost: This Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra has no match. This sutra is the foremost.

This means that this sutra encompasses all sutras; it is the king of all sutras. Because this sutra is foremost among all sutras, it is also the king of all sutras. Thus, when it comes to the Lotus Sutra, people generally call it “the king of sutras,” because it shows the path to attaining Buddhahood.

Among all the sutras: This means that this sutra is the king of all sutras. The teachings of all sutras, whether great or small, whether on the illusory or the real, were all taught in accordance with the capabilities of sentient beings, teaching each with distinct methods. Only this sutra’s wondrous Dharma, when revealed, can be understood by all. Thus the Buddha bestowed predictions for humans, heavenly beings and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. He bestowed predictions for practitioners of the Two Vehicles and for Bodhisattvas. He helped them all realize this wondrous One Vehicle Dharma.

“The teachings of all sutras, whether great or small, whether on the illusory or the real….” The Buddha taught all the sutras in accordance with sentient beings’ capacities. He taught very extensive sutras such as the Prajnaparamita sutras. Several hundred volumes long, the Prajnaparamita sutras all teach about wisdom. “Or small [teachings],” like the Agama Sutra, which contains passage after passage that teach about causes and conditions by telling stories. There is also “the illusory.” The Prajna teachings explain that everything is emptiness. “Or the real.” There is also the suffering of people in the world. There are all kinds of suffering, so the Buddha had to think of ways to liberate sentient beings from life’s suffering. Whether great or small, whether on the illusory or the real, all the various teachings were, in fact, “all taught in accordance with the capabilities of sentient beings.” He looked at sentient beings’ capabilities, and according to the scope of what sentient beings were capable of accepting, the Buddha taught [the Dharma] for them. So, He “taught each with distinct methods.” According to each person’s unique capabilities, [He gave them] distinctly different teachings.

“Only this sutra….” This [refers to] this sutra, to the wondrousness of the Lotus Sutra. Where does its wondrousness lie? “When revealed….” After He began to expound the Lotus Sutra, it began to be “understood by all.” After finishing teaching the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, the Buddha immediately entered Samadhi and started emitting light. Manjusri Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva then started to provide an introduction. Everyone had questions, looking at each other. This continued until Sariputra requested teachings. The Buddha refused three times before He began teaching this sutra. This is how difficult it was. Teaching this sutra is truly not easy. Some, if they are unable to accept it, will begin to slander [this sutra], or those with deviant views and understanding misinterpret it, and so on and so forth. Already at the start of the sutra, [the Buddha] explained this very clearly.

Indeed, He used all kinds of parables on faith and understanding and so on. There is also the Chapter on Medicinal Plants, the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions and the Parable of the Conjured City and so on where He bestowed predictions upon humans and heavenly beings, Dharma-protectors, Two Vehicle practitioners and Bodhisattvas. He continued on like this. This is all True Dharma. He taught it to us very clearly. “He helped them all realize….” Whether we are humans or heavenly beings, the eight classes of Dharma-protectors, Two Vehicle practitioners or Hearers, we can all [attain Buddhahood]. The Buddha taught the True Dharma for them, the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle.

Thus, “The Dharma of this sutra is so wondrous that it can encompass the wondrousness of the Dharma of all sutras.” Its wondrousness is that it encompasses the strong points of all sutras. They are all present within the Lotus Sutra. It is complete; it lacks nothing. While each of the other sutras are wondrous in their own way, the Lotus Sutra takes the wondrousness of all the other sutras and completely encompasses it within the. Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. In actuality, all those many sutras paved the way for the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. And so, “it encompasses the wondrousness of all.” All their wondrousness and all the paths they paved, this grounded, wondrous Dharma, is united within this one place. Thus, “It can encompass the wondrousness of the Dharma of all sutras.”

The Dharma of this sutra is so wondrous that it can encompass the wondrousness of the Dharma of all sutras. Without this sutra, the wondrousness of the Dharma of all other sutras is only relative; their wondrousness is not ultimate. Because of this sutra, the teachings of all other sutras can all reach absolute wondrousness. This is the reason why the Dharma of this sutra is so wondrous. So, among all sutras it is the foremost.

“Without this sutra, the wondrousness of the Dharma of all other sutras….” If there were no Lotus Sutra, then the wondrousness of all the other sutras would be dispersed, without ever reaching the ultimate. So, it is not that past sutras were not good, they were just not the ultimate. “All other sutras [are] only relative.” Each sutra has its differences and its relative wondrousness. The illusory has the wondrousness of the illusory, the real has the wondrousness of the real, the great has the wondrousness of the great and the small has the wondrousness of the small. This is because each sutra contains its own wonders. But if we were to use the Small Dharma to teach those of great capabilities, this would not be suited to their capabilities; if we were to use the Great Dharma to teach those of limited capabilities, they would be even less capable of understanding. And so, we must teach the Dharma according to capabilities. This is also wondrousness, yet “their wondrousness is not ultimate”; [other sutras] are not ultimate.

Because of this sutra, “Because of this, the teachings of all other sutras can all reach absolute wondrousness.” By taking all the wondrousness of these sutras, He paved the path step by step. Steadfast and grounded, we must walk this path, Then, the place we arrive at will be the ultimate. What [this sutra] has to give us is perfect, ultimate and absolutely wondrous. Therefore, it is called “the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. This is the reason why the Dharma of this sutra is so wondrous.” Because of this, it says that this sutra, the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, is called “Wondrous Dharma. So, among all sutras, it is the foremost.” It is often said that among all the sutras, the Lotus Sutra is the foremost; the Lotus Flower is the king of all sutras.

So, “Since the wondrous Dharma is worthy of respect, those who accept and uphold the teachings of this sutra are also worthy of respect. The meaning of this is very clear.”

This Dharma is so subtle and wondrous; we must respect the Dharma. We must also respect those who uphold the Dharma. If there were no upholders of the Dharma, no one to read or recite or transcribe, no one to teach or listen to this sutra, if there was no one to take this sutra and apply it in their daily lives and implement it throughout the world, if none of these existed, then how could the Dharma be passed on? So, we must respect the Dharma.

Ever since ancient times, the sutras have been passed on to this day. We can listen to them, we can teach them and we can make use of them. We can apply them to save people in this world and to save people’s minds. This is all because the Dharma has been passed down. So, when it comes to people who uphold the sutras, we must truly respect them. Everyone should understand this clearly. As Buddhist practitioners, we must study the Dharma and learn to apply it. Otherwise, how will we attain Buddhahood?

Take the Philippines as example. Helping people improve their lives and transform poverty into wealth is not just about making an economic recovery. We still need to help them financially, but we also need to give them spiritual riches. And so [the volunteers] have never left them. Bodhisattvas, do you know how far it is from Manila to Tacloban city? You need to take a plane, go by boat or by plane; it is very far. Still, they were all willing to do this, going in shifts. They have never abandoned that place; this is how they could bring the Buddha-Dharma and spread it throughout that province and the cities and townships there. They spread it so widely. After receiving the Buddha-Dharma, [the locals] are all so full of joy and harmony.

The [volunteers] even taught them skills. They brought those skilled in labor to Manila so they could learn welding and construction skills. Some young and middle-aged people were brought to Manila to study at Tzu Chi’s campus there. And what about the women? They taught them how to make handicrafts. Now they know how to sew and are even able to take orders for uniforms from the government. Think about it; the worldly Dharma is inseparable from the world-transcending Dharma.

The Buddha took the spirit of the world-transcending Dharma and applied it in the world, educating people in this world to be able to live peaceful and settled lives and purifying their hearts. In this way, they could get an even better understanding of the Buddha-Dharma, which is world-transcending Dharma. The Buddha taught us to start from doing good deeds. He then taught us to abide by the precepts, “refrain from all evil and do all that is good.” He taught us how to uphold the Dharma. We must uphold this Dharma, continue to sustain it and constantly pass it on. He very carefully taught this to us. Those who wish to focus on spreading the Dharma give up limited love for great love. As for the matters of this world, they focus on realizing and understanding them, on understanding how to take the Dharma to heart and on implementing it in the world. This requires us to focus on the Dharma. This is what it means to spread the Dharma.

And so the Buddha’s renouncing of the lay life is a model to those who spread the Dharma. He came to this world born by his parents. He was the prince of a kingdom, but He gave up his royal position and family. He endured a great amount of suffering. Then, single-mindedly and whole-heartedly, He delved into the principles. He attained enlightenment and understanding. After that, He spread the Dharma in the world. This was all to serve as model for us.

To attain Buddhahood, we must be focused. We must focus on going among people. When people receive teachings, the world will be at peace. We must slowly guide others to gradually enter the Dharma, to enter this true and wondrous Dharma and transcend cyclic existence in the Six Realms in this world. This is world-transcending Dharma, accepting the world-transcending Dharma. This is what it means to apply the world-transcending Dharma in worldly matters. This is the goal of a monastic, the principles of spiritual practice. To practice purity, this is how we must practice. So, we must use a heart of gratitude. We must be grateful to the Buddha for coming to this world and be grateful to generations of great teachers who have passed on the Dharma like this. We must also have strong aspirations and vows and always be mindful in spreading the Dharma. We must always be mindful.

Episode 1221 – Attaining Great Benefits from Hearing the Sutras

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>> “Because those who uphold the sutras have not yet perfected their meritorious practice, if people slander them, they will abandon what they have learned; thus, this is a grave offense. If people praise and respect them, they will be successful in their practice of virtue and learning. This means that with the harm and benefit to both parties one must be cautious.”

>> “There are people who seek the path to Buddhahood and over the course of one kalpa join their palms before me, praising me with countless verses. By praising the Buddha, they will attain infinite merits and virtues. When they praise those who uphold this sutra, their blessings will be even greater.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> “For eight billion kalpas, they can use the most wondrous objects of form and sound, as well as smell, taste and touch, to make offerings to those who uphold this sutra. Having made such offerings, if they are able to hear this sutra for even just a moment, then they should feel happy and fortunate that today they attain great benefits.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> Faith in this wondrous Dharma is the mother of the merits and virtues of all Buddhas. Thus, praising it with one word or hearing it even for one moment is enough to give rise to immeasurable benefits for both oneself and others. Its blessings and benefits are unparalleled.

>> For eight billion kalpas, they can use the most wondrous objects of form and sound: Eight billion kalpas represent the eight consciousnesses. Wondrous forms are things like fragrant flowers and such. Wondrous sounds refer to all kinds of music. They use the world’s most wondrous forms and sounds.

>> As well as smell, taste and touch to make offerings to those who uphold this sutra: Wondrous fragrances, wondrous tastes, wondrous things to touch and so forth should be offered to those upholding this sutra.

>> Having made such offerings, if they are able to hear this sutra for even just one moment: Having practiced by making offerings this way, if they are able to hear the wondrous sutra for even just one moment….

>> Then they should feel happy and fortunate that today they attain great benefits: Their hearts should give rise to great joy and rejoice that today they attain great benefits.

>> With the causes from making offerings with the Five Dusts for billions of kalpas, they can hear the One Vehicle Dharma even for just a moment. Thus, they have the opportunity to attain Bodhi and will rejoice in gaining great benefits.

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“Because those who uphold the sutras
have not yet perfected their meritorious practice,
if people slander them,
they will abandon what they have learned; thus, this is a grave offense.
If people praise and respect them,
they will be successful in their practice of virtue and learning.
This means that with the harm and benefit to both parties
one must be cautious.”

We must always be mindful! As we read this, we must take it to heart in order to experience [the truth of] it. The words are profound, yet the meaning is simple. However, we must practice them in our daily lives and also carry on the Dharma in the future so that it can abide forever in this world. So, when we hear the sutras, we must be mindful.

“Because those who uphold the sutras have not yet perfected their meritorious practice….” Previously, I talked about the merits and virtues of upholding the sutras. If the Buddha-Dharma can be passed down to future generations, the Buddha-Dharma can bring harmony to the world and balance to the four elements. This is because it is the principles; the Dharma is the principles of all things in this world, including the climate.

Humans live on the earth. A [favorable] climate and peace in the world depend on the human realm. If the climate is favorable and the earth is safe, this is a blessing for the world. These blessings for the world must be created by us. Conversely, the opposite of blessing is disaster. Do we want to create blessings or disasters? How do we create blessings? By doing good deeds, we create blessings; if we commit evil deeds, we create disasters. So, the difference between disasters or blessings is determined by us and the karma we create in the world. How do we create blessings in the world? This is why we need the principles. The principles of the Buddha-Dharma teach us in great detail and give us a profound analysis. This truly profound and meticulous [analysis] enables us to realize the true principles of the universe and of the world. If we are very mindful, with the comprehensive Buddha-Dharma, we learn the principles of influencing the world. How can we not be mindful?

Where are these principles? In the sutras. The Buddha expounded the One Vehicle Dharma, which was the Lotus Sutra; this was His original intent. His first thought after He attained enlightenment was, “How amazing! All beings possess the Buddha’s nature of wisdom.” When the Buddha first attained enlightenment, in that state of mind, His first realization was that all beings have the same wisdom as the Buddha. Unfortunately, the ignorance of sentient beings has been replicated over and over again, accumulating over many lifetimes. Now it has grown thick and covers the enlightened nature within us. This Tathagata-nature abides in us eternally. However, it has been covered in many layers of ignorance. The habitual tendencies of sentient beings keep us entangled in our ignorance and cause us to continuously create karma. Thus, our lives get turned around.

How can we set our lives straight again? [By focusing on our enlightened nature], our behaviors will become corrected. This is what the Buddha hoped we can all mindfully experience. All along, the Buddha wanted to share this first thought of enlightenment to help us all attain awakening at the same time. Sadly, this is not so easy for sentient beings. Our accumulated habitual tendencies have already made us stubborn and hard to train. The Buddha had to use patience and love, and exercise His wisdom; He needed both compassion and wisdom. For more than 40 years, He patiently guided us, but time waits for no one. Time passes by continuously. The Buddha waited for all beings to awaken and accept [the Dharma], yet it was still difficult for them. Time was ticking, and the Buddha had to teach [His original intent], because He had already entered old age. If He did not teach it, nobody could learn it. Then, His treasury of wisdom, the One Vehicle Dharma, could not remain in this world. Therefore, He had to teach the. Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra.

He wanted to teach it, but the stubborn beings in this evil world of Five Turbidities not only refused to listen but also slandered Him. In order to protect this sutra, the Buddha went to great lengths. He wanted us to earnestly protect and uphold it, and He explained the merits and virtues of protecting and upholding [it]. This was the heartfelt effort He put into this.

[This is] “Because those who uphold the sutra have not yet perfected their meritorious practice.” Evil people with evil thoughts were slandering the Buddha, but this did not sway or influence Him at all. Yet for us less-experienced practitioners, those of us who are currently learning and and aspiring to uphold and share the sutras, we are easily swayed by the many gusts of ignorance around us. Spiritual practitioners like this have not perfected their meritorious practices, so they are easily influenced.

“If people slander them, they will abandon what they have learned; thus, this is a grave offense.” This is because they have not yet perfected their meritorious practices. If they hear others slandering [them], without firm aspirations or strong power of practice, they will be very easily influenced. So, they must earnestly learn and accept and uphold the sutras. They are willing to strengthen their faith as they transcribe, recite, listen to and transmit the Dharma; they are willing to do this. Yet, if they are influenced [negatively], they will abandon all that they have learned. Hearing others commit slander, they themselves are influenced, and thus neglect what they have learned. The karma caused by this transgression is very severe. They not only affect others but create karmic obstacles for themselves too. What kind of retributions will this karma bring? Very severe ones!

Some might think, “That cannot be! There are those who slander others yet still seem quite well-off.” Indeed, in this life they may be very well-off, but where will their karma bring them in future? They seem well-off at first glance, but will the impermanence of life strike them now? Or perhaps in a future lifetime? We cannot know. We must believe in what the Buddha warns us of. We must not obstruct those who aspire to uphold the sutras; we should protect and praise them. If we praise them, “If people praise and respect them, they will be successful in their practice of virtue and learning.” If we can earnestly praise and support them, their mind will be at ease, and they will make an effort to understand the principles contained within the sutras. Naturally, they will form spiritual aspirations and firmly resolve to earnestly accept and uphold [the Dharma]. They will explore the sutras deeply and go among people to transform sentient beings. If they can do this, “they will be successful in their practice of virtue and learning.”

What this tells us is that the harm or benefit we do depends on whether we praise or slander those who uphold the sutras. If people accept the teachings and put them into practice, do we praise or slander them? This is the harm or benefit to both parties. So, we must be very cautious. When it talks about both parties, that means this will not obstruct the Buddha, but for new practitioners it is a great hindrance. Angrily slandering the Buddha has no affect on Him; but for the people doing it, the karma is very severe.

With new practitioners, if we create obstacles, these new practitioners whose spiritual aspirations are not yet firm will be influenced greatly. If so, in terms of the Buddha-Dharma, their passion for transmitting the Dharma will be cut short. Their roots of faith will be severed. This is due to the influence of those who slander them. So, those who slander the sutras not only sever others’ roots of faith and spiritual aspirations, but multiply their own negative karma. This karma is even worse than that of slandering the Buddha, because the Buddha remains unaffected, while new practitioners will be influenced. Therefore, slandering those who uphold the sutra creates layer upon layer of karmic retributions. This is why we must truly be careful.

Speaking of karma, why do we see so many suffering people in this world? When they were born into this life, their direct and circumstantial retributions took them to places of great suffering, such as in Africa. In South Africa, in the wintertime, Bodhisattva-volunteers start distributing rice. Those who are able come to receive the rice themselves so that they can survive the winter. For those who are unable to come, the Bodhisattva-volunteers there deliver it to their homes in person. Those who cannot come truly have very hard lives. In mid-June of 2016, Tzu Chi volunteers in Durban, South Africa, that large group of Bodhisattvas, delivered the rice to families who were unable to get it themselves. We saw that when they delivered the rice, those families live in hellish conditions. The Bodhisattvas carried the rice on a truck. When they came to impassable roads, they got out and carried the rice on their backs. They walked across this rough [terrain] until they arrived outside of the families’ homes.

With one family in particular, before [the volunteers] even arrived, they could smell the scent of blood in the air. From afar, they saw a group of people next to the house. What were they doing? It turned out that there was a goat, and the group of people there were killing it. They were cutting it into pieces, cutting and hacking at it to divide up the bloody [corpse]. This group of Bodhisattvas sighed with sorrow. They could not bear it and felt pity for the goat, but there was nothing they could do; It had already been divided into pieces. They felt even greater pity for these people. In that place, their hands soaked with blood. That place was like hell on earth, right outside their home.

The Tzu Chi volunteers went to the door. The mother came out first. She did not walk out, but crawled out instead. Both her feet were shriveled up and had curled backwards. She used her hands to support her body, with her legs bent behind her; this was how she crawled out. Behind her came her son, who was drunk. His feet were also curled up, [but] his feet were out in front of him. He was sitting like this, using his hands to support himself as he came out. Seeing this mother and her son, the most tragic part was that the son was drunk. He came outside, shouting loudly and said so himself, “I am drunk! I am….” It was so sad seeing him drunk and shouting.

The volunteers were at a loss. What could they say to him? He would not have understood. They were going to tell these people that they should not drink anymore. However, when they turned around, at the other end of the house, there was a group of people sitting on the ground drinking, with many bottles piled up behind them. They could do nothing but just give them the rice. The drunk man with shriveled feet was somehow able to hoist the rice onto his shoulder, and on his hunched body, he carried the rice inside.

Our Tzu Chi volunteers quickly handed red envelopes to his mother. His mother took them with gratitude and put them in a bag hanging from her chest. They saw how there were also people who were drinking next door; it was really disheartening [to see] these people living life in a stupor, in these hellish conditions.

After the Tzu Chi volunteers left and were returning to the truck, another man approached them. He told the volunteers that he was drunk. He said, “I am also very poor.” So, he asked for rice and supplies from them. At that moment, one of the volunteers, a young man from Taiwan, named Frank Chu, said to him, “You are not poor; you are drunk. You should try becoming a volunteer. Your are able-bodied, yet you are not working and instead you beg from others. This is not right.” The drunk man who was asking for these things suddenly understood. He said, “Okay, okay. I will volunteer in the future,” and he left quietly.

This man, Frank Chu, came from Taiwan; he is quite young. There, he accompanies the African volunteers and encourages them to be more diligent. While distributing the rice with them, he truly demonstrated his wisdom. He assumed [a formidable] appearance to spur this able-bodied drunk man. This drunk man, who was able-bodied, heard these words and was awakened. He dared not continue begging from them, but said, “Okay, I will become a volunteer when I can.”

See, this is how human beings are. Poverty is a condition of the mind. We need to be reminded of our spiritual wealth. So, after this man left them, this young Mr. Chu turned back around [to this group of volunteers]. He addressed this group of Zulu volunteers, Some were boys and some, members of Tzu Ching. He said to them, “True Zulu men are courageous.” He encouraged them, “You are all courageous and are able to look out for your families. Young men, are you willing to be brave Zulu men and look after your families?” These young men answered in unison, “We will work hard to truly become responsible and dignified men.” This is the [power of] education. In this hellish environment, [Mr. Chu] led this group to go teach others to recognize their blessings. He used this opportunity to teach them; this is not a simple thing.

As they continued on with the distribution, they arrived at a place where a shipping container had been converted into a space to teach kindergarteners. They asked to use a little space to hold a meeting inside. Frank Chu and the African volunteers began sharing [their thoughts] with each other. He told them, “We should always be sober in order to be responsible people. This requires following the ten precepts.” Then, he explained Tzu Chi’s Ten Precepts to them. Afterwards, he went on to say, “We must make vows and aspire to be a modern Purna.”

He then shared the story of Purna with these volunteers. These people likewise [follow the teachings] just as we do. As I am teaching here right now, they are also listening in from where they are. Therefore, they had already heard Purna’s story; he aspired to go to the most difficult places with the most stubborn people and greatest suffering to transform the sentient beings there. So, in that [meeting] space, they reaffirmed their aspiration to become like a modern Purna. Everyone brought out this spirit of going into areas of the greatest suffering to deliver suffering people and spread and sow the seeds of love among them. They all reaffirmed this great aspiration there.

This group of African volunteers was [accompanied] by this capable young man. He upheld the sutras and transmitted the Dharma. The way he guides people there, he is like a modern Purna Maitrayaniputra. He not only taught the Dharma there, but he also led people and served the community there. It fills my heart with joy to see this. That place is so far away from Taiwan, but they take the Dharma to heart and put it into practice all the same. He is a good disciple of mine and a. Bodhisattva who makes such great aspirations. He is truly respectable and praiseworthy. Every one of us should learn from him, and young people should also look up to him. He is one who protects and upholds the sutra. He accepts and upholds the Dharma of the sutra, and transmits, teaches and shares it with others as they go among suffering people. This is why we should all earnestly learn from role models such as him. I too am amazed and deeply touched [by him].

Let us look at the previous sutra passage.

“There are people who seek the path to Buddhahood and over the course of one kalpa join their palms before me, praising me with countless verses. By praising the Buddha, they will attain infinite merits and virtues. When they praise those who uphold this sutra, their blessings will be even greater.”

We all understand this already. If one can praise the Buddha with many kind and beautiful words, there are certainly merits and virtues in this. If one praises the Buddha, it is certain that he will learn the Buddha’s way. If one respects and has faith in the Buddha, they will learn from Him. Because they do this, their merits and virtues will be infinite. Furthermore, if they are able to praise people of later generations who uphold the sutra, their merits, virtues and blessings will be even greater than from praising the Buddha when He abided in the world. So, we must be very mindful to praise those who protect and uphold the sutra.

The following sutra passage continues,

“For eight billion kalpas, they can use the most wondrous objects of form and sound, as well as smell, taste and touch, to make offerings to those who uphold this sutra. Having made such offerings, if they are able to hear this sutra for even just a moment, then they should feel happy and fortunate that today they attain great benefits.”

For a long time, eight billion kalpas, they can use the most wondrous objects of form and sound. [They use] tangible objects, sounds, as well as things that can be smelled and so on to make offerings to those who uphold this sutra. “Having made such offerings,” having made offerings like this, “if they are able to hear this sutra for even just a moment….” They have made offerings for such a long time, and still, it is only “for just a moment,” for a brief moment, that they are able to hear this sutra.

“They should feel happy and fortunate.” For a long time, we been constantly making offerings to the Buddha and to those who uphold [this sutra]. More importantly, we must listen to this sutra. Just saying, “I will protect and support you” is not enough. No matter how long you support someone, this cannot compare to listening to the sutra, even for a moment. By listening to this sutra and taking it to heart, you will naturally form aspirations. After you understand the principles, you can then advance and transmit the Dharma. So, “They should feel happy and fortunate” means we should be joyful. Hearing the sutra and understanding its principles enables us to promote the Dharma. This is why we must be joyful. “Today they attain great benefits.” For such a long time, we have made offerings and upheld [the sutras] and we can also truly listen to this sutra; we should be happy about this.

Only after 42 years did the Buddha finally expound the Lotus Sutra. Think about it; isn’t this a rare opportunity? Only after 42 years did people hear the Lotus Sutra [and learn that] anyone can attain Buddhahood. They spent all of that time praising the Buddha and upholding the sutras, until finally, after more than 40 years, He began to freely carry out His original intent by expounding the Lotus Sutra. So, this is something we should be happy about, something for us to rejoice in.

Thus, “Faith in this wondrous Dharma is the mother of the merits and virtues of all Buddhas.”

Faith in this wondrous Dharma is the mother of the merits and virtues of all Buddhas. Thus, praising it with one word or hearing it even for one moment is enough to give rise to immeasurable benefits for both oneself and others. Its blessings and benefits are unparalleled.

The Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra is mother to the merits and virtues of all Buddhas. We must have faith; we have been saying that. “Faith is the source of the Way, mother of merits.” We can put our faith in the Lotus Sutra, for it provides the way to attain Buddhahood. We must accumulate numerous merits and virtues. This sutra has been continuously teaching us; from the Introductory Chapter to now, it has been teaching us to return to our nature of True Suchness; to the [wisdom] intrinsic to us all. However, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path. This is what the Lotus Sutra teaches us.

[We can] “praise it with one word. Praising” [means] speaking well of those who uphold the sutra. If we can “hear it even for one moment,” if we can take in these words, even taking it to heart for a brief a moment will be entirely beneficial for us. If we can take the sutras to heart, we are actually benefitting ourselves. Because of what the Lotus Sutra teaches us, as we benefit ourselves, we understand the principles and thus are able to benefit others too. So, by benefiting ourselves and others, we give rise to infinite merits and virtues. The blessings and benefits are enormous, unlike other sutras we might hear.

If we can take the Lotus Sutra to heart, we will certainly benefit ourselves and others. We must refrain from creating karma and go one step further by going among people to create blessings. This is different; this brings infinite blessings, merits and virtues.

So, “For eight billion kalpas, they can use the most wondrous objects of form and sound….”

For eight billion kalpas, they can use the most wondrous objects of form and sound: Eight billion kalpas represent the eight consciousnesses. Wondrous forms are things like fragrant flowers and such. Wondrous sounds refer to all kinds of music. They use the world’s most wondrous forms and sounds.

Eight billion is an analogy for the Eight Consciousnesses. When we refer to this long period of time, we are speaking of the Eight Consciousnesses. The eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind are the Six [Consciousnesses]. Going deeper, there is the seventh consciousness. After we see external objects, our consciousness takes them in and we contemplate them with our [sixth] consciousness. “This is what I want, so I strive and work for it. How shall I fight for it and make it mine?” If do anything to get what we want, we will create karma. [But] if we see people suffering in the world, and take what we have seen to heart, we can think about how to help them; we can think of all sorts of ways to help. When we contemplate and exercise both compassion and wisdom, this is the [seventh] consciousness.

The [seventh] consciousness is contemplation; whether we create blessings or commit wrongdoing, this happens in the [eighth] consciousness. Once we take action, the seeds we receive back from benefitting other people, are stored in the eighth consciousness. We should all know this. If we create karma out of greed, we receive back evil [seeds], which are also stored in the eighth consciousness. Thus, the eight billion kalpas represents the eight consciousnesses that we have experienced.

“Wondrous forms are things like fragrant flowers and so forth.” These are tangible objects of this world. [As for] wondrous sounds, they are music, sounds of praise and so on. These are the many ways we can make offerings. For instance, with the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, how can we help everyone remember it? We composed the verses into songs so that people can sing and recite them and physically enter the sutra treasury, using sign language and so on. This is how we use subtle and wondrous sounds to praise those who uphold this sutra,

“As well as smell, taste and touch to make offerings to those who uphold this sutra….”

As well as smell, taste and touch to make offerings to those who uphold this sutra: Wondrous fragrances, wondrous tastes, wondrous things to touch and so forth should be offered to those upholding this sutra.

How can we transmit the Dharma? Using sounds and musical instruments, rites and music and so on can help people get a sense of it. These help demonstrate the supreme meaning. This is just like the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. All kinds of sounds, all kinds of methods, can be used as praise.

“Having made such offerings, if they are able to hear this sutra for even just one moment….” After making offerings like these, we may then hear it and take it to heart. “Having practiced by making offerings this way,” after we hear [the sutra], we can also participate; we are able to join in.

Having made such offerings, if they are able to hear this sutra for even just one moment: Having practiced by making offerings this way, if they are able to hear the wondrous sutra for even just one moment….

When I traveled around Taiwan this time [in 2016], in Taipei, the drums and bells performance team adapted the sutra in the same kind of way and made praise with sounds, so that everyone was full of joy. When I went to Kaohsiung, they were also [performing sutra adaptations], showing it with their body language. The Dharma is in our body and mind and can all be expressed like this; these are also ways of making offerings.

So, “Then they should feel happy and fortunate that today they attain great benefits.”

Then they should feel happy and fortunate that today they attain great benefits: Their hearts should give rise to great joy and rejoice that today they attain great benefits.

If we can hear sounds like this or feel this kind of praise, the Buddha-Dharma can be written into beautiful language for us to read and recite, understand and memorize. Then, everyone can also express their praise using their bodies. Everyone came together and sang in unison, with thousands of people forming one voice. Thousands of people were all doing the sign language simultaneously. They were all of the same mindset, all with the same reverence, all singing the same praises and all with the same intent to transmit the Dharma. Think about it; isn’t this beautiful? For such a long time, for eight billion kalpas [they made offerings], representing eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind.

If everyone did this for just one minute, then with 1000 people, it makes 1000 minutes, and 10,000 people makes 10,000 minutes. Those who saw this gave rise to joy and thoughts of kindness. Think about it; thousands of people at the same time performed wondrous sights and sounds. The sights and sounds were wondrous; they looked so beautiful, so orderly. When others heard them, it was pleasing to their ears and brought joy. As they sang, they were truly peaceful and at ease. Think about it. Isn’t this a powerful force?

We have mentioned the Five Dusts [before]; the Eight Consciousnesses connect with the Five Dusts. Our Five Roots meet external conditions; our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body connect with the Five Dusts in our environment. Form, sound, smell, taste and touch are the Five Dusts. The Five Dusts defiles our minds. The Five Dusts tempt us unenlightened beings to use our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind to create lots of negative karma. These are the Five Dusts that contaminate our nature of True Suchness. They lead us to ignorance and afflictions. Our [sixth] consciousness connect with them, and the body creates karma. In this way, multiple layers of karma are created. Finally, our Eighth Consciousness collects the seeds of this karma. This causes us to lose control; by our direct and circumstantial retributions, some are born where suffering is worst. This includes the hell and animal realms, and places full of poverty and hardship. This cyclical existence and impermanence is truly terrifying.

Being born with this human body and being able hear the Buddha-Dharma is truly a once in a billion kalpas [chance]. If we have encountered the Buddha-Dharma, this means we have “the causes from making offerings with the Five Dusts for billions of kalpas.”

With the causes from making offerings with the Five Dusts for billions of kalpas, they can hear the One Vehicle Dharma even for just a moment. Thus, they have the opportunity to attain Bodhi and will rejoice in gaining great benefits.

For a long time, with our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, we have been in touch with the Buddha-Dharma. We have heard its true principles and have followed its teachings and put them into practice. So, “with the causes from making offerings with the Five Dusts for billions of kalpas” means in this world of the Five Dusts we can cultivate the causes, the seeds to attain Buddhahood. By hearing the Buddha-Dharma even for a moment, we can form aspirations. This is why we should feel fortunate. We can awaken with even a bit of Dharma and walk on the Bodhi-path. Aren’t these benefits enormous?

So, if we can do this, “If [we] are able to hear this sutra for even just a moment, then [we] should feel happy and fortunate that today [we] attain great benefits.” As for the Five Roots and Five Dusts, as the Five Roots connect with the external conditions, we need to form good aspirations. For the Five Dusts, form, sound, smell, taste and touch, we must use all kinds of good things to make offerings. That bag of rice is one of the best [offerings]. Our Bodhisattva-volunteers distribute it to the places with the most suffering. They do this knowing that these people will also attain Buddhahood in the future. Our present Bodhisattva-volunteers are making offerings to sentient beings who will attain Buddhahood in the future. This is one way to make offerings. Thus, as Buddhist practitioners, we must earnestly realize the deep principles in this sutra. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 1220 – Blessings from Praising and Upholding the Sutras

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>> “They heard the truth of suffering, that it arises from greed and other afflictions which accumulate as the truth of causation. Based on the truth of cessation, Bodhisattvas contemplate the fruit of Bodhi, the most supreme and unsurpassed path to enlightenment, which they attain. They wish for all sentient beings to universally attain Bodhi.”

>> “Those who over the course of a kalpa continually harbor unwholesome thoughts and denounce the Buddha with angry expressions commit boundless, grave transgressions.”    [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> “But if people read, recite and uphold the Lotus Sutra, uttering evil words against them for a moment is an even more severe offense.”    [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> “There are people who seek the path to Buddhahood and over the course of one kalpa join their palms before me, praising me with countless verses. By praising the Buddha, they will attain infinite merits and virtues. When they praise those who uphold this sutra, their blessings will be even greater.”    [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> There are people who seek the path to Buddhahood and over the course of one kalpa…: Some people, in order to seek the Buddha’s teachings of the right path, are able to make it through one kalpa. One kalpa: This means a long period of time.

>> Join their palms before me, praising me with countless verses: They stand before the Tathagata with palms joined together, and for a very long time, they praise the Buddha with countless verses.

>> By praising the Buddha, they will attain infinite merits and virtues: In praising the Buddha, they will gain many blessings and virtues. Those who praise Him merely benefit themselves, while bringing no benefit to the Buddha. Those who slander Him can only harm themselves, while bringing no harm to the Buddha.

>> When they praise those who uphold this sutra, their blessings will be even greater: The merits and virtues of praising those who uphold the sutra exceed those of praising the Buddha. The blessings will be even greater: The Buddha has totally eliminated delusions, so neither praise nor slander can move Him.

>> By slandering or praising those who uphold the sutras, their offenses or blessings will be even more severe : This is because those who uphold the sutras have not yet perfected their merits and practice. If people slander them, they may abandon what they learn; if people praise or respect them, they will succeed in their practice.

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“They heard the truth of suffering, that it arises from greed and other afflictions
which accumulate as the truth of causation.
Based on the truth of cessation, Bodhisattvas contemplate
the fruit of Bodhi, the most supreme and unsurpassed path to enlightenment,
which they attain. They wish for all sentient beings
to universally attain Bodhi.”

We must mindfully listen and watch; we must gain even more understanding! We must listen, contemplate and practice. When we take in the Dharma we hear each day, we must earnestly contemplate and also put it into practice. For a very long time we have been saying that from the beginning, the Buddha held the. Great Dharma of the One Vehicle in His mind. He wanted to tell everyone that everyone is able to attain Buddhahood. However, for sentient beings, the Great Dharma was not something they could experience or understand. So, the Buddha had to use [the truths of] suffering, causation, cessation and the Path in order to patiently guide us. When sentient beings heard the Truth of Suffering, they understood it. [Life] truly is suffering! Where does suffering originate? Greed, anger, ignorance and so on, these various kinds of afflictions and ignorance, accumulate and turn into suffering in the world. They could understand these principles.

If they want to eliminate suffering, the only way is by understanding its origin. To understand the source of its causation, we must earnestly seek out its source; only then can we eliminate the reason for its causation. This is only [possible] with wisdom. Indeed, those with wisdom [understand] suffering is the fruit; causation is the seed. This suffering that results is caused by the accumulation of the afflictions of greed, anger, ignorance and so on. So, Bodhisattvas form great aspirations and make great vows and begin to put the teachings into practice in order to seek the truth of cessation.

Since life is suffering, and since we came to the world due to all the ignorance we accumulated, we must be vigilant. We must find ways to investigate the source of cessation; we must learn how to find this path. After we hear the Buddha’s teachings and understand them, after we understand them for ourselves, we must begin to cease these thoughts. For greed, anger, ignorance and arrogance, and any doubts we have in the Dharma, we must step by step begin to eliminate these thoughts from our minds. Not only must we not give rise to these thoughts, but our conduct must also be correct. So, once we realize this, we must cultivate ourselves and then practice accordingly.

The Buddha taught that [practicing] cessation only to benefit ourselves is not the ultimate [goal]. We must benefit others while eliminating our own afflictions. The principles must be applied in parallel, both within and without. If we only eliminate our own greed, anger and ignorance, around us, there are still myriad sentient beings. In the world around us, they are still replicating greed, anger and ignorance; they are perpetually creating this karma. In this way, achieving cessation for ourselves is not the ultimate. The Buddha taught us to walk the Path, to pave this path and go among people [to help them].

Thus, “Based on the truth of cessation, Bodhisattvas contemplate the fruit of Bodhi,” Since we want to eliminate the fruit of suffering, it is even more crucial for us to seek the fruit of Bodhi. Bodhi means awakening. We are only taking care of our own minds, but are still unable to completely awaken. So, we must seek ways to completely eliminate the suffering and causation. This requires us to seek out the source of enlightenment.

How do we enable ourselves to become enlightened? We must reach the “most supreme and unsurpassed path to enlightenment, which they attain.” Spiritual cultivation is not simply saying, “If I have no greed, then everything’s fine. If I just practice for my own benefit, there is nothing else I need to do. As long as I do not crave what others [have] and do not take advantage of them or get into disputes with them, then haven’t I already eliminated all of my afflictions?” We may have eliminated some ignorance, but our afflictions still remain. Even if we have eliminated greed, anger and ignorance, the true source of these afflictions remains. Thus, we must attain perfect enlightenment. This perfect enlightenment is to reach “the most supreme and unsurpassed;” it is supreme, universal, perfect enlightenment. We must advance towards this goal until we reach enlightenment.

To succeed on the path to enlightenment, we certainly must care for others. So, we must have “universal vows.” We must form great vows, “wishing for all sentient beings to universally attain Bodhi.” It is not enough for ourselves to become awakened; we hope that all others will achieve Bodhi also. This is the aspiration of Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas aspire to deliver all sentient beings. Ordinary people desire many complicated things. They want all of these things. Even when they have already had faith in and learned the Buddha’s teachings they remain the same, filled with many desires.

In the Buddha’s era, there was a couple who came to His abode daily to make offerings. Whatever [needed to be done] in the abode, they would contribute it and also clean. This couple always served reverently in this way. They were very reverent every day.

One day, the Buddha saw the couple cleaning up the grounds. He walked over to them and asked the wife, “Upasika, good woman, every day I see you coming here to clean, and preparing hot water for tea. You prepare tea and water for the Sangha, whatever is needed. You are both so reverent; Is there anything that the two of you want in return? Is there anything you seek in exchange?” This upasika replied to the Buddha, saying, “Venerable Buddha, we come to, reverently draw near you and serve. But if You are asking if I seek anything, there is something that I seek in my heart.”

The Buddha asked her, “What is your heart’s desire?” The upasika replied, “I hope to be able to have four children.” The Buddha then asked her, “Why do you wish to have four children?” She replied to Him, “Of these four children I am hoping for, the first will become a merchant, and as he grows older, he will be successful in his business and earn lots of money so he can live without worry, enjoy life and obtain many riches.” The Buddha asked her, “And if you have a second child, what would you want him to do?” [She replied,] “If I had a second child, I would hope for him to buy many lands, with many fields and houses. I hope that each year, he will have a plentiful harvest. Whether it is rice or grains, [his harvest] will fill his storehouses, and his life will be without worry.”

[The Buddha asked,] “If you had a third child, what would you want him to do?” [She replied,] “If I had a third child, I would hope for him to hold a government office and for him to attain both success and fame, to be a high-ranking official, so he could bring prestige to our family. If our family had a child who became a high-ranking official, then I would be very pleased.” The Buddha asked, “You also want a fourth child; what will this fourth child do?” [She replied,] “If I had a fourth child, I would hope for him to leave home and become a monastic so he could follow along by Your side to cultivate himself in the Sangha. In the future he could attain the fruits and help transform sentient beings. [He could] transform his parents and all sentient beings.”

Upon hearing this, the Buddha smiled and nodded His head. “You thought carefully to be seeking these four things.” Not long after, this upasika became pregnant, and had a child, but she had only one. So, this upasika loved him dearly. Both his parents loved and cherished him dearly, and they took care of him meticulously. The child grew older year after year. One day, [he said to] his parents, “I am so grateful! I see how much you two care for me, and compared to most parents, I can tell that you [love] me even more. Why is it that you two are so loving towards me and cherish me more than other parents would towards their kids? Why is this?”

The mother recounted her request to the Buddha and her wish to have four children. She told the story to her son and said to him, “I wanted four sons, but I only have you. The love I had for four children, is focused on you alone. No wonder you feel our love this way.” Hearing this, the son took her words to heart. How could he fulfill his parents’ wishes? He needed to work hard and be very earnest. Before he turned 20, he began to engage in business with others. His business became very successful, and after several years of trade, he had earned a lot of money. By his early 20s, he had quite a bit of money. With all this money, he purchased some farmland, and sure enough, his farm was successful. Each year, his harvest filled many storehouses. His parents were very pleased.

As time passed, he was always very mindful. Out in the world, his business and farming ventures were successful, During this period, the king and his officials saw the son’s success and brought him to the imperial palace. The king spoke with him and saw that he had a good understanding of governance. So, the king appointed him to a high position. Now, having also become a high official, the son brought honor to his family and increased the prestige of his household.

At this time, he went to his parents and said, “Father, mother, of the four things you wished for, I have achieved three of them for you. However, life is impermanent, and wealth has its limitations. We are now very wealthy, but there will always be someone wealthier still. Life is impermanent; in the end, how long can we enjoy wealth? As for our farmland and real estate, the weather must be good for crops to grow. It depends on the climate. Sometimes the four elements are out of balance, and the earth may [yield] a poor harvest. Misfortune and fortune are difficult to predict! Even when one is ruling a kingdom, human life is impermanent. In the end, following the laws of nature, I too will become old and sick, and in the end, nothing will be left.”

“You both put faith in the Buddha’s teachings and you also expressed your wish to Him that your fourth son should become a monastic. My parents, would you please allow me to become a monastic? I can join the Sangha and seek the true principles. I can come back and help you both understand the origins of life and comprehend the true principles. In time, on behalf of the Buddha, I can take on the Buddha’s family business and help transform all sentient beings. My parents, will you allow me to do this?” As disciples of the Buddha, his parents were both very reverent, and they had not forgotten the wish they had made to the Buddha. So, they parted with their beloved son and allowed him to become a monastic.

Indeed, this is life; there are so many wishes we want to pursue. But the Buddha still fulfilled the woman’s wishes. She wanted four children, and while she was only given one, her one son was able fulfill all four wishes. Her final wish for him to become a monastic was the ultimate one. Of all that we wish for in life, how much can we really attain? From that one thought, the mother sought after so much. Actually, from a single thought, as long as it is proper and righteous, is there any wish we cannot fulfill? Moreover, [things are] impermanent, full of suffering and empty, such as wealth, lands and titles; these are all inherently impermanent. What we pursue in the end turns out to be empty.

So, with the truths of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path if we clearly understand the truth of suffering, we will realize that it comes from our pursuits. If we pursue the wrong things, we will become confused and lost. If we pursue wealth, we just continue to pursue it. This can go on forever without end. [We may] hope to always have abundant harvests, but is this truly possible? This is impossible. If the sun and rain do not come when we need them, our feelings of loss will cause us to suffer!

The instability of government is even more severe. There, a single deviant thought can bring harm to an entire nation. To truly benefit the people of a country, we must have right mindfulness and create blessings for our society. Yet, ordinary people’s thoughts are unstable. For those who are not yet fully awakened, mistaken thoughts are hard to avoid. So, when it comes to politics, even slight deviations [in thought] are dangerous! There is only one thing that is safe, that is the ultimate, and that is the true principles. They help us to realize the value in life. The true principles allow us to see material things in this world clearly and enable us to realize the pain that our mistakes in the world cause, the disasters we invite and the severity of these karmic retributions. Only by pursuing true principles can we truly distinguish misfortune from fortune. When thoughts go astray, the misfortune [they cause] can extend to later generations. This is from a thought that went astray. The manmade calamities and natural disasters will continue unceasingly. If our thoughts stay on course, then we are creating blessings for humanity.

These principles are always in the world. By upholding the principles of this world, we can help our society achieve harmony and reduce natural disasters. This requires that principles abide in this world. By pursuing spiritual practice as a monastic, not only do we not give rise to evil thoughts, but we also do good deeds, create blessings form good affinities and spread seeds of goodness. This is the direction that we should choose in the world. So, if we clearly understand the Four Noble Truths and form great Bodhisattva-aspirations to seek the true principles, then [we are on] the path to awakening. On the path to awakening, we not only benefit ourselves, but must also make great vows to benefit others so that all sentient beings may attain Bodhi. This is our greatest objective in this world.

As the Buddha gave His teachings, what He kept in his mind was the Dharma of the One Vehicle. This was what it was. He hoped that everyone could understand it; this was what He came here to reveal to us. Thus, in the previous sutra passage, [it says that] we are expected to protect and support those who uphold the Dharma. Not only do we protect and support those who uphold the Dharma, but we must also uphold the Dharma ourselves. We must accept the Buddha-Dharma, listen to it, share it and protect and uphold it as well.

So, the following sutra passage says,

“Those who over the course of a kalpa continually harbor unwholesome thoughts and denounce the Buddha with angry expressions commit boundless, grave transgressions.”

This speaks of the ignorance of sentient beings. An ignorant person may not respect the Dharma and then go on to slander it, or [in the Sangha] may become someone like “the lion’s parasites who eat the lion’s flesh.” Devadatta was like this; although he knew the Buddha-Dharma, his greed had not yet been vanquished. He still wanted to surpass the Buddha, so he tried to lead his own monastic assembly. He hoped that his monastic assembly would surpass the Buddha’s Sangha. So, he constantly “denounced the Buddha with angry expressions.” Devadatta was related to the Buddha; he was a member of His clan, His cousin, who had become a monastic also, yet he denounced the Buddha with angry expressions because he harbored bad thoughts. He “committed boundless, grave transgressions.”

Because of this, Devadatta descended to hell; his transgressions were severe. This is to say nothing of ordinary people. Most unenlightened beings hear what someone tells them and then go along with whatever they are told; deluded, afflicted sentient beings are like this. [They mistake] delusions for principles and, not knowing right from wrong, and they pass on [their confusion] to others. With this kind of unwholesome mindset, they distance themselves from virtuous friends and draw near bad influences. These people cannot understand the principles; they do not clearly understand the principles, so they easily lose right mindfulness, and thus, commit boundless, grave transgressions; they create very severe negative karma.

Next, it says, 

“But if people read, recite and uphold the Lotus Sutra, uttering evil words against them for a moment is an even more severe offense.”

People like this angrily denounced the Buddha to His face. This happened in the Buddha’s era, and for this negative karma they created, they must face [the consequences]. After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, there were some who formed aspirations to study, recite and uphold the Lotus Sutra. But some others came to hear it taught, yet did not take the teachings to heart and gave rise to discursive thoughts. Thus, uttering evil words [against the sutra], “[theirs] is an even more severe offense.” For people like this, even a brief moment spent slandering those who uphold the sutra is even worse of an offense than denouncing the Buddha to His face. This transgression is even more severe.

Denouncing the Buddha does not really harm Him, but slandering future upholders of the sutra…. Those who will uphold the sutra in the future have not yet fully understood it, so their minds are still prone to fluctuate. They very mindfully seek to transmit the Dharma, but if they are slandered, their spiritual aspirations can be easily damaged. If their spiritual aspirations are harmed, there will be fewer people to spread the Dharma. When this happens, the principles gradually fade from the world. This kind of slander causes the decline of the Buddha’s teachings, Thus, for those [who slander], their negative karma is very severe. These people harm themselves, as slandering the Buddha’s teachings inherently harmful to oneself, but they also harm others as well. So, because of this, their negative karma is doubled.

The following sutra passage says,

“There are people who seek the path to Buddhahood and over the course of one kalpa join their palms before me, praising me with countless verses. By praising the Buddha, they will attain infinite merits and virtues. When they praise those who uphold this sutra, their blessings will be even greater.”

Here it is the same idea. In the Buddha’s era, He was continuously praised, yet it did not influence Him for better or worse. Yet, one who praises the Buddha and reveres Him will naturally want to learn from Him. Thus, they will experience great blessings; they cultivate blessings and grow in wisdom. When they see the Buddha, they are joyful. With sincerity, they seek the Right Dharma. This [will go on] for an entire kalpa.

There are people who seek the path to Buddhahood and over the course of one kalpa…: Some people, in order to seek the Buddha’s teachings of the right path, are able to make it through one kalpa. One kalpa: This means a long period of time.

One kalpa is a very long time. In one kalpa, [the average lifespan] grows by one year for every 100 years, until it reaches 84,000 years. Then it decreases in the same way until the human lifespan is only ten years. Think about it; isn’t this a long period of time? This is how long they will seek the Right Dharma. One who does this for such a long period of time certainly possesses great merits. A person who remains reverent for so long constantly bears a respectful mindset.

They “join their palms before me, praising me with countless verses: Joining palms” symbolizes their focused minds. This is the reverence they showed before the Buddha. They used every word of praise that exists to praise the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. They took a great deal of time, one whole kalpa. Whether the Tathagata is in this world or after He enters Parinirvana, for such a long time people will join their hands together reverently. For all that time, they will praise the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha with countless verses.

Join their palms before me, praising me with countless verses: They stand before the Tathagata with palms joined together, and for a very long time, they praise the Buddha with countless verses.

This results in merits and virtues; “By praising the Buddha, they will attain infinite merits and virtues.” The Buddha only lived to the age of 80, yet He speaks here of an entire kalpa. How many lifetimes would it take for one kalpa? For many countless lifetimes, they will worship the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. By revering the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, the merits and virtues they attain will be immense.

By praising the Buddha, they will attain infinite merits and virtues: In praising the Buddha, they will gain many blessings and virtues. Those who praise Him merely benefit themselves, while bringing no benefit to the Buddha. Those who slander Him can only harm themselves, while bringing no harm to the Buddha.

[Those who] revere the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha obtain great merits and virtues. 

Thus, “Those who praise Him merely benefit themselves.” One Jing Si Aphorism states, “To praise others is to beautify oneself.” This also produces merits and virtue. When we earnestly praise others, we build good karmic connections with everyone. If other people do a good deed, we should will continually praise them, saying what they did was the right thing. If they do the right thing and we praise them, it will help increase their faith. The more faith they have, the more [good deeds] they will do. Others can hear us praising them and affirming their good deeds, As we keep praising them, a second person might seek to emulate them, and then a third person, and so on. These are the merits and virtues of praise.

By praising everyone who does good deeds, they are really enabling others to do good deeds. Of course, by praising others, we are also doing good deeds. If we do not do good deeds ourselves and fail to acknowledge the good deeds of others, or worse, if we slander them, doing so would have no effect on the Buddha, but for ordinary people, it will cause great harm.

This is why we say that praising others leads the entire community to do good deeds. Aren’t these merits and virtues immense? Suppose that, for no reason, people who do not do [good deeds] themselves merely repeat what others say, and follow others blindly. If people like this were to slander the Buddha, it would have no affect on Him. However, it would cause great harm to ordinary people because it harms their spiritual aspirations and undermine their seeds of goodness. Then how could society ever improve? People would continue their disputes and commit evil deeds. If this occurs, principles would cease to exist. This path of goodness would be ruined. Then wouldn’t our journey become very difficult?

Thus, we must understand how to uphold the sutras and praise those who uphold them as well. This [results in] merits and virtues. [We must] never slander [others], and when we do good deeds, [we must not allow] afflictions and ignorance to stop us. This only does harm to ourselves. Do we want to increase blessings and wisdom? Or do we want to decrease them? This all depends on us. So, “Those who slander Him can only harm themselves, while bringing no harm to the Buddha.” People with firm spiritual aspirations likewise, remain unharmed [by slander]. Their spiritual aspirations are firm and cannot be harmed; they only become more diligent. As Buddhist practitioners, we must learn this, must mindfully seek to comprehend this.

“When they praise those who uphold this sutra, their blessings will be even greater.”

When they praise those who uphold this sutra, their blessings will be even greater: The merits and virtues of praising those who uphold the sutra exceed those of praising the Buddha. The blessings will be even greater: The Buddha has totally eliminated delusions, so neither praise nor slander can move Him.

If we can always commend and praise those who uphold the sutras, then our merits and virtues will be great. As we just discussed, this world [needs] the sutras, especially the Lotus Sutra, which is the Buddha’s original intent. When the Buddha attained Buddhahood, [He exclaimed] “How amazing! All beings possess the Buddha’s nature of wisdom.” This is what the Buddha awakened to; when He awakened, this was His very first insight, that all beings in the world possess the Buddha’s enlightened nature.

Unfortunately, sentient beings lifetime after lifetime are covered by ignorance, layer upon layer, which is replicated continuously. Right now, for them to be able to quickly experience their awakened nature is truly very difficult. We all inherently have this awakened nature, but for us to experience it is incredibly difficult! This is why the Buddha could only keep [His original intent] in His mind. The Dharma of the One Vehicle is the only path for ordinary beings to be able to reach Buddhahood. There is only this path and no other; The Dharma of the One Vehicle is the only way.

But when the Buddha observed sentient beings, [He knew] He could not be so direct. [Speaking] indirectly, He used all kinds of matters, things and people as analogies. If someone faced a certain kind of suffering, He used a corresponding teaching to relieve the suffering in their minds and [help them] realize the principles. He had to do this gradually. This was very painstaking! But after more than forty years, [He had to share it]. After more than forty years, had these sentient beings awakened? It was still very difficult for them. If we recall the final section of the Lotus Sutra, Bodhisattvas from various realms appeared and said to the Buddha, “We are willing to take on the duty of Sakyamuni Buddha’s teachings.” Yet, the Buddha had hoped that sentient beings in this world would do this. No one dared to, however, because sentient beings are stubborn and not easily trained and transformed.

If we think of this passage, we might wonder, “Is upholding the sutras really be so difficult?” Sariputra, was foremost in wisdom and the first to receive the Buddha’s predictions. The Buddha bestowed predictions on him and by confirming Sariputra’s future Buddhahood, He hoped that sentient beings of this world would receive and accept this teaching. Yet, they all remained silent and did not dare to accept it. The Buddha clearly wanted to freely express [this teaching], but really, was there anyone who could truly comprehend the Buddha’s mind? This was truly a shame!

However, time waits for no one, and He had to teach this Dharma; He had no choice! So, in this chapter, the Buddha continuously reminds all of us to be resolute in our spiritual ambitions and to accept, uphold and protect [the Dharma]. It is we who must accept, uphold and protect it. In order to protect it, we must constantly praise the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. We must forever transmit them in the world. The One Vehicle must continually be passed on. So “When they praise those who uphold this sutra, their blessings will be even greater,” even greater than if they had praised the Buddha when He abided in this world. Their blessings will be even greater. Since the Buddha has transcended delusions, neither praise nor slander affects Him. Whether we praise Him or slander Him, it makes no difference to the Buddha. However, for those who come after, the [effect] will be great.

So, “By slandering or praising those who uphold the sutras, their offenses or blessings will be even more severe.” This is because those who uphold the sutras have not yet perfected their merits and virtues.

“They have not yet perfected their meritorious practice. If people slander them, they may abandon what they have learned,” They may abandon their learning and aspirations. But, “If people praise or respect them, they will succeed in their practice.”

By slandering or praising those who uphold the sutras, their offenses or blessings will be even more severe : This is because those who uphold the sutras have not yet perfected their merits and practice. If people slander them, they may abandon what they learn; if people praise or respect them, they will succeed in their practice.

So, we must be very mindful. Whether we are upholding or slandering the sutra, we must understand the principles very clearly; we should not merely repeat rumors we hear. If we do so, we will suffer great harm and we will not dare to persevere in upholding the Bodhisattva-path. Thus, we will bring harm to ourselves. This long passage from the “Chapter on Dharma Teachers” [encourages] us all to uphold the Dharma and teach others by expounding the principles. This is what the Buddha hoped for us to do. So, we must always be mindful!

Episode 1219 – Slandering the Dharma Brings Severe Obstructions

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>> “Reading the sutras, listening to the Dharma, memorizing the text and upholding and reciting the sutras are known as ‘internal practice.’ Outwardly upholding the principles of the right teachings and transcribing the sutras help to continue the passing on of the Right Dharma for the protection and benefit of sentient beings. Slandering the Dharma is the utmost evil and leads to severe obstructions.”

>> “You should use heavenly flowers and perfumes as well as clothes of celestial treasures and collections of wondrous heavenly treasures to make offerings to those who teach the Dharma. Toward those who can uphold this sutra in this evil world after I pass into Parinirvana, you should join your palms together to reverently show respect as if you were making offerings to the World-Honored One.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> “You should use all superior delicacies and all kinds of clothing to make offerings to the Buddha-children, in hopes of hearing their teachings for just a moment. Those who in future lifetimes can accept and uphold this sutra are dispatched by me to go among people to carry out the Tathagata’s work.”    [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> “Those who over the course of a kalpa continually harbor unwholesome thoughts and denounce the Buddha with angry expressions commit boundless, grave transgressions. But if people read, recite and uphold the Lotus Sutra, uttering evil words against them for a moment is an even much more severe offense.”    [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> This again states that those who slander people who uphold, read and transcribe this sutra and sever their roots of goodness commit severe transgressions. Thus it says: Those who over the course of a kalpa continually harbor unwholesome thoughts….

>> [Those who] denounce the Buddha with their expressions commit boundless, grave transgressions: This refers to those who, with angry expressions, denounce the Buddha. Those people who denounce the Buddha will face boundless retributions for their transgression.

>> If they utter evil words for just a moment, their offense will be even more severe: If for even one moment they denounce those who uphold this sutra, their offense is even greater than those who denounce the Buddha for kalpas (a kalpa).

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“Reading the sutras, listening to the Dharma, memorizing the text
and upholding and reciting the sutras are known as ‘internal practice.’
Outwardly upholding the principles of the right teachings
and transcribing the sutras help to continue the passing on of the Right Dharma
for the protection and benefit of sentient beings.
Slandering the Dharma is the utmost evil and leads to severe obstructions.”

Reading [the sutras], we should understand them. We should read them, listen to Dharma teachings and recite them by heart. We should memorize them in their entirety. We must not just read them and forget them. With the sutras we have read, we need to take every word to heart. In listening to the Dharma, we should never let a single word leak away; we must memorize all of it until we can recite it all by heart, read and listen until we know it very well. It is not enough to recite it a single time. We also cannot think it is enough to merely listen. That is not how it is. We must listen to the Dharma over and over and continually take what we chant and hear and contemplate it over and over. Through contemplating it, the Dharma becomes engraved in our hearts. In this way, all our experiences of people, matters and objects turns into [realizations of] the true principles. This can only happen when we truly listen to the Dharma and take it to heart.

Upholding and reciting the sutras is called “internal practice.” Whether we listen to the sutras or chant them, this is considered “upholding and reciting.” After reciting them, we need to always keep them in our hearts. This is called “internal practice.” When our thoughts never stray from the Dharma, then we are “upholding and reciting.” This is internal practice. Externally, we need to uphold the principles of the right teachings. The right teachings are the ones given by the Buddha. After listening to them, we must practice accordingly. These are the Buddha’s teachings that come to us from the outside, so the teachings that we hear are all correct. Since it is the Dharma the Buddha taught, it clearly is the principles of the Right Dharma. There should be no doubt in our mind of this. We should have deep faith and be without doubts. When it comes to the Dharma taught by the Buddha, we absolutely must have deep faith without doubts.

More than 2000 years ago, the Buddha was in the world and taught the Dharma. Now, more that 2000 years after the Buddha entered Parinirvana, we rely on the Buddha’s teachings as they have been passed down. There are sutras we can copy and write out, that we can read and recite, teach and listen to. This all goes back to the time of the Buddha. The teachings given by the Buddha were accepted and upheld by everyone and were passed on orally and written down. There is merit and virtue in transcribing [the sutras]. It is not enough to pass them on orally; they must also be transcribed in text. In the past, printing was not widespread. Early on, people had to copy them, to write them down [by hand]. Some people were so reverent that they even cut into their own flesh to use their blood to write out the sutras. This showed their reverence, how deeply moved they were by the Buddha-Dharma. In reading the sutras and listening to the Dharma, they were so moved, they took every word to heart. In the hope that these sutras would be passed down eternally, they used their own blood as ink in transcribing them.

We can see their piety in making offerings to the Dharma and their wish to pass it on for later generations. Think about it; by practicing and upholding the Dharma like this, don’t they deserve our respect? If not for great sages and Dharma teachers who passed on the Dharma in their time, those who transcribed the Right Dharma so it would continue in the world, how would we have sutras to read today? How would there be Dharma to teach? How would we be able to engage in practice? So it is said that reciting, copying, expounding and spreading [the Dharma] are all very important. This is all considered safeguarding the Right Dharma to benefit sentient beings. To benefit sentient beings, those in ancient times did all they could in order to pass down the Dharma.

In the previous [repeated verse], [the Buddha] kept hoping we would be able to accept and uphold [the Dharma] and even make offerings to other people who accept and uphold this sutra. We must place great importance on this. When the Buddha was in the world, this is also something He advocated, for all to respect the Dharma upon seeing it and make offerings to those who spread the Dharma as if they were making offerings to the Buddha.

Back when the Buddha was in the world, when He was in the kingdom of Magadha, there was a family that had five brothers who practiced Brahmanism. Four of them, the eldest, second, third and fourth brothers, all went deep into the mountains to practice Brahmanism while the fifth brother stayed at home to take care of the family business, which was farming.

One day while the Buddha was out asking for alms, the fifth brother, who was called Puna, had brought with him a rice ball that he would eat while he was farming. When he saw the Buddha in His magnificence pass before him, he stood up straight. Seeing the Buddha’s appearance, he gave rise to reverence and respect. Before he knew it, he had taken the rice ball he had brought to eat, and, grabbing it with both hands, he chased after the Buddha. He kept running until he caught up with Him. He then prostrated to Him and, with utmost reverence and respect, held up the rice ball he had brought to have for lunch. Very reverently, he placed it inside the Buddha’s alms bowl.

When the Buddha saw the reverence of this farmer, He offered him a benediction, wishing him an abundant harvest. When the farmer heard [this benediction], he was very joyful. Actually, the farmer had sought nothing in return. He was simply joyful upon seeing the Buddha, and so offered Him his food, but the Buddha gave him blessings for a continuous plentiful harvest. Indeed, from that time on, his crops began to grow and his paddy filled with plump ears of rice. When the time came for harvest and he cut the paddy, surprisingly, after cutting the crops in front of him, behind him the rice ears were growing out again. The rice ears began growing again! He thought this very strange. “I just cut this paddy but when I turn around to look where I already cut, it is still full of rice ears! How strange!” He cut them down again, but when he looked around, the paddy was again filled with rice!

He thought this very strange! When everyone heard about this and came to see, they found it inconceivable. When he cut them again, the same thing happened. After he cut, the rice ears would grow out again. When the king heard of this, he too thought it strange. How could such a thing be possible? The king himself went to try harvesting, and the result was the same. How strange! What could be the reason for this? This kingdom had always been rich in crops and the harvests abundant, but nothing like this had ever happened. The rice grew out again right after it is cut; why did this happen? No one knew. However, this man, Puna, knew in his heart.

His four brothers were engaging in spiritual practice deep in the mountains. One day, the four brothers said to each other, “Little brother should have begun harvesting the rice by now. I wonder how the harvest goes this year? Maybe the four of us should go visit him to see how he is doing?” When the four brothers returned, they were surprised at what they saw. Everyone was talking about it, and when they went to see their brother in their fields, they saw that what was being said was true. They asked their little brother, “How have you cultivated the crops for such a wondrous thing to happen? How did it come about?”

The little brother replied, “I don’t know either! If you ask me what I’ve done recently, I only remember that one day, while I was in the paddies, I saw the Buddha pass before me in His magnificence and my heart gave rise to joy. He was so magnificent that, before I knew it, respect arose in me. I became very excited and took the rice ball I had brought with me. Very reverently, I brought it to the Buddha as an offering, placing it inside His bowl. I was filled with such joy! It seems the Buddha blessed me with a continually abundant harvest. I wonder if this had anything to do with it?” 

The four spiritual practitioners thought this inconceivable. “We have constantly engaged in practice for decades, and nothing like this has happened to us! What kind of Dharma could we attain that would make us feel so content and so joyful? Little brother is just a farmer, but the Buddha blessed him so that. He attained such an abundant harvest that even the king and the entire city’s people could get a share if they wanted!” What could be the causes and conditions for there to be such an abundant harvest? So they went to their brother and said, “Come, let us cook this rice. We, too, are willing to go and make offerings to the Buddha and the Sangha.” What was it about the Buddha that had made their little brother so joyful?

So, after cooking the rice, the four brothers brought that rice to the Buddha as an offering to Him. When they saw the Buddha, joy arose inside of them as well. Seeing the magnificent Sangha also made them joyful. So, they reverently requested instruction from the Buddha, hoping that the Buddha would offer them teachings.

Thus, the first one, the eldest brother, asked the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha, what teachings should I accept? Venerable Buddha, please teach me!” The Buddha told the eldest brother, “All things are impermanent.” The second brother then asked the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha! If I seek the Dharma from You, will You teach me?” The Buddha [continued], “This is the law of arising and ceasing.” He too was very joyful. The third brother then begged the Buddha for teachings. The Buddha said, “Now arising and ceasing has ceased.” The fourth also hurried to ask, “Venerable Buddha! Please teach me!” The Buddha then said, “This is Nirvana, [true] joy.” The four brothers took in this four-line verse, and all four were able to completely eliminate their afflictions. Their hearts opened in understanding and they attained freedom and ease. They were all very joyful.

So it is said that in upholding the sutras and listening to the Dharma, we do not need to listen to very much. If the Right Dharma can enter our minds, we can mindfully consider it, listen to, contemplate and practice it. The most important thing is to have reverence and respect for the Dharma. By listening to it and engraving it in our mind, we can all make the Dharma our own. This is called Dharma-essence. It will be as if the Dharma had been transplanted into our hearts. This is like when we are unable to produce blood. If there is a healthy person whose bone marrow is a match, it can be transplanted so that we recover our hematopoietic function.

This is like what the Buddha told us, that the nature of True Suchness intrinsic in everyone. This is the innate enlightenment of the Buddha. It is intrinsic to us all. It is just that we are confused; our ignorance has covered our minds. Ordinary people’s minds are ill. The Buddha has given us. His healthy Dharma-marrow, His Dharma-essence. If we mindfully accept it and do not reject it, naturally that Dharma-essence will, drop by drop, enter our mind. This is how the Dharma will naturally become our own and we will be able to manifest great abilities. This is the power of love.

This is like how, since the Buddha-Dharma is in the world, we should mindfully try to experience this Dharma by applying it in our daily living. The Tzu Chi School of Buddhism and our Dharma-lineage are already widespread in many countries, Take for example Myanmar. In Myanmar in 2008, Cyclone Nargis provided the causes and conditions for Tzu Chi. Through this cause, we nurtured conditions there to spread the Dharma-lineage to Myanmar. We started with disaster relief, with material aid, but then the time came to plant crops. They were all poor farmers who had to borrow the seed rice they would plant. Yet, their harvests were small and the interest on the seed rice they borrowed was high, so they could only just feed themselves. There were even some families who did not have enough to eat.

It was because of our disaster relief at that time that we encountered these causes and conditions. We distributed top quality rice seeds to them, very good quality seeds. As they accepted these rice seeds, Tzu Chi volunteers would often go to visit them. Volunteers from Malaysia went to encourage those in Myanmar who formed aspirations. They would meet up with them and frequently go to care for them, sharing Jing Si aphorisms with them.

They are also Buddhists, but they would use their harvest to give offerings to the temples. We gave them rice seeds and also gave them Jing Si aphorisms, short sayings. We gave a different saying to each person. They made great use of these, applying the Dharma in their minds. As they farmed the fields, they used Jing Si aphorisms and did not use pesticides. Do you all know this story? All around their fields they would use expressions of gratitude and Jing Si aphorisms, to bless the crops. [The result] was inconceivable. Without using pesticides or fertilizer, their harvest that year was very abundant.

Everyone thought it was miracle rice, that the rice seeds were miraculous. Thus, they [wished to] give back. Some gave one bag of grain, while others gave two. They gathered [this rice] together to be given to even poorer people. These too were used as seeds. In this way, gradually a large number of people no longer needed to borrow grain from others. Tzu Chi volunteers have year after year kept expanding rice seed distribution like this. So, some rice is donated by people upon harvest, and some is rice we have bought more of, which we then donate to others.

This is very widespread there now, and none of the farmers there need to borrow rice seeds anymore. Their own crops are abundant year after year. At the same time, this is a cycle of goodness, for they keep donating rice seeds to others. This cycle has constantly been turning; this is still the case today. There is also the “handful of rice” story. Here in Taiwan, we use the bamboo banks, but because they lack money there, instead they put aside a handful of rice every meal. This “rice piggy bank” movement has now been spreading. Now, these farmers can do charity themselves. These poor people can accumulate a lot of rice, so those even poorer will not have to go hungry.

See what they have done! They have truly taken the Dharma to heart from these short Jing Si Aphorisms. They put the aphorisms to endless good use. Their living standards have now improved, and besides farming, they are now joining Tzu Chi and doing the work of Tzu Chi (In 2016) there was a distant area that was affected by severe flooding, and it was then their turn to come together and go to provide disaster relief. As before, Tzu Chi volunteers came together from Malaysia and Taiwan to provide even wider disaster relief. The area they provided assistance to surpassed that of the entire island of Taiwan.

They are spreading the Dharma and spreading love. In a relay of love, they keep paying it forward. By the same token, we protect and uphold the sutras like a Dharma-marrow that is continuously passed down. Sentient beings’ minds are ill; when the Right Dharma is passed down to them, everyone can attain spiritual wealth. The rich become rich [also in spirit], while the poor attain spiritual wealth. In bringing purity to people’s hearts, everyone helps one another.

It is like how this time, when the whole of Taitung County suffered significant losses due to Typhoon Nepartak, we could see people helping each other, giving of their strength as well as their love and providing material relief. This is how the Dharma is spread, Thus it says, “for the protection and benefit of sentient beings.” This is creating blessings. And the opposite? “Slandering the Dharma is the utmost evil and leads to severe obstructions.” The opposite is slandering the Dharma. This causes good thoughts to gradually vanish.

“I have heard how Tzu Chi has been criticized for doing such and such. Are you sure you still want to go there? I heard that too. I used to donate, but I don’t want to anymore. I have stopped.” There is also a story going around Taitung about a man who used to be a Tzu Chi member, but upon hearing untrue rumors he stopped. He is [now] very remorseful. “When disaster struck, Tzu Chi volunteers came to help and comfort me. Those were actually all only rumors!” This is why we say, slandering the Dharma severs people’s roots of goodness. This is a something we should mindfully seek to understand.

Let us look at the previous sutra passage. The previous passage says,

“You should use heavenly flowers and perfumes as well as clothes of celestial treasures and collections of wondrous heavenly treasures to make offerings to those who teach the Dharma. Toward those who can uphold this sutra in this evil world after I pass into Parinirvana, you should join your palms together to reverently show respect as if you were making offerings to the World-Honored One.”

As we discussed before, this passage says that we need to make offerings to those who accept and uphold the sutras. In making offerings to those who accept and uphold the sutras after the Buddha has left the world, after He entered Parinirvana, the offerings we make should be like those we would offer to the Buddha Himself. Offerings like these should be of the highest quality. Actually, what we need is to be rich in love, earnestly practice giving and be very respectful. We must give with reverence and respect. When our Tzu Chi volunteers provide relief, don’t they give respectfully and reverently? It is just as if they were making offerings to the Buddha and the Sangha. This is what we need to learn.

As for the offerings we make,

“You should use all superior delicacies and all kinds of clothing to make offerings to the Buddha-children, in hopes of hearing their teachings for just a moment. Those who in future lifetimes can accept and uphold this sutra are dispatched by me to go among people to carry out the Tathagata’s work.”

The offerings we should make are “offerings to the Buddha-children.” These are the Buddha’s disciples who, for lifetime after lifetime, have spread the Dharma in the world. We make offerings to them so that we might listen to the Dharma from them. Even for just a very short time, we need to listen. We must not say, “I don’t have time, I will just make offerings.” This is not correct. Making offerings alone is insufficient; we must also listen to the sutras. However busy we may be, we should find the time to listen to the Dharma, if even for just a moment. Only by listening to the sutras can we attain liberation. Take the five brothers we just spoke of; one spontaneously gave rise to reverence, and the other four came seeking the Dharma, even if just one phrase. [The Buddha] gave one line each, a verse of four lines, as a teaching to the four [brothers], and the four brothers were all able to open their minds and attain realizations. This came from listening only for a moment, listening just for a very short period of time.

So, “Those who in future lifetimes can accept and uphold this sutra….” Merely by listening [for a moment], we will in our future lifetimes be able to accept and uphold the sutra like this because we have already planted the seed. They are “dispatched by me to go among people to carry out the Tathagata’s work.” The Buddha has passed on this Dharma to His disciples for more than 2,000 years until now. Actually, this is not just 2,000-some years ago; dust-inked kalpas ago, Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra and the 16 princes repeated it. Each had his own disciples who followed him and listened to the Lotus Sutra.

After the 16 princes attained Buddhahood, they made it clear to everyone that they should safeguard the Lotus Sutra in the future, should uphold and teach the sutra, transcribe it and so on, in order to continually pass it on. These people are the Buddha’s emissaries, those who are dispatched by the Buddha as His emissaries in the world. So, when we listen to the Buddha-Dharma, whether we listen, copy, teach, recite the sutras etc., we must earnestly keep every phrase or verse we attain in our heart, and earnestly share what we have attained with others. This is our mission. We have come to the world the Buddha as the Buddha’s emissaries, so we should all have a sense of mission.

The next verse says,

“Those who over the course of a kalpa continually harbor unwholesome thoughts and denounce the Buddha with angry expressions commit boundless, grave transgressions. But if people read, recite and uphold the Lotus Sutra, uttering evil words against them for a moment is an even much more severe offense.”

Again, someone might, for a kalpa, “continually harbor unwholesome thoughts.” Over this very long time their mind would be unwholesome. This repeated verse passage is telling us that if there were people like that, people who had reviled the Buddha in the past, they would still harbor unwholesome thoughts.

This again states that those who slander people who uphold, read and transcribe this sutra and sever their roots of goodness commit severe transgressions. Thus it says: Those who over the course of a kalpa continually harbor unwholesome thoughts….

While the Buddha was in the world, there were many who reviled Him to His face, who did not accept the Buddha-Dharma and slandered those who upheld the Buddha-Dharma. Even the Buddha’s own disciple, Devadatta, left [the Sangha] taking 500 monks with him. He thought of every way possible to damage the Buddha’s teachings and to harm the Buddha. There were so many obstacles hindering the practice of the Right Dharma even during the Buddha’s era, let alone in later generations!

So, those harboring unwholesome thoughts over such a long period of time will still be the same even after the Buddha enters Parinirvana. Their thoughts of slandering those who uphold, read and transcribe the sutras, even after the Buddha enters Parinirvana, will continue lifetime after lifetime; they will keep harboring unwholesome thoughts. A kalpa is a very long time. If we harbor unwholesome thoughts for that long, our transgressions will be severe. Thus it says, “Those who over the course of a kalpa continually harbor unwholesome thoughts….” This refers to a very long time, from the time the Buddha comes into the world until He enters Parinirvana. For such a long time, they harbor negative thoughts. With unwholesome thoughts, they “denounce the Buddha with angry expressions.” They use all kinds of methods, tangible and intangible, to slander the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Because of their slander, “they commit boundless, grave transgressions.” People like this truly commit boundless transgressions.

[Those who] denounce the Buddha with their expressions commit boundless, grave transgressions: This refers to those who, with angry expressions, denounce the Buddha. Those people who denounce the Buddha will face boundless retributions for their transgression.

These “angry expressions” are visible things. We can see when people are unfriendly, when their expressions are angry. When Tzu Chi volunteers are outside, some people criticize them. With an angry demeanor, they scold them to their face and so on. The Buddha was reviled like this when He was in the world. So, “They commit boundless, grave transgressions.” Their transgressions are profound and deep, creating very severe negative karma.

“But if people read, recite and uphold the Lotus Sutra….” After the Buddha had entered Parinirvana, if there are people who are willing to read, recite, accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra, “uttering evil words against them for a moment is an even more severe offense.” When they see people reading the sutras, see people copying the sutras, hear people teaching the sutras, see people listening to the sutras and so on, whether to their face or behind their backs, they criticize them with unkind words. “A moment” is a very brief time. Even if it is just with a few words or for just a brief moment, if one reviles people like these with harsh words, then one’s “offense will be even more severe.”

If they utter evil words for just a moment, their offense will be even more severe: If for even one moment they denounce those who uphold this sutra, their offense is even greater than those who denounce the Buddha for kalpas (a kalpa).

During the Buddha’s time, He was slandered. The karma from this is severe. After the Buddha has entered Parinirvana, if people, when they see those who are willing to uphold [the sutras], angrily insult them to their faces or do all sorts of things to them, these people are “uttering evil words against them for a moment.” They slander them, even if briefly. “Uttering evil words” refers to slander. Slandering someone like this, criticizing them harshly, is called “uttering evil words.”

If you abuse those who uphold the sutras, even briefly, your offense would “be much more severe than denouncing the Buddha for a kalpa.” The karma incurred by this is very serious; it is a very severe transgression, even greater than reviling the Buddha for kalpas. When people reviled the Buddha in the past, since “His mind was without hindrances,” it did not affect the Buddha in any way. We explained this earlier. No matter how long someone would scold the Buddha, it never affected the Buddha Himself. However, if those with newly formed aspirations, those not yet firm in their spiritual aspirations, are slandered like this, if we abuse them through harsh speech, or start rumors about them, all of this will harm the spiritual aspirations of this person who is upholding the sutras. For this reason, our karma would be more severe than that due to abusing the Buddha Himself. So, our karma would be very severe.

As Buddhist practitioners, when listening to the Dharma we must be very mindful. The teaching that we just heard was already given in the prose section. We should listen very mindfully. This is the repeated verse. Worried we would forget, [the Buddha] repeated what He had already told us. Even in the Buddha’s lifetime, others [would denounce] Him like this. This was because there were 96 non-Buddhist religions [in India at the time]. The Buddha prevailed over some of these religions; they were able to accept the Buddha-Dharma and even joined the Buddha’s Sangha. There were other religious followers however more stubborn [in their faith], who remained attached to their deviant knowledge and deviant views. They were very arrogant and unwilling to accept the Buddha’s Right Dharma. Not only were they unwilling to accept it, a fear arose in them as well, a worry that the Buddha’s teachings would vanquish their own religion. Therefore, they thought of every way they could to slander Him, hoping to put an end to the Buddha-Dharma so that their own religion could flourish.

During the Buddha’s lifetime, things like this constantly occurred. There was not only slander by non-Buddhists; it also happened inside the Sangha itself. There were disciples of the Buddha who wished to become the leaders of an assembly, who were hoping that the group they led, would surpass the Buddha’s Sangha. So, they spread rumors outside [of the Sangha] and thought of all sorts of means to undermine the Sangha that the Buddha led. In the sutras, there are many [stories] of how Devadatta tried to injure the Buddha or to destroy His Sangha. There are many stories like this.

Now we can understand the Buddha-Dharma and especially the Buddha’s original intent. After keeping it in His heart for over 40 years, He finally started teaching everyone the path to Buddhahood, that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. “How amazing! How amazing! All beings possess the Buddha’s nature of wisdom.” This was the first thing the Buddha said after He attained enlightenment. He hoped everyone could realize this, but it is easier said than done. For more than 40 years, He had to patiently and gradually guide them. Time was running out for Him and the day was coming when He Himself would pass on following the laws of nature. So, [the teaching] He had kept inside, that. “All beings possess the Buddha’s nature of wisdom” was what He wished for everyone to know. The true principles of all things abide inside the human mind. He wished for everyone to understand this, but He encountered many obstacles.

So, as Buddhist practitioners who wish to attain Buddhahood, we certainly will need to pass many tests. To uphold, recite and transcribe the sutras, to listen to and transmit the Dharma, we must have firm spiritual aspirations, listen without Leaks and take every word to heart. Then, the true Dharma-essence will be able to nourish our wisdom-lives. So, we must always be mindful!

Episode 1218 – Spreading the Dharma on Behalf of the Buddha

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>> “According to our conditions, we live in an evil world where goodness disperses and evil amasses. This is called the evil era of the Five Turbidities. Bodhisattvas listen to the Dharma and can constantly accept and uphold it. They spread the Dharma throughout the world to deliver and transform others.”

>> “If there are people who can accept and uphold the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, you must know that they are those sent by the Buddha. They feel compassion for sentient beings. All those who can accept and uphold the Wondrous Lotus Sutra forsake their pure land. They are reborn here out of compassion for sentient beings.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> You must know that these people are free and at ease wherever they are reborn. In this evil world, they can widely expound the supreme Dharma.     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> “You should use celestial flowers and perfumes as well as clothes of celestial treasures and collections of wondrous heavenly treasures to make offerings to those who teach the Dharma. Toward those who can uphold this sutra in this evil world after I pass into Parinirvana, you should join your palms together to reverently show respect as if you were making offerings to the World-Honored One.”      [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> You should use celestial flowers and perfumes as well as clothes of celestial treasures and collections of wondrous heavenly treasures to make offerings to those who teach the Dharma: Those who can truly uphold the right practices for teaching this Wondrous Lotus Sutra are the six kinds of Dharma teachers. They are the emissaries of the Tathagata and carry out the Tathagata’s work. Thus they are worthy of offerings by so you should make offerings to them.

>> To those who can uphold this sutra in this evil world after I pass into Parinirvana: After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, they are the ones who, in this evil world of turbidities, can uphold this Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra can uphold this Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra.

>> You should join your palms together to reverently show respect, as if you were making offerings to the World-Honored One: We must sincerely respect people who accept and uphold this sutra just as we would the Buddha.

>> “You should use all superior delicacies and all kinds of clothing to make offerings to the Buddha-children, in hopes of hearing their teachings for just a moment. Those who in future lifetimes can accept and uphold this sutra are dispatched by me to go among people to carry out the Tathagata’s work.”      [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> You should use all superior delicacies and all kinds of clothing to make offerings to the Buddha-children, in hopes of hearing their teachings for just a moment: They prepare these offerings because, even for just a moment, they want to hear this sutra and engage in the great work of realizing the ultimate. Hear their teachings for just a moment: This means they can listen to this sutra even for just a moment. A moment: This means temporarily, for a short amount of time.

>> “Those who in future lifetimes can accept and uphold this sutra are dispatched by me to go among people to carry out the Tathagata’s work.” After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, if one can accept and uphold this sutra, [one] “is dispatched by the Buddha to be born in the human realm to work on the Buddha’s behalf.”

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“According to our conditions, we live in an evil world
where goodness disperses and evil amasses.
This is called the evil era of the Five Turbidities.
Bodhisattvas listen to the Dharma
and can constantly accept and uphold it.
They spread the Dharma throughout the world to deliver and transform others.”

Presently, we live in a time of turbidities and evil. This is the workings of causes and conditions. Sentient beings continuously accumulate [karma]. Over a long period of time, as the human population grows in number, their individual afflictions and ignorance lead them to fight each other and accumulate [negative affinities]. So, now we are in an era in which negative conditions are prevalent in the world. This era is called “the evil world of the Five Turbidities,” where causes and conditions of negative karma are amassing. We all live together in this place. In evil times, goodness disperses. This is because the number of people with good thoughts has diminished. Even those with good thoughts will, because of negative [influences], gradually lose the goodness in their minds.

The living conditions in this turbid and evil world gradually cause people’s good thoughts to disperse. When goodness disperses, evil amasses. Because of this, it is called “the evil era of the Five Turbidities” or “the evil world of the Five Turbidities.” This is due to causes and conditions amassing. We have been continuously accumulating these over our past lifetimes. Without causes and conditions, we would not come together in the same era. Because we have these causes and conditions, not only do we come together in the same era, we also live together in the same place. If we did not live at the same place, causes and conditions would still lead us to gather together. The workings of karma are inconceivable!

We must place great importance on causes and conditions. When conditions converge such that we are living in an evil world, we must be very alert. In this era, goodness will gradually be affected by the evils around it. So, evil will gradually flourish. This is what is most worrying. This is how the evil world of the Five Turbidities comes into being.

So, what about Bodhisattvas? “Bodhisattvas listen to the Dharma and constantly accept and uphold it. They spread the Dharma throughout the world to deliver and transform others.” Sentient beings are suffering, so Bodhisattvas make vows; For beginningless kalpas, they have been making the vow to be in the world, lifetime after lifetime, to listen to, teach and transmit the Dharma. This is what Bodhisattvas are like; they have always had this kind of aspiration. So, they listen to the Dharma and can constantly uphold it. Not only do they listen to it, but they also mindfully contemplate how they can transmit the Dharma in the world and how they can transform and deliver others. They want to transform negative conditions into positive conditions and, in these evil times, find a way to bring good conditions together to transform evil into goodness. This is what Bodhisattvas hope for.

In the present era, the world is affected by imbalances among the four elements. Earth, water, fire and air are out of balance. Once they are out of balance, disasters arise frequently. For example, recently, earthquakes are frequent, and they are becoming increasingly severe. This worries us very much.

A shallow earthquake causes violent shaking. Buildings are destroyed in an instant, and people suffer injuries or die. In the past few years, how many times has this happened around the world? Loving people are able to bring love together. No matter how far away [the disasters] are, international humanitarian groups quickly find ways to help. Living Bodhisattvas feel it is their duty to help. Not only do they gather and bring supplies there, with their actions and hearts they approach the disaster survivors, comforting and caring for them as if they were all part of a single family.

This is the case with earthquakes as well as storms, floods, fires, any kind of natural disaster. There are also manmade calamities. These are not caused by imbalances of the four elements, but by the imbalances of human minds. The imbalances of human minds have caused tremendous disasters and driven many people from their homes. If we look at a long period of time in history, this has happened in every era. The turbulence between countries always originates from the discord of minds. We see this throughout history and in recent times in particular.

Refugees are fleeing in all directions. They come from many countries, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and so on. Whether they are refugees from manmade calamities or from natural disasters or they are people fleeing poverty, they were unable to stay in those countries. They left, hoping to find peace, stability and a livelihood. They fled in all directions. So, we are putting effort into helping these refugees. But it depends on causes and conditions. Those who have affinities [with us] can be reached and helped by Tzu Chi volunteers. In a huge refugee camp in Jordan, the tents are laid directly on the ground. When it rains outside, water collects inside. Inside these tents, [the people] have nothing. Once it rains…. Ordinarily, people are sitting on the ground, or they lie on the ground to sleep. When it rains, we can put ourselves in their place. How are they sleeping? They are sleeping in water. Their quilts are soaked with water, but they [still] wrap themselves in them. Isn’t this how they sleep? What would living this way feel like? It is unbearable suffering! On top of manmade calamities, there is the weather. They are truly suffering.

Some are somewhat more fortunate. A small number, a very small number of people, have some money or status and are able to leave [the refugee camps]. In Turkey, there is a group of people who had the causes and conditions to make it to the city. But compared to their wonderful life in the past, being refugees now means that their life is totally different. In the past, they likely had recognition, wealth and status. Thus they had the causes and conditions and the ability to find their way to a city in Turkey. However, there, they could not make a living. The adults could not work. This was the government’s rule [for foreigners]; if people do not have an official status in that country, they cannot work. Sitting idle eats up their savings. How much money could they bring with them anyways? So, it was the children who had to find work, seven-, eight-, nine-, ten- and eleven-year-old children working very hard. Children of these ages are able to work there and make a little money to support the family.

Some were even more fortunate and had the affinity to meet some loving people in Turkey. Tzu Chi volunteers, led by a string of causes and conditions, were able to help [the children] go back to school and stabilize their family situation. Amidst the refugees’ misfortune, their fleeing and their difficulties in the world, they had a little bit of blessings in their lives such that they were able to encounter people like this. They had these causes and conditions, allowing the children to receive steady schooling and their families to have stability. The workings of karma are inconceivable! Out of this large number, out of the millions of people fleeing, only a few thousand children were able to receive such a heartwarming opportunity to study. This is all due to causes and conditions!

We have also seen this in Serbia. Refugees were already fleeing there, and the country called for help. They proactively came to ask Tzu Chi for help. Because of these causes and conditions, we also went to Serbia. Tzu Chi volunteers from Europe, from several countries, from seven or eight countries, took turns accompanying and caring for them. There were many heartbreaking stories, many stories of suffering. But there were also joyful stories, stories worthy of celebration!

We met a 13- or 14-year-old child, Kais. He fled with his parents through many countries. After three, four years, their flight finally took them to Serbia. These were their causes and conditions.

Kais is the eldest son. This boy, Kais, has been a refugee since he was eight or nine. Having suffered in life, he was very frustrated. It was not until he encountered Tzu Chi volunteers that he began to smile. When his mother saw her son smiling and her daughter smiling too, the mother also expressed her gratitude. “Among all the humanitarian organizations that we have encountered, there is not one like this organization. The sincerity with which they keep us company and love and support us has made our children smile again . Therefore, I feel at peace and very joyful.”

This child said that his wish for the future is to be very wealthy, very well educated and very well-known so that everyone will know his life is no different from other people’s. With money, recognition and education, he will be the same as everyone else. This was this child’s wish. Later, he arrived in Germany, where he encountered Tzu Chi volunteers again. This made him very happy.

So, in May [2016], for the Buddha-bathing ceremony, Shu-Wei [Chen] invited his family to her house to participate. The entire family came joyfully.

This is a true story about real people. These people from Syria encountered people from Taiwan who immigrated to Germany. The workings of karma are truly inconceivable. Living in this turbid and evil world, there were Bodhisattvas with the affinity to guide them. So, in the midst of [Kais’] suffering, these benefactors appeared to stabilize his life and guide his heart. This makes it clear that there are still many loving people in the world who can help these children eliminate the resentment in their minds. They helped them, like other children, to receive an education and helped them, like ordinary families, to settle peacefully in Germany. Aren’t these Bodhisattvas? After listening to the Dharma, after drawing near to the Buddha-Dharma, they understood the Bodhisattva-path in the world. They opened the doors of their hearts and [started] giving of their love to the world.

This is how they “listen to the Dharma and can constantly accept and uphold it.” They listen to and take the Dharma to heart and apply these teachings in the world to deliver and transform sentient beings. They also guided them to participate in May’s Buddha-bathing ceremony. They are not trying to influence the family’s religious beliefs by introducing another kind of religious faith; they are giving without expectations. They are coming together with all religions. There is no conflict, only love. This love makes the entire world one. They help them understand that we can coexist in this world with love. Even though they live in this evil world, they can use goodness and love to deliver and transform sentient beings.

This is what must happen in the world in order for the power of love to make goodness grow and evil diminish. If evil grows and goodness diminishes, evil amasses and goodness disperses. Then this world would have no hope. If evil can be diminished, goodness will grow. When goodness grows, evil will naturally diminish. It is as if there is a tug of war between good and evil. So, only when more people have goodness at heart will the power of love be greater and the world be peaceful.

Take a look at the previous sutra verse.

“If there are people who can accept and uphold the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, you must know that they are those sent by the Buddha. They feel compassion for sentient beings. All those who can accept and uphold the Wondrous Lotus Sutra forsake their pure land. They are reborn here out of compassion for sentient beings.”

During that period of time in Serbia, the weather was cold. [The volunteers] live comfortably in Europe. Going to Serbia for more than a month was very hard on them. But facing the people suffering from disasters, they still [chose to] live there with them. Isn’t this setting aside their pure land? Out of compassion for sentient beings, they went to Serbia and lived like the refuges, a simple and crude life. Furthermore, it was very cold. This was very hard! Yet they did it willingly. This is because they were willing to be the Tathagata’s emissaries and have compassion for sentient beings. So, they “can accept and uphold [this sutra].” These people are willing to accept and uphold the principles of the Lotus Sutra. So, they were willing to set aside a clean environment and a family that lived in peace and worked happily. They also had to pay for their own flight as they made the lengthy journey to Serbia. Think about it; aren’t these Living Bodhisattvas? Wasn’t this setting aside their pure land out of compassion for sentient beings? So, they went to that place.

Next it says, “You must know that these people are free and at ease wherever they are reborn.” Having arrived at that place, they were at ease. “In this evil world, they can widely expound the supreme Dharma.”

You must know that these people are free and at ease wherever they are reborn. In this evil world, they can widely expound the supreme Dharma.

Likewise, they formed aspirations and made vows. They were willing to set aside peaceful and happy lives. They went among these suffering people; they were happy and willing to go there to give. Their heart of giving was peaceful and at ease. This is peace and happiness. After giving of themselves among people, seeing that sentient beings had been saved, they felt peaceful and at ease themselves.

The next verse then says,

“You should use celestial flowers and perfumes as well as clothes of celestial treasures and collections of wondrous heavenly treasures to make offerings to those who teach the Dharma. Toward those who can uphold this sutra in this evil world after I pass into Parinirvana, you should join your palms together to reverently show respect as if you were making offerings to the World-Honored One.”

To make offerings to people like this, we need to practice giving. Now that the Buddha has entered Parinirvana, in this evil world, those who are willing to accept and uphold the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra should receive our reverence and respect. We should join our palms, pay respect and make offerings, just as if we were making offerings to the World-Honored One. This is because in this evil world, expounding the Lotus Sutra and promoting virtuous Dharma is not easy at all! It is very difficult. So, this requires firm patience and concentration. It requires a resolve that remains unaffected by unwholesome influences from the outside. Therefore, we must respect them.

Not only must we respect them, we must also form aspirations and make vows ourselves. We must also uphold the sutra and be firm in our faith so we can likewise remain unaffected by unwholesome influences from the outside. We must have mutual respect and give to each other with the power of love for the sake of the world’s sentient beings. This is how we encourage each other, give to each other and love and protect each other.

So, “[using] celestial flowers and perfumes” indicates a reverent heart. “Clothes of celestial treasures” is the standard for making offerings to the Buddha. “Collections of wondrous heavenly treasures to make offerings to those who teach the Dharma” shows supreme and unsurpassed reverence.

You should use celestial flowers and perfumes as well as clothes of celestial treasures and collections of wondrous heavenly treasures to make offerings to those who teach the Dharma: Those who can truly uphold the right practices for teaching this Wondrous Lotus Sutra are the six kinds of Dharma teachers. They are the emissaries of the Tathagata and carry out the Tathagata’s work. Thus they are worthy of offerings by so you should make offerings to them.

“Those who can truly uphold the right practices for teaching this Wondrous Lotus Sutra” are “the six kinds of Dharma teachers.” There are truly not many people like this. We should give rise to utmost reverence. We should not only talk about it but also practice it. We must engage in right practice.

Look around the world; there are suffering sentient beings in so many countries, but there are also so many people with loving hearts who practice six methods, giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. They accept the teachings on these six methods actualized in all actions and put them into practice like this. These are people whom we must respect. They are not people who just talk about [the teachings] but cannot practice them. That would not be of any use. So, what we need is to be able to teach and put the teachings into practice, to take the Dharma to heart and practice it in daily living. We must be able to teach and practice, to practice the teachings of the Right Dharma and practice giving to others.

We must take the Dharma as our teacher; the Dharma is our teacher. “The six kinds of Dharma teachers” I mentioned are those who can uphold, transcribe, read, recite, explain and make offerings to the Lotus Sutra. They can put it into practice; they take the Dharma to heart and treat the Dharma as their teacher. So, they are called the “six kinds of Dharma teachers.” This shows that every one of us can do it. Lay practitioners can do the same, too. When we take the Dharma as our teacher and put it into practice, we are “the six kinds of Dharma teachers.” This is not the same as what we usually call “Dharma masters,” referring to someone like me, not at all. It is anyone who listens to and takes in the Dharma, is able to listen, teach and transmit it. Only then are they transmitters and practitioners of the Dharma.

“They are the emissaries of the Tathagata and carry out the Tathagata’s work.” If everyone can do this, can practice these six methods in all actions and take the Dharma as their teacher, this is being the Tathagata’s emissaries who carry out the Tathagata’s work. “Thus they are worthy of offerings from humans and heavenly beings, so you should make offerings to them.” These are the people humans and heavenly beings should make offerings to. The kind of people who can practice, teach, transmit, accept and uphold it are worthy of everyone’s respect.

So, the Buddha said, “Toward those who can uphold this sutra in this evil world after I pass into Parinirvana….” The Buddha said that once He entered Parinirvana, the evil turbidities of the world would become more and more prevalent. In the future, in the evil world of the Five Turbidities, they are the ones who can accept and uphold this sutra. “This sutra” is the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra.

To those who can uphold this sutra in this evil world after I pass into Parinirvana: After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, they are the ones who, in this evil world of turbidities, can uphold this Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra can uphold this Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra.

The Buddha was very worried. He was worried that after He entered Parinirvana, in this evil world of the Five Turbidities, it would be very difficult to pass on this sutra. The Buddha was very worried. So, in the Buddha’s lifetime, He constantly exhorted everyone to make offerings to this sutra and place great importance on this sutra. Those who accept and uphold this sutra are worthy of people’s reverence and respect. Just as they would pay respect and make offerings to the Buddha when He abided in the world, people should make offerings and pay respect to [these people] in the same way.

In the previous sutra passages, the Buddha already gave them this charge, and the verses now repeat it. These are the Tathagata’s emissaries. The emissaries whom the Tathagata dispatches in the world must accept and uphold, transcribe, read, recite and give of themselves for this sutra. Having understood the content of the sutra, we must give of ourselves to the world. This is called “making offerings,” putting the teachings into practice by making offerings.

So, “You should join your palms together to reverently show respect, as if you were making offerings to the World-Honored One.”

You should join your palms together to reverently show respect, as if you were making offerings to the World-Honored One: We must sincerely respect people who accept and uphold this sutra just as we would the Buddha.

This is reverence from the heart. We must have reverence toward people who accept and uphold the sutra. It is with such sincere reverence, with deep respect, that we should interact with people who uphold this sutra. Actually, taking action is called “accepting and upholding.” Taking in the Dharma and practicing it is called “accepting and upholding.” Being able to give of ourselves among people is also accepting and upholding. The teachings and methods of the sutra are what we apply in the world. “Just as you would the Buddha….” We apply the Dharma in the world in this way and recite and spread it in the world to help others be able to make use of it. This is truly listening to, accepting, transmitting and teaching the Dharma. This is very important. So, we must be very mindful and respectfully make offerings.

“You should use all superior delicacies and all kinds of clothing to make offerings to the Buddha-children, in hopes of hearing their teachings for just a moment. Those who in future lifetimes can accept and uphold this sutra are dispatched by me to go among people to carry out the Tathagata’s work.”

Everyone should make offerings to and respect those who accept and uphold this sutra. Those who put this Dharma into practice should receive offerings from people. These are the people who are worthy of receiving offerings from others. Food is an inextricable part of the offerings. So, we use the highest quality delicacies or highest quality clothing to make offerings. “Make offerings to the Buddha-children” means these are the people whom the Buddha taught and who transmit the Buddha’s teachings in the world. This makes them Buddha-children. “..in hopes of hearing their teachings for just a moment.” Even if just briefly, even if just for “a moment,” if, for one day or a brief few days, we respectfully listen to and learn this sutra or briefly accept and uphold this sutra, we will likewise have merits. Whether accepting and upholding or making offerings, this all brings merits, even if it is only for a brief period of time. As we have discussed previously, even if it is just one phrase or one verse, if we can have faith in and understand it, that will also bring merit. In the same way, when we make offerings to people who accept and uphold the sutras, we should draw near them and joyfully accept the Dharma they expound even if it is just for a brief moment.

We will do the same in future lifetimes for those who accept and uphold this sutra in future lifetimes. Now, we have formed this affinity, and in future lifetimes, we will continue to have this affinity. The time we must uphold [this sutra] is very long, lifetime after lifetime. At this time, we have the opportunity to make offerings. At this time, we joyfully come and listen. Whether the time is long or short, this is how we should treat those who accept and uphold the sutra. The Buddha said they are “dispatched by me to go among people.”

These people have affinities with the Buddha. In the Buddha’s era, they all listened to the Buddha’s teachings. They all formed aspirations, whether long-lasting or brief, so in this era they can help the Buddha-Dharma to remain in this world. No matter how long they do this for, there will always be someone who respects them. Then naturally, the Dharma will continue on for a long time. This is the Buddha “dispatching [emissaries] to go among people to carry out the Tathagata’s work.” The people who uphold the sutras came to the world with a mission. So, they receive everyone’s offerings and form affinities with everyone. Only with these affinities can they continue to pass on the Dharma in their future lifetimes.

So, preparing these offerings means that even hearing this sutra for just a moment is the great work of realizing the ultimate, Even if we are just listening briefly to this sutra, this sutra is actually for the great work of realizing the ultimate. This is because this sutra contains the universe’s principles of formation, existence, decay and disappearance. The Lotus Sutra is replete with them. With it we can understand the true principles of the universe, as well as the human body’s birth, aging, illness and death. How do we free ourselves from birth, aging, illness and death? It is also thoroughly covered in this sutra. If we can understand birth and death, we can be peaceful and at ease. Then, we will not be led here by our karma, but we will come naturally because we form aspirations and make vows to return to this world. This is the meaning contained in this sutra.

People’s mindset goes through arising, abiding, changing and ceasing in just moments. There are also ample teachings about this in the sutra. For this sutra to remain in the world, it will have to endure so many challenges. Among interpersonal conflicts in this evil world, how can we forever uphold it and keep passing it down? There will be a lot of obstacles. So, the Buddha was very intent on this. He kept hoping everyone would pay respect to and make offerings to those who accept and uphold it. This was Him taking special care of this sutra. He worried whether, in the evil world in the future, the teachings of this sutra would be able to be practiced in the world. This was what concerned the Buddha in particular.

You should use all superior delicacies and all kinds of clothing to make offerings to the Buddha-children, in hopes of hearing their teachings for just a moment: They prepare these offerings because, even for just a moment, they want to hear this sutra and engage in the great work of realizing the ultimate. Hear their teachings for just a moment: This means they can listen to this sutra even for just a moment. A moment: This means temporarily, for a short amount of time.

We need to understand the meaning of “a moment. A moment” is from “They can listen to this sutra even for just a moment.” We must earnestly seize [the present]. We do not always have the chance to hear this sutra. So, since we have this sutra, we must quickly seize [this opportunity]. “A moment” means very briefly, temporarily. The quantity of time is very short, very small. Since our time is short, naturally, the Dharma we can hear is limited.

“Those who in future lifetimes can accept and uphold this sutra are dispatched by me to go among people to carry out the Tathagata’s work.” After the Buddha enters Parinirvana, if one can accept and uphold this sutra, [one] “is dispatched by the Buddha to be born in the human realm to work on the Buddha’s behalf.”

These people were dispatched by the Buddha when He abided in the world. The people He charged with this responsibility need to have a sense of mission a mission to return in future lifetimes, lifetime after lifetime, to continue passing down this sutra. So, they are “dispatched by the Buddha to be born in the human realm to work on the Buddha’s behalf,” to expound this sutra on the Buddha’s behalf. This sutra was the Buddha’s original intent. From the time He attained Buddhahood, the Lotus Sutra was already in His mind. He wanted to spread it widely for everyone in the world to understand and to spread the seeds of goodness in the world. This was the Buddha’s goal.

After expounding the Dharma for 42 years, He freely expressed His original intent by teaching the Lotus Sutra. So, as He was about to enter Parinirvana, He was very concerned about this sutra. Who would continue to accept and uphold it? In the world in the future, there would be many challenges to expounding it. This era is the evil world of the Five Turbidities. In this world, good and unwholesome things stand in opposition to each other. To practice goodness, for everyone to practice goodness, is by no means easy. Unwholesome things are so powerful. The world keeps getting more and more…. Also education is becoming more and more inexplicable. How can education be this way? Today’s lifestyles also seem unbelievable to us. Why do modern people dress, eat, live and act the way they do? From the perspective of the principles, this is truly unbelievable. So, I keep feeling very helpless.

We can see that evil and turbidity in the present era have caused people to feel very helpless. Think about it. Isn’t this what the Buddha worried about the most? Those of us who listen to and uphold the Dharma, every one [of us], must have very firm aspirations. We must constantly be mindful in upholding, teaching and transmitting the Dharma. We must always be mindful!

Episode 1217 – Promote the Wondrous Sutra

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>> “We must vow to protect those who accept, uphold and promote this wondrous sutra. They uphold it through their power of faith; they teach and practice it through their power of mindfulness. When we first hear the Dharma, we firmly take it to heart; this is called ‘accepting.’ Ultimately, we will never forget our initial vows; this is called ‘upholding.'”

>> “Those who wish to swiftly attain all-encompassing wisdom must accept and uphold this sutra and make offerings to those who uphold it.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> “If there are people who can accept and uphold the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, you must know that they are those sent by the Buddha. They feel compassion for sentient beings. All those who can accept and uphold the Wondrous Lotus Sutra forsake their pure land. They are reborn here out of compassion for sentient beings.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> If there are people who can accept and uphold the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, you must know that they are sent by the Buddha. They feel compassion for sentient beings: If there are people who can uphold the Lotus Sutra, you must know that these people are the emissaries of the Buddha. They have compassion for sentient beings.

>> So, “All those who can accept and uphold the Wondrous Lotus Sutra forsake their pure land. They are reborn here out of compassion for sentient beings.” This means, “All those who can uphold this sutra have forsaken their own pure land” and have entered among the turbid world of people. “The lands that noble beings abide in are free of the defilements of the Five Turbidities.”

>> So, “You must know that these people are free and at ease wherever they are reborn. In this evil world, they can widely expound the supreme Dharma.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> You must know that these people are free and at ease wherever they are reborn: You should know that these people are reborn here not due to retributions from the karma they created but due to the strength of their free will in wishing to be reborn in this world.

>> They are free and at ease wherever they are reborn. This indicates that due to their original vow of compassion, they are reborn here. They are not born to this evil world due to any karmic retributions. If one or many can accept and uphold this sutra, then this Dharma-treasure can circulate throughout the world to diminish all that is evil, to reinforce all that is good and help actualize all world-transcending roots of goodness. This enables the Buddha-seeds to continually flourish in the world.

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“We must vow to protect those who accept, uphold
and promote this wondrous sutra.
They uphold it through their power of faith;
they teach and practice it through their power of mindfulness.
When we first hear the Dharma,
we firmly take it to heart; this is called ‘accepting.’
Ultimately, we will never forget our initial vows; this is called ‘upholding.'”

We must mindfully comprehend this. “We must vow to protect those who accept, uphold, and promote this wondrous sutra.” Spreading the Dharma of the Wondrous Lotus Sutra is something we must all feel responsible for. The Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra is the cure for saving this world. The principles of all things in the universe are encompassed within the Lotus Sutra.

How do we bring everything in this world, earth, water, fire and wind into harmony? How can we humans do this? The principles are there to teach us what we must do. Everything comes back to the mind. The Buddha told us that our [thoughts] undergo arising, abiding, changing and ceasing. If we form aspirations and make vows, once this thought has arisen, it will abide in our mind. Once we have a thought in which we are moved, with this thought within us we will seek ways to learn from the Buddha, to listen to His Dharma and to take it to heart.

Hearing the Dharma and taking it to heart is called “arising” and “abiding.” But, for us ordinary people, can this thought continue to abide in our minds for a long time? The ignorance from the outside world affects and tempts us. Our surroundings [are clouded] by our ignorance, causing our mind and the Dharma in our mind to become distorted. Thus, naturally, the Dharma in our mind “changes.” It differs from before. We gave rise to this initial aspiration, which abided in our mind. Then because of all the matters in this world that affects our minds, our minds and thoughts change. Slowly, our initial aspiration will disappear. Thus, in arising, abiding, changing and ceasing, our spiritual aspirations will wholly disappear.

The Buddha wants us to be vigilant. If we can listen to the Dharma and let it constantly dwell in our hearts, it will be solid and without leaks. Then we can hold fast to listening, contemplating and practice, or precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. In this way, our mind thinks only of the Dharma. These thoughts are the true principles. These thoughts are great natural wisdom. Because our thoughts return to nature, they become one with the universe. This is enlightenment. The Buddha came to this world to open and reveal these things to us. He spoke of heaven and earth and taught about interpersonal relations, how ignorance covers us, and so on. All the principles He spoke of are in the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. So, we must vow to protect those who accept, uphold and promote this wondrous sutra.

We [must make this] vow for ourselves. We have seen people respecting this sutra by accepting, upholding, transcribing, reciting and explaining it, in the hope that this Dharma can become widespread and continue forever in the world. Only when the Dharma abides here forever can the world be saved. Saving the world means saving people’s minds. If we can take the Dharma to heart and use Samadhi, wisdom and the precepts to develop each others’ wisdom, then naturally, society will be harmonious. People will create good karma and good affinities. When the Dharma-wheel can turn smoothly, the four elements of the natural world can function harmoniously. So, we must vow to protect those who uphold it. We must vow to protect those who accept, uphold and promote this wondrous sutra.

Not only must we protect those who uphold it, we must also be aware to accept and uphold the wondrous sutra ourselves. We do this in our interactions through mutual love and by encouraging one another. To spread the Lotus Sutra in this world, we must “uphold it through our power of faith; we teach and practice it through our power of mindfulness.” This requires mutual trust. I believe the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra must be widely spread in the world. I believe in its power. I am willing to persevere in this with all the power of my faith. We must never forget our initial aspiration, that firm belief. The power of our faith is what we must firmly maintain. So, we must have the power of faith and the power of our vows to accept, read, recite, transcribe and teach it for our spiritual practice. Thus, we become resolute in our power of faith, power of vows and power of thought; we must put our heart into learning [the sutras].

Thus, “When we first hear the Dharma, we firmly take it to heart; this is called ‘accepting.'” So, “when we first hear the Dharma” refers to our first thoughts upon listening to the sutras, that first thought of faith. If I can be firm in my faith and my thoughts, this is called “accepting.” Faith entered my mind; as soon as I heard [the Dharma], I had faith, and it remained firmly in my mind. This is called “accepting.” I take the Dharma to heart and never let it leak away, never let it change or alter; this is how firm is what we call “accepting.”

“Ultimately, we will never forget our initial vows; this is called ‘upholding.'” When we first hear the Dharma, we take it to heart. This is called “accepting.” All the way until the end, life after life, we keep this in mind and never forget it; we never forget our initial vow. Having initially formed aspirations and established my faith, I never forgot it and always uphold it. This is the firm resolve we need. We ourselves accept and uphold it and we protect those who accept and uphold [the sutra]. In this way, in every thought, we are mindful of our resolve and mindful of protecting others’ too. From the very beginning to the end, we will never forget; this is “upholding.” So from the beginning to the end, this is called “accepting and upholding.” We must protect this sutra in this way.

This is very important. Because of the teachings in this sutra, if we mindfully make an effort to investigate it and put it into practice, in life, we can go among people to serve them. This is like how recently, in Typhoon Nepartak, with the strong [winds], the TV stations kept warning everyone to make storm preparations. [To minimize] the typhoon’s impact, they raised everyone’s awareness. Tzu Chi volunteers did not dare to sit around. They strongly believe we must not only take care of our own families, our own homes or our own communities; we must think about the vulnerable families we often take care of, as well as the elderly who are alone without anyone [to help]. We assigned different routes and groups to check on everyone.

For example, in Tainan, a few days before [the typhoon] they quickly went out to check. Were the houses safe? Were the windows secured? Were the doors safe? [Volunteers] had already done one patrol, but on July seventh, they sent more food and supplies. They worried the typhoon might last a few days; had people [stockpiled] enough food? So, they brought emergency kits to those vulnerable families.

In Tainan, there is a veterans’ community in. Chenggong Village. Many retired veterans live there, and everyone there is elderly. We went there to visit a Mr. Zhou. Tzu Chi volunteers are like his own children in how they care for him. “Mr. Zhou, did you arrange everything? Did you pack everything in the house?” They asked him questions while checking around to make sure everything was in order. They gave him [some supplies]. “If the weather worsens, you should not go out. We prepared food for you for these days. You can soak it in water and eat it.” This is how they instructed him.

For Mr. Zhou, whenever he saw Tzu Chi volunteers coming, he felt as if his own children were caring for him. He told our volunteers, “When I see you, it puts my mind at ease. Even though I am a Christian, I really love Tzu Chi, and I respect Master [Cheng Yen].” As he spoke, he said to the Tzu Chi volunteers, “Please have a seat. I want to show you the respect and love I have for Master.” He pulled out some [calligraphy] he had done and showed it to Tzu Chi volunteers.

His strokes were very beautiful; He had written [several] Jing Si aphorisms along with his insights on them. He was very grateful to. Tzu Chi volunteers who so mindfully cared for him. He was grateful that he had. Jing Si Aphorisms to keep him company. Whenever he is feeling sad, he reads the Jing Si aphorisms. Even though he is a Protestant, he keeps [a book of] Jing Si aphorisms with him, out of gratitude to Tzu Chi volunteers. He is also accepting and upholding [the sutra]! Though our religions may be different in name, with Tzu Chi volunteers’ love and their spirit of upholding the Bodhisattva-path, they care for [people of] different religions with the same love. We treat the elderly like our own relatives. This is how we cared for him.

Bodhisattvas do not discriminate between religions. All people who are older than us are like our own elders. We must cherish them and be filial to them. This elderly man also treated these [volunteers] like his dear family members. “They gave me this gifts, “which can keep me company most of the time, which comforts me and gives my heart a direction.” This is a road, the path. They brought the Dharma to this place and likewise paved this path [for him], giving him a direction for his life in the future. This is the power of love.

Recently, when Typhoon Nepartak came to Taitung, many schools were damaged after the strong wind. Glass in windows and doors was shattered. The senior commercial vocational school in Taitung asked immediately if Tzu Chi volunteers could help. The windows were damaged and broken. All the windows had been blown in by the wind, [with glass] all over the floor. Pieces of glass were everywhere. The school asked if we could send more help to prevent children from being cut by the glass. Tzu Chi volunteers immediately mobilized, along with our collegiate volunteers. Everyone was mobilized.

In addition, the Tainan city government sent some heavy machinery to [Taitung]. This time it was truly unusual; governments from other cities also mobilized heavy machinery and professionals. Once mobilized, they all traveled by the South Link highway to Taitung to lend support. Tzu Chi volunteers mobilized and also requested that the machinery which had already arrived from Tainan be used to first move all the [debris] on the ground. All the debris scattered [by the storm] had to first be pushed to the side by machinery to make it safer.

Then young people carefully picked up the glass shards. The school also called on students [to help]. Because it was a senior high, the students were old enough, so the school called on them to come back and help. With everyone helping, [it took] one day for them all to clean up [the school]. This is truly great power. Many people together make a great force. Where does people’s great power originate? It comes from their hearts. They are sincere, willing to devote themselves and self-driven. As others saw these people dedicating themselves, they naturally felt inspired. They formed this aspiration and voluntarily participated as well. So, this comes from the mind. They gave rise to their own aspirations and guided others to form aspirations as well. The power of the mind comes from a single thought, from that initial aspiration. By watching others do things like this, we are inspired and begin to form this kind of intention. This is our initial aspiration.

With this initial aspiration, we are willing to help people. After helping people, the world becomes safer and people’s minds are at ease. We feel good. After helping others and giving, when it comes back to our minds, we feel joyful and at ease. This is being peaceful and at ease. When our mind is at peace, we will be able constantly think, “I am willing; in the future, I will help others.” In this, everyone will have kind thoughts. These thoughts are also called “vows. I am willing, and if you need me next time, I am ready to help people.” This is called “making vows.”

In this way, we form vows to protect and uphold, to protect and uphold our good intentions. I am willing to do this; I am willing to give my support and do the right thing. I am willing to help and encourage others to do the same with me. This willingness to do good deeds and to support and encourage people is what we call “making vows.” With these thoughts of faith, helping others will always be most joyful. With the power of our faith, our thoughts and our vows, we are firm in this mind of Samadhi. By persevering from start to finish, we are accepting and upholding the wondrous Dharma. All good things are encompassed in the Dharma.

With so many disasters in the world, we need everyone to form aspirations and make vows. Everyone must be mindful and use the power of faith and the power of thought to put the teachings into action. This is how we persevere in learning Buddha-Dharma. It is not difficult. As long as we can take action and help others, we can feel at ease, happy and free. We all can do this.

Let’s read the previous sutra passage, which says.

“Those who wish to swiftly attain all-encompassing wisdom must accept and uphold this sutra and make offerings to those who uphold it.”

This passage and the one we just discussed are passages that can be put together. If we want to truly enter the Buddha-path right away, we must truly be able to return to our natural wisdom. With all-encompassing wisdom we know the universe, the world and our nature. [To attain] all-encompassing wisdom, we must accept and uphold the sutras, and follow these teachings. These teachings are simple; they are teachings for the world. The Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from the workings of the world. When there is suffering in the world, we must quickly get involved [to relieve it]. This is the Bodhisattva-path. Walking the Bodhisattva-path has always been this simple.

So, we “make offerings to those who uphold it.” Not only must we do this ourselves, we must also praise those who do the same. We should even guide others to also “make offerings to those who uphold it.” I always say that our offering is giving to help others. Putting the teachings into action, good deeds, practicing according to the Dharma are all ways we make offerings. This is why the Buddha came to this world. If we can do this, we are making offerings.

The following passage says, 

“If there are people who can accept and uphold the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, you must know that they are those sent by the Buddha. They feel compassion for sentient beings. All those who can accept and uphold the Wondrous Lotus Sutra forsake their pure land. They are reborn here out of compassion for sentient beings.”

According to this passage, if someone can accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra, we should know “they are emissaries sent by the Buddha.” As we said in the previous sutra passage, those who uphold the sutra are the Buddha’s emissaries.

If there are people who can accept and uphold the Wondrous Lotus Sutra, you must know that they are sent by the Buddha. They feel compassion for sentient beings: If there are people who can uphold the Lotus Sutra, you must know that these people are the emissaries of the Buddha. They have compassion for sentient beings.

In the previous sutra passage it tells us that they are emissaries sent by the Buddha. What do they do? They feel compassion for all sentient beings.

The Buddha is father to the four kinds of beings and guiding teacher of the Three Realms. In this world, He constantly teaches and cherishes [sentient beings] as if they were His own children. Thus, these are the Tathagata’s emissaries. They must likewise uphold and shoulder responsibility for the Buddha’s teachings. They spread the Buddha’s teachings in the world. The Tathagata’s emissaries have to be like the Buddha. Everyone is a child of Buddha. Sentient beings are suffering; the Buddha’s children are suffering, so how could we not feel compassion for these people who are suffering? The Buddha’s emissaries feel compassion for all sentient beings, for anyone who is suffering. So, we must practice the Bodhisattva-path and spread the Buddha’s teachings on His behalf, have compassion for sentient beings on His behalf. This is our mission as the Buddha’s emissaries.

So, “All those who can accept and uphold the Wondrous Lotus Sutra forsake their pure land. They are reborn here out of compassion for sentient beings.” This means, “All those who can uphold this sutra have forsaken their own pure land” and have entered among the turbid world of people. “The lands that noble beings abide in are free of the defilements of the Five Turbidities.”

Because the Buddha was the founder of this religion in the Saha world, even now it still remains the land which He leads. So, the Lotus Sutra must be spread in this Saha world.

With the power of the Buddha’s vows, He chose this Saha World, this world of endurance. This world is one defiled by the Five Turbidities. It is a place of the Five Turbidities where everything is defiled by the Five Turbidities. However, the Buddha-Dharma is like water that purifies the evil world of the Five Turbidities. If we hope to cleanse the Five Turbidities, we need Dharma-water. We hope to use Dharma-water to cleanse the defilements of the Five Turbidities. This is our goal in upholding the Dharma in this world.

The place where the Buddha’s mind abides is a pure land. The true Buddha-children are those who uphold the Buddha’s pure precepts. They have already purified their own minds. They do not need to go among the people and could simply focus only on benefitting themselves, but the Buddha cannot bear to see this. He hopes that we can all leave the pure ground of our minds and go among people in this evil world of Five Turbidities, while still maintaining the purity of our minds. 
We must learn to eliminate the Five Turbidities; the turbidity of sights, of afflictions, of sentient beings, of life and the kalpa of turbidity. [To eliminate] these turbidities, we must first eliminate our own views, must eliminate our selfishness, our thinking only of our own liberation. We should benefit others as well, so that everyone can be liberated from suffering. So, we must deliver all sentient beings by relieving their suffering. “Having relieved them from suffering, [Bodhisattvas] then expound the Dharma for them.” In the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, isn’t this what it says? We often recite this. Sentient beings have many sufferings; they are drowning in the sea of suffering. We must be like the great master boatsman. Even though our mind and body are not well, we must be like the great master boatsman and sail our ship to go rescue others.

This is [our duty] right now. Although we are still unenlightened beings, we have already encountered the Buddha’s teachings. The Dharma-water has cleansed our minds. Our afflictions and ignorance have been eliminated. Thus, we are “free from the Five Turbidities of defilement.” This is where the noble beings live. So, we have “forsaken our own pure land.” The place we live in should be a very pure one; the ground of our mind has been purified. But now we must get involved in the Evil World of Five Turbidities. The Buddha does not need to return to this world; over 2000 years ago He entered Parinirvana. But in fact, for over 2000 years, He has never left the world, but continues to teach us just the same. Even now, He is still the founder of this religion in the Saha world.

The Buddha already has no afflictions in His mind. We are Buddha’s disciples, so we must eliminate our afflictions as well. Since we do have afflictions in our minds, we must quickly apply Dharma-water to purify them. In the same way, we must go among the people to transform sentient beings. “Having relieved them from suffering, [Bodhisattvas] then expound the Dharma for them.” Thus we have “forsaken our own pure land;” we let go of our own mind. Our minds are pure now, but we do not abide in a state of seeking only to benefit ourselves. We must let go of our [pure] surroundings and go into the world of turbidities, go among people in the world of turbidities. This is what people who accept and uphold the sutra must do. They mindfully enter the path to Buddhahood.

So, “You must know that these people are free and at ease wherever they are reborn. In this evil world, they can widely expound the supreme Dharma.”

To be able to do this, to uphold this sutra among people is truly not easy. There are many obstacles. In “Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City,” the guiding teacher wants to lead his people to a safe place. Because it is a dangerous, difficult, evil path, they need the guiding teacher to lead them. They must pass through many dangerous places. Likewise, in this turbid world, those who uphold the sutra must be mindful to pass through this evil world of Five Turbidities and spread this sutra in this evil world.

They are willing, so they are “free and at ease wherever they are reborn.” Their mind is at ease. In this evil world of Five Turbidities, even with its many dangers, they are willing to go among people; they still feel very at ease. For those who uphold the sutra, this is the firm power of their vows.

You must know that these people are free and at ease wherever they are reborn: You should know that these people are reborn here not due to retributions from the karma they created but due to the strength of their free will in wishing to be reborn in this world.

We should know this. “You must know that these people are free and at ease wherever they are reborn.” They know this is the world of Five Turbidities and that going among people is dangerous, yet with minds at ease, they willingly return. Isn’t this like Purna Maitrayaniputra? So, “In this evil world, they can widely expound the supreme Dharma.” We must realize that these people persevere like this.

“You must know that these people are reborn here not due to retributions they received through the karma they created.” They come to this evil world of Five Turbidities not for reasons beyond their control, but because of the causes and conditions of journeying on the Dharma of Suchness to come to the world and transform sentient beings. They do not come here because of karmic forces, but because of causes and conditions. Thus, we should mindfully protect and support them. It is “due to the strength of their free will in wishing to be reborn in this world.” They come here willingly; they are not dragged by karmic forces. People who uphold the sutra are like this.

“In this evil world, they can widely expound the supreme Dharma.” So, they are willing to expound the sutras in this evil world. In expounding the sutras, they will face countless obstacles and the dangers will be many. But, they are willing to expound this sutra.

Thus, “at ease wherever they are reborn” is meant to tell us of their compassionate hearts. This is the power of their original vow. They willingly come to this world and have manifested in this place, this evil world of Five Turbidities. They willingly come to be born.

They are free and at ease wherever they are reborn. This indicates that due to their original vow of compassion, they are reborn here. They are not born to this evil world due to any karmic retributions. If one or many can accept and uphold this sutra, then this Dharma-treasure can circulate throughout the world to diminish all that is evil, to reinforce all that is good and help actualize all world-transcending roots of goodness. This enables the Buddha-seeds to continually flourish in the world.

The power of Sakyamuni Buddha’s vow is what brought Him to the Saha World where He was born. He was not here due to any karmic retributions but by the power of His vows.

So, “If one or many can accept and uphold this sutra,” if there is one person or many people who together can accept and uphold this sutra, [who can] listen, teach, accept and uphold it, and transform sentient beings, this is the power of their vows. He hopes more of us can accept and uphold it. “Then this Dharma-treasure can circulate throughout the world.” This Dharma is a treasure. Whether the Chapter on Parables, or the Chapter on Faith and Understanding or the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City, all show that the [Dharma] is the treasure. The Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City also says the place of treasures is near. In the past, we were in the conjured city, but that was only a temporary part of the process. The real everlasting treasure is not far from us. This is what the Parable of the Conjured City teaches. So, as the Dharma-treasure spreads in the world, He hopes we can all enter the city of treasure.

Thus, [we must] “diminish all that is evil,” We hope this sutra will increase all goodness, “diminish all that is evil and help actualize all world-transcending roots of goodness. This enables the Buddha-seeds to continually flourish in the world.” [We hope the Dharma] can prosper continuously in this world. We hope this sutra can spread widely to diminish all unwholesomeness and increase all goodness so that the Buddha-seeds, the seeds of awakening, can continuously and unceasingly prosper in the world. This is the Buddha’s aspiration. We, who uphold the sutra, should respond to Buddha’s aspiration. We also need to make vows; we must vow to protect and uphold the sutra.

We not only protect and uphold it ourselves, we also appreciate and praise those who do so too. In addition, we need to encourage more people to accept and uphold [the sutra], encourage everyone to make great aspirations and walk the Bodhisattva-path, We must inspire everyone’s faith, inspire their firm belief. We hope that from everyone’s initial aspiration, they can continue to uphold this thought and not allow it to be affected by their surroundings. If one’s initial aspiration changes, everything begins to change. Once it becomes distorted, slowly, this initial aspiration will wane, and the Dharma-seeds of goodness will wither.

The most important thought to us right now is our hope to spread the Dharma-treasure throughout the world; We must diminish all evil and increase all goodness. This is very important. In addition, we must continue to actualize all World-Transcending roots of goodness. This is our hope that everyone will not be entangled in worldly issues. We have to understand how to eliminate ignorant and selfish love and let go of family and loved ones; [We must] help our minds care for all sentient beings, and not be held back by selfish love. If we can do this, we can be confident and at ease in shouldering the Tathagata’s mission for all sentient beings. This is the most important thing.

So, [we must] eliminate all evil and increase all goodness. In addition, we must help actualize all world-transcending roots of goodness. World-transcending means no longer being held back by our family bonds. Then, the Buddha-seeds of this world can continue so we truly aspire to engage in spiritual practice and finally can become one with the natural wisdom of the universe and return to our nature of True Suchness. This is why the Buddha came to this world. This is also our goal in learning the Buddha’s way. So, we must be mindful. To accomplish all of this is not difficult; it all depends on our minds. “Everything is created by the mind.” So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 1216 – Cultivating Blessings and Realizing Virtues

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>> “The Dharma-treasury of all Buddhas contains the all-encompassing wisdom. The cause of all Buddhas is cultivating and upholding the fruit of wisdom. By actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions, they cultivate good affinities. The realization of all virtues demonstrates the virtuous fruit of Buddhahood.”

>> “At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke this verse. Those who wish to abide in the Buddha-path and achieve natural wisdom must diligently make offerings to those who accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra.”

>> “If there are people who wish to swiftly attain all-encompassing wisdom, they must accept and uphold this sutra and make offerings to those who uphold it.”

>> If there are people who wish to swiftly attain all-encompassing wisdom: If anyone wishes to swiftly attain the all-encompassing wisdom of all Buddhas…. This is the wisdom of the universal and perfect enlightenment of the Middle Way.

>> They must accept and uphold this sutra and make offerings to those who uphold it: They should uphold this sutra and make offerings to those who uphold it. If they wish to swiftly attain supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment, they must themselves engage in the right practice of the Six Paramitas and make offerings to all Dharma-teachers.

>> From the two descriptions above, anyone who can accept and uphold this sutra and make offerings to those who uphold it is already certain to be able to gradually return to natural wisdom and ultimately realize all-encompassing wisdom.

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“The Dharma-treasury of all Buddhas contains the all-encompassing wisdom.
The cause of all Buddhas is cultivating and upholding the fruit of wisdom.
By actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions, they cultivate good affinities.
The realization of all virtues demonstrates the virtuous fruit of Buddhahood.”

As we practice the Buddha’s teachings, we must place great importance on the all-encompassing wisdom of the Buddha’s Dharma-treasury. The treasury-nature of the Buddha-Dharma is something we must now be mindful of. How do we engage in spiritual practice? What practices enable us to attain Buddhahood? What is most important is to return to our [true] nature. Speaking of the Dharma-treasury of all Buddhas, where is the Dharma of all Buddhas stored? I must say again to everyone, this refers to all-encompassing wisdom. All Buddhas have this all-encompassing wisdom, not just Sakyamuni Buddha. It is [the wisdom] of all Buddhas. It belongs not only to all Buddhas; in fact, it is the treasury-nature all sentient beings intrinsically have within. When we can bring it forth and apply it, that is all-encompassing wisdom. When it is buried, covered up, it is the mind of unenlightened beings.

Actually, the Buddha’s all-encompassing wisdom is our nature of True Suchness. Our nature of True Suchness is the treasury-nature of all Dharma. When it comes to all natural phenomena, it is difficult for us to completely comprehend. Yet, all natural wisdom is inherent to each of us. We all have the Dharma-treasury inside [of us]; all people are replete with it. For the past few days, I have been reminding you all about all-encompassing wisdom, the innate enlightenment of all Buddhas. In fact, sentient beings and the Buddha have this in common. However, the Buddha has already brought forth this innate enlightenment and natural wisdom, while we sentient beings are lost in our confused unenlightened state. We remain full of afflictions that cover up our nature of True Suchness. This is why we remain unenlightened.

The Buddha continually made it very clear to us that the cause for all Buddhas [to attain Buddhahood], the seed [of Buddhahood], is our Tathagata-nature of True Suchness. The Tathagata-nature of True Suchness is contained within each one of us; it is always present. This is why we must engage in spiritual practice! Since this nature is inherently within us all, where else would we go to engage in spiritual practice? As we just mentioned, ordinary beings are covered by ignorance and afflictions. In spiritual practice, we must layer by layer remove our afflictions, eliminate them and wash them away until we are completely clean. With Dharma-water, we can cleanse and eliminate our ignorance and afflictions, thereby allowing our nature of True Suchness to radiate and shine forth. So, we absolutely have to deeply plant the seed of Buddhahood in the ground of our minds. We must cultivate and uphold the fruit of wisdom.

This fruit of wisdom originates from a seed. So we say that before becoming a large tree, a tree is just a seed. After becoming a large tree, it will blossom and produce more seeds. This is the same principle. Before becoming a tree, that tree was a seed. How can we help our seeds sprout and grow from a small tree into a big tree? For this, we must become gardeners. We must all cultivate the field of our own minds. So, as farmers or gardeners of the ground of our mind, whether we cultivate crops or plant big trees, [we sow] many seeds in the ground of our mind. However, we must work hard if we wish for these seeds to grow. Seeds must first be sown before all the [necessary] causes and conditions can come together. It seems that I often use this analogy, but I wonder, after hearing it, do you all understand this principle?

To summarize, in upholding our spiritual practice we must remain resolute. This is “cultivating and upholding.” In spiritual practice, we must form aspirations and persevere. We must accept the teachings from the Buddha and follow these methods to rid ourselves of afflictions. Afflictions are the filth of our ignorance, which endlessly cover and sully the ground of our minds. Thus, all this accumulated ignorance obstructs and blocks our wisdom. In this way, ordinary beings are deluded while Bodhisattvas are wise. Bodhisattvas practice according to the teachings and walk the Bodhi-path. They are firm in their aspirations and practice according to the teachings, constantly advancing. Their goal is to attain the fruits of wisdom. They want their trees to grow tall so that they can flower and produce many seeds which they can then sow throughout the world. This is engaging in spiritual practice. Bodhisattvas must practice up until they reach the state of Buddhahood. During this process, in their minds, they have already begun to cultivate the fruits of wisdom.

In our spiritual cultivation, we must practice the Six Paramitas, practice creating blessed affinities through all of our actions. As we all know, the Six Paramitas are six methods of practice, giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. These six methods [provide us] countless ways to meet the needs of others. In this way, we cultivate blessed affinities with all of our actions.

To attain Buddhahood, we must be replete in both blessings and wisdom. We must be replete in blessings and also replete in wisdom. Thus, one who attains Buddhahood is called the Two-Footed Honored One of blessings and wisdom. Only in this way can one attain Buddhahood, so we must use the Six Paramitas in all actions to create blessed affinities. As we walk the Bodhisattva-path, we must endlessly accumulate blessed affinities through all our actions; only then can we turn our blessings into virtues. All our blessings will then give us a very dignified appearance. In this way, by continually accumulating virtues, we demonstrate that we have already begun to bear fruit from the seeds of our causes. Taking the seeds of this fruit into the world, we go among people to create blessings and form affinities with sentient beings. This is how we spread seeds of goodness.

Suffering abounds in the world; because of the karma sentient beings accumulate, the collective karma of sentient beings has already caused the climate of the earth to change. These changes are very extreme, so many disasters are occurring around the world. A few days ago, July 8, [2016], Typhoon Nepartak, a very powerful typhoon, [made landfall in Taiwan]. It was unusually powerful and very large, yet it was advancing very slowly. Everyone’s eyes were on [this typhoon]. Many [weather bureaus] around the world were following this typhoon, observing Taiwan. It was such a large and unusual typhoon that some were comparing it to a ferocious beast. As we can see, it was a very severe typhoon.

On July 8, at 5:50 am, it made landfall at Taimali Township. There are not many people living there, and the buildings are simple. Although for those in Taitung and Taimali this was not a small disaster, considering Taiwan as a whole, this strong storm did little damage. It seems we were fortunate this time. We should truly be grateful! It was not until the afternoon of the 8th that the eye of the storm finally left Taiwan, going out to sea over the coast at Tainan. By the afternoon [the next day], the typhoon had already made landfall in Fujian. However, as the typhoon passed over Taiwan, it was weakened by its topography. Thus, the typhoon became less severe, and as of yesterday, it was categorized as a tropical depression.

Nonetheless, it caused great devastation in Fujian. In Quanzhou and many places around Shishi City, it caused major flooding. Due to the flooding, in many towns and villages, the water is already touching the roofs of low houses and the first story of higher buildings. This is very severe flooding. I immediately asked, “Are the Tzu Chi volunteers safe? Yes, they are.” Moreover, according to the reports they sent, are the places where we provide tuition assistance safe? Also those places are safe. However, the water continues to rise. There will probably be very extensive damage, so we have already begun [planning] how to gather manpower and how to assist where the water has receded.

We are very concerned, so we are in constant contact with them there.

Back here in Taiwan, in Taitung and Taimali, now that the devastating typhoon has passed, we can see that, although Taimali suffered the most damage, it is mostly metal sheet roofing that has been ripped from houses. There are also some more simple and crude houses that have collapsed completely. Currently in Taitung and Taimali, what they need most is heavy machinery. They need cranes, bulldozers and so on.

There were no landslides this time, so there is no mud that needs to be cleared. After the flooding and wind passed, only roofs had been ripped away and windows had been broken. So, we have already mobilized 400 to 500. Tzu Chi volunteers to help. Beginning yesterday, in Taimali, we have started a Cash for Relief program. More than 30 local residents participated. There are also 50 to 60 volunteers assisting to help them get things cleaned up quickly. It is truly very heartwarming, seeing our volunteers from Hualien and Taitung mobilize like this. Three tour buses left yesterday from Hualien. CEO Lin is leading the team along with the [hospital] vice superintendent and medical professionals. There are also our [administrative] staff as well as our Pure Practitioners and others, a total of three tour buses. They arrived yesterday to support [in the work]. During the day today, there should be even more people joining.

Even more moving was [the fact] that, yesterday, the Taiwan Railways Administration, due to this disaster in Taitung, offered, without any fee, an entire train from Taipei. They announced that anyone going to Taitung to offer assistance could ride for free. Many people began to do so, and many Tzu Chi volunteers also took this train. Some carried equipment with them, knowing that they would need saws, woodworking tools and tools for water and electricity there. When those bringing tools were loading them unto the train, they might have caused some slight delay, but the railway staff told them, “Relax! Take your time with the equipment.” They did not rush us. With this [disaster], we can feel the love of our entire society. Neighbors are helping neighbors, villages are helping villages, counties are helping counties and cities are helping cities.

Even the Taipei City government assisted by sending heavy machinery and technical personnel south to lend support. The New Taipei City government also mobilized several dozen pieces of heavy machinery, including cranes, bulldozers and so on. However, the [northern] Suhua Highway was blocked, so they had to take a detour via the South-Link Highway to get there. Seeing this is truly very moving! The love and kindness of the people of Taiwan has been set in motion. This all started yesterday, and today they should all have arrived in Taitung and Taimali. Also people from Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung came up via the South-Link Highway. They too brought heavy machinery and technical personnel. Tzu Chi volunteers also came via the South-Link from Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung.

I feel like we were very fortunate this time. After this powerful typhoon swept across Taitung county, although many roofs in Taitung county were ripped off and windows were broken, all the people there are safe. Taimali was heavily devastated, but [now that] the love from all over Taiwan has been brought together in that place, perhaps the process of rebuilding can begin quickly for Taimali. The reconstructed buildings should be stronger than they were in the past.

The interactions between people are also very heartwarming. Our Tzu Chi volunteers and nuns from the Abode went to care for our Dharma relatives, caring for those in both Taimali and Taitung. The images they sent back were very heartwarming. Both Tzu Chi volunteers from Hualien and local commissioners from Taitung went to [affected families’] homes. They exercised their abilities in consoling them and helping them settle their minds.

There was a 94-year-old woman who kept crying in her home. She was still trembling, still terrified. When one of our nuns from the Abode arrived, she quickly took her in her arms. She embraced her and, patting her, she said, “You do not need to be afraid.” She kept rubbing her chest, comforting her, [saying], “It is over! Grandma, do not be scared. Do you live here alone? Where are your children? [My son is in] Kaohsiung! Has he come back? He is back.” Her son then entered the room. “Your son is here. You don’t need to be afraid.” It is true; it is already over. There is no need to be afraid. She is 94 years old. Will her son take her with him when he goes back to Kaohsiung? I hope that after this incident, this 94-year-old grandma will no longer live alone.

In the same vein, [I hope] people will have safer shelter and will be better cared for. As the reconstruction starts, [I hope] that in the future their houses will be more stable. This is like our “Project Hope” for school reconstruction in Taitung. This time, [our construction] took heavy damage because we had just dug out the foundation. The rebar was in place, sticking up, fastened together and ready for the concrete to be poured. When this strong typhoon came the concrete had not yet been poured. Of course following such a big storm the rebar and casting structures will have to be redone.

Yesterday, I met with the builders. I told them, “Quickly go there and reevaluate. See if any of the schools’ old classrooms have sustained any damage. Some of those we had not planned to tear down, those the government [deemed safe], may need to be reevaluated.” Perhaps if we start the construction from scratch, we might need to increase the scope of our construction. This remains to be seen. In any case, once a disaster like this has passed, it raises everyone’s sense of vigilance regarding how to further improve safety. This is something we must take into consideration. So, this is a warning for mankind to be more vigilant. We must all be more vigilant; we must be reverent and apply our love. Those who were unaffected should quickly exercise their love by going to help those in the disaster-stricken areas so they can quickly recover.

This is what we call “creating blessings” or cultivating good affinities in all actions. Instances like this disaster [allow us] to realize “the Six Paramitas in all actions.” In terms of creating good affinities, because of this disaster, everyone had the opportunity to quickly contribute and exercise the power of their love. We were all enabled to quickly show our love. “The realization of all virtues demonstrates the virtuous fruit of Buddhahood.” This is a testament to Taiwan’s love, to how goodness is our treasure. This treasure is the Dharma-treasury of all Buddhas; it is all-encompassing wisdom. This love can encompass the universe. Moreover, Taipei is not far from Taitung, nor are Tainan, Kaohsiung or Pingtung. They are even closer to Taitung. Hualien, Taitung and Yilan are also not far apart. When everyone’s love is joined in harmony and our hearts are brought together in unity, mutual love and concerted effort, we can all work as one. In all the people who have been mobilized, we can already see this goodness and love. It demonstrates their fruits of virtue. People throughout Taiwan have begun to dedicate themselves with love; this is truly praiseworthy.

The world is full of suffering. All beings on this planet belong to one family. Everyone in the world is part of a single family. I hope that we can all use our love to “cultivate good affinities” and “[realize] all virtues” to “demonstrate the virtuous fruit of Buddhahood.” I hope that our love and kindness can be demonstrated in this way. This is something we can all do.

Let us take a look at the previous sutra passage.

“At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke this verse. Those who wish to abide in the Buddha-path and achieve natural wisdom must diligently make offerings to those who accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra.”

[The Buddha] hoped the Dharma could be spread throughout the world. Accepting and upholding the Lotus Sutra means walking the Bodhisattva-path. Those who walk the Bodhisattva-path go among people to help them. We must hold great respect for [those who do this]. As we just mentioned, so many people lovingly dedicate themselves to helping others. They are deserving of our respect and praise. Likewise, our government was willing, in several cities and counties, to mobilize people. Moreover, for Tzu Chi volunteers, they arranged a train south from Taipei. With everyone in Taiwan offering their love, we should all pay our respect toward this place. This is respect.

This is the previous passage that we discussed before. [It describes] the path of all Buddhas. We are [walking] the path the Buddha paved for us. He taught us that Bodhisattvas must walk this path. We must pave the path with love and spread awakened love around the world. We must always diligently make offerings. “Making offerings” means giving of ourselves. We have talked about this for several days. “Making offerings” means serving others. Realizing the Six Paramitas in all actions is what we call “making offerings. [We must] make offerings to those who accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra.” Accepting and upholding the Lotus Sutra is practicing on the Bodhisattva-path.

The next sutra passage states,

“If there are people who wish to swiftly attain all-encompassing wisdom, they must accept and uphold this sutra and make offerings to those who uphold it.”

If we want the Buddha-Dharma to remain in the world, we must willingly accept the Buddha’s teachings. We must take the Dharma to heart in order to quickly attain [wisdom]. “[To] swiftly attain” means to quickly obtain all-encompassing wisdom like the Buddha’s. This all-encompassing wisdom is intrinsic to all of us, but we must eliminate our ignorance and afflictions. If we work hard, for every affliction we eliminate, our wisdom-life will grow a little. The power of our wisdom-life is found in following the Bodhisattva-path in this world. We must quickly put this into practice. Otherwise, no matter how much Dharma we hear or however well we know its concepts, will we ever truly know the vistas along the Bodhisattva-path? I am not sure, but I know the Dharma is like this. To experience it, we must put it into practice.

In the disaster area in Taitung, people were frightened to the point of trembling, so we went to embrace them. When real people rushed to hug them, this gave them something to rely on. Later, those frightened people felt reassured knowing that so many people had come to help. For those who embraced and helped, [their] minds were free and at ease. It may be exhausting to go to such places, but if we can bring comfort to one person or two, three or five people, or if one group can bring comfort to another, this is a [worthwhile] spiritual journey.

By yesterday, they visited over 1,000 households; our Tzu Chi volunteers have already visited more than 1,000 households to distribute aid. Some 30 families said to us, “For you all to come care for us, has already made us so joyful and satisfied. We can afford it, so we want to re-donate this money to you.” Thus, we have sown [new] seeds. They are just like [us]. By donating, they too are creating blessings. Some 30 households willingly re-donated the money because they felt they had enough. After visiting more than 1,000 households, we have created blessings and affinities with them. Therefore, we feel free and at ease.

Great compassion is impartial. It is like hugging our own family members, like comforting our own family. In this way, we immediately experience the freedom and peace of giving. This is being free and at ease. Thus, we can swiftly attain the all-encompassing wisdom of all Buddhas.

If there are people who wish to swiftly attain all-encompassing wisdom: If anyone wishes to swiftly attain the all-encompassing wisdom of all Buddhas…. This is the wisdom of the universal and perfect enlightenment of the Middle Way.

The wisdom of all Buddhas is like this. It requires us to help others and practice the Middle Way. [To attain] the wisdom of universal enlightenment, we must follow the Middle Way, without deviating. That is the Bodhisattva-path, the right path of the Buddha.

So, our all-encompassing wisdom [is like a seed]. A seed is something that it is able to grow. As we were just saying, seeds turn into sprouts, small trees turn into big trees and big trees flower and produce more seeds. This is what it means to be able to grow. By planting a single seed, you can grow a field of rice. A single seed can produce an abundant harvest; many seeds will spring forth. This is being able to grow. When we have awakened, we must then help others awaken. When we understand, we must help others understand. When we go out to help people, we take them along to help others. This means there is potential for growth. We have already seen kindness and love mobilize throughout Taiwan. This is how we grow love.

Each of us intrinsically possesses this all-encompassing wisdom. We have always [been able to] exercise its power.

“They must accept and uphold this sutra and make offerings to those who uphold it.” They must accept and uphold it, and also make offerings.

They must accept and uphold this sutra and make offerings to those who uphold it: They should uphold this sutra and make offerings to those who uphold it. If they wish to swiftly attain supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment, they must themselves engage in the right practice of the Six Paramitas and make offerings to all Dharma-teachers.

When listening to the sutra, rather than forgetting what we’ve just heard, we must take it to heart and engrave it in our minds. We must put every line of the sutra into our minds and establish our spiritual aspirations. Those who can do this are seekers of the Dharma. In seeking the Dharma, we hope to do so quickly, “wish [to be] swift.” We desire to quickly take the Dharma to heart and attain “supreme, universal, perfect enlightenment.” We wish to engrave the Dharma onto our minds and set the course of our aspirations. Right understanding, right views and right awakening can be attained from this sutra.

“They must themselves engage in the right practice of the Six Paramitas.” This is something we ourselves must work very hard for. We cannot ask the Buddha to give it to us. The Buddha came into the world only for one great cause, to teach us the Dharma so we can understand. He pointed out a path for us to walk. Since we know the teachings, we should study, accept and uphold them mindfully. But we must follow this path ourselves. “They themselves must engage in the right practice of the Six Paramitas.” We must practice this ourselves. Right understanding and right views are things we must put into practice. Which way should we go? We can simply follow these six methods, the path that has already been paved for us. Giving, upholding the precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom are [what we should actualize] in all actions.

We should take advantage of our opportunities to go among others. This is what we ourselves must accept and uphold. Moreover, we need to “make offerings to all Dharma-teachers.” Those who can teach the Dharma to others are the ones we should make offerings to. We must accept and uphold the Dharma ourselves while also making offerings. I keep telling everyone that “making offerings” means giving to others. We must do this ourselves as well as praise those who do it. This is accepting and upholding the sutra while also making offerings to those who uphold it.

From the two descriptions above, anyone who can accept and uphold this sutra and make offerings to those who uphold it is already certain to be able to gradually return to natural wisdom and ultimately realize all-encompassing wisdom.

When it says, “above,” it refers to what we previously discussed, that we must make offerings to those who accept and uphold this sutra and must also [accept and uphold it] ourselves. So, anyone who can accept and uphold this sutra and make offerings to those who uphold it, such a person, “is already certain to be able to gradually return to natural wisdom.” We can be certain about this. A person who accepts and upholds [this sutra] and who praises and make offerings [to others], who willingly gives of himself, teaches others to do this and dedicates himself to doing this, such a person is certain to “be able to gradually return to natural wisdom.”

Not only should we tell others to do this, we must be dedicated to doing it ourselves. Anyone who does this will undoubtedly return to natural wisdom. Our natural wisdom is our nature of True Suchness. We engage in spiritual practice to recover our nature of True Suchness, that heart that encompasses the universe, that is equal to the Buddha’s. It is one with the universe. This is what each of us should be able to do ourselves. This way we will “ultimately realize all-encompassing wisdom.”

Dear Bodhisattvas, this is what spiritual practice is about, so I hope that we can all be mindful. We can see how everyone is capable of this love. With great force, this love has been mobilized. [People] sent dozens of pieces of heavy machinery in a huge procession. This is like how during the August 8th floods caused by Typhoon Morakot, Tzu Chi volunteers from northern and central Taiwan mobilized in great numbers. Large, heavy machinery, cranes, dump trucks and bulldozers, 40 or 50 of them were lined up on the highway in a magnificent procession heading south.

Every morning from Taipei Station, nearly 1,000 Tzu Chi volunteers would ride the high-speed train back and forth. They transported these people for free, going from the north in such great numbers. In the morning they went south to Kaohsiung, and they returned home in the evening. Among the volunteers there were entrepreneurs, teachers, scholars, artists and diplomatic envoys, all of whom registered to participate. Those people in blue and white uniforms would fill up those trains early in the morning.

Thinking of [that time] several years ago, this was how Tzu Chi mobilized. Today in Taiwan, several county and city [governments] have mobilized people. Moreover, with the heavy machinery, although the northern Suhua Highway, was blocked, they took the detour to the south. Think about it; in the way that everyone has mobilized, these seeds of love have begun to be sown among people. As great trees, their seeds are maturing; this is cause for joy! They sow blessings for the world. I hope for everyone in the world to return to their natural wisdom, to their intrinsic Tathagata-nature. This is kindness and love, using love to pave the path we walk. So, let us always be mindful!

Episode 1215 – Paying Respect to Those Who Uphold the Sutras

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>> “At the Vulture Peak assembly, the Buddha opened up the provisional to reveal the true. It is clear and not false. When pure wisdom illuminates the spiritual training ground of innate enlightenment, the Dharma that we attain is the impartial Dharma of great loving-kindness, which does not discriminate between high and low. Prajna illuminates all phenomena, so they become the provisions for attaining Buddhahood.”

>> “Why is this so? Because these people take joy in expounding the Dharma. The instant they hear it, they immediately attain the ultimate, Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke this verse. Those who want to abide in the Buddha-path and achieve natural wisdom must diligently make offerings to those who accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra.     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> Those who wish to abide in the Buddha-path and achieve natural wisdom: If people want their minds to abide in the Buddha’s right path and achieve uncontrived, natural wisdom…. This true wisdom of innate enlightenment intrinsically does not increase or decrease, nor can it be practiced or realized. It is great impartial wisdom.

>> So it says, “Natural wisdom” is “wisdom attained through constantly applying this innate enlightenment. It is the Tathagata’s wisdom that He awakened to and attained Himself. The Dharma previously unknown and unheard of appears before Him without hindrance. Thus it is called natural wisdom.”

>> They must diligently make offerings to those who accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra: If they want to abide in the Buddha-path and achieve this wisdom, they must rely on those who uphold the sutras, expound the Dharma and practice diligently. Thus they must make offerings to those who accept and uphold the sutras. If they want to abide in the Buddha-path to achieve natural wisdom, they must diligently make offerings to those who accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra. This is because those who make offerings to these Dharma-teachers are able to make offerings to the Dharma using the Dharma.

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“At the Vulture Peak assembly, the Buddha opened up the provisional to reveal the true.
It is clear and not false.
When pure wisdom illuminates the spiritual training ground of innate enlightenment,
the Dharma that we attain
is the impartial Dharma of great loving-kindness,
which does not discriminate between high and low.
Prajna illuminates all phenomena,
so they become the provisions for attaining Buddhahood.”

As Buddhist practitioners, we should always be mindful, be mindful of our self-discipline. We need to be disciplined in our daily living. As we go about our daily living, in dealing with people, matters and objects, we must maintain an attitude of reverence. Only with reverence and love can harmony be maintained. We should be reverent toward one another, reverent in regard to material things and reverent toward heaven and earth. “By respecting the heavens and loving the earth, we amass blessed conditions.” We should respect and love others, and we also need to benefit others. So, respect and love are things we necessarily need in our daily living.

Over the past few days during Typhoon Nepartak, we could see such reverence and love. When our Bodhisattva-volunteers heard that a typhoon was coming, all heightened their vigilance, establishing typhoon relief centers everywhere. They set these up and stayed in communication with each other. We saw that some working people had time off work because of the typhoon. Although in some places there was not much wind or rain, nor much damage, they had time off from work, and they made use of this time off to go visit those more vulnerable. Were the elderly safe? Had their homes been affected by the wind and the rain? Were they afraid? For those who had already been evacuated to safer locations, they visited them to calm and comfort them.

There was an elderly couple that had been evacuated to a shelter, but they kept worrying about their home. By the Tzu Chi volunteers’ estimation, it seemed the typhoon was not going to hit the central or northern regions, but seeing how uneasy the couple was, in addition to comforting them, they told them, “Ok! We’ll take you back to check on your home!” So, they brought them back to their home. It seemed the typhoon warning was soon to be lifted, so they went and gave their home a cleaning. The elderly couple then peacefully settled in. They were very grateful. They were grateful for Tzu Chi’s volunteers; [they felt] they took even better care of them than their own families. They were truly grateful!

There were also those who used the their leave from work due to the typhoon to go visit the elderly. They cleaned their houses for them, removed old and broken [furniture] and then quickly brought recycled sofas and chairs to their homes, arranging them neatly. After cleaning their homes, they helped them change any old and broken tables and chairs for newer and better ones. Then they placed everything for them. One elderly person told them, “I am all alone. No one ever comes to look in on me. Having Tzu Chi volunteers here is just like having a big family. For you all to be concerned about me like this, to come care for me and help me straighten up my home, I am truly grateful.”

These are our Tzu Chi volunteers. They knew a typhoon was coming but were able to be grateful that it passed without incident. Since people had time off from work and central and northern Taiwan were not affected by wind or rain, they made good use of their leave time. Over those two days, they went to help, to care for those who were elderly or vulnerable. We can see that these are Living Bodhisattvas, and that the power of love is in the world. Under normal circumstances, they help others, not to mention during typhoon alerts when they redouble their caring efforts. They used the time they had off for the typhoon to quickly mobilize everyone to exercise their strength in caring for others.

Actually, as far as typhoons go, this was as a very unusual typhoon. It was very powerful and very large. The weather bureaus of many countries said that it was a typhoon of historic proportions.

In Taiwan’s records, in Taitung, 61 years ago, there an equally large level 16 typhoon, but for the past 61 years there has never been anything this big. Nevertheless, this year there was this powerful level 17 storm, so many countries’ weather bureaus were focusing their attention on it, tracking its size and direction.

This time in Taiwan, we truly need to be grateful. Though there was considerable damage south of Taitung, where a lot of metal sheeting used for roofing was ripped away and many windows were broken, overall it was not very bad. So, though the typhoon was very powerful, we suffered lightly. We are very grateful for this.

We should also be grateful for how everyone brought out the love inside them. Beginning with our Hualien headquarters, our Bodhisattvas from the Department of Religious Affairs and the Charity Development Department joined together. All these young Bodhisattvas as well as our Pure Practitioners joined together and went to Taitung to care for [the needy there] and learn about [their situation]. The past few days everyone has been staying at the Typhoon Emergency Coordination Center, learning about the situation in different places to determine where the need is the greatest. In this way, once the typhoon passed, they could quickly mobilize people from different counties to help. This kind of power of love is truly very moving! Especially [touching] are our Bodhisattvas in Hualien. [To care for] the elderly who had to evacuate, over the past few days, our Tzu Chi volunteers from the Hualien area have been providing hot meals every day, going to the shelters to visit and care for the elderly there. Though there was actually no real danger here, they went anyway to visit and care for them. This is love, the love in people’s hearts. It is the nature of True Suchness. Everyone gave with such love in their hearts.

All of us inherently have a stupa at the Vulture Peak in our hearts. We are all engaging in spiritual practice at this stupa at Vulture Peak, exercising the spirit of a Bodhisattva we have, the power of love. So, we say, “At the Vulture Peak assembly, the Buddha opened up the provisional to reveal the true. It is clear and not false.” In everyone’s heart we innately have a Vulture Peak stupa. Within the Vulture Peak stupa in all of us lies the Dharma of the One Vehicle. The Dharma of the One Vehicle, the intrinsic nature of True Suchness in all of us, is pure and undefiled love. It does not discriminate between different people; we all put our heart into caring for all people and matters in the world.


When the Buddha was in this world, after having taught the Dharma more than 40 years, [He taught at] the Lotus Dharma-assembly. The Lotus Dharma-assembly was also called the Vulture Peak assembly. It was at Vulture Peak that. He taught the Lotus Sutra. At the beginning of the Lotus Sutra, He started by “opening up the provisional.” He wanted us to know that in the past He needed to help us understand that there was suffering in the world. The ignorance in people’s minds brings suffering into the world. This suffering in the world comes about as causes and conditions come together in the relationships between people, This is why suffering comes in so many forms and shapes.

The Buddha, after analyzing human suffering, began to teach very clearly that all suffering is completely due to karma, due to karmic causes and effects. Moreover, this karmic cycle results from the arising of a single thought of ignorance. If we want to get rid of this suffering, to be liberated from the Five Realms and the Three Evil Destinies, then we must put in genuine effort starting within. So, He opened all kinds of Dharma-doors for us, allowing us to take good care of our minds. Thus, when we hear that all this human suffering is due to the karmic retributions we created, and this karma originates from our thoughts, we want to quickly take good care of our minds. We must not, due to our minds, create further entanglements with others and thereby give rise to even more karma. After [hearing] this, everyone remained stuck in the Small Vehicle Dharma.

After 40 years, during the Vulture Peak Assembly, the Buddha decided to open up the provisional. He explained the teachings given in the past to everyone anew. “You must not remain stuck in the Dharma that you heard in the past and be attached to what is inside your minds, caring only for yourselves. You should open the doors of your minds and enter the Vulture Peak Assembly. The Vulture Peak Assembly is never far from you; it lies within your heart. There is a Vulture Peak stupa within you. You inherently have the True Dharma in your mind. The True Dharma of the One Vehicle lies within your minds!” So, He “revealed the true. It is clear and not false.” This is truly the time to open the doors to our minds.

“In the past, I was showing you the way. The state of your minds was like someone running far away, connecting to external states of ignorance and thus creating karma.” It was just like the poor son. Originally, he was from a wealthy family, but for the sake of having fun, he left home and kept going further away until he ended up down and out in poverty and suffering. This poor son is just like our mind. We have left our wealthy family; we broke away from it and remained outside. For a period of over 40 years, we wandered around in this place. Now we have seen and entered this household.

So, at that time, the Buddha called upon everyone to open the door, the door to their minds. All their treasures are stored there; they lie there undamaged. We have all always been wealthy; our riches lie within our hearts. The principle is the same. So, He had now opened up the provisional and revealed the true. We need to confirm how. “All things are created by the mind.” During the typhoon, so many took advantage of this rare time off work to visit and care for people not related to them in any way, giving of themselves. Like this, they prepared three abundant meals a day and sent the food, piping hot, to the people who had been evacuated to shelters, so they could enjoy three full meals a day.

These people are not related to them by blood, but they are connected with them through their inner nature of True Suchness. Using this kind of love, this “unconditional loving-kindness and universal compassion,” they have already demonstrated the True Dharma from within their Vulture Peak stupa, their inner nature of True Suchness, that pure and undefiled great love; they already demonstrated this. So, “When pure wisdom illuminates the spiritual training ground of innate enlightenment, [this is] the Dharma that we attain.” This wisdom, this pure wisdom, is already emitting its radiance. This power of love is being demonstrated. Our innate enlightenment is not merely for our own use, for self-love or self-benefit. We must at the same time benefit others and love others. Since we want peace for ourselves, we should want peace for everyone. The world is one family. Everyone in the Three Realms has always been part of a single family. This is how our pure wisdom shines with illuminating radiance.

Take for example our Tzu Chi volunteers from Wuhan, China. They had always wanted to make a pilgrimage to Taiwan. Before coming to Hualien for a few days, they first stopped in Taipei. While they were in northern Taiwan, Tzu Chi volunteers brought them along as they went to care for [aid recipients]. They took them to serve the disadvantaged by cleaning their houses and so forth. Although they were from China, they acted in perfect unity with our volunteers here as they went to look after, care for, help and serve people completely unrelated to them. This is a spiritual training ground. Our spiritual training ground lies inside of us. There is no need to seek the Vulture Peak stupa outside. Our Vulture Peak stupa lies within. The Buddha showed us the way to our spiritual training ground within. We each have a stupa at Vulture Peak and can practice at the foot of that stupa.

This is our place of practice, our own personal training ground, from which we can always [attain] the. Dharma of great impartial loving-kindness. We have always been practicing this teaching, the teaching of great impartial loving-kindness. The Dharma does not discriminate between high and low. When the Buddha was in the world, the Dharma He taught for over 40 years was skillful means. Without the expedient teachings to pave the road, how would He have been able, at Vulture Peak, to reveal the Great Dharma of the One Reality? So, “The impartial Dharma of great loving-kindness does not discriminate between high and low.” Truly, for the Buddha-Dharma, there is no difference between far or near.

Yesterday, people were doing a bowing pilgrimage in the rain. They too had returned from China; they are Bodhisattvas from Hangzhou. People from several places in China converged here to do a bowing pilgrimage. I told them, “It will rain this afternoon, so how will you do the bowing pilgrimage?” They replied, saying, “Wind or rain will not stop us. Even if there is pouring rain, we will continue the pilgrimage as usual.” Look at their diligence! The Dharma does not distinguish far or near, nor does it discriminate between high and low. It all depends upon our mind. If we are willing to be diligent, then nothing will be difficult.

This is how “Prajna illuminates all phenomena, so they become the provisions for attaining Buddhahood.” These are our provisions. From our starting point as unenlightened beings, if we wish to return to our original Tathagata-nature, the place where Buddhahood is attained, we must travel along the Bodhisattva-path. This road is still very long, but we now have prajna. Prajna is pure wisdom. This pure wisdom, prajna, shines and illuminates. It illuminates a path for us, a very clear path for us to walk. This is our provisions for attaining Buddhahood; it helps us in attaining Buddhahood. The Dharma is the provisions for attaining Buddhahood, for the growth of our wisdom-lives. This is what it is. Practicing the Bodhisattva-path is never easy.

Take for example the recent super-typhoon. When scientists from many countries saw the data pertaining to this typhoon, they kept on tracking it out of curiosity. In the end, Taiwan did not suffer much damage from the strong winds; this too was very peculiar. So, all of us should be very grateful, use love to pave the path and use kindness to extend our compassion. Extending our compassion and spreading great love helped get us through such a great storm. It was originally estimated that all of Taiwan would be enveloped in this huge storm, in its powerful winds and heavy rain. This is what the scientists of many different countries forecasted. So, they tracked the typhoon, [thinking,]. “What will happen to Taiwan this time?” Everyone was so determined in their spiritual aspirations. Although there was a typhoon, they still willingly went out to help others. This is the power of love. It is also the power of wisdom, making good use of their time to serve others. The ancients had a saying, “What people do, the heavens are watching,” [meaning] the Dharma-protectors. Thus, we need to have a heart of gratitude. From both near and far, everyone brings their love together. This is truly inconceivable.

The previous sutra passage says,

“Why is this so? Because these people take joy in expounding the Dharma. The instant they hear it, they immediately attain the ultimate, Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

Actually, the previous sutra passage is telling us is that wherever the Lotus Sutra may be or in whatever direction the Lotus Sutra is upheld, “Whatever places they go, people should pay respects toward them and,” It means everyone should show respect! Wherever the Lotus Sutra may be, wherever the Lotus Sutra is upheld, read, recited and transcribed or where it is taught and spread, in these places we should always show reverence. It is because the Buddha’s entire body is there; the Buddha’s Dharmakaya is there. We talked about this previously. So, everyone needs to be very respectful. “Wholeheartedly, with palms joined together, they reverently made offerings.”

At the start of the Chapter on Dharma Teachers, the Buddha said, “Do you see the 80,000 Bodhisattvas?” The 80,000 Bodhisattvas He spoke of included the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. We should remember this when we hear it. If we think back to when we first started explaining the Chapter on Dharma Masters, the Buddha said in the beginning, “Medicine King Bodhisattva, do you see them? There are 80,000 Bodhisattvas here in this place of practice, listening to the Dharma.” These were in fact the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. An assembly of Dharma-protectors were in that place. So, wherever the Lotus Sutra may be, we should make offerings. We should make all kinds of offerings to it, offer the most exquisite things in the world. This is because the Buddha’s Dharmakaya is in these places. We should bear heavenly flowers and make offerings to Him with all kinds of treasures. Why is this? “Why is this so?” It is because we have great reverence. Those who uphold this sutra, read and recite it, who expound it and teach the Dharma, who listen to this sutra and “take joy in expounding the Dharma,” as they listen to the Dharma, are able to very quickly understand it, understand the meaning in the sutra and, having understood it, attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

They awaken to and come to understand all kinds of phenomena, [the principles] of the macrocosm, of worldly phenomena as well as of psychological phenomena. We should all understand this thoroughly. This is what we talked about previously. If we think back, we should understand this very well.

When all kinds of causes and conditions converge in the world, it results in great storms. When people’s minds are not in balance, when the world loses its harmony, it results in manmade calamities. When people’s minds are filled with severe afflictions and ignorance, they become physically and mentally ill. By the same token, when the universe goes out of balance at every level, it creates many problems. The Buddha brought the Buddha-Dharma to the world to treat our mental and physical maladies, to correct our attitudes and actions. To adjust our behavior and lifestyle, we must begin from the inside. The Buddha-Dharma is capable of treating all manner of disharmony in the world. So, we must put effort into being mindful and offer reverence and respect, for safeguarding this Dharma is very important.

The next sutra passage says, “At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke this verse.” This is the end of the long-form prose above. Next He needed to repeat [the teaching]. Because of its importance, because He was afraid we would forget, He repeated it using verse.

“Those who wish to abide in the Buddha-path and achieve natural wisdom must diligently make offerings to those who accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra.”

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke this verse. Those who want to abide in the Buddha-path and achieve natural wisdom must diligently make offerings to those who accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra.

What this means is, just as the long-form prose told us, that in whichever place this sutra is present, we must be reverent. So it says, “Those who wish to abide in the Buddha-path and achieve natural wisdom….” If you wish to walk the path to Buddhahood, then you must come to perfect your natural wisdom. “Natural wisdom” is our innate enlightenment, our nature of True Suchness. It is all the wisdom of nature contained within ourselves. Our minds merge with all the scenes of nature. This is our innate enlightenment.

When the Buddha awakened, He became one with the universe, thus He was said to have become enlightened. It is the same for all of us; we abide in the Buddha-path in the hope of eventually drawing near the state of Buddhahood. But we must first walk this path to Buddhahood. By continually walking this path to Buddhahood, we naturally come to have natural wisdom. This kind of wisdom means that we gradually approach becoming one with the universe and nature.

Those who wish to abide in the Buddha-path and achieve natural wisdom: If people want their minds to abide in the Buddha’s right path and achieve uncontrived, natural wisdom…. This true wisdom of innate enlightenment intrinsically does not increase or decrease, nor can it be practiced or realized. It is great impartial wisdom.

This is “those who want their minds to abide in the Buddha’s right path….” We want for our minds to abide in the right path of the Buddha. We must not go astray from the right path of the Buddha-Dharma, must not become separated from it. We must concentrate our minds and not become distracted or have discursive thoughts. We should fully concentrate our mind so that it abides in the Buddha’s right path.

“And achieve uncontrived, natural wisdom.” How is wisdom cultivated? We often say that everyone inherently has Buddha-nature. What we truly want to work on is our habitual tendencies. So, if we want to achieve uncontrived, natural wisdom, this wisdom is very natural; it does not really need to be cultivated. We must just eliminate our habitual tendencies. We need to get rid of our unwholesome habits and return to our natural wisdom. This is returning to our natural wisdom.

So, “This true wisdom of innate enlightenment intrinsically does not increase or decrease.” Our wisdom of innate enlightenment, our natural wisdom, has always been like this. For dust-inked kalpas, since Beginningless Time, we have always had it; it neither increases nor decreases. Because it is never increasing or decreasing, it “cannot be cultivated or attained.” Wisdom has always been intrinsic to us. Do you think you can increase it through practice? What we must practice is self-cultivation to return to our natural original nature. What we must do is getting rid of things. We need to get rid of our past unwholesome habitual tendencies.

Since our afflictions and ignorance are mistaken, we should promptly change them. So, we should know that we must put our effort into removing our unwholesome habitual tendencies. We must be mindful! Do not misunderstand when you hear that it cannot be cultivated or attained [and think], “In that case, there is no need to practice.” This is not the case! We must work on our habitual tendencies. But that natural wisdom has always been intrinsic to us; everyone intrinsically has natural wisdom. This is why the Buddha said, “Those who teach the Dharma have no Dharma to teach.” When we expound the Dharma, what is there to teach? The Dharma abides in our minds, so what Dharma is there to expound upon? We have just become temporarily confused. The external states are blocking the Dharma in our minds.

This is like the typhoon these past two days; these black clouds covered us so we could not see the clear skies. Now that the typhoon has passed, when we look up and see the sky, it is very spacious and totally clear. It was not that the typhoon brought the sky lower. No, it was the clouds that were low. So what is a cloud? It is just water vapor, moisture from the ground that rises with the heat. So, that water vapor rises in the air, and through the coming together of many causes and conditions, the moisture condenses and accumulates. Then where exactly will a big rain fall? This too depends on causes and conditions, on all kinds of factors that converge to make the rain fall in a certain place. We should know that it works this way. It is the same with our minds; ignorance rises and falls like this. At a certain time and in a certain place, our ignorance can manifest suddenly. Severe ignorance creates great karmic forces.

A few days ago at Songshan train station, the ignorance in a person’s mind manifested. At that place, he hurt himself as well as others. This person then continued on. He went to central Taiwan and onward, taking buses and trains and so on; like this he kept on traveling. In yesterday’s news, they analyzed this. Why was there that object in that place which [exploded]? Indeed, where ignorance is next to explode, we have no way of knowing. This will depend on causes and conditions. In fact, this is not what people’s intrinsic nature is like. This is due to their ignorance. Atmospheric pressure and people’s mental states follow the same principles.

This wisdom of innate enlightenment that we inherently have, this natural wisdom, is the true wisdom of innate enlightenment. It is intrinsic, neither increases nor decreases. It is within us, this natural wisdom that neither increases or decreases. It can neither be cultivated nor attained. It is just like this; we naturally have it. It is equal in everyone. Sentient beings are all equal; there is nothing in particular that we need to practice, nothing particularly special. Actually, if we just get rid of all our habitual tendencies and elevate our spiritual aspirations, naturally, we converge with our natural wisdom. When we converge with our natural wisdom, its radiance shines forth and we discover our innate enlightenment. This too depends on us. If we do not dispel ignorance ourselves, then no Dharma can help us.

So it says, “Natural wisdom” is “wisdom attained through constantly applying this innate enlightenment. It is the Tathagata’s wisdom that He awakened to and attained Himself. The Dharma previously unknown and unheard of appears before Him without hindrance. Thus it is called natural wisdom.”

Who made the Buddha awaken? No one did; the Buddha awakened and attained this by Himself. Ever since He was born in the world, He had always wondered, “Why is the world the way it is? Why?” He went out Himself to seek this “why” and later made the decision, “I must seek out the path for myself. I will keep on seeking myself.” Where did He go to seek? He sought inside Himself.

Through the natural realm and people’s way of life. He sought the enlightened nature inside of His own mind; in this way, He awakened and became one with the universe. This is the Tathagata. He “came to the world journeying upon the Dharma of True Suchness” and awakened and attained realizations Himself. The Buddha was like this, so we need to likewise follow this path. External states are there to alert us, to help us achieve realization, to help us understand that true realization is something we must awaken to by ourselves.

So, “The Dharma previously unknown and unheard of appears before Him without hindrance.” There was Dharma He had never heard in the past, but after His awakening, the true principles of all things in the universe completely manifested before His eyes. Nothing was left to hinder Him. “Thus it is called natural wisdom.” Though He had never heard it before, He naturally achieved realization of it. The true principles of all things in the universe all appeared before Him.

So, “They must diligently make offerings to those who accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra.”

They must diligently make offerings to those who accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra: If they want to abide in the Buddha-path and achieve this wisdom, they must rely on those who uphold the sutras, expound the Dharma and practice diligently. Thus they must make offerings to those who accept and uphold the sutras. If they want to abide in the Buddha-path to achieve natural wisdom, they must diligently make offerings to those who accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra. This is because those who make offerings to these Dharma-teachers are able to make offerings to the Dharma using the Dharma.

Because of this, we should know that to abide in the Buddha-path and achieve this wisdom, we must rely on earnestly upholding the sutras, upholding, reciting, listening to the sutras and teaching the Dharma. In this way, step by step, we continually and repeatedly teach and listen to the sutras, constantly listening to and then teaching them. This is upholding the sutras. It is not for others to uphold the sutras, it is we ourselves who must uphold them. Upholding the sutras and teaching the Dharma, diligently engaging in spiritual practice, these are things we should all do. “Thus they make offerings to those who accept and uphold the sutras.” When others uphold the sutras, we should praise and make offerings to them, but we should also uphold the sutras ourselves. So, we earnestly engage in spiritual practice. This is how to achieve natural wisdom.

They must diligently make offerings to those who practice the Lotus Sutra. This means that we make offerings to these people and take the Dharma as our teacher. We take the Dharma and the precepts as our teachers. We should also earnestly accept and uphold them ourselves. We should use the Dharma to make offerings, observe the precepts ourselves and act in accord with the Dharma. In truly making offerings to this sutra and to those who accept and uphold this sutra, we should respect each other. So, we should respect and cherish everyone. Just like how we say, “Respect heaven and love the earth,” [we should] “respect the Dharma and love our fellow humans.” Through accepting and upholding this Dharma, we will know that we need to cultivate our love. We must cherish the earth and all people. This is what the Buddha-Dharma teaches us so we can know ourselves, awaken ourselves and take action ourselves. This is something that we must do ourselves. Let us always be mindful!

Episode 1214 – Paying Respect to Those Who Uphold the Sutras

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>> “We must respect those who form great aspirations to uphold this sutra. We must firmly resolve to draw near and make offerings to them. With those ahead of us, we must draw near and pave the way with love to show our respect. With those behind us, we must have thoughts of sincere compassion, sympathy, love and protection. For many lifetimes, sentient beings are carried on the Buddha’s shoulders. We must uphold the sutras in all places to repay the Buddha’s grace.”

>> “Whatever places they go, people should pay respects toward them and, wholeheartedly, with palms joined together, reverently make offerings to them and respect and praise them.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> [We should] then use “flowers, fragrance, strings of jewels, scented powders, fragrant oils, incense, silken canopies, hanging banners, clothes, food and all kinds of music….”    [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> “They must use the supreme offerings of this world to make offerings. They must take celestial treasures to scatter among them. The collection of celestial treasures should be offered.”    [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> They must use the supreme offerings from this world to make offerings: They use all the supreme and wondrous offerings of this world to make offerings to those who uphold the sutras.

>> The collection of celestial treasures should be offered: The collection of all treasures in the heavens must be offered to those who uphold the Dharma.

>> They reverently make offerings of respect and praise: To be reverent, humble, respectful and careful is to make offerings sincerely. To respect, hear, uphold, chant and practice the Dharma accordingly is precious. This should be greatly praised and admired.

>> “Why is this so? Because these people take joy in expounding the Dharma. The instant they hear it, they immediately attain the ultimate, Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”    [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 10 – On Dharma Teachers]

>> This explains that those who read and recite this sutra expound the Dharma to benefit sentient beings due to their ability to read and recite this wondrous Lotus Sutra; the benefit of expounding the Dharma is that it enables those who hear it to attain unsurpassed enlightenment and reach the ultimate state. Therefore, these Dharma teachers are worthy of respect.

>> Why is this so? Because these people take joy in expounding the Dharma: So, for those who aspire to make offerings, what does this mean? It is to encourage people to take joy in expounding the Dharma. This explains what it means to be “worthy of offerings,” as stated earlier. This is to appeal to the Dharma teachers to joyously expound the Dharma, so people will instantly attain Bodhi.

>> The instant they hear it, they immediately attain the ultimate, Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: The timespan of one day is divided into 30 periods of time. This means in the short time of hearing the Dharma, due to their faith, they can realize the essence of the teachings wholeheartedly. Thus, they can attain the ultimate Buddha-Bodhi.

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“We must respect those who form great aspirations to uphold this sutra.
We must firmly resolve to draw near and make offerings to them.
With those ahead of us, we must draw near
and pave the way with love to show our respect.
With those behind us, we must have thoughts of sincere compassion,
sympathy, love and protection.
For many lifetimes, sentient beings are carried on the Buddha’s shoulders.
We must uphold the sutras in all places to repay the Buddha’s grace.”

We must be mindful! “We must respect those who form great aspirations to uphold this sutra.” We must pass down the Dharma in the world. When people have the Dharma in their minds, the principles are in their minds. If there are no principles in people’s minds, there is no road for them to walk. To have a road in this world, we must be clear on how we came to this world and how we walk this road through the world. That comes from the principles. Principles must be applied with love. This love must be a selfless great love, a pure and undefiled love. Only that is the Bodhi-path of true awakening. For people who are awakened, their minds will not be defiled by mundane matters and passions, cravings, greed and attachments of all kinds. Those who are awakened are not contaminated by these things. Instead, they have great love for the world. So, they are said to have “unconditional loving-kindness and universal compassion.” This makes them awakened sentient beings. These are principles that the world cannot lack.

The Lotus Sutra is all about teaching us that we must pave this path in the world so that for a long time, people will have a path to walk on. These are the teachings for attaining Buddhahood. We must always have these principles paving the path in this world. The Buddha taught the Dharma in the world for less than 50 years. In those 40 to 50 years, He taught and transformed us. He helped us begin to understand the suffering in the world. There is much impermanence in the world. Human minds are filled with afflictions and negative thoughts and are constantly changing. He wanted to help us understand that all this begins with our minds. People’s minds are not orderly; they have deviated from the principles of the world.

The Buddha comes to the world for one great cause, which is to pave this path properly and tell us to not stray from the path. If we keep walking straight on this path, naturally we will be at peace, and naturally we will be on a safe and smooth path. He came to the world to pave a path for people’s minds; this is the great Bodhi-path. In the past, He used all kinds of skillful means to guide us to this great, direct Bodhi-path. So, it should be easy to walk on. However, we humans, sentient beings, are stubborn. Eliminating afflictions and ignorance is easier said than done. On the surface, it appears that we know, understand, respect and are willing to form aspirations. However, the myriads of sentient beings have so many afflictions. This is what the environment is like. People may be smart and have sharp capabilities and find it easy to accept the Dharma, but they are also easily led by their afflictions. This is why we in the human world are unable to liberate ourselves and thus remain here. Therefore, we must form aspirations.

It is a long path to walk. We must apply a mindset of reverence toward upholding sutras and making great vows. We must be dedicated to accepting this sutra. The Buddha spent a very long time to build up to this. He spent more than 40 years teaching. In His later years, in His old age, He had to be very clear and obvious [in His teachings] and help everyone value this sutra. So, He began to praise those who could uphold this sutra as doing so with love, with selfless love. In this world, He demonstrated these principles through examples of people and matters. There is much suffering among people and matters. With the principles, He awakened their love and guided them to pave the path. This is why the Buddha over and over praised those upholding the sutras, whether they upheld one line, one verse or wholeheartedly accepted and upheld them by reading, reciting, copying, teaching and following them in spiritual practice. In this chapter, the Buddha really put in His efforts, hoping that everyone could respect them.

So, we ourselves, as listeners, must form aspirations. When it comes to this sutra, the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, we must respect it at all times. We must also earnestly accept and uphold the teachings in this sutra. We must make the great vows. We accept and uphold it ourselves, and we must also respect others’ upholding of it. When others accept and uphold it, we must take joy in that, we must praise them. We must make great vows. It is best if we also put it into practice ourselves. So, “We must firmly resolve to draw near and make offerings to them.” Not only must we uphold the sutras ourselves, but when others are upholding it, we must draw near them and make offerings to them.

In study groups, we often hear people say, “Hearing these teachings made me happy. I want to initiate a review of the teachings. Not only will I review them myself, but I will also call on everyone to review them together. I also listened to the teachings, so when other people initiate a review to expound [for us to] listen again, I will also take joy in that. I will immediately go and participate.” The more people, the greater the energy. Then, everyone will become more interested in reading and reciting the sutra. Hearing it, we take to heart what we can. After taking it to heart, naturally we can change our old habits and our erroneous perspectives. After listening to the sutras and reviewing the teachings, we engage in self-reflection. “I have these kinds of erroneous behaviors. I must immediately correct them.”

Once we change our habits, our families will rejoice. Friends and relatives will come [and ask], “What is it that made this person change?” After investigating, they realize that [the change] came from accepting the contents of this sutra. Upon hearing it, the principles penetrated our minds. So, the path of our minds changed direction. From the wrong path, we turn in the direction of the right path. Naturally, this Dharma will then become more widespread. This is why we must put our hearts into spreading the Dharma; [it] can transform people’s minds.

So, to the more learned, when we learn the teachings, we must show respect. “With those ahead of us, we must draw near.” If others have accepted and upheld the sutras more diligently, gained greater understanding by reading and reciting them, and taken it to heart with a clearer analysis of them than we have, they are ahead of us when it comes to this sutra because they have a more thorough understanding. So, we should respect them. This is toward “those ahead of us.”

This is like when we talk about our “senior classmates.” They accepted [the Dharma] earlier. They have delved into it more deeply and thus have a greater understanding. So, when it comes to the Dharma, they are ahead of us. So, we must respect them. “With those ahead of us, we must draw near.” We must quickly draw near them. They are advanced in practice and are virtuous. We should draw near them more often. So, with that sense of closeness, we pave this path out of love as a sign of respect.

We often talk about paving a path with love to help everyone walk [in this direction]. We see that this path is already bright and clear. This path requires everyone to pave it together. So, everyone must follow the Dharma of this sutra and its meanings. Since we respect and draw near it, we must follow it. We must pave this path with love so everyone in the world can walk it together. This shows we approve of the Dharma and are willing to take it to heart, thus we dedicate ourselves to doing this. This is the power of love.

And with those behind us? “We must have thoughts of sincere compassion, sympathy, love and protection. Those behind us” are those yet to hear the teachings or are just starting to listen to them now. For newly inspired people, beginners, we must also cherish their aspirations. This is the root of spiritual practice. This seed is just beginning to extend it roots and sprout upwards. We must, with a compassionate heart, cherish this seed which has just sprouted. We must take meticulous care of it, take care of this seeding. This requires a very sincere heart.

A big tree can shade others from sun and wind. However, a small seed that just sprouted requires people to take care of it. So, with a sincere compassion, we take care of this seed. A seedling that just sprouted needs us to take good care of it. It cannot withstand the blazing sun, so we must provide some shade for it. When the soil is too dry, we must water it. This way, the small seedling can slowly grow up to become a small tree. In the future, it will become a big tree that can block the sun and provide shade to allow everyone to cool off.

This is why we must use a sincere mind to cherish those who just formed aspirations and use a compassionate love to protect them. We must constantly have this mindset so that our path can become robust, so that this path in the world can be healthy and can grow stronger. With this path in the world, a small seed can grow into a Bodhi-forest.

So, we must constantly remember that the Buddha carries sentient beings on His shoulders. Life after life. He continuously comes to this world. He cherishes sentient beings just as one cares for young children. In this way, lifetime after lifetime, He carries us on His shoulders. Protecting sentient beings is a responsibility that the Buddha believes He should shoulder. He is like a great, compassionate father, as well as sentient beings’ great guiding teacher. All of our wisdom-lives and the roots of our spiritual practice are dependent on the Buddha’s love to guide us. He helps everyone understand this path, how to give of ourselves to people.

At the end of 2014, as we transitioned from 2014 to 2015, Malaysia suffered a huge windstorm and flood. The disaster was severe. Those winds and waters caused Northern Malaysia, caused several provinces, to be completely flooded. Tzu Chi volunteers from all over Malaysia came together. They truly did what we talk about, “uniting to spread love throughout Malaysia.” This was the kind of love they demonstrated. To provide disaster relief, every day they flew northward from Penang to the eastern coast of Malaysia to serve. This took a long time. Every day, they traveled by chartered flights. For volunteers who were closer, they took the bus. In flooded places, they took a boat over the land. Because of the flooding, the roads were covered with water, Where cars could not travel, they used boats. The disaster relief was very hard work.

Providing disaster relief is a lengthy process. Through the Cash for Relief program, Tzu Chi volunteers dedicated themselves to working with people who signed up. They showed them how to clean up and what to do to help. From civilian homes to churches, mosques and schools, they helped to clean all these places. Truly, we saw them give of themselves this way. These were people of different religions. In the beginning, there were many difficulties, but with sincerity, we drew near them, and with sincerity, we showed them compassion and love. With this kind of cherishing love, this genuine respect, we drew near them. This way, we were able to bring everyone together. The fruit of that giving out of love is a feeling of gratitude.

After providing emergency disaster relief, what comes immediately after that is keeping them company. Even now, Tzu Chi volunteers are still in the worst-hit areas. We also rebuilt houses for them. For dozens of households, we constructed houses for them. This is Living Bodhisattvas’ power of love. They unceasingly gave of themselves.

Next, we began to teach them. “Having relieved them from suffering, [Bodhisattvas] then expound the Dharma for them.” We taught them to protect the environment. We often went to that place to promote recycling. The people who lived there were touched by. Tzu Chi’s sincerity. So, they showed their respect; they accepted [the teachings] with respect. Among the local people, there was one woman who initiated this effort and took the lead. This woman, Rohana, began to mobilize people. She provided her land to be their recycling center and began to promote this all over her village, telling everyone to not burn their trash. She told them, “At that time Tzu Chi came and taught us to protect our environment, to recycle our resources. They hope that everyone can show their respect and give of their love to the world.” So, she shared the principles with them.

Everyone heard this and thought it made sense. “Why are these disasters so devastating? We must have respect for heaven and earth. We must not continue to burn trash and cause such terrible pollution. The imbalance of our climate may truly be due to our continually burning trash.” So, they quit burning trash. Now, they recycle all their bottles. Now, there are nearly a hundred recycling volunteers. The way they did it in that place is exactly the way we do it in Taiwan. They tie things neatly, bag things neatly and stack things neatly. This was truly touching to see.

With a disaster that severe, so much strength had to be exerted. Many people were mobilized; they gave without expectations and paid out of their own pockets [to get there]. They gathered together to provide relief to this disaster area.

In this disaster area, there are people of all kinds of religions. Now, everyone has already overcome the barrier of religion. At the same time, they have responded to the call to protect the environment. They have come together to do this. This is the principle. With the principles, they paved the path with love. This demonstrates their respect. [Rohana] did recycling work to give back. She said, “I did this to show respect. Tzu Chi volunteers came here and taught us this. So, we should respect heaven and earth and accept the Tzu Chi volunteers’ call to do engage in environmental protection.” See, isn’t this exercising sincerity and compassionate love to protect humans and protect the earth? Therefore, this sincere compassion truly has already created this kind of response. Seeing this is very touching.

So, we should be grateful for the Buddha and repay the Buddha’s grace. That village, to repay the Tzu Chi volunteers, put teachings into action by doing recycling work. What about us? As disciples of the Buddha, we must uphold and recite the sutras and put them into practice to repay the Buddha for carrying us on His shoulders; we should repay Him. The Buddha’s love for us, His compassion, is what we must show gratitude for. We must repay the Buddha’s grace.

Let us take a look at the previous sutra passage.

“Whatever places they go, people should pay respects toward them and, wholeheartedly, with palms joined together, reverently make offerings to them and respect and praise them.”

In other words, with those who uphold the sutras, the sutra is present in that place in its entirety. Not only do they uphold it, but they also read, recite, expound it and practice according to the teachings. This means the sutra is there in its entirety. The entirety of this sutra is like the entire body of the Tathagata. So, that is the direction we should “pay respects toward.” We should pay our respects in that direction. Furthermore, we must “wholeheartedly, with palms joined together, reverently make offerings to them and respect and praise them.”

[We should] then use “flowers, fragrance, strings of jewels, scented powders, fragrant oils, incense, silken canopies, hanging banners, clothes, food and all kinds of music….”

This is using all kinds of tangible things to express the intangible reverence of the mind, transforming intangible principles into tangible [things]. The Bodhisattva-aspirations we form are in our minds and cannot be seen. The Bodhisattvas’ mission is to pave a path with love among people; that is something tangible. So, we take intangible principles and transform them into tangible ways of giving. This is called “reverence and respect.” Following and putting the principles into practice is also showing respect and reverence.

The next sutra passage says,

“They must use the supreme offerings of this world to make offerings. They must take celestial treasures to scatter among them. The collection of celestial treasures should be offered.”

People who can uphold this sutra in a very complete way and also practice according to the teachings, people like this, are worthy of offerings. We “must use the supreme offerings of this world,” the highest offerings. When everyone talks about “offerings,” the offering of utmost reverence [is supreme].

They must use the supreme offerings from this world to make offerings: They use all the supreme and wondrous offerings of this world to make offerings to those who uphold the sutras.

This is “the supreme and wondrous offerings of this world.” This is the offering of utmost reverence. As we just discussed, those Tzu Chi volunteers in Malaysia mindfully gave to people in those disaster areas. This is the greatest way of repaying the Buddha’s grace; this is supreme reverence. That village reverently did recycling work; this was their reverent offering to show gratitude to the Tzu Chi volunteers. This was the way they gave of themselves. This is how, through people’s relationships, they mutually put the teachings into practice. That is called “making offerings.”

For offerings, there are material offerings, offerings of reverence and offerings of putting teachings into action. Among these three kinds, the offerings of taking action are supreme. This is the same principle. So, “They use all the supreme and wondrous offerings of this world to make offerings.” This is because they have already taken the Dharma to heart. After they took the Dharma to heart, they were willing to give; this is the most wondrous Dharma. The Dharma that people can take to heart and make use of is the most wondrous Dharma. This is how they make offerings. [They] “make offerings to those who uphold the sutras.” They repay [them] by putting teachings into action. So, I often hear Tzu Chi volunteers say, “Master, we will repay you by working together with unity and harmony.” This more than anything else makes me very happy. This is intangible, but the harmony and unity of a group of people comes from being of the same heart and mind in making the supreme offering. When we make offerings to the Buddha, we should do the same. With supreme and unsurpassed love, we take the Dharma to heart and express it outwardly to reciprocate the Buddha’s grace.

So, “They must take celestial treasures to scatter among them.” Like scattering flowers, this is “to encourage heavenly beings to scatter flowers and offer treasures.”

The scattering of flowers is like the happiness people feel after listening to the sutra. [A heart] experiencing the Dharma-joy is like a heart blooming with flowers. This is like scattering flowers. “I feel very happy after listening to this. Not only do I delight in it, I also want to put it into practice. I want to pave the path with love.” This is truly showing that we are happy, we have accepted the sutra and we have offered the treasure of utmost respect. This treasure is the treasure of our hearts, which we are offering up. Isn’t this like the parable of the poor son? The elder of the wealthy family approached his impoverished child. He gradually guided the child [to understand]. “You also have a part in this wealth.” This expresses what the Buddha said, “When you absorb my teachings, they become yours.” Everyone’s mind contains a treasury. We should open up the treasuries of our minds and make offerings with them. Every one of us is wealthy. Every one of us has wisdom. Every one of us can use the collection of supreme celestial treasures. We collect the supreme treasures and offer them; this is the pooling together all kinds of love so we can give to others in all kinds of ways. This is the Dharma-treasure of upholding sutras. When we uphold the sutras and take them to heart, the spiritual wealth [we gain] is what we use to make offerings to the Buddha.

So, “The collection of celestial treasures should be offered.”

The collection of celestial treasures should be offered: The collection of all treasures in the heavens must be offered to those who uphold the Dharma.

The collection of celestial treasures is our mind joining with the Buddha’s mind and becoming one. This is like how the Buddha’s mind became one with the universe; it is the same principle. We must be mindful. Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. The Buddha could attain Buddhahood; we can also attain Buddhahood. So, when we discover our innate knowledge, that is our collection of celestial treasures. Our conscience is our innate knowledge. With our innate knowledge, we make use of our altruistic potential and make offerings of ourselves in this way. This is “the collection of celestial treasures, [which] should be offered.” Our innate knowledge converges with the heavens and we give of ourselves; this is the power of love.

So, “The collection of all treasures in the heavens must be offered to those who uphold the Dharma.” Those who uphold the Dharma use their wisdom, love and firm aspirations to read, recite, accept and uphold this sutra. They practice according to the teachings and spread the Dharma throughout the world. We use this to demonstrate that our minds have already received our conscience’s teachings. We express the intent of our conscience. This is how we make offerings. Actually, if we explain it this way, we should be able to constantly make offerings. Otherwise, we may often wonder, “A collection of celestial treasures? Where are we supposed to get celestial treasures to make offerings?” Actually, this sutra is using a metaphor. We must mindfully seek to experience it. [In terms of] innate knowledge and conscience, we often say, “Listen to your conscience more.” Our conscience is innate knowledge. With innate knowledge, we can tap into our altruistic potential. Our altruistic potential can benefit people. This is how we make offerings. This is making offerings with the collection of heavenly treasures.

The next sutra passage says,

“Why is this so? Because these people take joy in expounding the Dharma. The instant they hear it, they immediately attain the ultimate, Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

Why do we make such solemn, reverent offerings? Why? Because these people have truly taken all the principles in the Lotus Sutra and read, recited and expounded them. They have spread the Dharma in the world. This is because these people take joy in expounding the Dharma. They have already upheld, read, recited and copied each verse of this sutra, engraving it on their hearts; etching it into their hearts. So, they take joy in expounding the Dharma; everything in life is Dharma. For this reason, “the instant they hear it,” their [actions] are within the Dharma in this way; the Dharma is in their life too. This is easy to understand. After listening, very quickly they can understand. Having thoroughly comprehend the principles, “They immediately attain the ultimate, Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

Earlier we talked about flowers blooming in our hearts because we are happy. The Dharma can arouse our Dharma-joy. This Dharma makes us happy; we take it to heart. We are truly very happy. When people speak of this Dharma, we will feel very happy deep in our hearts. This way, we can quickly awaken.

This explains that those who read and recite this sutra expound the Dharma to benefit sentient beings due to their ability to read and recite this wondrous Lotus Sutra; the benefit of expounding the Dharma is that it enables those who hear it to attain unsurpassed enlightenment and reach the ultimate state. Therefore, these Dharma teachers are worthy of respect.

This demonstrates that reading and reciting this sutra and expounding the Dharma benefits sentient beings. Expounding this sutra can benefit sentient beings. “Due to their ability to read and recite this Wondrous Lotus Flower Sutra….” They read and recite this Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. [So, there is] “the benefit of expounding the Dharma.” The Dharma they expound can benefit many people. It can benefit the world and bring purity to people’s minds. “It enables those who hear it to attain unsurpassed enlightenment and reach the ultimate state.” When they listen to this Dharma, they can give rise to thoughts of joy. When they take it to heart, they can also accept and uphold it. They can also engrave it deeply on their minds and reach the ultimate. By etching it deeply, they reach the ultimate. “Therefore these [are] Dharma teachers.” They are Dharma teachers of the world. These people are the world’s Dharma teachers. “[They] are worthy of respect.” Because of this, we should respect them.

“Why is this so?” Why is that the case? “Because these people take joy in expounding the Dharma.” In other words, these people take joy in teaching the Dharma. So, they make offerings in this way. That is their intention.

Why is this so? Because these people take joy in expounding the Dharma: So, for those who aspire to make offerings, what does this mean? It is to encourage people to take joy in expounding the Dharma. This explains what it means to be “worthy of offerings,” as stated earlier. This is to appeal to the Dharma teachers to joyously expound the Dharma, so people will instantly attain Bodhi.

This is exhorting every one of us to be joyful. We should take joy in listening to the Dharma, in expounding the Dharma and in spreading the Dharma to universally spread this Dharma around the world. This explains that everyone should give rise to joy and make offerings. We should make offerings to them, and they should be respected. We must earnestly be mindful. Wherever this sutra is, we should give rise to joy for that place. Moreover, when we hear people reciting sutras or expounding the sutras, we should give rise to a reverent heart.

“This is to appeal to the Dharma teachers to joyously expound the Dharma, so people will instantly attain Bodhi.” Everyone can be a Dharma teacher. We must also ourselves seek to recite, uphold and expound the sutras. Everyone is able to pass down the sutras. We give in this way in hopes that we will also be able to do the same. So, our goal for ourselves is also to be able to become Dharma teachers. Therefore, we must exercise our joyous hearts. We must learn to expound the Dharma, apply the sutra in our minds and practice in our daily lives. When we have a chance, we share it with others. Any time is a time to expound the Dharma. We must seize this time. If we can do this, [we can attain the ultimate] “the instant [we] hear it.”

The instant they hear it, they immediately attain the ultimate, Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: The timespan of one day is divided into 30 periods of time. This means in the short time of hearing the Dharma, due to their faith, they can realize the essence of the teachings wholeheartedly. Thus, they can attain the ultimate Buddha-Bodhi.

When we often learn about how to expound the sutras, then naturally, when we hear them again, we can quickly understand them.

So, holding study groups after hearing the sutras is very important. Everyone can review them. In the Chapter on the Conjured City, didn’t the 16 princes listen to this sutra, review it and expound the Lotus Sutra again? This means we should also learn to do this. Then when we listen to others’ explanations, we will be able to understand faster. This way, “They immediately attain the ultimate. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.” This is very quick.

“The timespan of one day,” from day to night, “is divided into 30 periods of time.” Whether it is daytime or nighttime, these periods are very short times in which we can listen to the Dharma. We can hear the Dharma; it is always in our lives. We all listen with our eyes and our ears and experience with our bodies. Whether it is day or night, we can listen to the Dharma anywhere. We can do this the whole day. So, this is faith. We must have very deep faith to understand the principles of the sutras and the very essence of the meaning. When we listen, we must do so wholeheartedly. We cannot just casually listen. Sometimes we might [call out to] someone. Why aren’t they responding? In turns out, they are listening. They are listening to the sutras broadcast and are doing so wholeheartedly. “Wholeheartedly” is being focused and taking the essence of the meanings and principles to heart. This is “[realizing] the essence of the teachings wholeheartedly. Thus, they can attain the ultimate Buddha-Bodhi.” If we can do this, [we can attain] the Buddha’s awakening. Bodhi is awakening. We can achieve the ultimate understanding and thoroughly understand the principles that the Buddha awakened to.

Everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, this is what we should do. These deep principles are actually found in ordinary things. If we simply [cling] to the sutras, things like making offerings with the collection of heavenly treasures is something we will not be able to do. If we just recite the text, how would we be able to do that? We must be very clear on the meaning behind the entire sutra text and take it to heart, realizing what it is. There is wealth in our minds. Everyone has treasures. It turns out that the poor son was the child of a wealthy family. It turns out ordinary beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature. When we completely display this Buddha-nature and intuitive knowledge, that is using our conscience and altruistic potential and giving in the world. We must make offerings in this way. This is because we read the sutras and were happy. We were very happy and felt Dharma-joy in our hearts. In our lives, we are always paving the path with the Dharma. We always go among people with Dharma-joy. Isn’t this the scattering of celestial flowers? It is the same principle. In summary, we must always be mindful.