Category: TLS Chapter 18

Episode 1621 – Taking Joy in Spreading the Teachings

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>> “Spreading the Dharma is not easy, for the Dharma is hard to spread. Those who spread the Dharma find it hard to convey their aspirations. The aspiration to pass on the Buddha’s wisdom-life is hard to carry out, so Ananda, out of grief and shame, sought to enter cessation.”

>> [Once] when Ananda came to a bamboo grove, he heard a group of bhiksus reciting a verse incorrectly, “Living for a hundred years without seeing a crane is not as good as living for one day and getting to see a crane.” Ananda sighed at this and said, “Living for a hundred years without understanding the law of arising and ceasing is not as good as living for one day and being able to understand arising and ceasing.”

>> ..or a city, a town, a street, an alley, a settlement or a farm, and based on what they have heard, they expound it for their parents, elders, virtuous friends and acquaintances to the best of their abilities.   [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 17 – On Distinguishing Merits and Virtues]

>> “All these people hear this and take joy in it, and they too pass on the teachings. When other people hear [this sutra], they also take joy in it and pass on the teachings. In this way, it is passed on and on in turn until it reaches the fiftieth person.”   [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 17 – On Distinguishing Merits and Virtues]

>> All these people [pass it on] in cities, towns and villages to their relatives, acquaintances, good friends and so on, on and on until it reaches the fiftieth person. If they were to continuously pass it on, listening to the sutra and spreading the Dharma on and on until the fiftieth generation, this would be of merit

>> All these people hear this and take joy in it: All these people pass on [this sutra] from one group to another. They pass down the Dharma from generation to generation; upon hearing the Dharma, they all take joy in it. All these people: This refers to the aforementioned parents, relatives and so on.

>> [They] hear this and take joy in it: This refers to the people [who go to] the monasteries, farms [and so on]. Upon hearing the Dharma, they leave the Dharma-assembly and are immediately able to expound it to others. This also refers to the others who also take joy in it and enjoy teaching it to people; they also pass it on by teaching it to a third group of people.

>> They too pass on the teachings. When other people hear [this sutra], they also take joy in it and pass on the teachings: Even more people hear the Dharma in this way and pass down the teachings on and on in turn. When others hear them teach, some of them will also pass on the teachings to others to the best of their ability.

>> In this way, it is passed on and on in turn until it reaches the fiftieth person: In this way, they disseminate [the sutra], passing on the teachings in this order. One person passes it on to another, all the way until it reaches the fiftieth person. Once these other people have heard it, they give rise to joy in their hearts. Then they also go on to pass on the teachings to the fourth and fifth generations. They pass them on and on until they reach the tenth and twentieth person, all the way until they reach the fiftieth person.

>> Those who teach and listen may be eminent monks, famous scholars or virtuous friends, people young and old, or foolish men and foolish women. They might spread [the Dharma] in teahouses, taverns, inns, parks, in vegetable gardens among the bean trellises, along the main road, in small alleys, or on fishing boats along the river. In this way, they pass it on and on in turn, gradually spreading it further and further until it reaches the fiftieth person.

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“Spreading the Dharma is not easy, for the Dharma is hard to spread.
Those who spread the Dharma find it hard to convey their aspirations.
The aspiration to pass on the Buddha’s wisdom-life is hard to carry out,
so Ananda, out of grief and shame, sought to enter cessation.”

This is very difficult and also very lamentable. The Right Dharma is needed in the world, so when the Buddha was about to enter Parinirvana, His greatest worry was regarding how the Dharma was to be spread. Starting with the Chapter on Dharma Teachers, the Buddha kept increasing His efforts; He clearly wanted to spread the Dharma. This meant that He had to recruit people. To spread the Dharma, He had to recruit people. People needed to be able to form great aspirations and make great vows; making great vows to spread the Dharma was what the Buddha worried about the most before He entered Parinirvana.

He had been spreading the Dharma His entire life, for a full 42 years. When those 42 years had passed by, the Buddha was already 72 years old. He had been spreading the Dharma for 42 years. As He was by then already 72 years old, He knew how impermanent life was and that He did not have much time left, so He immediately turned toward teaching the Lotus Dharma. He let go of the skillful means of the past and turned to the true path. He kept telling everyone that the teachings used before were all skillful means that. He had applied in earnest patience. Now, having set aside the skillful for the direct, His teachings were very practical. The teachings He wished to give were all very direct. He had now set aside His previous teachings of skillful means and began teaching anew, directly expounding the Lotus Sutra, the direct path to Bodhi.

In the past, I have repeatedly discussed the great, direct path to Bodhi. This is the Lotus Sutra. To get people to enter Bodhi and lead them toward awakening, He ultimately had to use direct teachings. Yet the Lotus Sutra contained all of the past teachings as well as the present and future [teachings]. [It contained] His reminders of the present and the teachings to be passed on in the future. So, chapter by chapter, passage after passage, be it from the Chapter on Parables, the Chapter on Faith and Understanding or so on, they were the teaching of the manifest.

Now we are in “the teaching of the intrinsic.” So, we can see how urgently the Buddha wanted to spread the Dharma, but He lamented how difficult spreading it was. It is difficult to spread the Dharma; this is not easy. Spreading the Dharma is difficult indeed!

Moreover, those wanting to spread the Dharma find it difficult to convey their aspirations. They want to spread [the Dharma], but the words they use to teach seem to not be well-understood by people. This is why “those who spread the Dharma find it hard to convey their aspirations. The aspiration to pass on the Buddha’s wisdom-life is hard to carry out.” They may understand it, but their karmic conditions are insufficient for them to form vows to carry out this aspiration. This is truly difficult. This is why “Ananda, out of grief and shame, sought to enter cessation.” We must be very mindful to reflect on this and be vigilant. This is describing Ananda, who received the Buddha’s Dharma to spread.

When the Buddha entered Parinirvana, He passed the Dharma on to Venerable Kasyapa. Venerable Kasyapa revered the Buddha’s teachings. When it came to the Dharma in the Buddha’s mind, Kasyapa was very sensitive and acute. The Buddha merely picked up a flower, and an expression of joy, a smile, began to show on Venerable Kasyapa’s face. The Buddha felt that Kasyapa understood the aspiration in His mind. He saw how willing Kasyapa was to work hard and endure hardship; with such firm resolve, [Kasyapa] willingly engaged in ascetic practices and willingly went among people. He could resonate with the Buddha’s aspiration, so when the Buddha entered Parinirvana, He decided to hand the Dharma and the Sangha over to Venerable Kasyapa.

Venerable Kasyapa spent a period of time mindfully organizing the Sangha and gathered people to compile the sutras. After they had compiled the sutras, they began to go out to spread the Dharma. Having done all that he was supposed to do, he thought, “I must pass on the Buddha’s robes and His alms bowl to the future generation.” So, with this mission, he went to Cock’s Foot Mountain, went into a cave and entered Samadhi, awaiting Maitreya’s birth in the world so that he can pass the Buddha’s robes and bowl on to Maitreya. This was his mission.

This is why Venerable Kasyapa passed on the Dharma to Ananda. Then it was up to Ananda to spread the Dharma. So, Ananda spread the Dharma that was passed down to him by Venerable Kasyapa, dedicating himself to fulfill this responsibility over the course of the next several decades. Ananda lived for a long time; even when he was over 100 years old, He still spread the Dharma among people.

[Once] when Ananda came to a bamboo grove, he heard a group of bhiksus reciting a verse incorrectly, “Living for a hundred years without seeing a crane is not as good as living for one day and getting to see a crane.” Ananda sighed at this and said, “Living for a hundred years without understanding the law of arising and ceasing is not as good as living for one day and being able to understand arising and ceasing.”

One day, when Ananda was in a bamboo grove, he saw a group of bhiksus reciting a verse, but they were not reciting it correctly. As they taught each other this verse, the way they were saying it was, “Living for a hundred years without seeing a crane is not as good as living for one day and getting to see a crane.” This describes someone who may have lived for 100 years without ever seeing a crane. Everyone should know the crane. It is a kind of bird, a water fowl. This describes how if someone were to live to 100 without ever seeing a crane, “it is not as good as living for one day and getting to see a crane.” When Ananda heard this, he told them, “You are mistaken! The way you are saying this verse is wrong. According to the Buddha’s Right Dharma, the verse should go, Living for a hundred years without understanding the law of arising and ceasing is not as good as living for one day and being able to understand arising and ceasing. It is not about seeing a crane. It is about understanding the law of arising and ceasing.” He corrected the bhiksu and taught it to the whole group of bhiksus as well.

Then, the leader of those bhiksus went back and told his master, “Master, Venerable Ananda said your verse is incorrect.” Then he related to his master the way that. Ananda told them how the verse should go. His master exclaimed, “Ananda is already very old. His memory is bad; he remembers incorrectly. The Buddha was talking about a crane, not about the law of arising and ceasing.” Of course that bhiksu, believing his master, returned to that group of bhiksus and told them, “This is how our master taught us. We should pass it on according to the way that our master taught us.”

“A crane is something that we can see if we look for it. The law of arising and ceasing is something we ordinarily cannot see or touch. If we describe the Dharma like this, then people cannot comprehend it. A crane is something we can see. Getting to see it is a blessing! Cranes can live for 1000 years; if we can see a crane, it symbolizes blessings and longevity.” We often see how crane are [portrayed] on gifts and birthday cards. The symbol of the crane is used to represent well-wishes, for the crane symbolizes longevity.

So, during that era, this is how those bhiksus passed on this verse. When Ananda heard them, he corrected them, but it was still of no use. Because of this, Ananda was truly disheartened. He never stopped spreading the teachings, transmitting the Buddha’s Right Dharma, but when he heard these people recite them, they had deviated in a verse. Further, if only one word was incorrect [then], this is to say nothing of people in the future who would have very strong opinions of their own. From one thing, they may go on to say that they understand ten more things. Perhaps to show how knowledgeable they are, they may say they know 100, 1000 things from one. From listening to one teaching, they approximate it [with other explanations], saying things like. “[The Dharma] is like this and like that.” Thus, it becomes a big mess when people begin using their own thinking to give their own interpretation of [the Dharma]. In this way, things just keep developing. A slight deviation can cause a great divergence. If we are mistaken, then we must quickly [correct ourselves], for when it comes to spreading the Dharma regarding people, matters and objects, if we deviate even a little, then we may deviate across the board.

So, [Ananda] deeply lamented this. I also find myself deeply lamenting the fact that spreading the Dharma is so difficult. As for the Lotus Sutra, our Da Ai TV recently broadcasted a program about Master Zhizhe. His master, Master Huisi, had told him, “If you wish to spread the Lotus Sutra and aspire to enter into the Lotus Sutra, if you focus on studying it and wish to spread the Dharma, then you will encounter many difficulties, for spreading the Dharma is difficult.” Master Huisi told him, “My master also warned me that the Dharma is indeed difficult to spread.”

When we first began watching this show, we could see how Master Huisi had been oppressed at every step by those in power, to the point where they even poisoned him with a slow-acting poison that caused his body to continuously deteriorate. They used all sorts of ways to thwart him. It was when Master Huisi had become thoroughly disheartened that the young Zhiyi appeared. He could see how keen his capabilities were, and he was a person who could spread the Dharma, so he helped him understand [the Dharma] quickly. Zhiyi then began focusing his mind with a single resolve, for the Lotus Sutra truly resonated with his aspirations. Because of this, he formed aspirations and made vows.

Master Huisi then told Master Zhiyi, “Since you have made such vows, in the future, you too will similarly encounter layers of severe hardships in spreading the Dharma.” Indeed, Master Zhiyi faced countless obstacles. In those times, it was an age of constant warfare, where one calamity occurred after another. Despite such hardships with people and matters, he always persisted in spreading the Dharma. He continued to spread the Dharma widely and many kept coming to listen to him teach it.

However, Master Zhiyi told his disciples, “I am very worried.” His disciples told him, “The Dharma is really flourishing now! Master, you should be overjoyed!” Yet Master Zhiyi told them, “Many listen to the Dharma, yet few understand it.” As the Dharma was only spread by word of mouth, it may seem as if everyone understands it, yet those who can truly comprehend it and actually put it into practice are in fact very few in number.

Thus, Master Zhiyi had to be determined to move forward, even after the emperor revered him and made him the Imperial Preceptor. He then became the emperor’s teacher and was widely called Master Zhizhe (the Wise One). However, he still wanted to continue [teaching]. It happened to be an era of chaos and warfare, and he still wished to spread the Dharma further. It was hard work and very exhausting, yet he never stopped spreading the Dharma until the end of his life. Actually, Master Zhizhe passed away when he just over 60, entering Perfect Rest. When it came to the Dharma of the Lotus Sutra, even during a period of such chaos, an era of so many changes, he still persisted in going among people and completing all of the treatises that he was writing regarding the Lotus Sutra, such as the Textual Commentary on the Lotus Sutra and so forth. This is something quite extraordinary. Master Zhizhe was the one able to take all he learned about the Lotus Sutra and write it all down so that future generations would be able to read and understand it.

The eras have passed by until now. We hope now that the Buddha-Dharma will not remain something that we only talk or write about but something that we actualize among people. The one great cause of the Buddha is to teach the Bodhisattva Way. Although the [Dharma] is so comprehensive, with beautiful, profound and wondrous writing, despite the beauty of its words and the great profundity of its principles, to understand it and carry it out is not something that is easy at all.

Actually, to put it clearly, there is no need to talk about it. We simply need to directly carry it out, carry it out until everyone can understand it, until they can “comprehend the great path and form the supreme aspiration.” After comprehending these principles, everyone will form aspirations to go among people and read “the sutra of suffering” of each person. The very first time the Buddha taught the Dharma, did He not teach about suffering? “Suffering” arises from “causation,” the accumulation of the karma that people create, which results in suffering difficult to relieve.

Every year, our TIMA conference gathers here in the Jing Si Hall in Hualien (In 2018) we invited [Rajendra Kumar Pachauri], who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his research in climate change. How can we mitigate [climate change]? It is truly very difficult. I told him, “When it comes to climate change or to these extreme changes in the weather, people have no way to change it. It will only happen after people purify their hearts and everyone puts [the Dharma] into practice.”

Just having knowledge is not enough. We must go on to put it into practice through each of our personal actions. Only when we know how to cherish everything that we use will we not create so much garbage. Not only that, we must cherish the lives of all beings.

In fact, that Nobel Prize winner is a vegetarian himself. He said that he has been a vegetarian for more than 20 years himself. Nevertheless, I hope we will still keep promoting the need for everyone to become vegetarian. I kept asking him how many lives we take every day just for our craving of taste? How many do we kill every month? Living creatures are crying out. This is still secondary; most importantly, how many months does it take to raise a chicken, a chicken or a duck? How long does it take to raise a pig? How long does it take to raise a cow? This is one of the reasons why the environment is becoming so polluted.

We often discuss the air pollution. I also talked to him about breathing; about how when so many people exhale, their breath then becomes a kind of contaminant. So, this is how the increase in population reduces air quality. Furthermore, what everyone needs to breathe in is fresh oxygen, but the air now has become very polluted.

So, these are things that we keep talking about. I am always saying this, but these things need to be said regardless, because they need to be explained clearly. The emissions and excrement produced by one cow is many times more than that of a human, a great many more times. The amount of water a cow drinks and the amount of food it eats is greater than that of a human being. Mankind is now facing a water crisis. There are already water shortages in some places. If the water dries up, then people cannot live, as mankind and all life on Earth are dependent on water.

However, the Earth’s water [sources] have begun to continuously dry up. In places without water, it seems that there is no sign of life. Not even an inch of grass grows there, and the land is parched and cracked. How can people live in such deserts and so on?

Everyone, water is so important to us. How can animals live without water? They need water. So, they increase [carbon] emissions, their excrement is even more excessive and they use more water than humans themselves. Look at all the lives that are lost every day. These living creatures, large and small, are crying out. When they harbor such grievances and hatred, how can the world ever be at peace?

It seems like I am always repeating these things, but they are all very worrisome. Now is the time when we need to spread the Dharma. How are Bodhisattvas going to save the earth? They do it through environment protection. Environment protection relates to all life. The fate of our Earth depends on it, so our every thought should always be about the fate of our Earth.

We must continue to go and help countries suffering from disasters. Whether it is the refugee crisis, climate change or the issue of poverty, all these issues are becoming more frequent. If we do not promote the Bodhisattva-path, those who suffer will just keep on suffering. The accumulation of all these different issues leads to suffering. Who is able to go there and lend a helping hand? Only Bodhisattvas can do this.

If we do not practice the Bodhisattva-path, the world will quickly be destroyed. The era we live in now is an era of destruction. If people do not know to take good care of their minds, if they do not know to cherish one another or protect lives to reduce pollution, if they do not know the source of the issues, then indeed, there is nothing we can do. There will be nothing to do or say. So, since the world is so vast, we need everyone to spread the Dharma.

Ananda lamented, “It is hard to spread the Dharma.” The Buddha had just passed the Dharma to Ananda; Ananda was only the second generation in spreading the Dharma, yet the Dharma was already deviating. This was hard for Ananda to bear, and He felt ashamed. What could he do? So, having lost all hope, he began thinking about entering Nirvana.

He went to King Ajatasatru to bid him farewell, but when he arrived there, King Ajatasatru was sleeping. He was taking his afternoon nap. His attendant stopped Ananda and told him, “You cannot go and disturb the king right now.” Ananda then told the attendant, “In this case, when the king is awake, please tell him that I stopped by to say goodbye. I am leaving the kingdom, and soon, I will enter Nirvana.” Then he left.

After the king woke up, his attendant, his imperial bodyguard, told him what had happened. The king exclaimed in shock, “No wonder! During my afternoon nap, I had a huge nightmare. It turns out it was because Ananda is about to enter Nirvana. Why didn’t you wake me? How many hours have it been?” [The attendant said], “It was a while ago.” The king immediately went after Ananda and pursued him to the bank of Ganges river. Ananda was already in the middle of the Ganges. Not only was Ananda already in the middle of the Ganges, he was also by then in another kingdom. When the king of that kingdom heard that Ananda was about to enter Nirvana, he too hastened from the other bank of the river.

There were kings then on both sides urging him, “Venerable Ananda, please remain in the world!” Ananda told them, “There is no use in my remaining [here].” While this went on, many others began gathering around in the many spaces [around the river]. Even dragon-gods and [Dharma-protectors] began gathering there. Ananda then began thinking, “What will happen to my remains after I die?” It would be like when the Buddha entered Parinirvana; many kings fought over His remains. Kasyapa went to a cave and entered Samadhi, so this was not a problem for him. Ananda was the only one left to pass on the Dharma. Since he too was about to enter Nirvana, people would certainly fight over his remains. [The thought of this] was unbearable for Ananda, so while all of this was happening, Ananda turned and disappeared.

This was what happened to Venerable Ananda. Still, Ananda managed to pass on the Dharma to the third generation, and it has continually been passed down until now. If we think about how truly disheartened. Ananda became during his own time, then how much more disheartening must it have been for those who came even later? Spreading the Dharma must have been even harder. When it comes to the Buddha-Dharma, the Dharmakaya of the written word still remains, but the true spirit of the Dharma has deviated. Regardless of how [much] it has deviated, we still must always pass on the Dharma, Right Dharma.

So, in our sutra passage, it says that people now feel joy wherever they see the Dharma being spread. In the Chapter on the Merits and Virtues of Joy, we see others listening to, learning and teaching the Dharma. We must praise people when they listen and whenever they do good deeds. This is what the Buddha advocated. It is part of the Bodhisattva Way, these Six Paramitas, giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence and so on. The Buddha placed great importance on all of these. As for good deeds or charitable giving, be it giving of Dharma or money, the Buddha wanted to praise all of these. People in the future must praise these too. Wherever anyone teaches the Dharma, we should take joy in it and praise them.

So, when it comes to locations,

it could be “a city, a town, a street, an alley, a settlement or a farm, and based on what they have heard, they expound it for their parents, relatives, virtuous friends and acquaintances to the best of their abilities.”

If there are people like this, whether they go into cities or busy urban areas, into the streets or the alleyways, they are always teaching the Dharma. They may go into the countryside, where they will teach and pass it on like this. When people there hear [the Dharma], they will pass on this good thing to their parents, their relatives, good friends and acquaintances. We always need to pass the good Dharma we hear on to other people. This was in the previous sutra passage.

The next sutra passage states,

“All these people hear this and take joy in it, and they too pass on the teachings. When other people hear [this sutra], they also take joy in it and pass on the teachings. In this way, it is passed on and on in turn until it reaches the fiftieth person.”

Now we know this. As mentioned previously, “all these people,” whether in the city or countryside, pass on the Dharma from person to person, to their relatives, acquaintances and friends.

All these people [pass it on] in cities, towns and villages to their relatives, acquaintances, good friends and so on, on and on until it reaches the fiftieth person. If they were to continuously pass it on, listening to the sutra and spreading the Dharma on and on until the fiftieth generation, this would be of merit

.”..on and on until it reaches the fiftieth person.” It is continuously passed down like this. They listen to the sutra and spread the Dharma, passing it on from person to person until it reaches the fiftieth generation. Generation after generation, lifetime after lifetime, it continues to be passed down through the generations. If it keeps being passed on like this, it will be able to reach the fiftieth generation. Only then can it demonstrate our resolve. Only when the Dharma is truly passed on like this can it then be said to have any “merit.”

All these people hear this and take joy in it: All these people pass on [this sutra] from one group to another. They pass down the Dharma from generation to generation; upon hearing the Dharma, they all take joy in it. All these people: This refers to the aforementioned parents, relatives and so on.

“All these people.” All these people are worthy of merit. These people can pass [the Dharma] on to group after group of people, to group after group of people generation after generation. When we hear that they do this, we must always take joy. [Regarding] these people, “‘All these people’ refers to the aforementioned parents, relatives and so on.” These are our own people. Our parents’ [lineages] are passed on like this, from our grandparents and great-grandparents. The Dharma-lineage is also passed down like this through the generations. It continues to be passed down like this through generation after generation. This is something really very precious.

“When we do Tzu Chi’s work now, do our children participate? Yes, our whole family participates!” This is already the first and second generations. “Our grandchildren also join us now. They also know the importance of getting their classmates to help others, by donating through the bamboo bank.” Now, a third generation has also appeared. This is how [the Dharma] is passed down generation after generation. It is directly passed down, generation after generation. This is something that is worthy of our praise.

What should we do so that “upon hearing the Dharma, [we] all take joy in it”? We must pass it down directly. [Learning from] people in this way, we must pass it down through generations being sure to take joy in it and praise them. So, “All these people refers to the aforementioned parents, relatives and so on.” We praise them when they really and truly begin to do this. If everyone can do this with their parents and relatives, from generation to generation, until it reaches their grandchildren and onward, then this would certainly be praiseworthy.

So, “They hear this and take joy in it.”

[They] hear this and take joy in it: This refers to the people [who go to] the monasteries, farms [and so on]. Upon hearing the Dharma, they leave the Dharma-assembly and are immediately able to expound it to others. This also refers to the others who also take joy in it and enjoy teaching it to people; they also pass it on by teaching it to a third group of people.

Within the Sangha, we take joy in listening to the Dharma. Even when we go to the villages in the countryside, we must also praise and take joy in it. If our extended families and relatives keep doing this generation after generation, then we must always praise and rejoice with them.

Some, having heard the Dharma, can also leave [the Dharma-assembly] and quickly spread it to others. When we see someone doing this, then we must feel joyful for them as well. “Upon hearing the Dharma, they leave the Dharma-assembly” and can immediately expound it to others. So, we should feel joyful for such people and praise them as well. If someone forms aspirations like these and can joyfully pass on this Dharma to others, then we must rejoice for them as well. This is how the Dharma is passed on to a third group of people. It passes again from a second group to a third. This is how it is continuously passed down. “They too pass on the teachings. When other people hear [this sutra], they also take joy in it and pass on the teachings.” This is how [the Dharma] is continuously passed on to different groups of people.

They too pass on the teachings. When other people hear [this sutra], they also take joy in it and pass on the teachings: Even more people hear the Dharma in this way and pass down the teachings on and on in turn. When others hear them teach, some of them will also pass on the teachings to others to the best of their ability.

“In this way, it is passed on and on in turn until it reaches the fiftieth person.” It keeps going like this from one to another, vertically and laterally, being passed on from one person to another. “In this way, they disseminate [the sutra], passing on the teachings in this order.” People spread [the Dharma] one to another until it reaches the fiftieth person. By being continually passed down like this, it reaches many people. “Once these other people have heard it, they give rise to joy in their hearts.” They then pass it down to the fourth and the fifth generations. “They pass them on and on until they reach the tenth and twentieth person, all the way until they reach the fiftieth person.” In this way, from generation to generation, they keep passing down the teachings.

In this way, it is passed on and on in turn until it reaches the fiftieth person: In this way, they disseminate [the sutra], passing on the teachings in this order. One person passes it on to another, all the way until it reaches the fiftieth person. Once these other people have heard it, they give rise to joy in their hearts. Then they also go on to pass on the teachings to the fourth and fifth generations. They pass them on and on until they reach the tenth and twentieth person, all the way until they reach the fiftieth person.

“Those who teach and listen may be eminent monks or famous scholars.” Those who teach or listen to the Dharma may be eminent monks, famous scholars, or good and virtuous friends. They may be young or they may be old. As people, they may not even be very wise. They may just be ordinary. In this way, if we can listen to the Dharma wherever we are, then this is something that we should praise.

Because they pass the teachings down in turn wherever they are, the Dharma gradually spreads further and further until it reaches the fiftieth person. This is how the Dharma is spread.

Those who teach and listen may be eminent monks, famous scholars or virtuous friends, people young and old, or foolish men and foolish women. They might spread [the Dharma] in teahouses, taverns, inns, parks, in vegetable gardens among the bean trellises, along the main road, in small alleys, or on fishing boats along the river. In this way, they pass it on and on in turn, gradually spreading it further and further until it reaches the fiftieth person.

Is the Dharma best spread through word of mouth, in written form or by someone teaching it? Or by some other means? This all emphasizes listening and teaching it. Actually, the best way to spread the Dharma is by putting it into practice.

Dear Bodhisattvas, if we really want to do the work of Bodhisattvas, then we must directly go to help others, for each person is a sutra. These sutras are the True Dharma that we wish to share with others. As fellow Bodhisattvas, we can see how others form aspirations, observe how they work together and follow as they lead us so we can learn by doing. From what we do to help, we observe what suffering others are experiencing. These are the best sutras; they are true stories. When we talk about passing on the Dharma, it really requires us to put it into practice. To this end, we must always be mindful. Please always be mindful!

Episode 1620 – Expound the Teachings to the Best of Our Ability

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>> “They give teachings in cities, on streets and in villages. Bodhisattvas always seek to benefit and bring joy to all sentient beings and become their virtuous friends. They guide and instruct them, teaching them the Four All-Embracing virtues of charitable giving, beneficial conduct, loving speech and working together.”

>> .”..or other people of wisdom, whether old or young, who hear this sutra and take joy in it. They leave the Dharma-assembly and go to another place, perhaps a monastery or an empty and serene place….”   [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 17 – On Distinguishing Merits and Virtues]

>> .”..or a city, a town, a street, an alley, a settlement or a farm, and based on what they have heard, they expound it for their parents, relatives, virtuous friends and acquaintances to the best of their ability.”   [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 17 – On Distinguishing Merits and Virtues]

>> “Though they may not originally intend to listen, [these people] will encounter the wondrous Dharma. Though these listeners may not be sincere, they will still take joy in it with deep faith.”

>> …or a city, a town, a street, an alley, a settlement or a farm, and based on what they have heard…: Whether in a city, a town, a street, an alley, anywhere that people gather together and settle, or in the rural farmlands, they base [their teachings] on what they heard in the Dharma-assembly.

>> Whether in metropolises, cities or townships, streets or alleyways, villages or the countryside or vulgar and profane places, whether teaching their family or extended family, they expound [this sutra] to the best of their ability.

>> They expound it for their parents, relatives, virtuous friends and acquaintances to the best of their ability: For their own parents, elders, relatives, virtuous friends and ordinary acquaintances, they expound [this sutra] according to their own knowledge and ability.

>> “Their listeners may be their parents or relatives, but human relationships are complicated. When compared to those in the Dharma-assembly who listen and contemplate carefully, they are as far apart as clouds and mud.”

>> Relatives: Relatives of the same clan. Acquaintances: People they know and associate with.

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“They give teachings in cities, on streets and in villages.
Bodhisattvas always seek
to benefit and bring joy to all sentient beings
and become their virtuous friends.
They guide and instruct them,
teaching them the Four All-Embracing virtues of charitable giving, beneficial conduct, loving speech
and working together.”

Everyone should be clear about this; how do we spread the Dharma? We are able to spread the Dharma in any place. Be it on bustling city streets, in the countryside or in tranquil and pure places, we can spread the teachings in all these places. Bodhisattvas always “benefit and bring joy to all sentient beings and become their virtuous friends.” They love to make friends and form virtuous affinities. Those we interact with are those with whom we have affinities, so our dialogue is very agreeable and they naturally accept [what we have to say].

So, Bodhisattvas are not selective with places; whether it is a bustling place or a tranquil countryside, when we have an opportunity, we [should] get to know others. When we have an opportunity, we [should] willingly go places to give teachings and make a connection when we talk to [others]. This is benefiting others and giving joy by often gathering with people and bringing them spiritual joy. When we see them accept the Buddha-Dharma and understand it with a pure heart, we are all joyful. We bring this joy to all sentient beings when we sincerely become their virtuous friends, which are also spiritual friends.

This is what we must often practice. We cannot look at people with a biased mind or avoid meeting certain people. If we do this, how can we be like Bodhisattvas? Bodhisattvas do not give up on sentient beings; only then are they true Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are constantly “guiding and instructing [sentient beings], teaching them charitable giving.” When we talk with people, the conversation is not necessarily always about principles. Usually, the things that most people talk about are a lot of unimportant things or [are] about entertainment and interests.

So, Bodhisattvas must quickly pull them back and bring the conversation back to the path by admonishing them, “We should not waste time; there are these good principles.” We should bring the conversation back on the right track and talk about the wondrousness of the principles. This is how Bodhisattvas teach according to capabilities. We see that sentient beings’ minds are scattered in this world of pleasures and entertainment. If we are able to be with them, [we should] gradually bring them back, gradually change the conversation and then gradually explain the Dharma to them. This is where we need to be mindful.

If they are able to listen and take it in, understanding the law of karma, we can begin to teach them charitable giving, beneficial conduct, loving speech and working together. We use these Four All-Embracing Virtues to guide and teach them. This is what [we should do for] people in society. Nowadays, many people are employed workers; if we were to start teaching them by saying. “Thus have I heard,” it can be difficult [for them]. It is not easy to explain the whole sutra for them. With what we understand of the sutra, we should advise people to practice giving, telling them the many sufferings in this world and how we need people to awaken their love in the world to help [those in suffering].

At any time and in any place, we can always share and motivate everyone, inspiring people to give with a loving heart. We help them know that giving is something that benefits people. It is not just for those we do not know; when people [close to] us have difficulties, we can also directly go to help them. Giving is done through people. Everyone comes together and we all participate.

What about beneficial conduct? Is there someone around us who has difficulties? If someone needs our help, we can help them by just reaching out. This kind of beneficial conduct is very easy. Beneficial conduct does not necessarily require money. We can use our minds and physical strength to care for others. This is all beneficial conduct. As for our facial expressions and our speech, we must cultivate ourselves also regarding these so that when we go among people, they will be glad to see us.

When people need our help, they will be happy to seek us out. We just need to give a little effort and use our strength to be able to help them. When it comes to beneficial conduct, there are many ways [to help others]. In our mind, when we want to do something but we have an unresolvable [problem], we think of those who are our virtuous friends. We seek their counsel to help resolve our trouble. “My challenges are solved when they are here.” This kind of beneficial conduct brings great joy to both parties. So, we must learn to practice beneficial conduct. This is something we can do in our everyday lives.

Loving speech is even easier, isn’t it? We must learn to use gentle and loving speech, not harsh or angry words. It is the same words; why must we say things in a way that make people very upset? This is something we must earnestly learn. We must also learn to say important things with emphasis. When we stress something, our tone will always be heavier. Likewise, as a healthy person, when we speak, we can also learn how to speak to people in a gentle manner.

We need collaborative work to transform others. We often say, “Love is about serving and caring for people.” Where are those we need to love? They are right there in our surroundings. They are around us, serving and working with us. For instance, we work together picking vegetables. This is “working together.” Those who wash vegetables together are working together. Those who are in the kitchen together are also working together. In summary, when we work together on something, when everyone comes together in one place, this is called “working together.”

We must work together with others in harmony so the work will be done quickly. We can work effortlessly and harmoniously, doing the work efficiently, with ease and joy. This is to say nothing of office work. In an office, although there are different departments that act as separate departments in themselves, everyone works together to do the job [for the same company]. If everyone gets along in harmony, the outcome of all that they do will be very meaningful and efficient.

It is the same principle with the Four All-Embracing Virtues. When it comes to us humans, wherever there is a group of people, we [can] work together. As long as people are by our side, we can apply all [of these virtues]. So, everyone must be very mindful to apply them at any time, in any place and with anyone; this is what we need to do. I ask everyone to practice these Four All-Embracing Virtues as we engage in the Bodhisattva-practice. We must find opportunities to go among people, and [these virtues] are our best chance to work with others.

Do we need to go out to cities and communities to find people, form affinities and work together? No, we don’t have to. See, we already have those around us. To sum it up, everyone is our virtuous friend. For everyone we meet, we must give rise to joyous praise. We should earnestly work together to guide others in the direction of the Dharma we want to spread. This is joy.

Now we are talking about taking joy in this. We take joy in going among people, finding people to listen to the Dharma and to share our aspiration. When we understand the Buddha-Dharma, we take joy in others’ merits. When there is an opportunity, we should go out and look. If we encounter someone who needs us, we must mindfully teach and guide them. Now the vows we make must always [include] taking joy in others’ merits, as well as praising the beauty in others. This is taking joy in others’ merits.

Next, everyone should still remember [the previous] sutra passage.

“…or other people of wisdom, whether old or young, who hear this sutra and take joy in it. They leave the Dharma-assembly and go to another place, perhaps a monastery or an empty and serene place….”

We have mentioned this sutra passage before. Now, let us continue this.

“…or a city, a town, a street, an alley, a settlement or a farm, and based on what they have heard, they expound it for their parents, relatives, virtuous friends and acquaintances to the best of their ability.”

We must mindfully seek to understand what kind of people we meet in our everyday lives. People are inseparable from this world; everyone must go out. They go to “a city, a town, a street, an alley, a settlement or a farm, and based on what they have heard,” wherever they go, “they expound it for their parents, relatives, virtuous friends and acquaintances to the best of their ability.” No matter where we go, as long as there are those who can listen to us, we should seize the moment to lead and guide them so that they can enter a place where they will be interested in listening to the Dharma. This is how we must entice and earnestly call out to people to come. This is to say nothing of those we know, our friends and relatives; we must quickly call out to them as well.

So,

“Though they may not originally intend to listen, [these people] will encounter the wondrous Dharma. Though these listeners may not be sincere, they will still take joy in it with deep faith.”

In other words, to get people to quickly come and listen to the Dharma, we must be very mindful. This is just like when, in the past, I used to go traveling every month.

This is because, back then, we were building a school, a hospital, Da Ai TV station and so on, so we needed people to understand and know that these were very meaningful things for this world which needed everyone’s support. So, Tzu Chi commissioners often brought people, their relatives and friends, to come [see me]. They continuously called them on the phone or went to their house to encourage them. This is how they brought them [to see me].

Some would say, “Master is coming; I am so happy. I must quickly go there to listen to her.” Others would say, “Oh, I am very busy. I will wait until I have time; I haven’t finished my work yet.” [The commissioners] would then say, “You’re not finished? I’ll help you. We can wash together. Let’s go together.” Then, by pushing and pulling, they would come.

When they came, they were very joyful when they saw our commissioners. [The commissioners] would drag them before me, saying “Master, this friend of mine is so great. Look, Master. I invited them to come see you and listen to you teach the Dharma. [That is] great; hurry and find a seat.” Those listening to the my teachings were urged and somewhat forced; they did not come of their own volition. When I used to travel, I often encountered those who were like this.

However, once they sat down to listen, after listening, they felt it was pretty good. Although they had objections in their minds, after listening, they also felt it was not bad. However, the people who brought them here would hold onto them tightly and tell them, “Regarding this Dharma, this is what Master means.” The friend would be indifferent, “Ok, ok….” They still did not respond very enthusiastically, but that commissioner would still praise them, “It’s wonderful that you were able to come today. Next time Master comes again, I’ll give you a call and you can come.”

In this way, although they clearly had no interest, as long as they came to listen, tranquilly sitting and listening to the teachings, the one who recruited them to come listen would feel very satisfied. Although that person did not come with sincerity, the one who persuaded them to come still “took joy in it with deep faith.” Everyone should be able to clearly understand it in this way.

In ancient times and today, it has been like this. Since the Buddha taught the sutras, there have been [people] like this; in these times, after the Buddha’s entry into Parinirvana, when people spread or teach the Dharma, we must take joy in their merits in the same way. “Now I also realize it; it is like this. Yes, this is how it is. It is like this.” This is how it has been. From ancient times to now, spreading the Dharma has never been easy; safeguarding the Dharma has been even harder. These volunteers advance diligently, never retreating in their aspirations. They want people to draw near the Buddha-Dharma and wish that everyone will hear what we are doing.

This is how the principles within the Buddha-Dharma are. So, we need to go among people and [establish] our mission. Our earliest commissioners [had] “the mark of deep faith and understanding” and were willing to wholly safeguard the Dharma. Every time they wanted to recruit someone, there were many cases like what we just described. Despite being half persuaded and half coerced, later on, once they had been urged and pushed to come, they became interested after listening for themselves, and they no longer rejected it.

First, they were advised; then, they were urged. The third time, they came when they were telephoned. After that, they would say, “Sister, if Master comes again, please let me know.” They began to come on their own and bring others. It is not hopeless; we have to be sincere in transforming people, but their transformation does not come so quickly. Once they are transformed to join us, they also become a seed. This requires our mindfulness. If we form aspirations and are mindful, it is doable.

So, .”..or a city, a town, a street, an alley, a settlement or a farm, and based on what they have heard….”

…or a city, a town, a street, an alley, a settlement or a farm, and based on what they have heard…: Whether in a city, a town, a street, an alley, anywhere that people gather together and settle, or in the rural farmlands, they base [their teachings] on what they heard in the Dharma-assembly.

Be it a city, an urban district, a street, an alley, a village a street, an alley, a village, a region or a neighborhood, Bodhisattvas likewise do not fear hard work and go everywhere to recruit people, inviting them to come together. Bodhisattvas will personally go to every place. This is very difficult. To spread the Buddha’s teachings is not easy.

When we are in a city, a town, a street or an alley, “anywhere that people gather together and settle,” we must find a way to spread [the Dharma]. So, whether it is at a farm or in any [other] place, as long as there are conditions and opportunity, [Bodhisattvas] will find a chance to go. This is also what Tzu Chi volunteers are like. “We are willing to teach [the Dharma] in a prison.” They are also willing to do this. As long as there is an opportunity and the conditions are right, they are willing to sow the seeds of goodness. Thus, “They base [their teachings] on what they heard in the Dharma-assembly.” These things are what they [can use] to spread the Buddha’s teachings.

Whether in metropolises, cities or townships, streets or alleyways, villages or the countryside or vulgar and profane places, whether teaching their family or extended family, they expound [this sutra] to the best of their ability.

So, “Whether in metropolises, cities or townships, streets or alleyways, villages or the countryside….” In the villages and countryside, they likewise go place by place, wherever there are people who gather together, be it clean or dirty [places]. In the Chapter on the. Practice of Bringing Peace and Joy, we also read about this. There are so many places we should go to or should not go to, clean or dirty etc. What should we do? We must have precautions in mind. How should we go there? Should we go or not? If we go, what do we need to mentally prepare for? It is all about how Bodhisattvas should enter [places].

So, “whether teaching their family or extended family” refers to extended family and immediate family. Be it for their uncles, their brothers or their grandchildren or nephews, they always “expound [this sutra] to the best of their ability.” For their own family members and so on, in whatever the environment, they adapt to them. Whoever the person is, be it their relative or an outsider, they wholeheartedly try to transform them. With people on the streets, people from their hometown, relatives and friends, [Bodhisattvas] very mindfully seek to transform them.

They expound it for their parents, relatives, virtuous friends and acquaintances to the best of their ability: For their own parents, elders, relatives, virtuous friends and ordinary acquaintances, they expound [this sutra] according to their own knowledge and ability.

So, “They expound it for their parents, relatives, virtuous friends and acquaintances to the best of their ability.” It is not just for [people] in the alleys or in the neighborhoods. It is also for their relatives and friends and even closer relatives [like] their parents. For their parents, their closest relatives, [other] relatives, virtuous friends and acquaintances, they “expound this sutra” to all “to the best of their ability.”

Do you know? Transforming others is easy but transforming relatives is very difficult. This is especially true when it comes to transforming parents and siblings. It really is very difficult. Look at how we have so many. Tzu Chi volunteers, who are very popular when they are outside. When they go home and want to tell [family members] about Tzu Chi, they are rejected.

For example, in 2018, a Tainan Faith Corps member told me, “I feel so regretful.” I asked, “Why is that?” He said, “I have been in the disaster area for the past several days. It has been 11 days in all. I leave early and return late. My siblings are not understanding, and my parents are very unhappy about it. This makes them very angry. But I have to go out every day because this is my duty.” He is a leader of a [relief] team. He said, “If I do not lead the team, how can the brothers on the team come together? For these ten plus days, I have made my family very unhappy. I feel it is not harmonious.”

This went on for several days until our Dharma masters in the Abode went and told the [family], “We are so grateful.” They went to the family to express to them, “Your child is so wonderful. He served so many people at the disaster area. Fortunately, he brought so many people. Otherwise, the elderly people [wouldn’t know what to do]; there were such high floodwaters. Luckily, we had a group of Tzu Chi volunteers. Your family really is blessed to have such a good child.” They then told [the volunteer], “this is all a misunderstanding.”

“If you had explained to your siblings, it wouldn’t have been such a big problem. Now this misunderstanding has been resolved.” So, he was also very happy. Yet, [later], he came and told me, “Master, I [want to] repent for having created this trouble for my family during this time.” I said, “When helping our neighbors in the disaster areas, first setting aside the individual family to bring the greater mission to fruition was not wrong. The only shortcoming was not explaining clearly to them before going out.” He said, “Indeed, that is what I need to learn.” Nonetheless, he would leave the house very early in the morning, and he continued this work [day after day].

This is engaging in the Bodhisattva-practice. Sentient beings have needs but family members do not understand [this]. Such examples are numerous! It is very difficult for Bodhisattvas, because they must overcome this difficulty when doing good deeds. That is why we say it is not easy. Only if we are able to overcome this difficulty can we be firm in our will to practice. Only then is it called spiritual practice. With such great difficulty, we must not go astray in our direction; we must persist so that we are not influenced by our surroundings. With the right direction, we benefit sentient beings. [Life] is full of suffering. If people only care about themselves and do not care about those who suffer, this world really will not have any Bodhisattvas.

The Buddha taught the Bodhisattva Way in this world because He needed actual people to practice the principles of Bodhisattvas. The words in the sutra are a path. This path is a road we can walk. We want to reach the other shore. We often read that to cross to the other shore there is no other method but to use the Six Paramitas. These six practices will help us go from this shore to the other shore. They are giving, upholding the precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. These are what Bodhisattvas must practice.

In our lifetime, we go through the natural course of life. The Buddha-Dharma is all about the law of karmic cause and effect. We are born in this world without any control. The people in suffering also suffer because of their past karmic forces. So, their present life has unbearable suffering. However, the Buddha came to teach us to give rise to compassion in mind. We must have loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity and sympathy for sentient beings. Since the teachings are for us [to practice] loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity and sympathy for sentient beings, these are not just words for us to read.

What does “loving-kindness” mean? Loving-kindness is creating blessings for people. What is “compassion”? Compassion is “feeling pain when others hurt and grieving when others suffer.” This is “universal compassion. Unconditional loving-kindness” [is caring] for those unrelated to us, and hoping that everyone lives in peace and safety, that society is harmonious and that the world is free of disasters. This is loving-kindness. Compassion is when sentient beings suffer and we feel their pain in our heart; we cannot bear not helping them.

With the karmic law of cause and effect, [good] deeds bring blessings, like saving someone in this life. There are many stories of these karmic conditions in the Buddha’s teachings. In the Buddha’s Jataka Sutra, in order to save people, throughout lifetime after lifetime, He was willing to give His head, eyes, marrow and brain to other people. Throughout countless lifetimes, in the end, He had only one goal, which was to attain Buddhahood. So, in our spiritual practice, we work hard to attain Buddhahood. The goal of Buddhist practitioners is to attain Buddhahood. In the process of attaining Buddhahood, we must [practice] the Bodhisattva-path. We must walk this path of giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. We must walk this path very carefully. If we lack even one [practice], we must continue to pave the path until it is complete. This is how we should practice the Bodhisattva Way.

So, “for their own parents, elders, relatives, virtuous friends…. Virtuous friends” are those friends who take great joy in doing good. “Ordinary acquaintances” are those whom we recognize and share like-minded aspirations with. For these virtuous friends and the people they usually recognize, “they expound [this sutra] according to their own knowledge and ability.” These friends all take joy in giving. If we share [the Dharma] with them, they will definitely accept it, so we expound [the Dharma] to them. It is easier to teach it to them.

Thus,

“Their listeners may be their parents or relatives, but human relationships are complicated. When compared to those in the Dharma-assembly who listen and contemplate carefully, they are as far apart as clouds and mud.”

The listeners who are our parents, relatives and virtuous friends, we can gather them all together. This seems very easy, since they are people familiar to us, distant relatives, neighbors or our own parents and siblings. When we bring all of these people together, “we compare them to those in the Dharma-assembly who listen and contemplate carefully.” What teachings will suit their capabilities? When we choose the Dharma according to their capabilities and share it with them, they are still “as far apart as clouds and mud.” There is still some [distance]. Although they are able to accept it, they are still unable to integrate it very well.

Although these are relatives and friends, although they are our family and people who take joy in virtuous teachings, even after we expound the Dharma to them and they mindfully contemplate [it], for them to accept it and continue listening, they are still as far apart as clouds and mud. It is still a little bit difficult. So, it truly is difficult to spread the Dharma. They may listen [and say], “Yes, yes. I can teach it too; I can repeat it. Yes, I can repeat it [very] well. But there are still some parts….” There are some parts [they do not understand], so we really must be very mindful.

So, these “relatives” are “relatives of the same clan. Acquaintances” are people they have deep ties and associate with.

Relatives: Relatives of the same clan. Acquaintances: People they know and associate with.

Interacting [with people] like this and teaching them the profound and wondrous Dharma is really not easy. This is to say nothing of [the complexity of] people outside. Some already have a mindset that rejects it. It could be a stranger or an acquaintance but when they are not interested, it is very difficult to share the Dharma so that they can take it to heart. So, even just for the sake of cultivating joy, giving teachings ourselves in the hope that everyone will come listen and take joy in them is also not easy.

So, everyone, it is difficult for those who listen to the Dharma and even more difficult for those who spread it. [In regards to] the true Buddha-Dharma, to truly take it to heart, accept it and put it into practice, to practice the Bodhisattva-path, is truly not that easy. When we achieve it, it is so worthy of praise! Recently, I have been praising these senior Bodhisattvas who have continued [even] until today without retreating in their aspirations. They have brought our Four Missions to fruition. Now, they continue to support these Four Missions as volunteers. This is so very precious. Thus, I ask everyone to earnestly cherish and praise this group of. Bodhisattvas we encounter here. We must always be mindful!

Episode 1619 – The Joy That Comes from Listening to the Sutra

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>> “The Tathagata journeys upon the One True Dharma and responds to the capabilities of countless sentient beings. The Tathagata-nature of True Suchness is without appearance, yet it is true. He journeys on the path of True Suchness, neither coming nor going. He journeys upon the seed to come to the fruit, thus achieving perfect enlightenment.”

>> “When we see others transcend suffering and attain joy, we give rise to joy in our hearts. When we see the joy of others, we feel joyful ourselves.”

>> When others take joy in our actions, this is just like giving. The rich give money, while the poor give water and herbs. They each rejoice in their own way; this is all considered giving.

>> “At that time, the Buddha told. Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, ‘Ajita, after the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, suppose there are bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas….'”   [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 17 – On Distinguishing Merits and Virtues]

>> .”..or other people of wisdom, whether old or young, who hear this sutra and take joy in it. They leave the Dharma-assembly and go to another place, perhaps a monastery or an empty and serene place….”   [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 17 – On Distinguishing Merits and Virtues]

>> They cultivate the Bodhisattva-practice, uphold the precepts and remain pure, without making transgressions in body or speech. All people of wisdom take joy in praising others and do not disparage them.

>> [They] hear this sutra and take joy in it: They are able to hear this sutra and take joy in it. This means that when they see others benefit, they give rise to joy in their hearts and do not give rise to jealousy. When they hear the Dharma that others teach, their minds are amenable, and they do not go against it.

>> Whether they are old or young, whether they are men or women, whether they intend to come to the assembly or find themselves in the lecture hall by accident, whether they hear one chapter, one passage, one line or one verse, they directly give rise to joy. Thus, [the Buddha] says they hear this sutra and take joy in it.

>> They leave the Dharma-assembly and go to another place: They leave the Dharma-assembly and go to other places. They leave the Dharma-assembly and spread [the sutra] wherever they go to. In accordance with their abilities, they teach it to others.

>> …perhaps a monastery or an empty and serene place…: In monastic temples, the serene dwellings of pure monastics are tranquil and quiet.

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“The Tathagata journeys upon the One True Dharma
and responds to the capabilities of countless sentient beings.
The Tathagata-nature of True Suchness is without appearance, yet it is true.
He journeys on the path of True Suchness, neither coming nor going.
He journeys upon the seed to come to the fruit, thus achieving perfect enlightenment.”

Let us mindfully seek to understand. Indeed, “the Tathagata journeys upon the One True Dharma.” [When He comes], He “responds to the capabilities of countless sentient beings.” This means that when the Buddha comes to the world, He journeys upon the nature of True Suchness. True Suchness is intrinsic to us all, it is just that it is buried beneath our ignorance. By revealing the principles of the universe, the Buddha sweeps away ignorance. With the full understanding of the ultimate truth of the principles of the universe, He journeys upon the nature of True Suchness to come teach the Dharma in response to capabilities.

So, there is “the One True Dharma.” There is one truth, not two. As for our intrinsic nature, in this, all sentient beings are alike; they are no different. Whether we are human or any other of the many living beings, although our individual karmic retributions, bodies and lifespans may differ, we all share this equal, intrinsic nature. Thus, the Buddha responds to the capabilities of countless sentient beings. “Countless” means infinite. There are countless millions. Since there are countless millions, it would be impossible to count all the different forms of life and all the different capabilities of sentient beings.

Just for us humans alone, when it comes to our physical appearance, though we all have this same human body, we still have different lifespans and habitual tendencies. Our lifespans differ in length, and our habitual tendencies are extremely different as well. Some people are intelligent, wise, benevolent and understanding of the lives of others. Others, however, are devious and cruel, and do not abide by the principles or the True Dharma. There will always be so many people who are impossible to reason with due to their way of thinking. These ways of thinking are countless; they are just as innumerable as all the different forms of life.

Humans are also sentient beings. The Buddha comes to this world to save and transform sentient beings. I am always saying this in hopes that everyone will understand it well. The word “sentient being” does not solely apply to humans. However, since we are human beings now, we can only speak with other people. Just from speaking with other people, we find that people are infinitely different with regard to their mindset, way of thinking, intelligence and so on. So, when we talk about transforming sentient beings, we are talking about [transforming] people.

People have countless different ways of thinking. You cannot just focus on a single kind. So, when the Buddha comes to the world, He finds ways to respond to them all. People have different ways of thinking and different capabilities; He teaches in accordance with their capabilities. [He teaches] these principles of the universe in such a way that He is able to help people strip away their ignorance layer by layer. As humans, we can be so foolish. We can bring so much suffering upon ourselves that the world may seem unbearable. This is because people’s minds are enshrouded in ignorance. It is getting worse and worse now. This inescapable net of ignorance is spreading across the world.

How will we be able to find our way out of this inescapable net for our minds? We must make good use of our life in this world now. It is only through the principles that we can apply the myriad teachings. It is only through the principles that we can apply the myriad teachings to teach sentient beings in infinite ways. Thus, we “transform them with the Dharma.” We often say, “Alas! There is no way to transform them!” If this is the case, we must think of another way to “use the Dharma to transform them.” If we say, “there is no way to transform them,” does this mean that they cannot be saved? The Buddha never gives up on anyone. There is no one who cannot be saved; we must save them all. Even though sentient beings are countless, so numerous that they are impossible to count, no matter how varied their ways of thinking and ways of living, the Buddha mindfully teaches and transforms them.

“The Tathagata-nature of True Suchness is without appearance, yet it is true.” Where does this True Suchness lie? As I always say, the nature of True Suchness is intrinsic to everyone. What does this True Suchness look like? The Buddha tells us that it has no appearance, and this is what makes it true. Every day, we are [guided by] this invisible truth. It is here every day; we are just not aware of it.

Time has no appearance. At what hour do we clap the wooden sticks? If you look at the numbers [on the clock], they are clapped 10 minutes before 4 am. What do we do then? What do we start doing at exactly that moment? When we first hear the sound of the wooden sticks, does that sound have any appearance? It has no appearance. How can it have no appearance? There are two sticks, and there must be a person to clap these two sticks together. For the sticks to make their sound, someone must hold them in their hands and use both hands to strike them together.

[The sound] travels far, into so many rooms. It passes through walls and goes through windows. Everyone hears it, and they begin to stir and get out of bed. So, doesn’t [the person clapping] have appearance? She does have an appearance. But the sound must pass through walls and windows. It is not as if she goes to clap the boards right in front of our face. It comes from far away. It is only because sound can travel so far that everyone in a place as large as this can hear it. Does that sound have an appearance or not? This is just a method [we use to wake people]. We want everyone to hear it, so we use this method of striking sticks together. When the sticks are struck together, the invisible sound is able to travel, traveling through the walls so that everyone hears it and begins to stir.

When did we begin to stir, and what time is it now? Time has no form or appearance; it passes by without us being aware of it. It is invisible and has no appearance, but it is ultimately true. If time were ever to stop, we would definitely not be able to keep existing.

The earth has always traveled along its orbit without deviating for even a second, but every few years, we add an intercalary month. How does our Chinese lunar calendar accurately keep track of the four seasons? It needs to be made accurate. We must adjust it so that it can keep track of the earth’s four seasons without ever falling behind for even a second.

Every few years, it inevitably falls behind, so we must adjust it again. In the past, every five years, we added two months called intercalary months. This is how we adjust to time.

Everyone, if you really think about it, these are the principles, the true principles. As we go about our lives, have we ever thought about this before? Most people never think about these things and pass each day like this. We all have this nature of True Suchness. From just one of the Buddha’s teachings, we can come to countless realizations. When the Buddha was in the world and began teaching the Dharma upon His enlightenment, there were so many sentient beings there. When He taught this Dharma, their capabilities were so different, so He likely had to repeat things over and over again.

I always tell everyone that [the Dharma] is quite simple. The first time He taught the Dharma, He taught it to five people. He taught the Four Noble Truths three times. These were the Three Turnings of the Dharma-wheel. There were only five people there, yet He had to repeat Himself three times. How could He possibly respond to the capabilities of countless billions of sentient beings? Since these were the true principles, He had to keep teaching them over and over again.

[He taught] for 49 years, and for the first 42 years, the Buddha taught only in accordance with people’s capabilities. He devoted Himself wholeheartedly to guiding everyone toward a common direction, teaching them the Buddha-Dharma and how to have right faith in the Buddha-Dharma. To familiarize them with it, or even just to introduce them to it, He had to use all kinds of provisional methods; He had to use skillful means. There were so many people [like this] that. He had to teach like this for 42 years. After 42 years, He “opened up the provisional.” This is when He put skillful means aside and came back to teaching the One True Great Vehicle through the Lotus Sutra.

He taught the Lotus Sutra for more than seven years until right before He entered Parinirvana, whereupon He spoke of “great Nirvana.” This adds up to [nearly] eight years. This is why we say that during this 49-year period in which the Buddha taught the Dharma, the Buddha truly spared no efforts. We are more than 2000 years removed from the Buddha now. From the true principles, we must seek to understand what it was that the Buddha awakened to. He awakened to True Suchness. When we speak of True Suchness, we say that it is “empty,” that it is without appearance. Does it exist? Yes, it does! It is real! This is “wondrous existence in true emptiness.”

I use the word “me” to describe myself right now, but this “me” right now is not the same “me” that walked in here earlier. Since the time I walked in, my body has already undergone metabolic changes. Has my appearance changed since I walked in? [It will change] with time, but at first glance, I still look like the person that walked in here earlier.

[Change] accumulates over time. If you look at a video of me sitting here in the past, you will see that I am not the same. I am in the same place, but I am not the same. Is this real? Does anything last forever? No. Appearances will never last, which is why they are ultimately empty. What happens to appearances? They are empty. But True Suchness has no appearance.

What is real? Was my childhood [self] real? No. If you look at photos of me, you will see what I looked like as a child. Were my middle-aged [self] real? No. You can see what I looked like in middle age. All this change happens with the passage of time, yet no one relinquishes their original self. You are yourself, I am myself and he is himself. Each of us has a self.

So, explaining these principles thoroughly so that everyone can understand them takes a very long time. Since we have been listening to the Dharma for such a long time now, we should understand from just a little. “Oh yes! I heard that before! It’s true! There is wondrous existence in true emptiness.” This is “responding to the capabilities of countless sentient beings.” In accordance with our capabilities, we must constantly remind ourselves like this.

So, “The Tathagata-nature of True Suchness is without appearance, yet it is true.” This is wondrous existence in true emptiness. “He journeys on the path of True Suchness, neither coming nor going.” It is by this principle, this principle of True Suchness, that He comes and goes like this! He goes and He comes. Whether it is yesterday or today, time makes no difference. However, yesterday was yesterday, and today is today. Isn’t there a difference between yesterday and today? There is a great difference. Take for example Taiwan’s 921 Earthquake.

Thinking back on that day, when the huge quake was over, in some parts of [Taiwan], in the Central and Northern regions, especially in the Central region, in Nantou and in Dongshi in Taichung, the devastation was very severe. It began after 1 o’clock in the morning and continued until dawn, and then on through to the next evening. How did people make it through that day? It seemed as though [the earthquake] would never stop.

Why did an earthquake strike? Why did so many people come to suffer? Why did we have to mobilize so many people? If so many people had not taken action, what would the wounded and suffering have done? If so many people had not come to comfort their hearts, help them find shelter and help them settle down, how would they have ever gotten through it? During that time, Living Bodhisattvas began emerging from the earth. We all still remember how our volunteers in blue and white uniforms emerge from the earth.

Every day of every year, different stories describe how this is happening all over. So, how can you tell me that [Buddhas and]. [Bodhisattvas] do not really come and go? They are still coming and going, throughout the past, present and future. All the things that happened in the past are over now; we have let them go, and we no longer think of them. They are forgotten, left in the past. However, we cannot forget our Bodhisattvas who walk this path in the world.

The Buddha teaches us to practice the Bodhisattva Way. This is also His one great cause. His one great cause for coming to the world is [to end] suffering and its causation. How can we eliminate people’s suffering? We must find methods to help them. These principles are inseparable from all the things that happen in our lives. So, these things are still part of history; they are still part of the passage of time.

This is like that terrible earthquake in Mexico. It has now, [in 2018], already been a year. This is a very tragic anniversary for them. The world is full of so much hardship and suffering. This is the Buddha’s one great cause. Because the world suffers from so many terrible disasters, the Buddha comes to the world for the sake of His one great cause, which is to teach the Bodhisattva Way and awaken the love within us all. Wherever some terrible disaster occurs, love must spring from the hearts of many in order to fulfill [this great cause].

[In 2018], Mexico suffered a flood. Because we had spent a year sowing the seeds of goodness there, we had a group of people there who were able to help. We can see from this that we must never stop spreading the principles. It is the same with sowing seeds of goodness. Why must we teach the Dharma? Why listen to it? Perhaps listening like this gets very tedious, but these are things we all need to understand. So, we should “journey on the path of True Suchness, neither coming nor going.” In fact, the true principles are everlasting. The Buddha never stops coming to the world. He never stops to rest. This is because time is everlasting. Just like the universe, it is everlasting. It is like the way Earth follows its orbit. For the Buddha, time is everlasting. He has never left [this world]. These are the principles.

The principles are True Suchness. Our enlightened nature of True Suchness [is ever-present], neither coming nor going. It does not experience a childhood or become old like I am now. No, this nature of True Suchness always exists. In this life and the next, it will always be here. But will we keep letting our ignorance enshroud it? If it remains enshrouded in ignorance, as we come and go, we will create karma. If we manage to remain free of ignorance, then we will clearly understand our purpose in coming and going [from the world]. We will take the Bodhisattva-path and learn from the Buddha to journey upon the Tathagata-Dharma. He comes and goes with everlasting freedom. There is no real difference between coming and going for Him.

“He journeys upon the seed to come to the fruit, thus achieving perfect enlightenment.” When His good karmic conditions ripened, He manifested the Eight Aspects of. Attaining Enlightenment in the world. The future Buddha is the one we now call Maitreya Bodhisattva. He is the one who will attain Buddhahood in the future world. By human reckoning, this will happen another 5.67 billion years from now. This is such a long time.

This is such a large gap, such a long time that we must wait before the Buddha’s karmic conditions will finally ripen, and He will manifest the attainment of Buddhahood. Although Sakyamuni Buddha attained Buddhahood over 2000 years ago, His Dharma truly still remains in the world. The most worrisome thing about this is that “a slight deviation can take us far off course.” As time goes on, we go from the era of Right Dharma to the era of Dharma-semblance, then to the era of Dharma-degeneration. This is why we worry about the future.

We all must mindfully seek to understand this. These teachings are so true. And yet, there is not much we can do about this. From over 2000 years ago until now, how much has the Buddha-Dharma really changed? It is also changing imperceptibly. During the past era of Dharma-semblance, it was almost as if the Buddha was in the world, but that era has already passed. Now, we are in the era of Dharma-degeneration. The era of Dharma-semblance was very similar [to the Buddha’s time], but now that era has ended. So, we are now in “the era of Dharma-degeneration.” This is why we need to be very mindful. So, we must mindfully seek to understand this.

When the Buddha was about to enter Parinirvana, He was very worried. He was not worried about how He would die soon, but He was worried about “the lion’s parasites.” A lion never fears harm from the outside. What a lion fears the most are the parasites on its body, which are deeply disturbing. What disturbs the lion the most are the parasites on its own body. This is what worries the lion the most, but there is nothing the lion can do about it. A slight deviation has taken us far off course, so now we are in the era of Dharma-degeneration.

[We hope] to “see others transcend suffering.” At this point in the Lotus Sutra, we have reached the Chapter on the Merits and Virtues of Joy. We know the Tathagata’s Dharma will relieve people of their suffering. Only by fully understanding this principle will we be able to relieve people of suffering. This is “using the Dharma to transform” [others]. To “use the Dharma to transform” [others], we must first cultivate our own mind.

“When we see others transcend suffering and attain joy, we give rise to joy in our hearts. When we see the joy of others, we feel joyful ourselves.”

With this heart of loving-kindness, we will look upon sentient beings and rejoice. There is suffering, but there are loving people who seek to relieve others’ suffering. I have seen people sharing in the joy of such merits and virtues right before my eyes. When our Tzu Chi volunteers returned from Mexico, they praised one another. When they saw these suffering people smile, when they saw them transcend their suffering, they gave rise to joy in their hearts. These people had gone there to comfort them, to relieve them of their physical hardships. They saw someone who needed others to assist him to come in to take his acupuncture treatment. After the treatment, he could stand on his own. Being able to do this made him smile. He was able to stand up and walk unassisted. He rejoiced, thanked them and left. Everyone rejoiced when they saw this.

It is true! Into that place of suffering went that group of Bodhisattvas. Though they saw so many people suffering, when they saw them transcend suffering, even if they smiled for just a moment, this lifted their hearts and brought them joy. I wonder if anyone here has ever experienced this kind of feeling? How did I feel? When I heard about this, it brought me such joy. I truly rejoiced with them, for I also felt joy in my heart. They felt joy when they experienced it firsthand, and when they came back and told me about it, this also brought me so much joy. Though this was something someone else had done, when they told me they just did the right thing, I also felt joy!

When others take joy in our actions, this is just like giving. The rich give money, while the poor give water and herbs. They each rejoice in their own way; this is all considered giving.

So, “When others take joy in our actions, this is just like giving.” When we see others do something with great joy, this makes us want to follow them. Then, when we do it ourselves, even more people will take joy in our actions. By taking action ourselves, we gain joy. Since doing good deeds makes us joyful, even more people will come help us practice giving. When they come and assist us, how will they offer their support?

Rich people give us their money. Even if they give just a little, it still makes us very happy. When someone is very rich, they can make large donations and donate a lot of money. This also fills us with joy and gratitude. What about the poor? The poor can give water and herbs. Even if someone has no money, they can still give a little bit of water, for “drops of water will eventually fill a vat.” This offering can quench the thirst of many. This also brings us great joy.

Although the people of Myanmar are very poor, they still set aside a handful of rice before every meal. I saw in the photographs they sent back how [the locals] save handful after handful of rice, saving up so much rice every month this way. Once a month, they pour it out on a plastic sheet laid out on the ground. They pour it out like this into a big pile. When these penniless people save handful after handful of rice like this, when 500 or 600 people do this, they can help 50 to 60 families [in need]. This is truly incredible! When I saw the report and the photos they sent back, when I looked at the photos, I was extremely moved! We must not disparage small [offerings], even if it is just a handful of rice, for this kind of giving can also bring joy.

“They each rejoice in their own way; this is all considered giving.” As long as people have the power to give and feel joyful doing so, then we will all feel joyful for them. We will feel joy for each and every one of them. People who do this will come to eliminate “the self.” Someone might say, “This big pile of rice is all mine. Because of me, there is this great pile. My rice is also in that pile.” But which of those handfuls is theirs? No one knows anymore! It is all heaped together, and our rice is somewhere in that great pile.

By the same principle, when a single drop of water enters the ocean, the ocean will be one drop bigger. So, we must be joyful. If we are mindful, small amounts will turn into amounts large enough to help others. So, all we must do is share in this joy and follow what brings us joy, such as giving. This is a practice we all understand very well. So, we must mindfully seek to comprehend this.

In the Lotus Sutra, this is what the Buddha said previously.

“At that time, the Buddha told. Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, ‘Ajita, after the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, suppose there are bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas….'”

We discussed this previously. Today we will start to discuss what He said next.

“..or other people of wisdom, whether old or young, who hear this sutra and take joy in it. They leave the Dharma-assembly and go to another place, perhaps a monastery or an empty and serene place….”

The Buddha went on to tell Maitreya Bodhisattva, “As for people in the future, whether they are old or young, if they always engage in spiritual practice, cultivate purity like this and make no transgressions of body, speech or mind, they will be people of wisdom. This is a cause for joy. You must truly take great joy in these people. You must praise them and never disparage them.” This is what the Buddha told Maitreya. This is because Maitreya had asked Him, “How many blessings can be attained through the merits and virtues of joy?” This was the Buddha’s explanation.

They cultivate the Bodhisattva-practice, uphold the precepts and remain pure, without making transgressions in body or speech. All people of wisdom take joy in praising others and do not disparage them.

This is because these people “hear this sutra and take joy in it.” They hear this sutra and take joy in it. They take joy in whatever the sutra says. Later, when they see people put it to practice, they give rise to joy in their hearts because they know that people are being helped. Thus, they praise them, saying, “You are doing the right thing! You are doing great, and you teach so well! This means that when they see others benefit, they give rise to joy in their hearts.” This is very good, for when they hear others being praised, this also makes them very happy. “They do not give rise to jealousy.” They never get jealous [and say], “Why are you praising him? Why aren’t you praising me? I also teach and express myself well, so why aren’t you praising me?” We can never give rise to such jealousy.

“When they hear the Dharma that others teach, their minds are amenable.” No matter what it is, they are always amenable, “and they do not go against it.” We must try to be mindful of this.

[They] hear this sutra and take joy in it: They are able to hear this sutra and take joy in it. This means that when they see others benefit, they give rise to joy in their hearts and do not give rise to jealousy. When they hear the Dharma that others teach, their minds are amenable, and they do not go against it.

So, “Whether they are old or young, whether they are men or women, whether they intend to come to the assembly or find themselves in the lecture hall by accident,” whether they are young or old, whether they come intending to hear the Dharma or find themselves in the lecture hall by accident or are urged but reluctant to come, if they hear a chapter or a section of the sutra, even just one line or even one verse,

hearing it will bring them joy. They might never have intended to come listen, but once they hear it, a chapter, a line or even a word, they will be filled with joy. They might not have been prepared to come listen, but they will still take joy in it. Anyone who listens to this sutra will rejoice. Those who take joy in it may not have been prepared to listen to it or may have done so inadvertently, but take joy in it nonetheless.

Whether they are old or young, whether they are men or women, whether they intend to come to the assembly or find themselves in the lecture hall by accident, whether they hear one chapter, one passage, one line or one verse, they directly give rise to joy. Thus, [the Buddha] says they hear this sutra and take joy in it.

“They leave the Dharma-assembly and go to another place.” Having heard the sutra, they will leave. They leave the Dharma-assembly and go elsewhere. When they get there, they will spread [the sutra] by word of mouth. They will pass it on to everyone they meet. “Listening to this brings me so much joy!” Like this, “In accordance with their abilities, they teach it to others. These things I have heard bring me so much joy! This phrase is so useful, I love it!”

They leave the Dharma-assembly and go to another place: They leave the Dharma-assembly and go to other places. They leave the Dharma-assembly and spread [the sutra] wherever they go to. In accordance with their abilities, they teach it to others.

It could be a monastery or an empty and serene place. It could be in a lecture hall, it could be in a dormitory, or it could be in an empty and serene place. Wherever people hear it, they will take joy in it. This is a joy that each of us must try to experience ourselves.

…perhaps a monastery or an empty and serene place…: In monastic temples, the serene dwellings of pure monastics are tranquil and quiet.

This is like [our volunteers] in Mexico. When they came back, they also brought videos. There is a Jing Si Aphorism book that includes aphorisms in 4 languages. There are several mayors [in Mexico] who use this Jing Si Aphorisms book every day. “What do the Jing Si Aphorisms have to tell me? This is the sentence I will practice today.” They turn to a random page and say, “This is the line. This is what I will practice today.” This is also passing on the teachings. The language is different, but the meaning [is the same]; they can still apply it and take it with them, spreading it amongst themselves, passing on the teachings. These are the merits and virtues from listening to the Dharma and taking joy in it. To be able to spread the Dharma at this level is truly praiseworthy.

Dear Bodhisattvas, time is passing us by like this, intangible and invisible. But though it is intangible, it is still real. We must work hard to make the most of our time. When it comes to the intangible True Dharma, we must earnestly seize the moment, and we must always be mindful!

Episode 1618 – Maitreya Questions the Buddha about the Future

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>> “Deep in our hearts, we must have faith and understanding in the wondrous Dharma-marrow. [The Buddha] discerned and measured the weight of [their merits]. According to their merits and virtues, He evaluated and praised how those who uphold the Lotus Sutra have faith and understanding deep in their hearts.”

>> Ever since the Buddha formed His initial aspiration, He has never hesitated to give His life. He gave up His head, eyes, marrow and brain and cultivated all ascetic practices all the way until He attained Buddhahood and entered Parinirvana. He went so far as to follow along and take joy in all of the good deeds [of others]. Thus, this is called [the Chapter on]. Taking Joy in Others’ Merits and Virtues.

>> “To take joy in” also means that as others cultivate good deeds, we take joy in their achievements. This is known as turning the Dharma-wheel. As sentient beings are benefited, we take joy in supporting them. This is what it means to “take joy” [in others].

>> “At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva spoke to the Buddha ‘World-Honored One, if good men and good women hear this Lotus Sutra and take joy in it, how many blessings will they attain?'”   [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 17 – On Distinguishing Merits and Virtues]

>> Then, he spoke in verse, “After the World-Honored One enters Parinirvana, there will be others who learn of this sutra. If they are able to take joy in it, how many blessings will they attain?”  [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 17 – On Distinguishing Merits and Virtues]

>> Then, he spoke in verse: After expressing his thoughts, Maitreya repeated his question in verse.

>> After the World-Honored One enters Parinirvana, there will be others who learn of this sutra: There will be others who learn of this. Wondrous Dharma Lotus Sutra. Learn of: This [character] encompasses two meanings, both “to see” and “to hear of.”

>> If they are able to take joy in it, how many blessings will they attain?: If they are able to give rise to a single thought of joy, how many blessings will they attain? How many blessings: This means the same thing as “what amount of blessings.”

>> “At that time, the Buddha told. Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, ‘Ajita, after the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, suppose there are bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas….'”  [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 17 – On Distinguishing Merits and Virtues]

>> At that time, the Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva: Maitreya asked about the actions sentient beings will take after the Buddha enters Parinirvana. At that time, the Buddha clearly answered all his questions. First, He explained about people who take joy [in the teachings].

>> Ajita, after the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, suppose there are bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas…: The fourfold assembly of bhiksus and the others are people who already believe in the Buddha-Dharma, accept the precepts and engage in spiritual practice.

>> In the previous sutra passages, Venerable Maitreya carried on the past to inspire the future. On behalf of the people in the future world of turbidities, he sought to resolve doubts. The present Buddha and World-Honored One’s conditions for transformation were about to end, and He would soon enter Parinirvana.

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“Deep in our hearts, we must have faith and understanding
in the wondrous Dharma-marrow.
[The Buddha] discerned and measured the weight
of [their merits]. According to their merits and virtues,
He evaluated and praised
how those who uphold the Lotus Sutra
have faith and understanding deep in their hearts.”

We must understand this more and listen mindfully. We must [approach] the Buddha-Dharma with profound faith and understanding. We must put the Buddha-Dharma into practice. See, [it is] “deep in our hearts” [that] “we must have faith and understanding.” Over the past few days, I have been reminding everyone about this. When our hearts give rise to faith and understanding, it [must be] profound. It is not just having belief and understanding, it must be profound faith and understanding. We know that this understanding must be very deep! Giving rise to faith and understanding is still not sufficient; they must grow deeper. So, “Deep in our hearts, we must have faith and understanding.”

When we mindfully seek to comprehend this, we will realize that having “faith and understanding” and having “faith and understanding deep in our hearts” are not exactly the same. With faith and understanding in our hearts, [we can say], “I know, I understand what you are saying. In my heart, I believe and understand what you are saying.” This is having “faith and understanding.” However, though we understand, we must further contemplate just how profound these teachings really are. If we merely have faith and understanding in a few lines [from the Dharma], is such a simple [approach] sufficient? There are deeper levels to the Dharma. Since the Dharma contains so many levels, we must delve more deeply into them, investigating them layer by layer until we can see “the wondrous Dharma-marrow.”

This [level of] Dharma is not merely teachings, nor are they simply wondrous teachings; this is not all they are. Within these pure and wondrous teachings lies the essence of the Dharma itself. This is just like our lives, which require blood to sustain us, blood [flows properly] and is sufficient. If our body’s ability to manufacture blood becomes imbalanced or ceases to function completely, then we can develop leukemia, anemia [or other blood-based diseases]. Now, due to technological developments, as we have heard, we know of ways to treat these diseases. But when there was no medicine to cure them, the last resort was a bone marrow transplant.

Previously, where could bone marrow [be acquired]? Modern technology is what makes this possible! Although it is difficult to find a matching donor, those with karmic affinities find their match. This match is only one among several hundreds of thousands of donors, so it is quite difficult. Out of hundreds of thousands of people, the marrow of [the donor] who shares this affinity is then transplanted into the [patient]. Is it certain that the person in need will definitely be able to be [cured]? This also depends on karmic conditions. Are there other complicating factors? [There are], so the person must be in a sterile room which is completely free of bacteria.

I have heard that this process is exhausting and that [patients] struggle for their lives until their body accepts the new bone marrow. Then, a further period is required to see whether the body is able to gradually accept the marrow. With even the slightest infection, if a small infection occurs because of some invisible [microbe], their body will only reject [the transplant]. All of this depends on karmic conditions.

A person’s [ability to] accept the bone marrow is like our need to accept the Dharma. We have been [living] as unenlightened beings who have become lost. Originally, we possessed the same purity as all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, for our intrinsic nature was good and undefiled. But because we are ordinary beings, we are completely bound up in ignorance that has accumulated for long time. So, ignorance is like bacteria, which can completely overwhelm our whole body. If we are infected by bacteria, it will eventually cause us to become ill.

By the same principle, you and I both live in this same [world], so we may ask each other, “Why are you so healthy, while I have become so sick?” It might be infections or inherent [illnesses]. Some, we carry with us; these are hereditary [illnesses]. What we carry with us is our body, our blood, our parents’ genes; this is hereditary. If [the illness] is not hereditary, other karmic conditions must be making us ill.

We human beings are like this; our inherent karmic retributions may cause our whole lives to be filled with suffering. We may be born in a terrible place with danger on all sides, [where people are often] sick and injured, with no other karmic conditions to help us. Such karmic retributions can last our whole lives, causing us to suffer, without any benefactor [to help us]. This is the same for us unenlightened beings; we may live our entire lives like this. [We may be] born with a nasty temperament, suffer due to hardships or do all sorts of bad things, without anyone to guide us. This is like physical illness in the body. It is difficult for someone who is healthy to change this unwholesome spirit. Some have special karmic circumstances within the body that cause sickness to arise within it or allow it to become infected by external factors, due to particular karmic conditions.

It may seem in our circles that the Buddha-Dharma is flourishing, but if we turn our eyes to the world, those who ever get to hear the Buddha-Dharma are really quite few. There are lots of other religions everywhere, religions of all types. Some may originally have been very good religions which flourished for quite a while, but now, in the era of Dharma-degeneration, these bright and beautiful religions are now also in a time of decline.

What is flourishing most right now is “the inescapable net” [of the internet]. Today, there are [nets] built by sentient beings’ own minds and by people in society. We have even created “the cloud” in the sky and the internet. Does this really help people? Or does it merely entangle their minds? Buddhism, as a proper religion, was once vibrant, but its gradual decline we now [experience] is what we call “the era of Dharma-degeneration,” meaning the Right Dharma has begun to decline.

Over two thousand years ago, the Buddha wanted to teach the Buddha-Dharma to us according to [the needs of] this time, so that, in this era of turbidity, this time of the inescapable net, it could enable us to give rise to deep faith and understanding in our hearts. He wanted [the essence] of this wondrous Dharma [with its teachings of ceaseless] wonder to be something that everyone could accept.

The Dharma is not to be taught sitting down, nor treated as a subject of academic inquiry, only focusing on its wording; no, it is not. Each teaching should be engraved in our hearts and applied as we go among people. When I hear about some good thing, I quickly hold onto it [and tell others], “This is very precious! You really need this. This is something I wish to share with you.” The Dharma is something that everyone can apply and possess. We must encourage others to put this Dharma to use. In our discussion of the Lotus Sutra we have now finished the Chapter on Distinguishing Merits and Virtues, which explains what karmic effects are gained when we create different kinds of merit and virtue.

Merits and virtues can be heavy or light. What kinds of merits and virtues are those which we truly ought to pursue? An unenlightened person’s mind is always measuring merits and virtues. They think, “What can I do to bring myself more merits and virtues? I will only do things that create them.” They always weigh the amount of merit and virtue that they will gain from doing something. An ordinary person’s mind makes such distinctions.

When the Buddha gave such explanations, Maitreya Bodhisattva began questioning Him. It was his responsibility to do so, for more than 5.67 billion years later, Maitreya will be the one to come to the world to engage in spiritual practice, [to reveal] the Eight Aspects of Attaining Enlightenment and to teach the Dharma and transform all beings. Everyone knows Maitreya Bodhisattva; he is the future Buddha who will attain Buddhahood. However, if we calculate this using our time, using Earth-years, it will not happen for another 5.67 billion years. This seems like a very long time to us, but if you count in Trayastrimsa Heaven-years, it is not that long of a time. Whether it is long or short, [he will become] the future Buddha and must pass on the Dharma to a future world where he will need to transform all beings.

Just as Sakyamuni Buddha taught the Dharma, in the future, Maitreya Buddha will likewise transform [the beings in] the world. So, for the sake of those in that future world, he wanted to clarify questions about the Dharma. He hoped the Buddha would explain them. By asking the Buddha to clarify them, he was already sowing virtuous seeds. Maitreya had to do this very earnestly so that those who listened and understood would have the causes and conditions to be born in the same era as Maitreya and to assist His Dharma-assembly.

This is why he wanted everyone to listen clearly and why he asked the Buddha to explain this now, for he knew that modern sentient beings would seek [only] merits and virtues. This is why he asked [the Buddha] to clarify so that they would also understand. Then, these people would be able to teach and transform sentient beings together. This is like how when Sakyamuni Buddha came to the world, He had His own disciples by His side. His retinue of disciples went from five bhiksus to 1250 people, after Maudgalyayana, Sariputra and the three Kasyapa brothers were transformed [by the Buddha] and brought their own disciples to join [the Sangha].

In that lifetime, wasn’t this what Sakyamuni Buddha did? In the future, Maitreya Bodhisattva will also need affinities with that group so that they can come assist at his Dharma-assembly and help him teach sentient beings. So, this was why Maitreya asked these questions; he wanted to clarify this for them, so he asked the Buddha to explain it. He wanted the Buddha to compare, praise and analyze their merits and virtues for them, and to praise those who upheld the Lotus Sutra for the “faith and understanding deep in their hearts.”

[Once we have] “faith and understanding,” [it will later grow] “deep in our hearts.” Deep faith and understanding come when we begin to form aspirations; [although] we may believe, just believing is not enough. The Dharma has deeper and subtler teachings, so we must delve even more deeply into it. “Those who uphold the Lotus Sutra have faith and understanding deep in their hearts.” Our faith must be absolutely steadfast.

After [Maitreya] understood this sutra, by analyzing the teachings the Buddha gave, he hoped he could help others to clearly distinguish these things as well. So we can say that when it came to the Buddha, Maitreya Bodhisattva had complete faith in the Buddha. This is because the Buddha, from the time of His initial aspiration, never hesitated to give up His life, His head, eyes, brain or marrow, all for the sake of others.

Ever since the Buddha formed His initial aspiration, He has never hesitated to give His life. He gave up His head, eyes, marrow and brain and cultivated all ascetic practices all the way until He attained Buddhahood and entered Parinirvana. He went so far as to follow along and take joy in all of the good deeds [of others]. Thus, this is called [the Chapter on]. Taking Joy in Others’ Merits and Virtues.

As we said before, Devadatta, in each successive lifetime, was always born alongside the Buddha. He constantly encountered the Buddha, and he always tried to harm Him and create many difficulties for Him. Sometimes he would appear [and say], “I am in need, I am sick. I want your eyes, I want your head. I want your marrow and your brain” and so on. This happened over the course of many lifetimes. No one can say how many lifetimes he spent trying to claim the Buddha’s life [by creating] dangerous situations. Yet, as a spiritual practitioner, [the Buddha] had to follow sentient beings’ wishes. “If you want it, I will not disappoint you. I will give it to you.” In this way [the Buddha] cultivated ascetic practices over countless lifetimes.

Sakyamuni Buddha continually engaged in such practices of suffering, repeatedly, under many different circumstances, in which Devadatta tried to harm Him etc. Still, the Buddha [gave] willingly and suffered. Though He suffered, He willingly continued to give. We talked about this before. The Buddha was always patient like this, through the course of many lifetimes. He [thereby] awakened and attained Buddhahood, transformed sentient beings and entered Parinirvana several decades later.

Even when the Buddha was in the world, Devadatta was a member of His Sangha. He was a royal cousin of the Buddha. He was such a close relative, and he became a monastic. But even as a monk, he still gave rise to thoughts of harming the Sangha. He left with 500 monks that he incited to leave the Buddha’s Sangha. This caused people in the Sangha to feel uneasy, but they still had faith in the Buddha.

He left with a powerful contingent of monks, and returned to try and harm the Buddha’s Dharma in all kinds of ways, by creating conflict with the Buddha’s Sangha. The Buddha yielded to him in every case in order to ensure the safety of His Sangha. The situation intensified to the point that he used a herd of elephants to injure Him, getting them drunk so they would injure the Buddha. [He even tried to] harm the Buddha using poison, and he was fell alive into hell because of it. The earth split open and he fell into the abyss alive, becoming trapped inside. We have talked about this as well.

Later, the Buddha bestowed a prediction of Buddhahood on him. The Buddha was grateful to him, grateful to Devadatta, for lifetime after lifetime of persecution, because this gave Him the chance to give and to practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. By practicing giving, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom, He was being trained each time until He could realize His spiritual aspiration. Because of this, He also bestowed upon Devadatta a prediction of Buddhahood.

The Buddha predicted that when Devadatta would attain Buddhahood, he would abide in the world [as a Buddha] for even longer than the others. This was truly inconceivable. We need deep faith and understanding not only to understand it, but to praise the Buddha’s magnanimous [spirit]. Not only was He not resentful, but He even treated [Devadatta] so well that He bestowed the prediction on him that his Buddha-land would be better and his lifespan would be longer than others.’ This demonstrates the Buddha’s magnanimity.

Such a prediction of Buddhahood is indeed inconceivable to some of us, but this shows that we need deep faith and understanding. If we lack this deep faith and understanding, then as we continue listening to the Chapter on the Merits and Virtues of Joy, it [will seem] a little bit uninteresting. So, we must apply the faith and understanding [which is] deep in our hearts to understand that the Dharma’s simpler teachings actually carry a more profound meaning. Putting it more simply, “‘To take joy in’ also means that as others cultivate good deeds, we take joy in their achievements. This is known as turning the Dharma-wheel.” When we see how others become joyful, then we must also rejoice with them. Because what they achieved was the joy they attained through doing the right thing, we [must] also feel joyful for them.

“To take joy in” also means that as others cultivate good deeds, we take joy in their achievements. This is known as turning the Dharma-wheel. As sentient beings are benefited, we take joy in supporting them. This is what it means to “take joy” [in others].

This is like the group of Bodhisattvas that has returned here from Mexico. Some were TIMA members who went there from the US, some were from Taiwan and there were also people from other countries. They did not go to Mexico on vacation; they were there to hold free medical clinics and distribute relief aid. Hearing what they did in that place for more than 10 days was very moving but it was also very saddening. There, in Mexico, the poverty, sickness and suffering are unbearable. [Although] we had many volunteers who all went along to help them, how much could we really help these people?

There seemed to be so many seriously ill people. Alas, there was not much they could do. Still, they cared deeply for them. The gentleness, care and embraces [they gave], this kind of love, was the greatest gift that they gave to them. [For once] in their lives, these people [could see] that there were many people who cared about them, that they were not alone. [Engraved] in their hearts and minds was a group of very warm and good people, kind people who helped them. This was how they felt. As for the TIMA Bodhisattvas, I believe when they saw those sick people, their hearts were truly saddened, [so] they embraced them very sincerely.

When they finished this trip, they were exhausted, but in their minds, they were very joyful. Regardless, due to the affinities that we had with them from before, they now had this chance [to go] again. Although they traveled a long way to bring comfort and hope to the people there, they were still joyful upon their return. Having seen them and done the right thing, besides just on a superficial level, we do not say, “There is no need to go there.” No, we need to encourage them by going again. The more we go there, the more mature our connections with them become. Though we were unable to completely relieve [their suffering] this time, perhaps whoever goes next time can [help them] more and more [effectively]. This is all due to causes and conditions. Having cleared and paved this path, it becomes smoother for other Bodhisattvas. So, we were very happy to see them return here.

This time (2018), TIMA members from around the world have gathered here together with us for the mid-autumn festival. We will hear what TIMA is doing to help those who are poor and suffering in each country. [I am sure] they have very moving stories.

When we hear them describe their joy at having done such good deeds, we rejoice along with them. Thus, we take joy “as others cultivate good deeds.” [Volunteers] from Taiwan also traveled there. We also listened to them share. When they came back, they told me, “Master, let us go again next time! We want to go again next time.” We take joy in their good deeds. When we see things like this, seeing this and knowing about it makes us say, “I am proud of you. I praise you and I want to join you.” Then they go about planning the next time.

So, “We take joy in their achievements.” We are so happy about their achievements that it makes us want to join in as well. After we join in, we will also gain insights. So, “We take joy in their achievements.” Because they have gained insights, they will certainly be able to share these with everyone. This is how they turn the Dharma-wheel. Everyone speaks about the truth of suffering, especially after seeing and experiencing it; they want to pass it on, to proclaim it to others, to let others also know, for [this truth] can teach others to treasure their own blessings. So, “As sentient beings are benefited, we take joy in supporting them.” When sentient beings are benefited and I, too, have given a hand to help them, then I also feel joy. This is what it means to “take joy” [in others]. We take joy in their merit and virtue this way.

The previous sutra passage said,

“At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva spoke to the Buddha ‘World-Honored One, if good men and good women hear this Lotus Sutra and take joy in it, how many blessings will they attain?'”

What follows next is verse. The verse goes on to say,

“After the World-Honored One enters Parinirvana, there will be others who learn of this sutra. If they are able to take joy in it, how many blessings will they attain?”

Now Maitreya Bodhisattva is questioning Sakyamuni Buddha. “Sakyamuni Buddha, [after] you have entered Parinirvana, when others hear this sutra, if they are able to take joy in it, how many blessings will they attain? Since the Buddha is in the world and teaches the Lotus Sutra, I moreover ask the Buddha if You could explain how many blessings future sentient beings, after the Buddha enters Parinirvana, will attain by taking joy like this.”

“After expressing his thoughts….” He first expressed himself by speaking a portion of it in prose, and then repeating himself in verse.

Then, he spoke in verse: After expressing his thoughts, Maitreya repeated his question in verse.

At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva again went on to say, “After the World-Honored One enters Parinirvana, there will be others who learn of this sutra.” This is the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. After the World-Honored One enters Parinirvana, there will also be others who will listen to the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra.

Most important in this section of verse is “learning of [this sutra],” listening to and learning of the Dharma.

After the World-Honored One enters Parinirvana, there will be others who learn of this sutra: There will be others who learn of this. Wondrous Dharma Lotus Sutra. Learn of: This [character] encompasses two meanings, both “to see” and “to hear of.”

“To learn of encompasses both seeing and hearing.” Learning does not consist of just listening; we must see as well. The phrase “learn of” includes the meanings of both seeing and hearing of. To learn about something, we, of course, must be able to both listen to and see it. If we “see” it, by seeing we learn about it. Those who listen must see others putting it into practice. They hear about the principles, then see people put them into practice. Even when the Buddha is no longer there, His principles will still remain in the world and people will be seen putting them into practice. They would hear of these principles and see people putting them into practice.

“If they are able to take joy in it, how many blessings will they attain?”

If they are able to take joy in it, how many blessings will they attain?: If they are able to give rise to a single thought of joy, how many blessings will they attain? How many blessings: This means the same thing as “what amount of blessings.”

If one’s mind can give rise to a single thought of joy, then how many blessings will one really attain? The same principle is being repeated here. He asks, “How many blessings will they attain? How many blessings will there be?” How many blessings can really be attained just by rejoicing when one listens to the sutra?

The next sutra passage goes on to say,

“At that time, the Buddha told. Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, ‘Ajita, after the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, suppose there are bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas….'”

“At that time” means the time when the Buddha began speaking to Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva. “Mahasattva” means he is a great Bodhisattva. [He is called this] because he will become a Buddha in the future and because he was leading the assembly. The Buddha wished to reply to what Maitreya had asked Him. So, after Maitreya questioned the Buddha, the Buddha went on to answer Maitreya’s question. So, he first asked about those who take joy.

At that time, the Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva: Maitreya asked about the actions sentient beings will take after the Buddha enters Parinirvana. At that time, the Buddha clearly answered all his questions. First, He explained about people who take joy [in the teachings].

So, He said, “Ajita, Ajita” refers to Maitreya, “Ajita, after the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, suppose there are bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas….” [This is] “the fourfold assembly of bhiksus and the others.” The fourfold assembly consists of those who believe in the Buddha, whether men or women, monastics or lay practitioners. They make up “the fourfold assembly.”

Ajita, after the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, suppose there are bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas…: The fourfold assembly of bhiksus and the others are people who already believe in the Buddha-Dharma, accept the precepts and engage in spiritual practice.

Above, Maitreya is earnestly questioning the Buddha and the Buddha is directly replying to him. This was because it was up to Maitreya to carry on the past and to inspire the future. Sakyamuni was the present Buddha, He was “the past” [to be carried on]. So, what of the future? He had to take responsibility to lead others; he had to teach those who would come later.

In the previous sutra passages, Venerable Maitreya carried on the past to inspire the future. On behalf of the people in the future world of turbidities, he sought to resolve doubts. The present Buddha and World-Honored One’s conditions for transformation were about to end, and He would soon enter Parinirvana.

At that time, the Buddha’s conditions for transformation were almost finished. The Buddha had begun to constantly hint that there were not that many causes and conditions left keeping Him in the world. Everyone mentally prepared themselves for this. Maitreya Bodhisattva also knew that the present Sakyamuni Buddha’s conditions for transformation were almost at an end, that the time of His entry into Parinirvana neared. If [Maitreya] did not take quick advantage of those present karmic conditions, how would he ever be able to transform sentient beings in the future? He had to be sure to carry on the past and inspire the future. While the Buddha was still there, he had to question Him closely, for only the Buddha could explain this clearly.

This is life, the natural course of things. How was the Dharma to be passed down? This was the responsibility that had fallen upon Maitreya Bodhisattva, who, more than 5.6 billion years later, will have the karmic conditions to attain Buddhahood. He will certainly accompany us over that period. Yet, since we ourselves have become separated from the Buddha for more than 2000 years now, when we encounter and listen to the Buddha-Dharma, do we have faith and understanding of it deep in our hearts? Can we rely upon the teachings expressed in this conversation of the prior and later Buddhas to remind us to take on this responsibility?

There will be many more lifetimes during the long period to come, a great many future lifetimes through which this Dharma must be passed down. [Now], at this time, this world has already become an inescapable net which is very turbid and evil, where turbidity flourishes. So, only through promoting the Buddha-Dharma will other religions be able to recover an era of purity and brightness. This is a certainty.

Still, we should not say that. “Human power can conquer nature.” We should “make ourselves selfless to help the greater self succeed.” This is what we should strive toward, so we must always be mindful!

Episode 1617 – Recruiting People to Uphold the Dharma

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>> “We praise others in order to help them succeed in doing good deeds. We must recruit people to uphold the sutra, walk the path and follow the Dharma to engage in diligent practice. With the seed of the Bodhisattva-practice of the Six Paramitas, we will directly approach the fruit of sarvajna, reach the other shore, turn away from delusion and attain all-encompassing wisdom, the state of ultimate perfection of all Buddhas.”

>> In past kalpas, after seeing [past] Buddhas cultivate giving, upholding precepts, patience and so on, [Sakyamuni Buddha] then made vows. Lifetime after lifetime, Devadatta lived during the Buddha’s lifetime and harmed the Buddha’s life. This was to help [the Buddha] fulfill. His practice of giving, precepts and patience and upholding Samadhi and wisdom as part of the cultivation of the Bodhisattva-cause. [Devadatta] asked for His head, eyes, hands, feet, marrow, liver, kidneys, and the five organs. This helped Him perfect. His practice of giving, precepts and patience as part of the causal practice of Bodhisattvas.

>> First we must understand that, in order to seek the great Dharma and perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas, we must not hesitate to give up our lives. By being in perfect harmony with worldly matters, we demonstrate our understanding of the true principles. We must urge and encourage the Dharma-seekers of future generations.

>> “At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva spoke to the Buddha ‘World-Honored One, if good men and good women hear this Lotus Sutra and take joy in it, how many blessings will they attain?'”  [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 17 – On Distinguishing Merits and Virtues]

>> “Good men and good women” is twofold in meaning: In terms of people, this refers to the fourfold assembly. Seen as a Dharma-analogy, it refers to Arhats and Bodhisattvas. Arhats are rigid and direct by nature. They can only seek to benefit themselves and are unable to transform others. Those who listen to the Dharma only for their own benefit are “good men.” The nature of Bodhisattvas is gentle and compassionate. They can transform themselves as well as others. They spread virtuous causes and conditions and help the seeds of Buddhahood continue to flourish. Thus they are represented as “good women.” They make the Four Offerings to the Buddha and the Sangha as good men and good women who uphold and learn [the Dharma] while living the lay life.

>> Maitreya Bodhisattva carries on the past to inspire the future. In the future, He will be born in this world to attain Buddhahood. He was referring to how, in the previous chapter, [the Buddha] said that those who will accept, uphold, read and recite [the sutras] while also practicing the Six Paramitas will have the aforementioned merits and virtues from upholding these practices.

>> At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva spoke to the Buddha: Since Maitreya Bodhisattva will come to the world in the future as a guiding teacher, he had to ask these questions then. Thus, he spoke to the Buddha.

>> After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, those able to hear this sutra would give rise to deep faith and understanding, faithfully accept it with joy and dance in celebration. They would naturally give rise to a joyful mindset, so why wouldn’t they gain merits and virtues? Thus, Maitreya asked how many blessings they would gain

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“We praise others in order to help them succeed in doing good deeds.
We must recruit people to uphold the sutra, walk the path
and follow the Dharma to engage in diligent practice.
With the seed of the Bodhisattva-practice of the Six Paramitas,
we will directly approach the fruit of sarvajna,
reach the other shore, turn away from delusion
and attain all-encompassing wisdom,
the state of ultimate perfection of all Buddhas.”

We must be mindful; we must always refine our ability to praise others. When we praise and rejoice for others, [this will encourage them] to do more good deeds. Because praising others helps them succeed in doing good deeds, when [we see] others doing a good deed, we must say to them sincerely, “That’s right! We must do the right thing! Not only have you done this [good deed], I will also rejoice in it with you. This encourages everyone to respond [in kind], and they will [also] do good deeds.” This is [how we can] “help others succeed in doing good deeds.”

At the same time, we can also recruit others to do good deeds, and we must also recruit them to “uphold the sutra and walk the path.” Simply doing good deeds is not enough; we must also listen to more teachings. Good deeds last only temporarily in this world. [Life in] this world is inherently impermanent; how much time do we have to do good deeds? At most, we only have the rest of this lifetime. When it comes to [sowing] the field of blessings with blessed seeds, are we able to do this lifetime after lifetime? We may diligently spread seeds of goodness, but are we able to seek the [true] principles? If we only create blessings unwittingly, lifetime after lifetime, even if we are able to create these blessings, we will not form an affinity with the Dharma.

If we only spend our days enjoying our blessings, discursive thoughts will inevitably arise. Once such afflictions arise in us, [we give rise to] a mix of good and evil. Even when we do good [deeds], our ignorance and afflictions will continuously bind us. These are ordinary people’s blessings. We need to cultivate blessings and wisdom at the same time. This is why [we often] talk about cultivating both blessings and wisdom. “Blessings come from the joy of serving others, and wisdom is the freedom that we gain from understanding.” This wisdom comes from understanding. This is why we must listen to more teachings to thoroughly understand worldly principles. When we understand the principles, all worldly hindrances are naturally removed. Thus, matters are in harmony with the principles.

“We must recruit people to uphold the sutra and walk the path.” Only if the principles can be upheld can they last long into the future. This means that only if each of us constantly passes them down like this, can the principles [continue to] sustain our wisdom-life. So, we “follow the Dharma to engage in diligent practice.” Only when we have upheld this sutra do we know the value of its teachings. If we can accept and uphold the Dharma earnestly and diligently for a long time, then we will be able to return to our pure nature. This is why we must learn to “follow the Dharma to engage in diligent practice.” Learning from the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas, how did the Buddha attain Buddhahood? As Buddhist practitioners, isn’t our goal to attain Buddhahood? To learn from the Buddha’s [teachings] and attain Buddhahood, we must follow the Dharma, but how do we cultivate ourselves? How do we diligently advance? We must be sure to stay on the right path of the Four Noble Truths and the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence. We must investigate the true principles which underlie the Four Noble Truths.

Life is full of suffering. Each and every day, in our daily living, we hear about and see [instances of suffering]. Ah, this world is full of tragic events which [cause] suffering. There are truly many lamentable events. [People] suffer! We cannot bear to see others suffer, and we feel their pain and suffering as our own. We feel sad to see them suffering. We must nurture this kind of [empathy], for this is the Buddha’s heart. The Buddha’s heart is a heart of great compassion. I often tell everyone we need to “take the Buddha’s heart as our own.” This is what we need to learn, and it [gives us] our direction.

The Buddha’s mind is pure and undefiled, for it has transformed [all sense of] “me, mine” and “self” into nothing. Mostly, we remain attached to our [sense of self], to “my” feelings, “my” preconceived ideas, “my” direction or whatever is “mine.” The “self” takes many [forms], but it means we are only concerned with ourselves and our own benefit. We have many attachments to this [sense of] self. Because we are like this, we can never break through our afflictions; [they are like] a dream-like net of ignorance. We have mentioned this previously as well, that life is like a dream, but it also [lures] us to enter its net.

When we dream, we become entangled in this net. Not only do we go about life as if in a dream, we also allow ourselves to become tangled in it, as if caught in this kind of tangible net. This formless dream [becomes] a tangible net; it makes our surroundings feel just like a net, like a net that is constricting us. What “I” love, what I am attached to, what I possess and so on, everything becomes about “me.” This is like a net. People nowadays speak about “the internet”; this is something that can entangle us.

Thus, life is inherently like a dream, and we become tied up in this net of ignorance. We may remain there forever, in this dream-like net of ignorance. So, only with the Buddha’s heart can we be freed from this dream-like net; only then can we purify our bodies and minds and [make them] open and spacious like the sky, return to our greater self and deeply understand the true principles of all things in the universe. Otherwise, although the principles are right in front us, this net still covers and binds us. This is why we must “follow the Dharma to engage in diligent practice.”

Besides the Four Noble Truths, which we need to thoroughly understand, we must also learn the teaching of the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence. Ignorance leads to volitional formation which leads to consciousness which leads to name and form. Name and form lead to the six entrances and so on until we are born into the world. Coming to this world was beyond our control, providing another chance for us to create karma and give rise to evil. So, we must not allow ourselves to come to the world again due to the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence. This is why we must “follow the Dharma to engage in diligent practice.”

We [must] at least have a direction that leads us to do what we should, to do good [deeds] in accord with the Dharma and the true principles. Our direction must be accurate. If we can remember this, then it means that in our consciousness, our direction and our karmic seeds are pure. “We cannot bring anything but our karma to our next life.” This is the case for unenlightened beings. We are still unenlightened beings, and we still become tangled up in worldly things. We remain entangled in a net of afflictions. Without the Dharma, we have no way to be delivered. This is why we must follow the Dharma and diligently engage in spiritual practice.

We must practice the Four Noble Truths and [take] the Six Paramitas as our causal practice. If we practice the Six Paramitas, the Bodhisattva-practice, “we will directly approach the fruit of sarvajna. The fruit of sarvajna” is the ultimate stage of Buddhahood. If we begin as unenlightened beings and our destination is to attain Buddhahood, then we must apply the Six Paramitas. The Six Paramitas enable us to cross to the other shore. To go from an unenlightened state and cross over to the ultimate stage of Buddhahood is our objective.

In past kalpas, after seeing [past] Buddhas cultivate giving, upholding precepts, patience and so on, [Sakyamuni Buddha] then made vows. Lifetime after lifetime, Devadatta lived during the Buddha’s lifetime and harmed the Buddha’s life. This was to help [the Buddha] fulfill. His practice of giving, precepts and patience and upholding Samadhi and wisdom as part of the cultivation of the Bodhisattva-cause. [Devadatta] asked for His head, eyes, hands, feet, marrow, liver, kidneys, and the five organs. This helped Him perfect. His practice of giving, precepts and patience as part of the causal practice of Bodhisattvas.

So, when we “reach the other shore,” we “turn away from delusion and attain all-encompassing wisdom.” All-encompassing wisdom is the Buddha’s wisdom. With it, we are unimpeded in all Dharma, for having all-encompassing wisdom [means] having a complete understanding of the true principles of all things in the universe. This is “the state of ultimate perfection of all Buddhas.” This is not impossible, but it requires us to [have clear] intent and to be determined in our resolve. Beginning in the right place and never deviating even slightly, we move diligently forward, straight ahead while following the Dharma.

“In past kalpas, after seeing [past] Buddhas cultivate the practices of giving and the precepts….” Giving, precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom are the Six Paramitas, the six methods we must steadfastly uphold. These are our tools for spiritual practice. How should we go about giving? Our giving must be all-inclusive, with sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness in body and mind. We must make vows, the [Four] Great Vows, “to deliver countless sentient beings, to eliminate endless afflictions, to learn the infinite Dharma-doors” and “to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.” These are our great vows. Starting with giving, we cannot be lacking in any of the Six Paramitas if we are to succeed in our spiritual mission of saving all sentient beings.

This is why, every time we help others, we serve them mindfully, making an effort with our minds and bodies to give joyfully and willingly. And once we are done, we even say, “Thank you for letting us do this!” So, as we give without expectations, we must also express our gratitude. This is what it means to be “selfless.” There is no “me” who gives, and there is no “you” who receives what I give. All sentient beings are equal. [We must not be] attached to giving and receiving, or to how much we give. These are the Three Spheres of Emptiness. This is how we become “selfless. It is no trouble! We are grateful to serve you. You give us a chance to accomplish our practice. If you can be at peace, it will make us even happier than you. When you find peace, we will also be at ease.” So, sentient beings’ suffering is the Bodhisattva’s spiritual training ground. If there was no suffering, we would never have a chance to become Bodhisattvas.

This is why it says, “In past kalpas, after seeing [past] Buddhas cultivate giving and upholding precepts….” Not only must we give, we must still go on to uphold the precepts. Not only must we uphold the precepts, we must also practice patience. Our patience must be long-term, so we need to be diligent. We must persevere and be diligent. Whatever our lifestyle may be, we must work for the Dharma and sentient beings, regardless of what hardships we encounter. We must not think, “I am here doing chores out in the fields while you all practice in there, sitting there listening to this [Dharma-talk] on the sutra.”

If we can help people succeed by giving them a chance to listen to the Dharma in peace, then even if we are working in the kitchen, those people can perfect their merit and virtue because [we enabled them to listen] mindfully. After the morning recitation is over, everyone is happily listening to the Dharma. When we enter the cafeteria and can eat our fill, we must be very grateful, grateful to this group who serves us. They do it very willingly, [telling us], “We are happy you are diligently practicing.” This feeling is mutual. When they give, they do so willingly, because this is their goal in spiritual practice. So, we must be diligent and mindful [in learning], or else we will let down those who are working so hard. So, in our spiritual training ground, as we practice giving, upholding the precepts, patience and diligence, our minds are in contemplation, in meditation. In this calm contemplation of wisdom, our minds can be at peace, which is Samadhi. This produces wisdom, which gives us our direction.

So, we must put the Six Paramitas into practice; we must then keep making vows. Time passes continuously, as do our circumstances, so we must certainly make good use of our time. Time may pass, but the Dharma must remain in our hearts. Because the principles are eternal, once the Dharma abides in our hearts, it will never increase nor decrease. The principles are always like this, so we must accept them every day and not say things like, “I’ve had enough,” or, “There are so many teachings; I’ve had enough.” How could there be enough? We must never become complacent, for the Dharma never increases nor decreases. When we can apply it, we will not lose it. It is only by applying it in our lives that we can truly attain the Dharma.

We give to help people, and we take the Dharma to heart as we give. This is something intangible, but it is by doing these things ourselves that we receive benefit. [If we attain] merits and virtues through giving, have we really given of ourselves? Are we truly [giving] with equanimity? When we give willingly and someone receives [our charity], those who receive what we give give us “virtue” in return. Everyone must listen and understand this clearly. When someone receives what we give, it is material aid, while the virtues we gain are intangible. So, we must be grateful for this.

Even if we are upholding precepts, they guard against wrongdoing and stop evil. In our minds, we must never allow a moment of ignorance to make us lose our spiritual aspirations or allow our afflictions to increase. So, we must uphold the precepts and have patience, for without them, we cannot become Bodhisattvas. If we cannot follow the Bodhisattva-path, how could we walk the path to Buddhahood? So, we must be patient. Having “patience” means “being focused and not distracted, advancing and not retreating.” When we have only our spiritual aspiration and we no longer have conflicts with others, this is “diligence.”

“Samadhi” means constantly engaging in right thinking, regardless of our external circumstances. We must pay attention to our thinking. The appearances we recognize around us become thoughts once we take them into our minds. As I often tell everyone, thoughts arise when our consciousness connects with external conditions. We take all kinds of conditions to heart. This is what we call “thoughts.” We must earnestly engage in calm contemplation and [cultivate] the field of our minds. We need to remember the external forms and appearances, and we must cultivate the ground of our minds. Have we ever truly cultivated it? What kinds of seeds have we sown in the ground of our minds? To diligently cultivate our minds, we must engage in calm contemplation. This is Samadhi, which means putting [the Dharma] into practice and never allowing our thinking to deviate. We must not allow the field of our minds to stray. This is very important.

So, when it comes to “practice,” the practice of the Six Paramitas, “[we must] make vows.” We need to make vows. After taking action, we must still make vows, make vows over and over. This is what we must do at this time, [vow] to keep doing what is right and quickly rid ourselves of wrongdoing. Every day, we must continuously plow the grounds of our mind, ceaselessly eliminating weeds and endlessly planting seeds [of goodness]. We must never stop cultivating the ground of our minds like this. So, this means making vows to continuously sow seeds and create good affinities. “Before we can attain Buddhahood, we must first form good affinities.” I often talk about these good affinities.

“Lifetime after lifetime, Devadatta lived during the Buddha’s lifetime and harmed the Buddha’s life.” Do you know who Devadatta was? Lifetime after lifetime, Devadatta was always born in the same lifetime as the Buddha. In each of those lifetimes, Devadatta created adverse conditions; He created adverse conditions for the Buddha and tried to hinder and harm His spiritual practice. He even thought up ways to kill the Buddha. He always lived at the same time as the Buddha, and always tried to harm the Buddha’s life. In the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish or the Sutra of Karmic Conditions, we often read about how the Buddha, lifetime after lifetime, had to undergo so much torment and suffering. Who was it that tormented Him, who caused Him to encounter so much suffering? It was Devadatta. The one who created an environment where spiritual practitioners were persecuted was Devadatta.

Thus, these [many] lifetimes of [Devadatta] tormenting [the Buddha] gave Him the chance to cultivate patience, to perfect His practice of giving, upholding the precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. It was Devadatta testing Him like this that gave Him the karmic conditions [He needed]; only adverse conditions could enable Him to train His diligence. So, this helped Him to learn patience and to continue progressing in cultivating wisdom and maintaining Samadhi. These were His causes of the Bodhisattva-practice. So, we must always be grateful whenever adverse conditions manifest; we must never be resentful or complain about them. They are an opportunity for spiritual practice.

There were many harmful situations, different karmic circumstances, where Devadatta wanted [the Buddha’s] head, His eyes, His hands and feet, His bones, His liver, His kidneys, His five organs and so on. There are many stories like this. [But the Buddha] was never afraid to give and was always willing to satisfy the needs of those who appealed to Him. This is how He perfected His Bodhisattva-practice. This is why we must first understand what exactly “merits and virtues” are. It is not just taking joy in hearing of others’ [good] deeds. We must also find joy in doing things ourselves.

First we must understand that, in order to seek the great Dharma and perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas, we must not hesitate to give up our lives. By being in perfect harmony with worldly matters, we demonstrate our understanding of the true principles. We must urge and encourage the Dharma-seekers of future generations.

We must first understand that to seek the Great Dharma, we must first fulfill the Six Paramitas. The Six Paramitas are the Six Perfections. [Attaining] the fruit of sarvajna means reaching the ultimate state of Buddhahood. This process requires that we do not hesitate to give up our lives or to sacrifice this human body. Only with these bodies can we do physical labor and be of service to others, so we must not hesitate to devote our bodies and minds to the service of others.

“By being in perfect harmony with worldly matters, we demonstrate our understanding of the true principles.” Without these people and matters, we will be unable to demonstrate our understanding of the principles. What is spiritual practice? We must undergo hard work like this. Spiritual practice is not just saying, “You must respect the Three Treasures. After becoming a monastic, I am now superior.” It is not like this. To truly form aspirations for spiritual practice, we must strive to [become] “selfless,” so that we no longer have any “self.” Only then can we perfect our “greater self.” The “greater self” [embraces] all worldly matters. “We feel others’ pain as our own and grieve when others suffer.” We feel compassion for all suffering people and pain when anyone is harmed. This [applies to] everyone in the world. So, we must never begrudge hard work, nor hesitate to [devote] our lives to service. We can spend our time taking on responsibilities, or spend it merely amusing ourselves.

Everyone, truly we must first understand that to seek the Great Dharma, “to perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas, we must not hesitate to give up our lives. We must be in perfect harmony with worldly matters to demonstrate our understanding of the true principles.” We must arrive at the realm of true principles. This means “We must urge and encourage the Dharma-seekers of future generations.” We must recruit others. We must continuously recruit others to uphold the sutra and accept the Dharma. “The sutra is a path. This path is a road to walk on.” This is the method by which we must learn to engage in spiritual practice. This is what we must first understand. It is not just about listening [and saying], “I know, I know. I understand, and I know all of this. I can lay out all the principles.” It is not like this.

[For the Da Ai TV program]. “Biographies of Eminent Monks,” I asked that they [thoroughly] research that era and make use of [authentic] personages, background [information] and history. I am very grateful to Da Ai TV. They do not fabricate stories but report the truth in their television programs. They use true events, especially when it comes to the Buddha-Dharma. I hope every episode of. Biographies of Eminent Monks can be a humanistic documentary that truly serves to help us delve deeply into the Buddha-Dharma. So, we must cherish them.

Now we enter the sutra text, [starting at] the sutra’s 18th Chapter, on the Merits and Virtues of Joy.

“At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva spoke to the Buddha ‘World-Honored One, if good men and good women hear this Lotus Sutra and take joy in it, how many blessings will they attain?'”

We must listen even more mindfully here. The phrase, “good men and good women” can be analyzed in two ways. “In terms of people,” the Buddha’s disciples are divided into a fourfold assembly. Seen as a Dharma-analogy, it refers to Arhats and Bodhisattvas.

“Good men and good women” is twofold in meaning: In terms of people, this refers to the fourfold assembly. Seen as a Dharma-analogy, it refers to Arhats and Bodhisattvas. Arhats are rigid and direct by nature. They can only seek to benefit themselves and are unable to transform others. Those who listen to the Dharma only for their own benefit are “good men.” The nature of Bodhisattvas is gentle and compassionate. They can transform themselves as well as others. They spread virtuous causes and conditions and help the seeds of Buddhahood continue to flourish. Thus they are represented as “good women.” They make the Four Offerings to the Buddha and the Sangha as good men and good women who uphold and learn [the Dharma] while living the lay life.

Arhats are “rigid and direct by nature. My purpose for engaging in spiritual practice is to keep on eliminating my afflictions. I do not want to be defiled by afflictions. Ah, I put them aside! I must not concern myself [with worldly matters].” They are rigid and direct. They say, “That’s what the Buddha said.” This is how they are, “rigid and direct by nature. They can only seek to benefit themselves and are unable to transform others.” So, “those who listen to the Dharma only for their own benefit” are the ones that we call “good men,” They practice only for their own benefit.

The second kind are Bodhisattvas. “Bodhisattvas are gentle and compassionate by nature. They spread virtuous causes and conditions.” They not only strive to transform themselves, but also go on to transform others. To transform others, we must sow good karmic conditions [for them]. So, we must create good affinities with them; only then can we “help the seeds of Buddhahood continue to flourish,” and enable the Dharma to be passed on. Thus, those who “help the seeds of Buddhahood continue to flourish,” who continuously help to proliferate the Dharma are called “good women.”

During the Buddha’s era, there were the Four Offerings of building monasteries, medicine, food and clothing. These were called the Four Offerings. Any monastic during the Buddha’s era had to go out and beg for a living. In their time, just like in ours today, there were twenty-four hours in a day, and they traveled far to beg before returning, which took a lot of time. They needed lay people to protect the Dharma by giving them charity. At that time, to support the Sangha, the Buddha [told them to praise the laity], saying, “Your merit and virtue is great!” These lay people who upheld and learned the Dharma were called good men and women for their giving.

So, since Maitreya Bodhisattva would attain Buddhahood in the future, he knew that people in the future who listened to this sutra would think, “We can gain merit and virtue just by rejoicing.” How can we determine the amount of merit such rejoicing brings? Though [it said this] previously in the Chapter on Distinguishing Merits and Virtues, now it says merit and virtue are [attained] through rejoicing. Is this all we really need to do? How much merit and virtue can we gain by this? So, because Maitreya Bodhisattva was the one who would pass on the Dharma in the future, he kept asking the Buddha these [questions] for the sake of those future sentient beings. To get the Buddha to further clarify things, this is how he asked.

Maitreya Bodhisattva carries on the past to inspire the future. In the future, He will be born in this world to attain Buddhahood. He was referring to how, in the previous chapter, [the Buddha] said that those who will accept, uphold, read and recite [the sutras] while also practicing the Six Paramitas will have the aforementioned merits and virtues from upholding these practices.

It said this previously, so [we should] understand that. [Maitreya was] asking the Buddha to repeat [the merits of] accepting, upholding, reading and reciting the sutra, while practicing the Six Paramitas. He wanted the Buddha to make it very clear to everyone that it was not just about reading and reciting the sutra, nor only about the Four Offerings. They still had to put the sutra into practice, by practicing the Six Paramitas in the world, giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom and all the merit and virtue they bring.

“At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva spoke to the Buddha.”

At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva-Mahasattva spoke to the Buddha: Since Maitreya Bodhisattva will come to the world in the future as a guiding teacher, he had to ask these questions then. Thus, he spoke to the Buddha.

Maitreya “spoke to the Buddha” because he wanted to give the Buddha a chance to explain things even more clearly, so that those who had not heard this before would be able to understand. He did this “to help the seeds of Buddhahood continue to flourish.” When the future Buddha is in this world, He must help these good men and good women listen to the Lotus Sutra so that afterwards, they know how to praise and put it into practice. How many blessings could they attain by putting it into practice? This is what He wanted the Buddha to make clear. [Maitreya] asked Him for our sake.

So, from now on, we must be very mindful. When we have deep faith and understanding and accept things joyfully, these bring so much merit and virtue; with what mindset do we accept these merits and virtues? We must all mindfully investigate this.

After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, those able to hear this sutra would give rise to deep faith and understanding, faithfully accept it with joy and dance in celebration. They would naturally give rise to a joyful mindset, so why wouldn’t they gain merits and virtues? Thus, Maitreya asked how many blessings they would gain.

As for deep faith, understanding and joyful acceptance, do these all [bring] merits and virtues? This is something we need to investigate deeply. The Buddha has begun to explain to us how we must prepare our minds and listen mindfully [to learn] how we can accumulate merit and virtue. How do we take joy in praising others? We must give appropriate praise to others, for it is wrong to give praise inappropriately. So, we must always be mindful.