Category: TLS Chapter 2

Episode 196 – Wondrous Dharma Awakens Understanding

---

>> “Extremely profound, subtle and wondrous are all teachings of the Path. All Buddhas intend to teach the One Vehicle and give teachings for one great cause. They give Dharma and analogies that suit the capabilities of sentient beings.”

>> “He has realized profound Dharma that has never been known before, and teaches according to what is appropriate. Yet the direction of His mind is hard to understand.”

>> Wondrous Dharma is said to be profound. The most profound is called extremely [profound]. They teach according to what is appropriate, but the direction of Their mind is hard to understand. They transform sentient beings with what is appropriate and resonant with their capabilities. Those whose roots have not matured still find it hard to understand.

>> “Sariputra, from the time I attained Buddhahood, I have, by means of various causes and conditions and various analogies, [taught sentient beings].”

>> Various causes and conditions: The Buddha’s teachings are based on causes and conditions. In the Buddha’s noble teachings, from the simple to profound, everything He says is related to the truths of the law of karma.

>> Various analogies: With things that were known, [He] revealed things that were not yet known.

---

“Extremely profound, subtle and wondrous are all teachings of the Path.
All Buddhas intend to teach the One Vehicle
and give teachings for one great cause.
They give Dharma and analogies that suit the capabilities of sentient beings.”

This is saying that we recognize the Buddha’s teachings as extremely profound, subtle and wondrous. For over 40 years, the Buddha continuously gave teachings. Based on sentient beings’ various capabilities, He opened various Dharma-doors for them. This is called skillful means. But the Buddha’s original intention was to teach and guide sentient beings to one thing, which is the One Vehicle teachings.

The One Vehicle starts at the state of ordinary beings. After the Buddha attained enlightenment, He pointed directly to our minds, to help us understand that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, a nature equal to the Buddha. But we sentient beings could not fully comprehend this, so the Buddha had to establish the Three Vehicles.

The Three Vehicles are the Small, Middle and Great Vehicle. The Buddha’s original intent was to teach the One Great Vehicle. But we were unable to comprehend it, so He had to establish many skillful means to guide sentient beings.

Indeed, all Buddhas share the same path, so Their minds all contain the principles of the One Vehicle. This means that every Buddha we see is the same. So, “all Buddhas intend to teach the One Vehicle.” Not only do all Buddhas share the same mind, in fact, the Buddha also told us that we also intrinsically have the same Buddha-nature.

So, the Buddha “gave teachings for one great cause,” which was to “open and reveal.” [His knowledge and views] to sentient beings. He hoped that we would be able to realize and “enter” the Buddhas’ teachings of the Path. The Buddha already “opened and revealed,” but now, have we sentient beings “entered and realized” [those teachings]?

It is said, “Teachers show the way, but students walk the path.” Over 2000 years ago, the Buddha already blazed this broad and straight path for us. Now, 2000 years later, the road is still just as wide and straight. Do we all see this road?

The Buddha only comes to this world for this one great cause, to “open and reveal” [His knowledge and views]. Although the Buddha held the One Vehicle in His mind, He still spent 42 years patiently guiding people according to capabilities and using various methods to make analogies. So, He “gave Dharma and analogies that suited the capabilities of sentient beings.” Therefore, we all need to be mindful and constantly examine our minds. Not only must we be mindful, we must observe our innate nature and ask ourselves, “Have I seen the Path? Have I taken the first step? Am I diligent? Am I taking in the surrounding scenery?” We still need to really ask ourselves, “What’s the goal of spiritual cultivation? Isn’t it to realize the Buddha’s teachings of the Path?” Therefore, we need to be really self-aware.

The sutra states that in the past, He had already drawn near to countless Buddhas and even “exhaustively practiced all Buddhas’ teachings of the Path,” He simultaneously forged ahead with courage and vigor. “Thus, His name is widely known.” This is what I explained earlier.

Next, we will discuss how.

“He has realized profound Dharma that has never been known before, and teaches according to what is appropriate. Yet the direction of His mind is hard to understand.”

After encountering all Buddhas’ teachings, He accepted and practiced them and forged ahead with courage and vigor. So His name is already widely-known. Now He has returned to this world and still wants to give teachings. However, the wondrous Dharma and the direction of His mind are hard to understand. “The direction of His mind” refers to how the Buddha teaches according to the capabilities of sentient beings. But sentient beings still find “the direction of His mind hard to understand.” They truly want to realize the direction of His mind, but they still cannot really understand it.

So, we know [He had] “realized profound Dharma that has never been known before.” This Dharma is very profound, [for] the “Wondrous Dharma is said to be profound.” What kind of teaching is this? [It] is very subtle and wondrous. When we open a sutra to read it, doesn’t the Sutra Opening Verse speak of “unsurpassed, extremely profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma”? Indeed! It is unsurpassed and extremely profound. “Unsurpassed” means highest. “Extremely profound” means it is very deep. So, it is both high and deep. Since His teachings are very subtle and wondrous, they are called “profound.”

The word “Dharma” broadly refers to teachings given by the Buddha. It is just one word, but “Dharma” encompasses all things and all principles in the universe, so it is called “subtle and wondrous.” Thus, “wondrous Dharma is said to be profound.” Indeed, it is very deep. “The most profound is called extremely [profound].” It is immeasurably, extremely profound. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings also mentions that it is very profound.

Wondrous Dharma is said to be profound. The most profound is called extremely [profound]. They teach according to what is appropriate, but the direction of Their mind is hard to understand. They transform sentient beings with what is appropriate and resonant with their capabilities. Those whose roots have not matured still find it hard to understand.

Since the Dharma is so profound and hard to understand, the Buddha had to apply His wisdom and teach according to capabilities. He “teaches according to what is appropriate. Appropriate” is what we can accept, [meaning] suitable teachings. Based on our capabilities, He teaches suitable principles that we can accept. This is “teaching according to what is appropriate.” According to our capabilities, He gives teachings we can accept.

So, it is said, when it comes to true principles, the direction of His mind is hard to understand. And this is also what it means by, “They transform sentient beings with what is appropriate and resonant with their capabilities.” Based on our capabilities, They [find a way] to awaken our minds and consciousness, to inspire us based on matters, so we can understand the underlying principles. This is doing what is “appropriate and resonant with their capabilities.”

Those whose roots have not matured still find it hard to understand. Although the Buddha makes a lot of effort to give these explanations, and some people can accept them, the roots of others are still immature, so they do not understand. So, I often say, “The Buddha transforms those He has karmic affinities with.” Actually, this affinity [arises] when causes and conditions have matured. Only then can we receive appropriate teachings.

Next, the Buddha said,

“Sariputra, from the time I attained Buddhahood, I have, by means of various causes and conditions and various analogies, [taught sentient beings].”

This was what Sakyamuni Buddha told Sariputra next because now He was teaching the Lotus Sutra to. Small and Middle Vehicle practitioners in hopes they could “turn from the Small to the Great.” They were already on the Buddhist path, so He hoped they could further make greater aspirations and dedicate themselves to the truths of the Buddha’s One Vehicle, which is to walk the Bodhisattva-path.

So, He directed [His teachings to] those who had attained the fruits of Arhatship. They only thought of self-liberation and wanted to enter Nirvana, the state of cessation. The Buddha further wanted them to be inspired anew and develop great aspirations. So, He wanted to help them put their hearts into realizing [His teachings]. At the assembly, He called to Sariputra again. This means He wanted to talk to everyone. “Sariputra” also refers to all those who followed the Buddha to become monastics. He called Sariputra because he represented the Sangha. So, the Buddha called to Sariputra again to help them all become more attentive.

[Here], “I” is the Buddha referring to Himself. Since He became the Buddha, for a very long time, He used various opportunities and analogies to teach according to capabilities,

“by means of various causes and conditions.” The Buddha’s teachings are based on causes and conditions.

Various causes and conditions: The Buddha’s teachings are based on causes and conditions. In the Buddha’s noble teachings, from the simple to profound, everything He says is related to the truths of the law of karma.

I often say that the law of karma is something we Buddhist practitioners cannot ignore. The Buddha taught the law of karma His entire life to everyone from the Small and Middle to Great [Vehicles], teaching the Small Vehicle to limited capacities, the Middle Vehicle to average capacities and the Great Vehicle to great capacities. [He did this so that] none would diverge from the law of karma. Thus, “the Buddha’s teachings are based on causes and conditions.” His mission is to help everyone see the same guiding principles. “Causes and conditions” [refers to] the principle by which all things arise and cease.

“In the Buddha’s noble teachings, from the simple to profound,” all teachings of the Path are related to the law of karma. The way we form aspirations, how we engage in spiritual practice and what we accomplish are all based on the law of karma. But the Buddha applied His wisdom to come up with [many methods to teach this]. So, for those with limited capabilities, He taught simpler principles. As their capabilities gradually matured, His teachings went from simple to profound. So, “everything He says is related to the truths of the law of karma,” which are Absolute Truths and principles.

So, the sutra states that [He used] “various causes and conditions” and “various analogies.”

Various analogies: With things that were known, [He] revealed things that were not yet known.

Analogies are used when I understand something and try to tell you but you still do not understand. What can I do?

I use matters to reveal principles. I can explain things you do not understand with [concrete examples] to help you realize this. Therefore, “[He] revealed things that were not yet known.” If you do not understand yet, I will teach you through an analogy.

How do I do this? For example, let me tell you about the “wind.” What does “wind” look like? It is invisible. But when you see a tree swaying, you know the wind has started to blow. Because it is blowing, a tree is swaying. This is how “a moving tree teaches us about wind.” This is how analogies work. We analogize matters and forms to the Path and principles. Therefore, we should understand that analogies are crucial to many teachings.

Because we have dull capabilities, the Buddha had to use objects and matters as analogies to describe principles. So as for the Dharma, I often say, “The Dharma is like water; the Dharma-rain of Tathagatas nourishes all living things.” These are all analogies. Trees on the land need water just as the minds of us sentient beings need the Dharma. So, we make these analogies, “The Dharma is like water; the Dharma-rain of Tathagatas nourishes all living things.”

So, “first establish an analogy, then match it to the teachings of the Path.” First the analogy is given, and then [it is related to] the Dharma. “This is like mentioning someone who desired a beautiful flower.” This is like the story about about [a certain] person’s desire. [This person] saw a beautiful flower, but this flower grew on a tree that but this flower grew by a tree that was partly hanging over a creek. Because he wanted to pick that flower, he disregarded the danger and climbed the tree, so he could reach the flower. In a moment of carelessness, he fell into the creek and [was swept away].

This is another analogy. This story is an analogy for “how sentient beings crave the Five Desires.” This explains that we have desires, which are cravings and a form of greed. When he saw that flower, he craved it, so he became greedy and wanted to grasp it. So, the Buddha told this story as an analogy for how we sentient beings live in cyclic existence; we are immersed in and floating along the sea of samsara. These are all considered analogies.

Many teachings use analogies to help people comprehend and penetrate them. So everybody, we must understand that from the time the Buddha attained enlightenment, for over 40 years. He continuously used various causes, conditions and analogies, to teach us. When He proclaimed His teachings, how much of it could the people listening during His lifetime really understand? Now, over 2000 years later, how much of His Dharma can we comprehend? We must all ask ourselves this question. We know ourselves best. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 195 – Diligently Practice the Eightfold Noble Path

---

>> For us, “the three Fours are contemplating the body, diligent [efforts] and fulfilling powers. The two Fives are the Roots and Powers of mindfulness, Samadhi and wisdom. Seven and Eight are methods of spiritual practice and Right Thinking. We need to bear in mind and practice these teachings of the Path.”

>> The Eightfold Noble Path: 1. Right Views. Have the ability to see true principles 2. Right Thinking. Have a mind free of deviant thoughts 3. Right Speech. Do not speak unreal or false things 4. Right Action. Do all good deeds that are beneficial 5. Right Livelihood. Take on a vocation on the Right Path 6. Right Diligence. Cultivate all spiritual practices without ceasing 7. Right Mindfulness. Focus on recalling the virtuous Dharma 8. Right Samadhi. Wholeheartedly dwell on the truth of the Right Path.

>> “Discern the Dharma with the Factors of Bodhi, know what is true or false with wisdom and clear understanding, become joyous through practicing Right Dharma. The mind remains in one state and attains peace.”

>> “[He] exhaustively practiced all Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the Path, forge ahead with courage and vigor. “Thus, His name is widely known’. Forging ahead with courage and vigor” describes the courageousness of Bodhisattvas. They diligently practice all Dharma and transform sentient beings without retreating.

>> Those whose names are widely known are recognized by all as role models. They help people accumulate merits and bring to fruition profound teachings that have never been known before. They themselves realize the inconceivable.

---

For us,
“the three Fours are contemplating the body, diligent [efforts] and fulfilling powers.
The two Fives are the Roots and Powers of mindfulness, Samadhi and wisdom.
Seven and Eight are methods of spiritual practice and Right Thinking.
We need to bear in mind and practice these teachings of the Path.”

I keep reminding everyone that we must not neglect the most fundamental of spiritual practices, which are the 37 Practices to Enlightenment.

“The three Fours” [consist of the Fourfold Mindfulness] [beginning with], “contemplating that the body is impure,” then the Four Right Efforts and the Four Bases of Fulfilling Power. We must understand clearly these three sets of principles grouped in fours. We must mindfully memorize them. And not only that, we must constantly review them in our minds so that we will not lose focus nor [give rise to] discursive thoughts. Therefore, we must be mindful.

[Next], it mentions “the two Fives, the Spiritual Roots and Powers,” which are the Roots of Faith, Diligence, Thought, Samadhi and Wisdom. When we give rise to roots of goodness, we must use the “powers” to persevere. So, the Spiritual Roots and Powers are very important and must be cultivated in parallel.

Next are the Seven Factors of Bodhi, or the Seven Branches of Enlightenment, which help us realize that we must determine the direction of our spiritual practice. At the same time, we also need to be diligent and find joy in being diligent. When we attain the True Dharma, we must be filled with Dharma-joy. When we have afflictions, we need to find a way to eliminate them. Mindfulness leads to wisdom. I have discussed all of this before.

In summary, “the Seven Factors of Bodhi” and “the Eight Noble Paths” are both called “teachings of the Path.” All teachings of the Path begin with the 37 Practices to Enlightenment as the foundation.

So, the Chapter on Skillful Means at the beginning of the Lotus Sutra talks of “exhaustively practicing all Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the Path. Infinite” means there are many teachings, This is the Path and teachings of all Buddhas. By drawing near to infinite Buddhas, one can accept and practice infinite teachings. So, before Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, for countless kalpas, He drew near to infinite Buddhas and thus practiced infinite teachings of the Path.

Once we ordinary beings hear [such teachings], we tend to let them leak out. But all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas listen to the Dharma and then take it to heart. Therefore, during His spiritual cultivation, He drew near to infinite Buddhas and also practiced [Their teachings] over many lifetimes. He “exhaustively practiced” the infinite teachings of all Buddhas. So after we listen to them, we cannot let them leak out. We must put them into practice. Thus, “we need to bear in mind and practice these teachings of the Path.” As for paths and teachings, we must listen to and then memorize them to bear them in mind and really accept and practice them.

Next, we will talk about the Eightfold Noble Path.

The Eightfold Noble Path: 1. Right Views. Have the ability to see true principles 2. Right Thinking. Have a mind free of deviant thoughts 3. Right Speech. Do not speak unreal or false things 4. Right Action. Do all good deeds that are beneficial 5. Right Livelihood. Take on a vocation on the Right Path 6. Right Diligence. Cultivate all spiritual practices without ceasing 7. Right Mindfulness. Focus on recalling the virtuous Dharma 8. Right Samadhi. Wholeheartedly dwell on the truth of the Right Path.

On the Eightfold Noble Path, first comes Right Views. This is the ability to see true principles. We cannot have evil thoughts or biases. In learning the Buddha’s Way, the worst thing is having erroneous views and understanding. If our “views” have been defiled or tainted, our spiritual practices will go astray, and everything we do in our daily living will be off track. So, in regards to Right Views, we must be very clear about them.

I keep talking about “cleansing mental defilements” with Dharma-water. The Dharma is like water, and we must use it to wash away defiled views and understanding. When we have eliminated these defilements, naturally what remains will be Right Views. Having Right Views is the ability to see true principles clearly.

Second is Right Thinking. Our minds must be free of deviant and discursive thoughts.

Third is Right Speech, which is to not speak unreal or false things. There are four kinds of karma of speech, which are harsh speech, gossip, lies and flattery. As we engage in spiritual practice and learn the Buddha’s Way, we must speak properly. We must not say words that are meaningless or that others cannot trust. If we do those things, how can we be a role model?

As spiritual practitioners, we must be a role model for others. We need to “seek the Buddha-path” and “transform sentient beings.” As we practice, we need to be role models. If what we say leads people to think we are only joking and they do not need to believe us, wouldn’t that be a pity? So when we speak, we must think very carefully.

Fourth is Right Action. “Action” means behavior and conduct. Regardless of what we do, we must benefit the world, society and all people. Then we are doing good deeds. When we “do all good deeds that are beneficial,” that is called Right Action.

Fifth is Right Livelihood. Right Livelihood means having an occupation [that is aligned with] the Right Path. If the career or work we choose deviates even slightly [from the Right Path], though we do it to make a living, we will accumulate much bad karma without realizing it. It is not easy for us to come into the human realm and have the causes and conditions to encounter the Buddha-Dharma. We must see this life as something very precious, and we should really value it.

Our bodies are vessels for spiritual cultivation. In this lifetime, while we have this body as well as our health, we must promptly become diligent. The road we walk on must be the Right Path. The Right Path is the Bodhi-path, which is great and direct. [Since] we have chosen this broad path, we must [be proper] and not deviate from Right Action, Right Livelihood. Everything we do in our lives must be meaningful. This is called the Right Path. Doing things that benefit people is called being on the Right Path.

Sixth is Right Diligence. “Diligence” is always being taught. The two Fives include diligence, [as do] the Seven and Eight. The Seven and Eight also include diligence. So the diligence here, I want to stress, must be Right Diligence. As we progress in our spiritual cultivation, we must constantly be vigilant and not deviate in the slightest. A tiny deviation will lead us far astray because we were not “right.” So, in the process of our spiritual practice, although we put our hearts into being diligent, we must take care to be “right.”

Thus, Right Diligence is “cultivating all spiritual practices without ceasing.” When we are on the correct path, we must diligently progress with each step. We cannot pause. If we pause, we will have to start over. If we forget the teachings we have heard, we have to start over. Consider the Buddha; He was courageous in diligently practicing the teachings of the Path. So, we must move in the right direction courageously and vigorously, without pausing or letting it leak away.

Seventh is Right Mindfulness. In our minds, when a good thought arises, we begin to form aspirations, which initiate actions. Our thoughts are continuous, never pausing. If our thoughts are good, we will diligently progress without stopping. If there is the slightest discursive thought in our minds, our thinking will go astray. So as we engage in practice, we must focus.

For over 2000 years, the content and meanings of the Buddha’s teachings have been analyzed by ancient sages and great masters, and we must put our hearts into remembering them. So for the Dharma to enter our minds, we must “focus on recalling the virtuous Dharma.” Virtuous Dharma is what we must focus on recalling. Every phrase is beneficial, so we must remember them. This is called Right Mindfulness. When our minds and actions are inseparable from the Dharma, we have Right Mindfulness.

Eighth is Right Samadhi. Right Samadhi is to “wholeheartedly dwell on the truth of the Right Path.” We must be focused and not become scattered. “Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom,” the Three Flawless Studies, are the truths of the Right Path. Truths are true principles, and we must [know] the truths of the Right Path.

So, we must strive to.

“Discern the Dharma with the Factors of Bodhi, know what is true or false with wisdom and clear understanding, become joyous through practicing Right Dharma. The mind remains in one state and attains peace.” This summarizes the previously discussed

37 Practices to Enlightenment, three Fours, two Fives, a Seven and Eight. With the Factors of Bodhi, we begin to discern these teachings, to

“know what is true or false with wisdom and clear understanding.” From the 37 Practices to Enlightenment, we can develop understanding and give rise to wisdom. Then we can strive to choose the principles that are true and put them into action and recognize what is deviant and meaningless.

“Become joyous through practicing Right Dharma.” This sense of joy is [what we call] Dharma-joy. If we do not enjoy listening to the Dharma, it has not entered our minds. When we listen mindfully, the Dharma will enter our minds. If we constantly practice the Right Dharma in our daily interactions with people and matters, we will become joyous. So, this is to “become joyous through practicing Right Dharma.”

“The mind remains in one state and attains peace.” If our minds are constantly focused on one state, we will be in the state of. Right Dharma and Right Practice. When the Dharma is in our minds and actions, we will constantly be at peace. I hope you will all mindfully remember the three Fours, two Fives, Seven and Eight.

Next, the sutra states,

“[He] exhaustively practiced all Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the Path, forge ahead with courage and vigor. “Thus, His name is widely known’. Forging ahead with courage and vigor” describes the courageousness of Bodhisattvas. They diligently practice all Dharma and transform sentient beings without retreating.

We must really put our hearts into this. If the foundation of [our understanding] of the Dharma is not firm, how can we forge ahead with courage and vigor? After we are solid on the teachings of the Path, we must forge ahead with courage and vigor. This is required for practicing the Bodhisattva-path.

So, we must continuously be diligent and practice all virtuous Dharma and transform sentient beings. To practice all virtuous Dharma is to “seek the Buddha’s Way,” to seek His teachings continuously and diligently. To “transform sentient beings” is to save them. We engage in spiritual practice to serve as a role model in this world. Therefore, we must take care of this body and mind. We should never retreat from. Right Action, which benefits sentient beings. Then, our names can be widely known.

Those whose names are widely known are recognized by all as role models. They help people accumulate merits and bring to fruition profound teachings that have never been known before. They themselves realize the inconceivable.

“Those whose names are widely known are recognized by all as role models.” The Buddha enlightened Himself and others and has perfect enlightened conduct. His virtues are perfect. Thus, He became the Father of the Four Kinds of Beings and. Guiding Teacher of Humans and Heavenly Beings. So, He was “known and recognized” for His example and “helped people accumulate merits.” He helped everyone develop their merits. Anyone who hears the Buddha-Dharma will benefit from it, because when we eliminate erroneous beliefs and unwholesome habitual tendencies, we go toward the Right Path and cultivate virtuous Dharma. This is “helping people accumulate merits. Do all good deeds; refrain from all evils. Doing all good deeds” is about merits.

“They bring to fruition profound teachings that have never been known before” because all Buddhas forge ahead with courage and vigor. Therefore, He can, “bring to fruition profound teachings that have never been known before.” This is a passage from the sutra that we must bear in mind. Sakyamuni Buddha engaged in spiritual practice for a very long time and did not allow teachings of all Buddhas to leak out. Lifetime after lifetime, He accepted [teachings] and transformed sentient beings. So, He can “bring to fruition profound teachings that have never been known before.” He Himself realized the inconceivable.

Everyone, all of us have formed aspirations and vows. We must put them into action. When we walk, we must walk on the correct path. We aspire to forge ahead with courage and vigor and constantly focus on the path. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 194 – Strengthen the Path with the Roots and Powers

---

>> The Five Spiritual Roots grow with the [Five] Powers as assisting conditions. Make vows and aspire to uphold good thoughts. Plant roots of goodness with unlimited power. Destroy evil and give rise to goodness to strengthen spiritual aspirations.

>> The Five Powers share the same categories as the Five Spiritual Roots. Even though roots of goodness arise, evil has not been destroyed. So, we must cultivate practices that enable these roots to grow. When roots are grown, evil is destroyed. Thus, they are called powers.

>> Power of Faith: If the Root of Faith grows, it can overshadow all afflictions. Power of Diligence: If the Root of Diligence grows, it can eliminate indolence of the body and mind.

>> Power of Thought: If the Root of Thought grows, it can destroy all deviant thinking. Power of Samadhi: If the Root of Samadhi grows, it can destroy all discursive thinking.

>> Power of Wisdom: The wisdom of the Fourfold Mindfulness can illuminate all things. If the Root of Wisdom grows, it can eliminate all deviant, false attachments and destroy all bias toward limited wisdom.

>> The Seven Factors of Bodhi, or. Seven Factors or Branches of Enlightenment 1. Factor of Discernment 2. Factor of Diligence 3. Factor of Joy 4. Factor of Elimination 5. Factor of Renunciation 6. Factor of Samadhi 7. Factor of Thought. Factor of Discernment: With wisdom, choose between true and false teachings. Factor of Diligence: With courage and vigor, leave behind evil actions to practice true Dharma. Factor of Joy: The mind attains virtuous Dharma, then feels joy.

>> Factor of Elimination: Also called Factor of Peace. Eliminate coarse burdens of body and mind to be mentally and physically at ease and comfortable.

>> Factor of Renunciation: Let go of attachments to views and thinking. Factor of Samadhi: A meditative state we enter after we awaken. Factor of Thought: To contemplate the teachings of the Path.

---

The Five Spiritual Roots grow with the [Five] Powers as assisting conditions.
Make vows and aspire to uphold good thoughts.
Plant roots of goodness with unlimited power.
Destroy evil and give rise to goodness to strengthen spiritual aspirations.

The 37 Practices to Enlightenment, the three Fours, two Fives, Seven and Eight, are what we must bear in mind and apply in our daily living. Earlier I discussed the three Fours and the Five Spiritual Roots. Now, I will start talking about the Five Powers. For the Five Spiritual Roots to grow, they need “powers” as assisting conditions.

We ordinary people always find it easier to form aspirations than to persevere in them. This shows that our will is insufficient. We have already formed aspirations but do not yet have enough strength to persevere. Therefore, after putting out our spiritual roots, we must develop powers as assisting conditions. So, we must make vows as we form aspirations and simultaneously develop roots and powers to [help] each other maintain this good thought. We must “plant roots of goodness with unlimited power.” When power is added to all roots of goodness, they become unlimited.

The most important aspect of the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers is destroying evil. When roots of goodness arise, we must properly guard our minds. If desires arise, evil thoughts will grow. Therefore, we must exercise the Five Powers to safeguard our minds. Thus, after giving rise to roots of goodness we must destroy evil. To “do all good deeds, refrain from all evil,” we need the strength of the Five Spiritual Roots and the Five Powers. To do all good deeds requires roots of goodness. To refrain from all evil takes the [Five] Powers. So, only with the Five Spiritual Roots and. Five Powers can we solidify our spiritual aspirations. Therefore, we must mindfully remember this.

The Five Powers share the same categories as the Five Spiritual Roots. Even though roots of goodness arise, evil has not been destroyed. So, we must cultivate practices that enable these roots to grow. When roots are grown, evil is destroyed. Thus, they are called powers.

Therefore, we must cultivate practices that enable these roots to grow. This “power” must be strengthened for the roots of goodness to grow. Once we grow roots of goodness, we still need to strengthen our powers, so we can eliminate our bad habitual tendencies. We must really put our hearts into strengthening this “power.”

So then, what are the Five Powers? As I said, they are the same as the Five Spiritual Roots. If we have the Root of Faith, we must have the Power of Faith. This power enables the Root of Faith, this root of goodness, to develop. Only with power can the root grow. So, with this power, we will not allow afflictions to cover us. For the Root of Faith to grow, we must push aside our afflictions. To grow the Root of Faith, we must apply power to push aside afflictions. This is why root and power must accompany each other.

Power of Faith: If the Root of Faith grows, it can overshadow all afflictions. Power of Diligence: If the Root of Diligence grows, it can eliminate indolence of the body and mind.

The second is Power of Diligence. If we have the Root of Diligence, we also need the Power of Diligence. When the Root of Diligence is developed, it eliminates indolence of the body and mind.

The third is the Power of Thought. Since we have the Root of Thought, of course we also need the Power of Thought. If our Power of Thought is insufficient, we will easily be overcome by deviant views and thinking, which are afflictions. If our mindset is incorrect, we will have many discursive thoughts and will be unable to focus. This comes from lacking strength in our thoughts. So, now we must develop this power. We must have Right Views and Thinking and not be overcome by deviant thoughts. To have the strength to break through them, we need the Power of Thought.

Power of Thought: If the Root of Thought grows, it can destroy all deviant thinking. Power of Samadhi: If the Root of Samadhi grows, it can destroy all discursive thinking.

Next is the Power of Samadhi. We need to achieve Samadhi, but that is not easy. In our daily living, we deal with many things. In our daily living, we deal with many people, matters and things that often disturb our minds. Therefore, we must have unwavering strength, so external challenges will not disturb us or confuse our thinking. So, we must apply “power” to eliminate afflictions and discursive thinking. We must likewise exercise the Power of Samadhi.

Fifth is the Power of Wisdom. Since we have the Root of Wisdom, we need the Power of Wisdom to sustain it.

Power of Wisdom: The wisdom of the Fourfold Mindfulness can illuminate all things. If the Root of Wisdom grows, it can eliminate all deviant, false attachments and destroy all bias toward limited wisdom.

Thus, having the Fourfold Mindfulness requires wisdom. Only with wisdom can we illuminate all things. Whether we contemplate the body as impure, contemplate all feelings as suffering, contemplate the mind as impermanent or contemplate all things as having no self, we need to exercise wisdom.

If we are without wisdom, we may think, “This is natural, the body is what it is.” If we contemplate with wisdom, we will think, “Why are so many wrongs committed for the sake of this body?” It is because of our feelings. “Why do I not have what others have?” [With such thoughts], the mind cannot settle down. So thoughts arise and stir, and thus we create [much karma].

If we have wisdom, we will contemplate that there is no self in all things. All conditioned phenomena were created by people over time. As time passes, [they go through] formation, existence, decay and disappearance. Things created by people will not last forever. Therefore, all things have “no self.” But we ordinary people are continuously tempted by external conditions. So, we are constantly entangled by them.

I often say, though we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, we are Tathagatas in Bonds. This is because our. Root and Power of Wisdom are not strong enough. So, we must exercise the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers to develop our Fourfold Mindfulness.

So, the Wisdom of the Fourfold Mindfulness can illuminate all things. “If the Root of Wisdom grows it can eliminate all deviant, false attachments.” We all have deviant thoughts, views and attachments. Because of this, we ordinary people will continuously pursue things in external conditions. Even spiritual practitioners do the same. We also have biases and attachments toward a certain type of spiritual practice. These are all “biases toward the limited.” Though we wish to engage in spiritual practice, we still do not know how to broaden our minds. We only see a ray of light through a crack in the door, and then we want to squeeze ourselves through it. This is really a pity,

for this door can be opened wide. As we open it, we can also pave the great path. Therefore, we must develop a very broad mind and make use of the strength of wisdom to help us understand the purpose of this human existence and what we are here for. Do we only do things according to the needs of our bodies? No. Having been born, [we must treat] “the body [as] a vessel for spiritual practice.” Only with this body can we engage in spiritual practice. We should take advantage of this lifetime, of this body. “If we do not transform ourselves in this life, when will we do it?” Is it enough to transform only ourselves? We also need to benefit others. So, when we study the Buddha’s Way, we must truly learn to “exhaustively practice all Buddhas’ infinite paths to enlightenment.”

The Fourfold Mindfulness, the three Fours and the two Fives are so important. So, we must be very mindful.

Next, we have the Seven Factors of Bodhi. Bodhi is enlightenment, so these are seven ways of attaining enlightenment.

The Seven Factors of Bodhi, or. Seven Factors or Branches of Enlightenment 1. Factor of Discernment 2. Factor of Diligence 3. Factor of Joy 4. Factor of Elimination 5. Factor of Renunciation 6. Factor of Samadhi 7. Factor of Thought. Factor of Discernment: With wisdom, choose between true and false teachings. Factor of Diligence: With courage and vigor, leave behind evil actions to practice true Dharma. Factor of Joy: The mind attains virtuous Dharma, then feels joy.

Of the Seven Factors of Bodhi, the first is the Factor of Discernment, by which we make decisions using wisdom. Decisions require us to make distinctions. We [must] choose which roads to take and what kind of awakening to achieve. If we lack this factor of enlightenment, we will not know how to choose. Therefore, we will end up on a dangerous path. To truly walk freely and peacefully to reach the stage of the Buddha, we must make choices,

Second is the Factor of Diligence, which is to courageously distance ourselves from evil actions to practice the true Dharma. First, we learn to make choices. Then, we must be very courageous and diligent, so we can transcend deviant thinking and biased paths. Thus we can walk on the path of True Dharma, of One Reality. So, we must learn to choose.

The third is the Factor of Joy. After we receive the teachings, if they are correct, we must earnestly take advantage of them to really practice and always be joyful. If we are joyful, then we “willingly do and are happy to bear.” Is engaging in spiritual practice hard work? [In fact[, it makes us joyful. When we listen to the Dharma we are joyful; when we practice the Dharma we are joyful. When we give to others, we feel very joyful. As long we make correct aspirations and then follow up on those intentions, we can attain the Dharma. “The mind attains virtuous Dharma, then feels joy.” Our minds have already attained virtuous Dharma, so we are constantly filled with Dharma-joy.

The fourth is the Factor of Renunciation, also called the Factor of Peace, which is eliminating the body and mind’s very obvious and heavy afflictions.

Factor of Elimination: Also called Factor of Peace. Eliminate coarse burdens of body and mind to be mentally and physically at ease and comfortable.

In summary, afflictions of the body and mind may be coarse. With this Factor of Elimination, also called the Factor of Peace, [we may think]. “Since we are already here, let us be at peace.” When we put our hearts into the teaching of the Path, naturally we can eliminate the afflictions of the body and mind. This is how we eliminate coarse afflictions of the body and mind and be mentally and physically at ease and comfortable. This is the Factor of Elimination.

Fifth is the Factor of Renunciation. We need to recognize that many afflictions originate from [thinking], “I have done good deeds, but after doing them, I still feel that, since I helped you, you should be grateful toward me.” Feeling this way is taxing. No matter what we do every day, doing good deeds is our fundamental duty. After we do it, we must not dwell on it. So, we must let go.

We must cultivate “impartial compassion.” Only by doing so can we practice renunciation and “let go of attachments to views and thinking.” We must let go of our views, our perspectives and understandings. We must renounce them. Sixth is the Factor of Samadhi, Samadhi is “a meditative state we enter after we awaken.” Once we have awakened, our minds will naturally always be on this Bodhi-path and in a state of. Right Thinking and Right Mindfulness. Therefore, this “meditative state we enter after we awaken” is the Factor of Samadhi. “Carrying firewood and water is also meditation.” Our minds can constantly be in a state of Samadhi.

The seventh is the Factor of Thought, which is to “contemplate the teachings of the Path.” We should all clearly understand this. So we must constantly be mindful, and not allow external conditions to trouble us.

Factor of Renunciation: Let go of attachments to views and thinking. Factor of Samadhi: A meditative state we enter after we awaken. Factor of Thought: To contemplate the teachings of the Path.

So, we must walk this broad path, not squeeze through a small crack in the door. Rushing outside through a small crack in the door is not the ultimate [way]. To truly learn the Buddha’s Way, we must practice the Dharma. To practice the Dharma, we must physically manifest the teachings. So, the Dharma is paving the way for us, and we must walk on this path correctly. Earlier I mentioned, “three Fours, two Fives, Seven and Eight,” and now [we have covered] the Seven Factors of Bodhi. We should still mindfully and properly walk this path at all times, without the slightest divergence. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 193 – The Five Roots and Five Powers Destroy Evil

---

>> We must “let teachings of the Path enter our heart, uphold the 37 Practices to Enlightenment, always remember the Fourfold Mindfulness, mindfully practice the two ‘Fives’, the spiritual roots and powers, and diligently and rightly consider the. Seven Factors of Bodhi and Eightfold Noble Path.”

>> “Contemplate the body as impure, contemplate all feelings as suffering, contemplate the mind as impermanent contemplate all things as having no self.”

>> The Five Spiritual Roots can give rise to all goodness. Root of Faith: Have faith in the Right Path. Root of Diligence: Practice Right Dharma without distractions. Root of Thought: Never forget the Right Dharma. Root of Samadhi: Focus the mind without being scattered. Root of Wisdom: Illuminate and understand all Dharma. These five methods are the foundation of the Noble Path. Therefore, they are called the Five Roots.

>> The Five Powers: Even though roots of goodness arise, evil has not been destroyed. So, we must cultivate practices that enable these roots to grow. When roots are grown, evils are destroyed. Thus, they are called powers.

---

We must
“let teachings of the Path enter our heart, uphold the 37 Practices to Enlightenment,
always remember the Fourfold Mindfulness,
mindfully practice the two ‘Fives’, the spiritual roots and powers,
and diligently and rightly consider the. Seven Factors of Bodhi and Eightfold Noble Path.”

When we study the Buddha-Dharma and aspire to engage in spiritual practice, the 37 Practices to Enlightenment are very important.

I often remind everyone that to walk the Bodhi-path, the teachings of the Path must enter our minds. And when that happens, we must diligently accept and practice them. The 37 Practices to Enlightenment is something we must never give up on and must understand very clearly. It is the foundation for us Buddhist practitioners. It is not just a name or a number, it helps us to safely walk and practice the path to Buddhahood. So, the teachings of the Path must enter our minds. It is very important that we accept and cultivate the 37 Practices to Enlightenment.

To help people remember them more clearly, we say we must “always remember the Fourfold Mindfulness” because the Fourfold Mindfulness is

very closely related to our physical body. The first thing to be mindful of is to.

“Contemplate the body as impure, contemplate all feelings as suffering, contemplate the mind as impermanent contemplate all things as having no self.”

If we contemplate these four things in our daily living, the Dharma will be in our minds and actions. This is the Fourfold Mindfulness.

[We must] “mindfully practice the two ‘Fives’, the spiritual roots and powers.” The two “Fives” are the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers. We always need to be mindful of the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers. In our daily living, we must focus on spiritual roots and powers to safeguard our spiritual aspirations. Thus, we need to mindfully practice them.

“Diligently and rightly consider the. Seven Factors of Bodhi and Eightfold Noble Path.” With the Seven Factors of Bodhi and. Eightfold Noble Path, we need to be very mindful. If we can diligently practice the Seven Factors of Bodhi, we will not go astray. When we also [practice] the Eightfold Noble Path, our thinking, perception, action, etc., will not deviate.

All these are part of the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. The sum of all these numbered [items] equals 37, so by [thinking of them as numbered sets], we can all be more mindful of them. This is because, as we walk the path, we must also pave it for others.

I often tell you all that. Tzu Chi is a road paved with love. This love is selfless great love, which [comprises] “unconditional loving-kindness and universal compassion.” We “seek the Buddha’s Way,” and to “transform sentient beings.” We need to give with loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, and our minds must have sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness.

With sincerity, integrity, faith, steadfastness, we continuously seek teachings and diligently learn them. Having loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, we continuously practice giving. The process of learning the Dharma is like paving a path. The 37 Practices to Enlightenment is the Bodhisattva’s great, direct Bodhi-path. Therefore, we must really work to pave this path, so we can lead people to walk on it with loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. If we do not firmly lay down the base for this road, we cannot follow that path. This is why I ask you all to mindfully cultivate the 37 Practices to Enlightenment.

So, I have already mentioned the Fourfold Mindfulness, Four Right Efforts and. Four Bases of Fulfilling Power. Next are the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers.

The Five Spiritual Roots can give rise to all goodness. Root of Faith: Have faith in the Right Path. Root of Diligence: Practice Right Dharma without distractions. Root of Thought: Never forget the Right Dharma. Root of Samadhi: Focus the mind without being scattered. Root of Wisdom: Illuminate and understand all Dharma. These five methods are the foundation of the Noble Path. Therefore, they are called the Five Roots.

The Five Spiritual Roots can give rise to all goodness. They are like the roots of a tree or of plants grown in the ground. If the roots do not extend, the sprout cannot emerge. If the root is not strong enough, the tree will not grow. When we see a very large tree and are asked how long its roots are, we can confidently tell them, “Its branches extend all the way out to here, so that is how far its roots extend.” Because it has extended its roots, this tree can become sturdy and sprout branches and leaves.

So the roots, stem, branches and leaves all depend on the size, health and length of the roots. So, “roots can give rise to all goodness.” Therefore, we compare [goodness] to a tree. When its roots are solid, the branches and leaves above can flourish.

When we often say that a person has great capabilities, this means that his thinking, perception and wisdom are very solid. These things are his “roots.” In particular, I often tell you all that the Buddha taught according to capabilities. “Capabilities” [are another word for] our “roots.” As ordinary people, depending on how much we can absorb, He will give us the right amount of Dharma-water. This applies whether we have great or limited capabilities. This is the direction of the Buddha’s teachings in the Lotus Sutra.

This is why we must put our hearts into [developing] this “root.” The stronger our roots are, the more steadily we can accept the Dharma. There are five types of roots. First is the Root of Faith.

“Faith is the source of the Path, the mother of merits.” I often say if we want to study the Buddha’s teachings and understand the Buddha’s wisdom, the first requirement is to have faith. Not only must we have unwavering faith, we also need to have very correct faith. So, this faith is the source of our teachings of the Path. Here, I am telling you that to have the Root of Faith means to “have faith in the Right Path.” We must strive to have faith and go toward the Right Path.

We must believe that the Buddha’s teachings of the Path are infinite and boundless. Earlier I discussed [how the Buddha] “exhaustively practiced all Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the Path.” Sakyamuni Buddha, for countless kalpas, drew near to countless Buddhas. As He encountered these Buddhas, He constantly absorbed [their teachings] and practiced them. So, He “exhaustively practiced all Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the Path.” We must really remember this phrase. Now I am discussing the 37 Practices to Enlightenment to also help you all understand the fundamentals of the teachings of the Path. Therefore, we begin with faith. So, we must have faith in the Right Dharma, which is the Buddha’s path. The Buddha [attained] enlightenment, and the path to enlightenment is entered by faith.

Second is the Root of Diligence; we must be diligent. Having a solid Root of Diligence means “practicing Right Dharma without distractions.” [Only] then can we move forward wholeheartedly toward one goal. As we walk, if we stray even slightly, we will go down many unnecessary roads. If we can be truly diligent and have Right Faith, naturally we will not stray from our diligent path as we go forward. This is the second root.

The third is the Root of Thought, where the mind “never forgets the Right Dharma.” As we listen to the Dharma every day, we must retain it, not forget it. The Right Dharma is the road that past Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, [these] ancient sages and teachers, have continuously paved for us. Thus, we should always be mindful of the Right Dharma. We must remember it, not forget it. This is the third root.

The fourth is the Root of Samadhi. Our thoughts must be focused, not discursive. I keep telling you that we must be in Samadhi. Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are the Three Flawless Studies. Once the Dharma is in our minds, we must not let it leak out. Therefore, we must cultivate Samadhi. Doing so begins with the Root of Faith. We must have [right] thoughts, etc., to make sure our course is correct. This is the Power of Samadhi.

Having Samadhi means to “focus the mind without being scattered.” Then we will have great concentration. Therefore, we need to always be mindful. We must not let our thoughts become scattered. “Thoughts of the past are distractions. Thoughts of the future are delusions.” We must always hold on to the Right Dharma. By seizing the moment, we persevere in practicing the Right Dharma. This is Samadhi.

The fifth is the Root of Wisdom, by which we “illuminate and understand all Dharma.” If the roots of our wisdom can extend far, our Bodhi-tree will be very stable. All Dharma refers to the infinite teachings of the Path. With wisdom, we can constantly examine if we have deviated from these infinite paths. There are so many teachings, infinite and innumerable. Have we deviated from them in our daily living? So, if wisdom illuminates us at all times, the road we walk will be clear and bright, never dim for a moment. This is wisdom.

These are the Five Spiritual Roots, the foundation that helps us give rise to the Noble Path. Don’t we learn the Buddha’s Way to walk on this noble path of the sages? This is what we must put our hearts into. So, we must remember the Five Spiritual Roots and not [allow] our minds to deviate from them.

The Five Powers and. Five Spiritual Roots share the same [categories], so why do we also need the Five Powers?

The Five Powers: Even though roots of goodness arise, evil has not been destroyed. So, we must cultivate practices that enable these roots to grow. When roots are grown, evils are destroyed. Thus, they are called powers.

The aforementioned Five Spiritual Roots are the roots of goodness. Haven’t I mentioned this before? The Four Right Efforts [teach us to] “refrain from all evils, and do all good deeds.” Our roots of goodness still need to be strengthened continuously and anything evil must be eliminated immediately. This is what the Four Right Efforts teach. If we allow the roots of evil to grow, the results will be unimaginable. Roots of evil must be destroyed immediately, and roots of goodness must be [developed] constantly. This is what we Buddhist practitioners must bear in mind.

So, having the Five Powers means good thoughts have already arisen in our minds. However, if we still have doubts or have lost our spiritual aspirations, evil still remains. Thus, we are still ordinary people. As ordinary people, karmic obstacles surround us. If we strive to uphold precepts, and at least uphold the Five Precepts, then we will have over 20 Dharma-protectors with us. So, although our roots of goodness have begun to grow, like the aforementioned Five Roots, we still need to add the Five Powers to them.

So, this means that, although the roots of goodness have arisen, evil has not yet been destroyed. That is why we need to practice further to enable these roots to grow more, so the Five Spiritual Roots from before can grow healthier, longer and stronger. Therefore, we must engage in practice to help roots of goodness grow and destroy evil. When roots are grown, evils are destroyed. If our roots are very solid, evil will not come back again. If evil is totally destroyed, these [improper] thoughts will not return. Moreover, since we have faith, once our roots are established, naturally our spiritual aspiration will be firm.

Therefore, roots and powers must be combined. After we have the Five Spiritual Roots, we must [develop] the Five Powers. So, we all need to be mindful, whether of the Fourfold Mindfulness, Four Right Efforts and. Four Base of Fulfilling Power or the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers. We must all put our hearts into remembering and practicing them in our daily living. We cannot lose any one of them. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 192 – Spiritual Practice Is Inseparable from the Path

---

>> “The Tathagata is perfect in all exceptional virtues. The worlds in ten directions have all heard His name.”

>> “The Buddha has, in the past, drawn near to countless Buddhas, exhaustively practiced all Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the Path and forged ahead with courage and vigor. Thus, His name is widely known.”

>> Teachings of the Path: The 37 Practices to Enlightenment develop the wisdom of True Suchness. The principle for realizing True Suchness is the wisdom attained through teachings of the Path.

>> So, [we must] “Contemplate the body as impure. Contemplate all feelings as suffering. Contemplate the mind as impermanent. Contemplate all things as having no self.”

>> Next are the Four Right Efforts. “Eliminate any evil that has already arisen. Prevent future evil from arising. Nurture any goodness that has already arisen. Encourage future goodness to quickly arise.”

>> The Four Bases of Fulfilling Power, which are the Power of Diligence, the Power of Aspiration, the Power of Thought, the Power of Contemplation.

---

“The Tathagata is perfect in all exceptional virtues.
The worlds in ten directions have all heard His name.”

Truly, the Buddha has come to this world many times over countless eons, repeatedly engaging in spiritual practice to accomplish the teachings of the Path over many lifetimes. This also alerts us that once we have aspired to spiritual practice, to learning the Buddha’s Way, we must look to the Buddha. He has come to the world over countless eons and has never deviated from the teachings of the Path. For an unknown length of time, He repeatedly comes to this world to engage in the spiritual practice of the exceptional teachings of the Path.

Recently, I have been discussing the Path and the teachings. In this world, the Bodhi-path is a very broad and direct road for us to walk on. Over the past countless eons, He has repeatedly engaged in spiritual practice here and continuously cleared the way for this great Bodhi-path. Thus with a sense of gratitude, we must be diligent and learn how. Tathagatas perfect all teachings of the Path. This is a very exceptional thing.

Since He repeatedly engages in spiritual practice over countless eons and many lifetimes, His name is widely known throughout the worlds of the ten directions. This is the state of all Buddhas. As for us ordinary beings, we may or may not understand that the Buddha has been coming to this world for such a long time, for countless eons, solely to teach and transform sentient beings and forge this path for us. Do we understand this? Thus, teachings of the Path are very important.

As I have discussed before,

“The Buddha has, in the past, drawn near to countless Buddhas, exhaustively practiced all Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the Path and forged ahead with courage and vigor. Thus, His name is widely known.”

We can clearly understand this passage. Since the Buddha drew near to so many Buddhas, we can deduce that He spent a very long time on spiritual practice. He cultivated the teachings given to Him by the [many] Buddhas He drew near to. He put His heart into storing them all in His mind. This is what “exhaustively practiced all Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the Path” [means]. All these teachings were stored in His mind.

Thus, His name is widely known and understood in the worlds of noble beings. [Yet] we in the world of ordinary beings can only know [about these things]; we cannot thoroughly understand them. We listen to but do not yet truly comprehend the Buddha’s teachings. Truthfully, we still cannot fully understand the beauty of this great Bodhi-path.

As spiritual practitioners, we must mindfully comprehend the “Path” and the “teachings.” At the most basic level, one could say the foundation of our spiritual practice is the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. These are practices that help us enter the Great Vehicle Bodhi-path, this very direct path of the One Vehicle.

Teachings of the Path: The 37 Practices to Enlightenment develop the wisdom of True Suchness. The principle for realizing True Suchness is the wisdom attained through teachings of the Path.

“The 37 Practices to Enlightenment develop the wisdom of True Suchness.” They can help us open up, clearly understand and exercise the wisdom of True Suchness. So, “our intrinsic nature is perfect and radiant.” This perfect and radiant nature inspires and develops the wisdom of True Suchness.

Within the bounds of the natural world, if our minds can be one with nature, all paths will be open to us. But, we have not yet attained [this state,] so we have to rely on the 37 Practices to Enlightenment, which develop the wisdom of True Suchness. When the clarity of the wisdom of True Suchness is evoked, we can realize its principles. This is the wisdom of the teachings of the Path, which we achieve through the 37 Practices to Enlightenment.

If we remember them as three Fours, two Fives, Seven and Eight, they will be easier to recall.

The [first of the] three Fours refers to the Fourfold Mindfulness. “Mindfulness” refers to our thinking, thoughts and ideas about our body, feelings, mind and all things.

So, [we must] “Contemplate the body as impure. Contemplate all feelings as suffering. Contemplate the mind as impermanent. Contemplate all things as having no self.”

These four methods [focus on] our bodies and minds, as well as our thoughts. If we are constantly aware of how impure our bodies really are, then we have no reason to take issue on behalf of this body.

From the time we leave the womb until now, we have had this body. As the body goes through [the cycle of] birth, aging, illness and death, what can it actually do? When our thinking goes astray, it can commit all evils. A single thought that goes astray may attract countless afflictions. Thus, we should know that this body was originally impure, so we will not take issue over this body.

Everything we feel in our physical existence is suffering. Though people constantly pursue pleasures, is there truly joy in such pleasures? Human life is like the moon reflected in water. The reflection is truly illusory. Although there are 1000 moons in 1000 rivers, if the water ripples even slightly, the image of the moon shatters. If the water is polluted, the moon becomes blurry. This is how the world works; it is illusory and impermanent.

So, the Fourfold Mindfulness alone is something we must be really vigilant of. This body, our minds and our feelings about our daily surroundings are impermanent. Our thought of engaging in spiritual practice arises, abides, changes and ceases; therefore we cannot solidify our spiritual aspirations. So, we must contemplate our minds as impermanent, for they constantly waver as well. When we form an aspiration, we are very diligent, but when we are lax, we degenerate.

If we put our heart into contemplating all things, in our minds we will reflect on external phenomena. As we interact with external conditions, we must really contemplate them. All things have no [permanent] self. Does the body have a [permanent] self? In our daily living, we may feel pleasure, suffering or happiness. [But] where is the “self” in all that? Also, when our thoughts arise and stir, which thought is actually our “self”? Think very carefully about this. Actually, there is no self in anything. This is the Fourfold Mindfulness.

Next are the Four Right Efforts. “Eliminate any evil that has already arisen. Prevent future evil from arising. Nurture any goodness that has already arisen. Encourage future goodness to quickly arise.”

In the Four Right Efforts, the word “right” means not deviating.

When we understand that we must engage in spiritual practice, we must engage in Right Thinking. Think carefully about how difficult it is to be born a human and to hear the Dharma. Since we have listened to Buddha’s teachings, are our thoughts proper? Do we strive to differentiate between good and evil?

As for good and evil, if our minds have not given rise to “future evil,” then fortunately we can “prevent it from arising” then fortunately we can “prevent it from arising”. At present, our minds do not have evil thoughts. We must always be vigilant and think proper thoughts, so we will not permit any evil thoughts to arise. Thus, we prevent [future evil] from arising. For “any evil that has already arisen,” we should quickly “eliminate” it. This is [how to be] right and not deviate.

What about goodness? “Nurture any goodness that has already arisen. Encourage future goodness to quickly arise.” When goodness has already arisen, we want to seize the moment and make it last forever, so this goodness can be everlasting. We want this to continue on. This is known as Right Effort. In short, to diligently advance,

we must eliminate evil and cultivate goodness. If an evil thought has already arisen, we must immediately get rid of it. If good thoughts have not arisen, we must quickly give rise to them. When good thoughts have arisen, we want them to last forever.

The third of the three Fours is.

The Four Bases of Fulfilling Power, which are the Power of Diligence, the Power of Aspiration, the Power of Thought, the Power of Contemplation.

Here, fulfilling power means being able to “fulfill their aspirations to engage in spiritual practice.” Since we have aspired to spiritual practice, we hope for smooth sailing. In the state of ordinary beings, we make that initial aspiration. From this starting point, a smooth journey to the state of Buddhas is what we spiritual practitioners really hope for.

We want to be like the Buddha, who drew near countless Buddhas and also diligently practiced the teachings of the Path. This is why, when the Buddha came to this world, from the moment He formed that initial aspiration, His journey forward was very smooth. By smooth I mean that. His aspiration was extraordinarily steadfast. Lifetime after lifetime, He faced many obstacles, but He overcame all of them. He successfully sailed through them because of His diligence.

The first [fulfilling power] is Right Diligence, or the Power of Diligence. To have the Power of Diligence we need Right Mindfulness and Right Diligence. This is the Power of Diligence.

Second is the Power of Aspiration. Once we have made vows, we must be very steadfast; If we are not steadfast, we may give rise to a diligent mindset, but when external challenges arise, we lose our will to practice. How could this be a power? If we have no way to overcome our difficulties, the road of spiritual practice will not be smooth. Thus, it is essential for us to be steadfast in our vows. This is called the Power of Aspiration.

The next power is related to our thoughts, the Power of Thought. We must have Right Thinking, Right Views and Right Mindfulness. Once we have formed aspirations and vows, those thoughts are in our minds, and then these aspirations, vows and thoughts will be focused and strengthened through a continuous cycle.

Otherwise, if our thinking goes even slightly astray, we will have scattered minds and discursive thoughts. “Thoughts of the past are a distraction. Thoughts of the future are a delusion.” We all continually think of the past and have delusions about the future, so our minds are not focused. So, we definitely must have the Power of Thought.

The next one is the Power of Contemplation. In our contemplation and conceptualization, we want to think carefully and mindfully. The Buddha-Dharma is difficult to hear; the way to Buddhahood is difficult to practice, yet we have heard what is difficult to hear and practiced what is difficult to practice. Since we already have such good conditions and such fortunate opportunities, why don’t we grasp this chance and seize the present [moment]?

As for our present capacities, I think we are probably on the same level. We know the Buddha-Dharma is [divided] into Small and Great Vehicle teachings. [To teach] the Small Vehicle, the Buddha had already used many methods to teach accordingly. We are even more blessed that we have the opportunity right now to listen to the One Vehicle teachings. Therefore, we should be very grateful. This is the Power of Contemplation, and

we should persist in our contemplation. We have so many teachings in our minds, and they are all inseparable from spiritual practice and self-awakening. Since we all understand this, we want to immediately think of ways to benefit others. When we benefit ourselves and others, we have perfect awakened conduct.

To all things and people in the world, we can apply infinite worldly methods. Thus, we can apply the Dharma to our daily living and be Bodhisattvas in this world. Buddha-Dharma is to be applied in this world. The Buddha’s great cause in coming to the world is solely to establish and give teachings. Thus, we really need to think about these things. Therefore everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 191 – Stay Away from Evil, Draw Near Virtuous Friends

---

>> The Buddha’s wisdom is profound, vast and difficult to penetrate. Ultimate reality cannot be understood through false appearances or meanings, nor through thinking, reasoning or analysis. It is the ultimate reality of all things.

>> “The wisdom of all Buddhas is extremely profound. This wisdom-door is difficult to understand and enter. Not even Hearers or. Solitary Realizers can understand all of it.”

>> “What is the reason?” So, why is it? The Buddha said, “All Buddhas have, in the past, drawn near to countless Buddhas.” >> Draw near: To cultivate Bodhisattva-practices, we transcend all evil and deviant views and draw near to virtuous and spiritual friends.

>> “Exhaustively practice all Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the Path and forge ahead with courage and vigor. Thus, His name is widely known.”

>> The door to these practices is extremely profound. We must forge ahead with courage and vigor and not just [practice] to liberate ourselves.

---

The Buddha’s wisdom is profound, vast and difficult to penetrate.
Ultimate reality cannot be understood through
false appearances or meanings,
nor through thinking, reasoning or analysis.
It is the ultimate reality of all things.

The Buddha’s wisdom is profound and vast, difficult to penetrate. Wisdom is the ultimate reality, which is not false or illusory. We need to understand this. Nothing we face in everyday living is everlasting or real. However, we humans clearly live in this [seemingly solid] environment. So, the Buddha described this as [merely] an appearance which undergoes formation, existence, decay and disappearance.

We humans live on this planet, and this planet exists in the universe. This world that we inhabit contains so many incredible things, the mountains, rivers, earth and so on. These things have [seemingly always] been there. To us humans, they have always existed. But to the Buddha, [they undergo] formation, existence, decay and disappearance.

So, this is extremely profound! The Buddha’s wisdom is profound and vast. This kind of wisdom is so deep and very hard to understand. Moreover, human knowledge still has a long way to go before it can comprehend this wisdom. Therefore the ultimate reality, the True Suchness that the Buddha has realized, was originally in all of us. But none of us can comprehend it. It is truly very wondrous.

Therefore, what all of us see are illusory appearances. A tiny ant may want to know how tall Mt. Sumeru is, but it cannot. Right now we humans, because we have the technology, can determine that the Himalayas, which include Mt. Sumeru, are over 8000 meters (29,000 feet) high. Before we have knowledge, we do not know anything. Once we have knowledge, we only half understand. Only with true wisdom can we completely realize this ultimate reality. So, right now we are just like ants looking at Mt. Sumeru. Our distance from the Buddha’s wisdom is still very great.

So, “ultimate reality cannot be understood through false appearances or meanings” because it is already at a state of True Suchness. The Buddha tells us that the Dharma of True Suchness is very simple; The one nature is the ultimate reality of True Suchness. This is what the Buddha realizes with His wisdom. He points directly to our minds, so we can understand our true nature. He directly tells us that inside each of us, we intrinsically have Buddha-nature. But we are still unable to comprehend this

through “thinking, reasoning or analysis.” As ordinary people, we cannot use our knowledge to contemplate or understand this. But, this does not mean we never will. Indeed, we were originally equal to Buddhas, but [because] we are deluded, our minds are not clean. The mirror of our minds is not yet clear. This mirror has always been in our minds, but it cannot yet reflect our external conditions. So, we cannot think and reason [things out]. What our mirror reflects is not ultimate reality, just delusions, which are not real.

The Buddha’s true wisdom contains The principles of the ultimate reality of all things are contained in the Buddha’s wisdom. Now, the Buddha was [addressing] Sariputra as a representative, as leader of the Sangha’s Small Vehicle sages. Because the Buddha wanted to proclaim the Great Vehicle Dharma, He explained the ultimate reality to Sariputra. That was how He opened the door to wisdom

for Small Vehicle practitioners who had attained the fruit of Arhatship. These people awakened and recognized birth and death, that life is impermanent and that cyclic existence in the Six Realms is filled with unbearable suffering. So, they quickly began to practice to transcend cyclic existence. In striving only for self-awakening, though they were not in conflict with others and understood that all things are illusory, they were unable to open up their hearts and move forward.

Now the Buddha came to tell these people with their Small Vehicle capabilities that if they can keep moving forward, they will reach a very broad and beautiful state of mind. This state of all things and sentient beings is very wonderful. When we recognize this, our minds will no longer fluctuate and we will not be tempted by worldly desires. Once we realize this, we need to walk through this great doorway to understand the suffering of sentient beings and extensively transform them.

Therefore, the Buddha told Sariputra,

“The wisdom of all Buddhas is extremely profound. This wisdom-door is difficult to understand and enter. Not even Hearers or. Solitary Realizers can understand all of it.”

Even those who attained spiritual fruits cannot understand the Buddha’s process of spiritual cultivation. It is such hard work. He has already attained Buddhahood, so why does He keep returning to this world? All Bodhisattvas have also engaged in spiritual practice and are pure in body and mind, having transcended delusions and defilements. Why do these Bodhisattvas continue to return on the ship of compassion, entering this defiled and deluded Saha World?

These Great Vehicle sages continuously return in this way. So, why are Small Vehicle practitioners scared of doing so? [They should] come [to see] that this is wisdom, that this is what the world is like. Therefore, “it cannot be known by any Hearers or Solitary Realizers.” But now the Buddha has opened this wisdom-door of the Great Vehicle.

Once He opened it, He reminded Sariputra that it is “difficult to understand and enter.” [He wanted them to know that] to enter, [they] must all first understand that this was not the Dharma [they] learned in the past. These are teachings that [they] must mindfully comprehend, starting now. If [they] only applied [their] limited capacities [they] had in the past, [they] would not be able to comprehend it, for it is hard to understand and enter.

“What is the reason?” So, why is it? The Buddha said, “All Buddhas have, in the past, drawn near to countless Buddhas.”

Since all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas [continue to] return to this world on the ship of compassion, They have been here for a long time. From the time They first aspired to engage in spiritual practice, They have drawn near to countless Buddhas. So, now we know how long it takes to draw near to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and virtuous friends. How long did Their spiritual cultivation take? Perhaps we can discuss it in terms of year, rather than speaking of [countless Buddhas]. So, “countless Buddhas” are very many. So, “countless Buddhas” means very many. This signifies that Their spiritual practice took a very long time. Many kalpas ago They began forming aspirations and have since [interacted] with countless Buddhas.

Manjusri Bodhisattva already said this at the beginning. Manjusri alone spent lifetime after lifetime teaching sentient beings. And Sakyamuni Buddha is now telling us that, since the distant past, He too had drawn near to countless Buddhas.

By drawing near, we are firmly aspiring to walk the Bodhisattva-path. And not just for one lifetime, but for lifetime after lifetime. If we want to do so, we must completely “transcend all evil and deviant views.” The first step is to transcend all evil.

About spiritual practice, I often say, “Refrain from all evil, do all good deeds.” So, we must transcend all evil, [meaning] refraining from any evil deeds. This is part of spiritual practice. We draw close to virtuous friends because they teach us to transcend all evil. Whether it is a thought that stirs or an action, we must distance ourselves from all evil.

Not only must we transcend the evil created by the body, we must also transcend evil knowledge and views. If our thinking deviates even slightly, if our knowledge and views are just a bit off, we will fall again. Deviant knowledge and views are evil. They are the demons of the mind. These demons continuously disturb our right knowledge and views. So, aside from transcending all evil in our external conditions, we must moreover distance our minds from evil. Evil knowledge and views are demons of the mind. Therefore, we must “draw near to virtuous and spiritual friends.”

Draw near: To cultivate Bodhisattva-practices, we transcend all evil and deviant views and draw near to virtuous and spiritual friends.

Indeed, spiritual friends can also be our close friends. From the Sutra of Infinite meanings, I often talk about the line, “Infinite Dharma-doors readily appear before us.” All Dharma is by our side, and those who expound the Dharma are the people in front of and behind us. Every person is manifesting a teaching for us. Indeed, these are our virtuous friends, our spiritual friends. So, we must constantly feel respectful. Everyone around us is a spiritual friend.

Therefore, the Buddha [told us to] “draw near to countless Buddhas.” These spiritual friends are also engaging in spiritual practice. Perhaps they will attain Buddhahood sooner than us. Perhaps they are like Manjusri Bodhisattva. They have returned and manifested to guide ordinary people after having attained Buddhahood. Perhaps Sakyamuni is sitting next to us. Perhaps He is even closer; the Enlightened One may be in our hearts.

Therefore, we can draw near to countless Buddhas. We can draw near to them right now. Anyone who says things that benefit us and who /teaches us to have Right Faith, Right Samadhi, Right Thinking and to follow the rules and so on is a spiritual and virtuous friend to us.

The Buddha had already drawn near to so many Buddhas and virtuous spiritual friends. He has flawless wisdom. What about us ordinary people? After others teach us, we forget it very quickly. We have many discursive thoughts, so we cannot practice according to teachings. The Buddha is different. After He aspired to engage in spiritual practice, [the teachings from] virtuous friends He drew near were completely stored in His heart and transformed into wisdom. This is flawless wisdom. Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are the Three Flawless Studies. Over countless lifetimes, He cultivated by listening to, thinking of and practicing precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. His wisdom was entirely drawn from listening, thinking and practicing and by [cultivating] precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.

So, this is how we can.

“Exhaustively practice all Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the Path and forge ahead with courage and vigor. Thus, His name is widely known.”

Having encountered infinite Buddhas and spiritual friends and listened to so much Dharma, He was able to absorb it all into His mind. Therefore, He could “exhaustively practice all Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the Path.” All Buddhas’ infinite teachings of the Path are in His mind and actions.

These teachings are used to open this door. Once this door is open, the wisdom-door [leads to] extremely profound teachings. This is the door to very subtle, wondrous wisdom. It is a teaching of the Path.

The door to these practices is extremely profound. We must forge ahead with courage and vigor and not just [practice] to liberate ourselves.

After entering this wisdom-door, “we forge ahead with courage and vigor.” Since this wisdom-door is extremely profound, we need to be able to practice all of it by forging ahead with courage and vigor. This means we do not just take care of ourselves, we must also benefit others. Not only must we awaken ourselves, we also need to awaken others. This is how we truly enter the wisdom-door and understand the teachings of the Path.

This Path leads us to “awaken ourselves, awaken others and have perfect awakened conduct.” This Path is not the Small Vehicle path of limited practices; it is a Great Vehicle path of great practices to transform ourselves and others. This is the path to enlightenment. Therefore, we must put our hearts into really understanding it. Otherwise, it will truly be incomprehensible. So, everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 190 – Entering the Door of Wisdom through the Precepts

---

>> The wisdom of all Buddhas is like the light from a torch. “Wisdom can illuminate the darkness of ignorance, help us realize how to avoid dangers and understand the wisdom-door that the Buddha has opened to transform sentient beings.”

>> “Wisdom-door is difficult to understand and enter. It cannot be known by any Hearers or Solitary Realizers.”

---

The wisdom of all Buddhas is like the light from a torch.
“Wisdom can illuminate the darkness of ignorance,
help us realize how to avoid dangers
and understand the wisdom-door that the Buddha
has opened to transform sentient beings.”

When an ignorant thought arises in sentient beings, the road ahead becomes unclear. We do not know where we came from nor where we are going. Thus at any moment, if one thought goes astray, we may end up thousands of miles off-course. This is how we ordinary people are. Our minds are filled with darkness,

but if we can receive the Buddha’s wisdom, the light from His torch of wisdom will illuminate the state of our minds. If our minds can receive the light of wisdom, the roads in our darkened minds can be illuminated. Then naturally we can avoid dangers. If we can sweep away the ignorance in our minds, we will be disciplined and reverent as we deal with things.

Precepts can guard against wrongs and stop evils, prevent us from having unwholesome thoughts and stop us from committing evil acts. Therefore, when the Buddha’s wisdom has entered our minds, naturally we can thoroughly understand the wisdom-door the Buddha used to transform sentient beings.

For us to be able to understand this wisdom, [upholding] precepts is very important. The Buddha came into the world to transform us, to teach us how to diligently do the things we should do and immediately refrain from the things we should not do. If we can stop ourselves in time from doing things we should not do, our minds and conduct will be upright. “One upright thought destroys 10,000 deviant ones.”

There is a story about wisdom and precepts that took place in a small village. One day around dusk, a handsome young man suddenly appeared [at the door] of a small house. He looked exhausted and told the man of the house, “I am very tired from walking. Do you have any space in your house where. I can stay for a night?” The man of the house said, “Young man, I can see that you are very tired. Where did you come from?” The young man said, “I came from the Kingdom of Sravasti. Many people in my country are Buddhists who uphold the Five Precepts. My parents are even more devout than others;”

“One time, I went away for business and. I was careless and took a drink. When I returned home, my parents smelled the alcohol on me. They angrily told me that. I did not uphold the five precepts and that by violating the one against drinking, I brought shame to the family. So, in their rage, they threw me out and told me to go far away to self-reflect.”

The man of the house did not know what the Five Precepts were, but he felt that this young man was kindhearted. The man was very hospitable and quickly prepared a room for the young man.

After he helped the young man settle in, the owner busily got to work. What was it that he busied himself with? Every day, this man held lavish ceremonies to make offerings to the three ghosts of wealth, as they would bestow wealth upon the house. His wealth was inexhaustible, therefore, he believed these were blessing conferred upon him by the three ghosts of wealth. So, he made lavish offerings every day.

That night the sky was full of stars, and the young man stayed in his quiet room to mindfully contemplate the Buddha’s Five Precepts, continually repenting. At this time, the three ghosts had arrived. They were about to reach the house when they could feel a virtuous aura from afar. Therefore, they could not get closer, and they quickly turned around and ran away.

The man of the house saw these spirits of wealth turning and running away, so he quickly called after them, “Oh, you ghosts of wealth, why are you running away without taking the offerings?” As he chased after them, he respectfully asked this question. As the spirits ran away they replied, “Because in your house, there is an honored guest. There are many Dharma-protectors there, so we cannot go near.” As they spoke and ran, they were terrified.

The man of the house was mystified, so in the morning he asked the young man. The young man said, “The Buddha’s Five Precepts are Right Dharma. Although I broke the precept against drinking, one out of the Five Precepts, I still very reverently uphold the other four and have been continually repenting. Perhaps this is why. I am surrounded by Dharma-protectors.”

So, the man of the house asked, “What are the principles of the Buddha-Dharma?” The young man told him what little he knew. Then he said, “I do not know a lot but you can go to the Kingdom of Sravasti to see the Buddha and the Sangha for yourself.” The owner decided, “All right, I will go see them. Is it possible that the true principles are so penetrating?” On that day, he made preparations and then began his journey. The young man moved on to the next city as the man of the house started walking toward Sravasti.

After a day of walking, [this man] saw a single house in the distance. So, he went and knocked on the door. The woman who opened the door looked very proper. She asked him, “What is your business?” He said, “I am [traveling] to Sravasti, but I still have a long way to go. [Now], it is getting dark, and there are no other houses close by. I was hoping to ask you for lodging.”

The woman looked reluctant and was very hesitant. Eventually she said, “Honestly, I must tell you, it is not that I am unwilling to help you, but this place is very dangerous. my husband is a man-eating ghost, a demon that eats people. You must leave here as soon as possible; he will come back soon.” The woman kept declining his plea, but he persisted in his request, so she let him stay in a room.

In the evening, indeed the man-eating ghost came home. Yet, from far away he saw over 20 Dharma-protectors surrounding his house. He became frightened and could not further approach this virtuous aura, so he left.

After the night passed peacefully, the woman told this man who sought lodging [with her], “You must leave quickly. You are very fortunate and blessed that my husband did not come back. So, you must take this opportunity to leave now.”

As he stepped outside, he saw many human bones, and he became very scared. Then he thought, “This woman is very beautiful. If her husband is a man-eating ghost, staying with him must be very dangerous for her. At home, I was living in luxury every day. Why should I treacherously continue forward to seek the Five Precepts, whatever they are? Although I want to learn about the Five Precepts, and I have been thinking about what that young man told me, the journey seems so far.”

Once he changed his mind, He decided that he should go home and he might as well take this beautiful woman away from this dangerous place. So, he turned back and said to her, “I am still very tired, can I stay for one more night? I really want to talk to you.” The woman tried refusing him again, but he still refused to leave.

Indeed, after the sun set, her husband hurriedly rushed back. When the woman saw that her husband was almost home, so she quickly told the man to hide in a liquor barrel. When the man-eating ghost came back, he said, “Why is there a new human smell here? The scent of this flesh is very fresh; bring it to me quickly!” The woman said, “What do you mean? The house is empty. There are no humans here. As for you, why didn’t you come home last night?” She used her charm, [pretending to be] angry to ask him accusingly about not coming home. He quickly explained, “I did come home last night, but there was a virtuous aura of heavenly spirits inside and around our house, so I could not come any closer. I had to leave in a hurry.”

The woman then remembered that the man spoke of going to see the Buddha and seeking to receive the Five Precepts. [She wondered, “What are these Five Precepts?” Is simply mentioning [them] in my home enough to scare my husband? So, she asked him, “Do you know what the Five Precepts are?” He said, “I do, but I cannot say them. Why not?” she asked, “You must tell me!” This man-eating ghost could not put off the requests of his wife, so he told her about the Five Precepts.

After he explained them, his wife began to recite the Buddha’s name in her mind and developed spiritual aspirations. The man hiding in the liquor barrel also began to repent, realizing that he should have journeyed forward to seek the Five Precepts from the Buddha. So when both of them thought about seeking the Five Precepts at the same time, the heavenly spirits appeared again with more than twice their original numbers. Previously, there were about 20, now there were more than 50. They appeared all at once. The man-eating ghost could not endure the aura of virtue, so he disappeared again.

Then this woman called for the man to come out of hiding. She said, “You are very fortunate. My evil husband has left again, you must leave right now.” Now he believed her, so he said, “Since the Buddha’s Five Precepts can bring about such an aura of virtue, why don’t you take refuge with the Buddha, too?” By this time, the woman also realized that every day she lived in great suffering. Now that she knew there was a right path, she [decided to] leave with this man. On their journey, they met a group of 498 people leaving the Kingdom of Sravasti.

They asked the group, “Where are you coming from?” The group said, “We come from the Kingdom of Sravasti. Isn’t the Buddha residing “in Sravasti right now?” [they asked]. These people said, “Yes, but we cannot understand His teachings, so we left.”

The two of them shared their experiences about how an aura of virtue came from upholding the Five Precepts. After these 498 people heard the story, they thought, “The Buddha is residing in our own kingdom; why can’t we understand Him? As it turns out, if we reverently receive the Five Precepts that are taught, we can attain great merits and virtues.” So, when they saw that these two people were walking toward Sravasti, these 498 people also turned around to follow them back to Sravasti. At the Buddha’s abode, these 500 people

reverently took refuge with the Buddha. After they took refuge, the Buddha began giving them teachings. The bhiksus found their story incredible as they described their experiences. They felt that precepts truly have very inconceivable powers. So, the Buddha told them that a Buddha’s wisdom is difficult to understand. Only when people wholeheartedly believe in, accept and uphold the precepts will. Dharma-protectors naturally appear.

So, the Buddha’s.

“Wisdom-door is difficult to understand and enter. It cannot be known by any Hearers or Solitary Realizers.”

This is not something easy to understand. We should know that the Buddha’s teachings and the Buddha’s wisdom can open the door to the principles of all things in the universe. This is the Bodhi-door to the Right Path. This path is so very broad.

If we Buddhist practitioners can pass through this door, this wisdom-door is “the knowledge and understanding of all things, which is ultimate truth.” We must pass through the wisdom-door to reach the ultimate truth. This ultimate truth is the gateway to the aura of virtue. So, we must deeply penetrate it. If we can pass through this door, we can thoroughly understand many principles.

So, the wisdom-door is a mindset. From this story, we can understand that practicing the Buddha’s Way depends on our minds. If we are reverent, an aura of virtue will surround us. So, [the idea that] “one thought can destroy all disasters” is also based on the same principle. So, we must always trust in the Buddha’s wisdom. Actually, the Buddha’s wisdom is also the wisdom of sentient beings. We intrinsically have it. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 189 – Open the Door to Wisdom with Compassion

---

>> “All Buddhas feel sympathy for sentient beings.” This is because “unenlightened beings are immersed in a sea of desires. [Practitioners of] the Two Vehicles are attached to Nirvana and cannot understand and realize the One Vehicle.”

>> “At that time the World-Honored One arose serenely from Samadhi” and looked at everyone. [His gaze] fell on Sariputra, so He told him, “The wisdom of all Buddhas is extremely profound and unlimited.”

>> Thus, this sutra opened and revealed [the Dharma] in response to practitioners of the Two Vehicles, particularly to guide the best of them. Therefore, He specifically taught Sariputra, so he would not be attached to the Small Vehicle fruit of Nirvana, but seek the Great Vehicle Nirvana of non-attachment to cyclic existence.

>> “This wisdom-door is difficult to understand and enter. It cannot be known by any Hearers or Solitary Realizers.”

>> The wisdom-door is “knowledge and understanding of all things, which is the ultimate truth.” A “door” is a way to understand clearly, somewhere we can enter. Once the door is open, we can enter and exit freely. This is the wisdom-door.

---

“All Buddhas feel sympathy for sentient beings.”
This is because
“unenlightened beings are immersed in a sea of desires.
[Practitioners of] the Two Vehicles are attached to Nirvana and
cannot understand and realize the One Vehicle.”

This is what worries the Buddha most. Because we are all unenlightened beings, we are immersed in a sea of desires.

All sentient beings have “desire.” This applies to sentient beings in all Six Realms, even in the heaven realm. Heavenly beings also have heavenly desires. Asuras have heavenly blessings but lack heavenly virtues. Therefore, they are also deeply immersed in the sea of desires. As humans, what type of mindset do we hold? It is also a boundless sea of desires, which is why we talk about, “1000-foot swells rise in the river of cravings 10,000 waves surge in the sea of suffering.” Because of [our cravings], we transmigrate within the Six Realms. This is because of humankind’s desires.

I often say that humans create the sources of all disasters, which all begin when greedy thoughts arise. When that greed is not satisfied, we become angry. Once the flames of anger are ignited, we become lost. Because of ignorance, we become greedy. Because we are greedy, we become angry. These three are truly subtle afflictions that continuously reproduce themselves in an endless cycle.

Because greed, anger and ignorance arise many other afflictions [also arise], [causing] people to create much karma. So, greed, anger and ignorance exist in people alongside pride, arrogance and doubt, leaving us unable to believe in the law of karma or to accept the Buddha’s Right Dharma. Therefore, many things happen because of desire. This is the state of ordinary people.

The Buddha comes to this world out of sympathy for sentient beings. Because their minds have not yet awakened, they are immersed in the sea of desires. Some people do already believe that the Buddha comes to this world to tell us that we all have an intrinsic Buddha-nature. Some people have a karmic affinity with Buddha, and they agree to return to this world together and accept the Buddha’s teachings, life after life. “Beings lacking affinity cannot be transformed.” From these words, we know that in our past lives, we have likely formed karmic affinities with the Buddha. Some have achieved Buddhahood, some are achieving, some have not yet achieved.

So, there are practitioners of the Two Vehicles. They believe in the Buddha’s teachings and can understand how life is “[full of] suffering, empty, impermanent, and without permanent self.” The Buddha taught these principles, and they understand them.

People may also live in a time without a Buddha, like the present moment. Though Sakyamuni Buddha left us over 2000 years ago, there are still people with sharp capabilities. Even if they have not encountered the Dharma, they still realize that life is truly impermanent; the seasons change, day and night alternate, and [humans undergo] birth, aging, illness and death. Some people have encountered His teachings, though they have not seen the Buddha in person. Yet just by understanding these principles alone, they can realize many of His teachings. In this way, they know they must engage in spiritual practice.

[The earliest spiritual practitioners] sought to be liberated from birth and death. These Small Vehicle practitioners sought the fruits of [the Small Vehicle], the initial, second, third and fourth [fruits]. They practiced only to benefit themselves by seeking [total release in] Nirvana. They believed that Nirvana meant no birth and no death, so they would no longer have to transmigrate among the Six Realms. Thus, they sought and were attached to. Nirvana because they saw it as a state of non-arising and non-ceasing.

But actually, ultimate Nirvana is free of attachments. This is why the Buddha had now begun to teach the Lotus Sutra, He set aside skillful means and began teaching the One Vehicle Dharma because the Two Vehicle [practitioners] were still too attached to attaining Nirvana. Though the Buddha has entered Parinirvana, He has not rested; all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas continuously return.

Think about it, Guanyin Bodhisattva also returns out of compassion. Also, before the Lotus Sutra was expounded, Manjusri Bodhisattva spoke of the 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas. Manjusri Bodhisattva himself was the teacher of seven ancient Buddhas and had already attained Buddhahood in the past. That there are so many Buddhas attests to the fact that entering Parinirvana does not mean They no longer experience birth and death. They still return to this world out of compassion.

Their karmic retributions did not bring Them back, the Four Great Vows and the Four Infinite Minds did. Since reaching the state of Dharmakaya Bodhisattva, the Buddha continuously returned to this world to transform sentient beings. So by entering Parinirvana, or extinction, He has not completely disappeared. No. He still continues to return to this world. Since He knows all principles in the world, He is not deluded and is free of attachments. Thus, He surpassed delusions and attachments. So, we must realize the principles of the One Vehicle.

However, ordinary people are very deluded and. Two Vehicle practitioners are very stubborn, so they could not comprehend the principles of the One Vehicle.

As the Buddha’s [conditions] for transforming this world were ending, He began to teach the Lotus Sutra after. He emerged from Samadhi.

“At that time the World-Honored One arose serenely from Samadhi” and looked at everyone. [His gaze] fell on Sariputra, so He told him, “The wisdom of all Buddhas is extremely profound and unlimited.”

Everyone knew that Sariputra was foremost in wisdom among the Sangha, and now, to comprehend the One Vehicle teachings, [the Buddha indicated that this would take] one of great wisdom. So, the Buddha intended for [practitioners of] the Two Vehicles, the Hearers and Solitary Realizers, those with great capabilities, to recognize that the Buddha’s wisdom is so profound that even Sariputra may not understand His principles. This was the Buddha’s clever way of helping all of everyone recognize that. He was about to discuss something very profound. Indeed, the wisdom of all Buddhas is extremely profound and unlimited.

Actually, there were many people at Vulture Peak. From the ten directions came all Bodhisattvas, heavenly beings, the eight classes of Dharma-protectors and Living Bodhisattvas, as well as those who already attained fruits, [such as] Arhats, bhiksus and bhiksunis. All the intellectuals gathered there as well. Among all these people, why didn’t the Buddha teach this extremely profound and unlimited Dharma according to the capabilities of Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas? For instance, Manjusri Bodhisattva was present. Why didn’t the Buddha teach according to. Manjusri’s capabilities or to those of any other Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas? Why did He address Sariputra?

Among the sages of the Two Vehicles, the one with the most superior capabilities among. Small Vehicle practitioners was Sariputra. Sariputra’s wisdom and merits were the greatest among the Hearers, so everyone respected him very much. Therefore, as long as Sariputra was convinced, everyone else would be convinced. Besides, he was one of the heads of the Sangha, so the Buddha began telling him, so the Buddha began by telling him, “The wisdom of all Buddhas is extremely profound and unlimited.”

This sutra is about to open the provisional to reveal the true. “Open” refers to opening the provisional, the skillful means of the past. “Provisional” refers to clever, skillful means. Now that we have opened them up, we need to put them aside. To open the provisional is to set aside the skillful means that have been taught. In the past, there were skillful means, [but] now He would reveal the True Dharma. This is called “opening the provisional to reveal the true.” The purpose of the Lotus Sutra is to “open the provisional to reveal the true,” the one ultimate truth, the One Vehicle Way.

Thus, this sutra opened and revealed [the Dharma] in response to practitioners of the Two Vehicles, particularly to guide the best of them. Therefore, He specifically taught Sariputra, so he would not be attached to the Small Vehicle fruit of Nirvana, but seek the Great Vehicle Nirvana of non-attachment to cyclic existence.

The Lotus Sutra “opened the provisional to reveal the true” in response to the Two Vehicle practitioners. Those practitioners were still attached to skillful means. [Like all] ordinary people immersed in delusions, Two Vehicles practitioners had attachments. They knew that Nirvana leads to the end of cyclic existence, but they could not let go of the appearance of cyclic existence. This is why the Buddha helped them further understand that, although. Nirvana leads to the end of cyclic existence, we should not be attached to it. The purpose of learning the Buddha’s Way is to transform sentient beings, to benefit others, not just ourselves. Therefore, to guide those with superior capabilities among Two Vehicle practitioners, the Buddha had to “open the provisional to reveal the true.” Only practitioners with those capabilities were able to gradually accept this.

We can clearly see that it took the Buddha over forty years to help them achieve thorough understanding. To “open the provisional to reveal the true” is not that easy. Therefore, He targeted Sariputra so that he would not be attached to the Nirvana of the Small Vehicle nor believe that [all he had to do was] liberate himself, for this was not the Buddha’s intention.

He wants us to practice Great Vehicle Teachings, not focus on our own awakening. Therefore, we must awaken ourselves and others and have perfect awakened conduct. Simply awakening ourselves and being attached to Small Vehicle Nirvana is not good enough. Therefore, we must instead “seek the Great Vehicle Nirvana of non-attachment to cyclic existence.” This means we must keep going, keep making great aspirations and moving to the next level of a Nirvana that is non-arising, non-ceasing and free of attachments.

So, the Buddha also said that the wisdom of all Buddhas is very profound.

“This wisdom-door is difficult to understand and enter. It cannot be known by any Hearers or Solitary Realizers.”

The Buddha’s wisdom is very profound. He is about to open the wisdom-door and reveal His original [teachings], His True Wisdom. This wisdom-door is difficult to understand and enter. It cannot be known by any Hearers. If we remain at the level of Hearers and rely on listening [to the teachings] to awaken, we will have no way to achieve understanding.

Now the Buddha is about to open the wisdom-door, to freely carry out His original intentions. Thus He said, “Now I am about to open the wisdom-door, which cannot be known by you Hearers and Solitary Realizers.”

The wisdom-door is “knowledge and understanding of all things, which is the ultimate truth.” A “door” is a way to understand clearly, somewhere we can enter. Once the door is open, we can enter and exit freely. This is the wisdom-door.

Everyone, you may think I am spending a lot of time on this point and wonder why I keep talking about it. Is [attaining] wisdom and the ultimate truth really that difficult? It is truly very difficult. Everyone, when we engage in spiritual practice, we do not focus only on ourselves. Actually, even attaining self-realization is not that easy. To look within and eliminate greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt is not very easy at all. Besides, we are all still ordinary people, we are still immersed in the sea of desires. Since we are still immersed in the sea of desires,

our minds must be attuned to the door of the Buddha’s mind. The door to His mind is always open, but we do not always choose to enter. Even though the Buddha continues to guide and tell us, “you can come this way and enter this door,” we still have desires. These afflictions from greed, anger and ignorance continue to [grow] in a cycle of reproduction, so we are trapped in the Six Realms.

Everyone, we must awaken right now. In our modern society, we are able to understand many things clearly. So to understand worldly matters is not difficult. But we must truly awaken. Since we live in this era, we have opportunities for great awakening. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 188 – Extinguish the Three Fires of the Mind

---

>> “Our intrinsic nature is perfect and virtuous, pure and flawless. Principles of the one reality [help us] transcend unreal and false appearances and [realize] the equality of our intrinsic nature, which has not been altered.”

>> “At that time, the Buddha arose serenely from Samadhi and told Sariputra, ‘the wisdom of all the Buddhas is extremely profound and unlimited.'”

>> Which is also called Right Concentration. It is also used to “adjust, straighten and quiet.”

>> This is adjusting, straightening and quieting; we adjust our mind so it is not irritable, straighten our distortions and quiet our distractions.

>> Control delusional thoughts and thinking, concentrate the mind to contemplate and focus the mind in one place. This is called Samadhi.

>> So, “a benevolent heart abides in one place, unwavering.” This is called Samadhi,

---

“Our intrinsic nature is perfect and virtuous,
pure and flawless.
Principles of the one reality [help us]
transcend unreal and false appearances and
[realize] the equality of our intrinsic nature,
which has not been altered.”

“Our intrinsic nature is perfect.” We must realize that all things in the world, as long as they are living, have the same nature. All sentient beings intrinsically have a perfect intrinsic nature. In its natural state, it is pure and without Leaks. No matter what kind of living being it is, intrinsically it has that nature.

These principles of one reality are the truths that the Buddha is about to reveal to us. This helps all of us understand that everything is encompassed within the principles of one reality. But we sentient beings are often attached to the illusory and false things in the world. The Buddha taught “true principles of one reality” to help us transcend illusory and unreal appearances, to help us realize “the equality of our intrinsic nature, which has not been altered.”

For example, take this story from the sutras, about a village that was very peaceful and quiet. One day, the village was holding a celebration, so all the villagers gathered in one place. They drank and celebrated. They became drunk and had almost eaten their fill. Suddenly, they turned around and saw that, in the distance, the forest was on fire. The fire seemed to be advancing toward them. They became very afraid, because the fire had cut off the road, blocking their only escape route.

Among them was a man who was not yet drunk. He said, “Yes, the fire is advancing and has cut off our escape route. But Sakyamuni Buddha should be nearby, so we should calm down and call out His name.”

At this time, it seemed they heard a gentle voice in the distance, like an infusion of fresh air. The voice was clear, and they all heard it. It said to them, “You must understand that the fire you see in front of you is not the only fire there is. There are three kinds of true fire. First, the fire of greed. Second, the fire of anger. Third, the fire of ignorance. When the three fires converge, it is truly frightening. Now, you must calm down, and I will cleanse and nourish your minds with wisdom will cleanse and nourish your minds with wisdom in the hopes of extinguishing the three fires.”

As the Buddha was saying this, His form appeared in front of them. As they saw Him and listened to His Dharma, they were unaware that the fire in the forest had gradually subsided.

Even the bhiksus who came with the Buddha were amazed when they saw this. So, the bhiksus asked the Buddha, “What are the causes and conditions of this group of people for them to be so blessed that You happened to be nearby and could save them?” The Buddha sat down and told them this story. In the distant past, countless kalpas ago,

there was also a forest, suffering a drought. A strong foehn wind was blowing and the trees were so dry that when the winds blew, a fire started. Once a fire was ignited, the animals in the forest had no way out. They were surrounded by fire, how could they escape?

There was a bird called Happy-Head. He could not bear to see this. “I have wings, so when there is a fire, I can fly away from the forest. But some animals don’t have wings. If the fire is not extinguished, many lives will be lost.” A compassionate thought arose in his mind, so the bird spread his wings and flew between the mountain and the sea. He saturated his wings with sea water and flew back to douse the flames with the drops of water carried on his wings. He flew back and forth thousands of times.

When a heavenly being saw this, he said, “Happy-Head, your body is so small. Do you really think you can put out a fire with the water on your wings?” But the bird answered, “Even though I’m small, the power of my vows is broader and greater than the forest fire. Even if I can’t put out the fire in this lifetime, I vow to continue in my next life until the fire is extinguished.”

The bird’s sincerity and compassion touched the heavenly being, so he sent down a heavy rain to extinguish this forest fire.

The Buddha stopped here, smiled and said to the bhiksus, “Fellow bhiksus, did you know that little bird, Happy-Head, was I in a past life? Countless kalpas ago, I was practicing the Bodhisattva-path. Even as a bird, I made these vows. Now, as for this group of people here, they were the animals that. I saved back then. Lifetime after lifetime, they made vows to practice and uphold precepts. These causes and conditions have brought them to this world in human form for many lifetimes. Even though they are in the human realm and are fulfilling their responsibilities in the world, they still have habitual tendencies. This time, I told them about the three kinds of fire in their minds. I hope to use this wisdom to extinguish the fire of ignorance in their minds.” So, these were their karmic conditions.

This is the Buddha’s wisdom. Sentient beings are always confused by illusory and false appearances.

Though they are in this world, they are still attached to their illusions. When a Buddha’s conditions for transforming [others] in a lifetime is about to end, He always teaches principles of one reality. This is solely because He wants sentient beings to transcend illusory and false appearances. So, we must put our hearts into comprehending the Buddha’s teachings.

At the end of the Introductory Chapter, Manjusri Bodhisattva reminded everyone, “If you have any questions in your minds, I am telling you that the Buddha is about to give you an explanation.” After he said this, the Buddha gradually emerged from Samadhi.

“At that time, the Buddha arose serenely from Samadhi and told Sariputra, ‘the wisdom of all the Buddhas is extremely profound and unlimited.'”

At the start of the Chapter on Skillful Means, the Buddha was about to resolve the questions in everyone’s minds. Therefore, they were ready to focus and listen attentively. “At that time” refers to the moment. Sakyamuni Buddha gradually emerged from Samadhi. “[He] arose serenely from Samadhi.” He did not stand up. He continued sitting there, but. He opened His eyes and looked compassionately at everyone. “[Now that I have emerged from] Samadhi, are you united in your desire to seek the Dharma?” He looked very serene.

“Arose” signified a beginning. He looked at Sariputra and said, “Sariputra, the wisdom of all Buddhas is extremely profound and limitless.” We must make an effort to understand His intent. After the Buddha looked at all these people, why did He finally fix His gaze on Sariputra and say to him, “the wisdom of all Buddhas is extremely profound and limitless”?

Indeed, “the Buddha first entered the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings.” When He taught the Lotus Sutra, He first expounded the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. Then He entered the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings, radiated light and manifested auspicious signs. This light could reach infinite worlds. This is the Samadhi the Buddha entered,

Which is also called Right Concentration. It is also used to “adjust, straighten and quiet.”

Our minds need to be adjusted to be as straight as the Bodhi-path. You must remember that in the past I said that the Bodhi-path is the path to awakening. The path to awakening is very straight. So, we say it adjusts, straightens and quiets.

What are we adjusting? Our irritability. In our minds, there is a fire of anger. The short story I told just now mentioned, there is the fire of greed. Anger is like a fire of irritability. And there is the fire of ignorance and delusion. As sentient beings, our afflictions come from our irritability.

Spiritual practice can adjust our minds, so we can eliminate our irritability and straighten our distorted thinking. Indeed, when we see illusory and false appearances in this world, we have delusional thinking, perceiving and recalling because we live in this world. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings says we all live in a state of “delusional thinking, perceiving and recalling.” This is why no principles can penetrate our minds or straighten out our distorted thinking. We pursue external, delusive phenomena because

our thinking is not straightforward; it is distorted. When we do not have Right Faith, our thoughts deviate and we have delusional and evil beliefs. One stray thought takes us 1000 steps off course. Therefore, we must really adjust our minds and straighten out our thinking. “A straightforward mind is a spiritual training ground” and will not distort the True Dharma. Therefore, Samadhi will lead us on the straight path to the Dharma without veering [off-course].

Therefore, we must steady our minds and prevent them from scattering. This is adjusting, straightening and quieting;

This is adjusting, straightening and quieting; we adjust our mind so it is not irritable, straighten our distortions and quiet our distractions.

This is adjusting, straightening and quieting. This is the Samadhi the Buddha entered.

Control delusional thoughts and thinking, concentrate the mind to contemplate and focus the mind in one place. This is called Samadhi.

Adjust, straighten and quiet. It can control our delusional thinking. In our daily living, we must constantly listen, contemplate and practice. We must really consider whether the teachings we are listening to now have entered our hearts. We must focus our thoughts and focus them in one place. We must always take good care of our hearts and mind our actions. We must harmonize our hearts and actions.

So, “a benevolent heart abides in one place, unwavering.” This is called Samadhi,

a state of concentration. The mind must always be benevolent; we must nurture it so it abides in one place. This means we must not allow our benevolence to waver.

I hope that as Buddhist practitioners, we truly eliminate “delusional thinking, perceiving and recalling.” We cannot be tempted by external phenomena or let the three fires in our minds converge. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 187 – The Sea of Dharma’s Virtues is Boundless

---

>> The Dharma is as vast as the sea. “The sea of Dharma’s virtues are boundless. The Dharma-nature is vast and endless. Buddha-nature is intrinsic and natural. Compassion and wisdom are exercised infinitely.”

>>About “exercising proper principles through clever words and analogies.”

>> Skillful wisdom: Use teachings according to the capabilities of sentient beings.

>> There are two kinds of knowledge of Absolute Truth. “First is True Dharma,” and the other is called “True Wisdom.”

>>First is True Dharma, which is the first is True Dharma, which is the “principles of the one reality [that help us] transcend unreal and false appearances and realize the equality of our intrinsic nature, which has not been altered.”

>> “All Buddhas follow the course of this Dharma-nature to cultivate and attain Perfect Enlightenment.”

>> The second knowledge of Absolute Truth is True Wisdom, which is “wisdom that can illuminate true nature. Such principles are not false.”

>> “With this True Wisdom as the path, it is thus called True Wisdom Bodhi.”

>> “Since the Buddha realized perfection,” He now wanted to teach sentient beings according to their capabilities.

---

The Dharma is as vast as the sea.
“The sea of Dharma’s virtues are boundless. The Dharma-nature is vast and endless.
Buddha-nature is intrinsic and natural. Compassion and wisdom are exercised infinitely.”

Everyone, we all understand that “the Buddha-Dharma is like the sea, vast and boundless.” This is because of the virtues that Buddhas have accumulated through spiritual practice. I often say that we must work on this; internally we cultivate [our minds], and externally we engage in virtuous practices. Thus we must bring the Dharma into our minds and adhere to it in our actions.

With the many afflictions sentient beings have, the Buddha must apply His wisdom to come up with the same number of methods to deal with them. There is a common saying, “1000-foot swells rise in the river of cravings, and 10,000 waves surge in the sea of suffering.” Clearly, the waves in the sea of desire of sentient beings flood everything at times. So, they must be treated with the Dharma. [Imparting] that Dharma takes wisdom.

The Buddha comes to this world because sentient beings have boundless afflictions. He has vowed to always transform them. The Four Great Vows are a Bodhisattva’s aspiration. We have the Four Infinite Minds and Four Great Vows. If we are sincere, we must make vows. “There are countless sentient beings, and I vow to deliver them all.”

The Buddha taught His disciples to walk the Bodhisattva-path. Of course, to teach this path, He must first walk this path Himself. What this means is that as the Buddha engaged in spiritual practice over countless lifetimes, He walked the Bodhisattva-path. So, this Dharma, His wisdom, is like a sea. Thus we say, “the sea of Dharma’s virtues are boundless.” Because He has engaged in spiritual practice, His mind is replete with wisdom and. His actions are virtuous. What our eyes can see, what our ears can hear and what we feel tell us that the teachings of. Sakyamuni Buddha, this virtuous and enlightened one, are worthy of our trust. This is called virtue.

So, “the sea of Dharma’s virtues are boundless” because our “Dharma-nature is vast and endless.” Dharma-nature is intrinsic in all of us. Therefore, I often remind everyone that the path traveled by the Buddha can also be traveled by us ordinary people. We just need to rid ourselves of ignorance and afflictions and go in the direction the Buddha taught us. Where the Buddha has gone, we sentient beings can also follow. This can happen because we intrinsically have this Dharma-nature.

This is similar to driving a car. As long as the car is fully functional, when someone starts it and steers it in the right direction, the car will get to the destination. Meanwhile, this person must follow the right course for the car to arrive at the correct place.

The principle is the same. Though the Buddha attained enlightenment, He returned to expound the Dharma. Although we have been immersed in the sea of desire for countless kalpas, now we understand and believe in the Buddha’s teachings. So, we follow His directions to awaken our pure and radiant Buddha-nature.

We must also believe that all of us intrinsically have a pure and radiant nature, a Buddha-nature. This “Dharma-nature is vast and endless.” Everyone has it, not just Buddhas. In this world, there is an endless number of sentient beings. Because sentient beings are boundless, Dharma-nature is boundless.

Thus, “Buddha-nature is intrinsic and natural.” If we believe this, Buddha-nature will not be unattainable; it is actually in our hearts. Buddha-nature is a very natural part of us. So, the Buddha already manifested this intrinsic nature in “the sea of Dharma’s virtues, [which are] boundless.” Buddhas and Bodhisattvas exercise infinite wisdom and compassion. They use compassion to save sentient beings and wisdom to devise methods to transform them. We must have compassion and wisdom, and exercise them in parallel. So, I have often said that one of the Buddha’s ten epithets is “the Two-Footed Honored One.”

Indeed, “the Two-Footed Honored One” exercises both compassion and wisdom. If we have the use of two healthy legs, we can travel all over the world. We must be endowed with the two feet of [compassion] and wisdom. So, one replete with compassion and wisdom is “the Two-Footed Honored One.” Exercising great wisdom is something we should pursue.

We must all believe in the Buddha’s teachings and believe that our self-nature is complete. The Buddha exercises compassion and wisdom. We also have both compassion and wisdom; we can also perfect them. So, we must not look down on ourselves.

We now begin the Chapter on Skillful Means,

About “exercising proper principles through clever words and analogies.”

In “Exercise proper methods, proper” means not off course. No matter what their capabilities are, the Buddha always uses the proper methods to teach and guide them. This is like building a house. Whether we are building a large or small house, the foundation must be very stable. The external appearance of the houses may be different, but the foundation of each must be stable for the house to be safe. To use “proper methods” is to use right principles. No matter what we do, the foundation and the underlying theory must be correct.

Correct principles must still be taught according to people’s capabilities. This is being clever. In explaining things to others, we must use many analogies. Sentient beings have varying capacities. The Buddha compassionately taught according to capabilities. Whether a being has high or low capabilities, limited or great capacities, the Buddha always adjusts His teachings accordingly.

The Buddha comes to this world to unlock the wisdom in all beings. If those of limited capacity do not understand, if those of medium capacity cannot comprehend, the Buddha must extensively give teachings that suit their capacities. He uses “clever words and analogies.” For those who do not understand, we give them an analogy. If they do not understand the analogy, then we guide them to work with us, so they can enter this state of mind and attain joy through their actions.

Thus, Buddha-nature very naturally adapts to the times and to capabilities. Because of His wisdom, the Buddha can teach according to the era and people’s capacities. He uses skillful teachings and clever words to teach the Dharma. Everything He does is to awaken everyone’s intrinsic nature to be one with the world.

“Use teachings according to the capabilities of sentient beings.” In these times, we must clearly distinguish right from wrong. During times of great calamities, we must develop great loving-kindness. Though we see so many disasters in the world, we also see people in Tzu Chi uniforms, Living Bodhisattvas are in every country. When there is a disaster in that country or if people are suffering, they act based on the needs of that time and place. This is “using [teachings] accordingly.”

Once sentient beings accept the teachings, they can apply them in all places. Thus, the Dharma is widespread like the sea. This is the skillful wisdom of the Buddha. Using teachings accordingly is known as “skillful wisdom.”

Skillful wisdom: Use teachings according to the capabilities of sentient beings.

The Chapter on Skillful Means explains how the Buddha uses skillful means to give teachings and transform sentient beings. It is not dependent on the era. The Dharma transcends time. Based on the needs of this era, we guide people in applying this wisdom. Thus, if we want to understand the Buddha’s skillful wisdom, we must first understand the Buddha’s knowledge of the Absolute Truth.

There are two kinds of knowledge of Absolute Truth. “First is True Dharma,” and the other is called “True Wisdom.”

This is the Buddha’s wisdom.

For us to understand the Buddha’s wisdom,

First is True Dharma, which is the first is True Dharma, which is the “principles of the one reality [that help us] transcend unreal and false appearances and realize the equality of our intrinsic nature, which has not been altered.”

This is the One Vehicle. For the One Vehicle and the one great cause, the Buddha comes to this world to teach “the principles of the one reality,” which point directly to our minds, so we can understand and realize our true nature. But that is easier said than done. Because sentient beings are deluded, the Buddha had to start using other methods to help them transcend their delusions.

Whether something is tangible or intangible, when eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body [and mind], when the Six Sense Organs, connect with the Six Sense Objects, we become confused. We do not realize that everything is inherently illusory. Fame, profit, relationships, social status, etc. are all false and illusory appearances. Yet, sentient beings are very confused.

“Realizing the equality of our intrinsic nature,” means we must know our natures are equal; no one is higher or lower. So, it is unnecessary to chase after external conditions and make distinctions. Thus, we “realize the equality of our intrinsic nature, which has not been altered.” Then there will be no fluctuations in our minds.

As I said earlier, people go through birth, aging, illness and death. This is fragmentary samsara. The mind of a Small Vehicle sage, before attaining perfect enlightenment, still experiences transformational [samsara]. Thus, the Buddha used a variety of methods to guide ordinary beings of small or medium capacity in hopes that they could develop large capacities. To “transcend unreal and false appearances and realize the equality of our intrinsic nature,” which as we all know, “has not been altered.”

“All Buddhas follow the course of this Dharma-nature to cultivate and attain Perfect Enlightenment.”

The Buddha created this path. All Buddhas are the same and have set up similar courses. If we follow this path to engage in spiritual practice, we can return to our intrinsic nature. Thus, we can attain perfect enlightenment. This is called “the nature of true Dharma.”

The second knowledge of Absolute Truth is True Wisdom, which is “wisdom that can illuminate true nature. Such principles are not false.”

We can thoroughly illuminate our true nature. We intrinsically have this nature, but it has been covered by ignorance. We just have not realized it. Now, through the Buddha’s wisdom, we have illuminated our hearts and can “reflect on our self-nature.” In this way, “such principles are not false.” So all these principles are true, and this is called True Wisdom.

“With this True Wisdom as the path, it is thus called True Wisdom Bodhi.”

This is the Buddha’s wisdom, His True Wisdom. If we want to make analogies to it, that would require a lot. So, this is “knowledge of Absolute Truth.”

“Since the Buddha realized perfection,” He now wanted to teach sentient beings according to their capabilities.

So, “this is the Buddha’s skillful wisdom.” Since the Buddha enlightened both self and others and had perfect enlightened conduct, He came to this world to teach according to sentient beings’ capabilities. This is His skillful wisdom.

Thus, the Buddha taught skillful means for a lifetime. The Buddha came to this world to simply and directly reveal the mind, so we can understand our true nature. He wanted all of us to know that if we are sincere, we can have wisdom equal to the Buddha’s. Thus, we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. Yet, sentient beings have been grasped firmly by false illusions, so our minds constantly waver. They are ever-changing and unstable. Though we formed aspirations, after some time has passed, we become lax and fall again. This is why we ordinary beings do not quickly become awakened.

Now that we know the Buddha’s wisdom, we must understand “True Dharma and True Wisdom.” His True Dharma and True Wisdom are used to teach us sentient beings that not only are these truths intrinsic in all Buddhas, they are intrinsic in all of us.

The Dharma is truly profound and vast. I hope everyone will harmonize their minds with their nature. Then naturally we will gradually realize how the Buddha exercises both compassion and wisdom. Everyone, please always be mindful.