TLS Chapter 2 – Page 9 – Dharma As Water

Ch02-ep0376

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Episode 376 – Have Faith in True Teachings

>> First the provisional was revealed, then the true. He gave skillful teachings that were particularly suited to the Five Turbidities. [The Buddha’s] honest words are not false. We must believe in and not doubt these true teachings.

>> “When Buddha-children have walked the path in a future lifetime they will become Buddhas. I who possess the power of skillful means teach the Dharma of the Three Vehicles.”

>> All the World-Honored Ones teach the One Vehicle Dharma. Now all those assembled here should resolve all their questions. The teachings of all Buddhas are the same; there is only One Vehicle, not two.

First the provisional was revealed, then the true.
He gave skillful teachings
that were particularly suited to the Five Turbidities.
[The Buddha’s] honest words are not false.
We must believe in and not doubt these true teachings.

We must be grateful. The Buddha patiently and gradually guided sentient beings and taught them according to their capabilities. So, “First the provisional was revealed, then the true” until their capabilities were pretty much mature and He could not wait any longer. Then the Buddha began to “reveal the true” by teaching the Dharma of the One Reality. The Two and Three Vehicles taught in the past are provisional teachings. Now, there is only ultimate reality, the truths of the one reality. For over 40 years, the Buddha “gave skillful teachings.” What He taught over those 40-plus years was what sentient beings needed. He gave teachings based on their capabilities that

“were particularly suited to the Five Turbidities.” This is because over 2000 years ago, the Buddha began to use “skillful means” to teach sentient beings, all so that He could explain suffering to them. Suffering can take countless, innumerable forms. It was not only 2000 years ago that sentient beings suffered. Suffering unceasingly accumulates so [over time], the world experiences even more suffering.

This evil world of the Five Turbidities grows worse and worse. Human morals and ethics are increasingly stretched thin. This is the era of Dharma-degeneration. [The Dharma] is gradually disappearing and human morality is gradually weakening. So, starting more than 2000 years ago, the Buddha gave these teachings and reminded us to acknowledge what will happen in the future. “At this time, you must promptly self-reflect. At this time, you must make preparations for the future by heightening your vigilance.” He hoped we could all form aspirations; this is why He gave teachings.

Just as teachings take us from elementary school, to intermediate school, to university, He hoped we can all eventually become a teaching assistant or a professor in the future. At that time, He hoped everyone could accept the Dharma to prepare for the world in the future when they would give teachings. This is why, at that moment, the Buddha began to teach the Bodhisattva Way. He set aside the Small Vehicle Dharma and began to help people become Bodhisattvas.

Bodhisattvas aspire and vow to engage in spiritual practice, not just for one lifetime, but for countless lifetimes. They practice until they can appear in the evil world of Five Turbidities to save suffering sentient beings. This was what the Buddha hoped for. So, more than 2000 years ago, He began to teach with great care. We already know that this era is truly different [from the past]. What people think about their families and society has already changed a lot. Therefore, we need to believe in the Buddha. “[The Buddha’s] honest words are not false.” He speaks honestly and sincerely.

He wants to teach sentient beings the wondrous Dharma in His mind. He hopes He can teach this wondrous Dharma in time. But the karmic conditions were not yet ripe. We must know that. He often spoke of “conditioned phenomena,” which is inseparable from “unconditioned Dharma.” What we call “the Dharma” is the principles. However, since sentient beings are attached to appearances, [the Buddha] had to give [examples] using external appearances and conditioned phenomena. This was the way. He gave teachings that were suitable for their needs. Actually, since we are discussing “the Dharma,” or “the principles,” we are talking about “unconditioned Dharma.” These are the true principles.

So, the provisional teachings of the past still contained true teachings. The provisional and the true were taught simultaneously. But at the very end, the Buddha seized the opportunity to tell everyone they must promptly return to their pure intrinsic nature. We must no longer be influenced by “conditioned phenomena” and greedily cling to them. So, the Buddha had to “set aside the skillful for direct means.” The “conditioned phenomena” of the past, fame, fortune and all kinds of conditioned things, are what the Buddha hoped we can set aside to return to true principles. Only then can we truly move forward wholeheartedly.

I hope all of you now understand that all things result from the convergence of causes and conditions. This is a principle that is true and not false or illusory. So, “we must believe in” and “not doubt these true teachings.” We must believe in the Buddha’s teachings and not have any doubts about them. To achieve this, we must be mindful.

In the previous passage in the sutra, the Buddha said,

“When Buddha-children have walked the path in a future lifetime they will become Buddhas. I who possess the power of skillful means teach the Dharma of the Three Vehicles.”

Anyone who follows the Buddha to become a monastic and engages in spiritual practice according to [the Dharma] is walking the path and drawing near the Buddha. People who accept His teachings and abide by His precepts are all called “Buddha-children.”

Bodhisattvas, in particular, are truly Buddha-children. Because Bodhisattvas have deep faith and no doubts, they put [the Dharma] into practice and help Buddha-seeds flourish so that the Buddha-Dharma will thrive. They bring the Dharma among the people so everyone can accept it. They present these teachings to the world so everyone who sees or hears it can benefit. They can see the magnificence of the Dharma. Hearing it can teach sentient beings to enter this path [to living properly]. They are true Buddha-children. In this way, true Buddha-children follow the Dharma so “in a future lifetime they will become Buddhas.” They will certainly become Buddhas in the future.

This is as the Buddha said, “I who possess the power of skillful means.” These true Buddha-children are those He has been teaching, with care, with the Dharma and with love, for lifetime after lifetime. So, for many lifetimes in this world, the Buddha has unceasingly taught skillful means so we can renounce evil and give rise to goodness. His karmic connections [with them] are formed unconsciously through these successive lifetimes.

He used various methods until He manifested in this world [as Sakyamuni]. Upon attaining Buddhahood, He then “taught the Dharma of the Three Vehicles.” These were teachings for Hearers, Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas. Now, at this time, He wanted to consolidate the teachings for Hearers and Solitary Realizers into the One Vehicle, which is the true Bodhisattva Way of transforming oneself and others, awakening oneself and others and cultivating perfect awakened conduct. This was how the Buddha “taught the Dharma of the Three Vehicles.”

“All the World-Honored Ones,” the next passage in the sutra states, “All the World-Honored Ones teach the One Vehicle Dharma.”

All the World-Honored Ones teach the One Vehicle Dharma. Now all those assembled here should resolve all their questions. The teachings of all Buddhas are the same; there is only One Vehicle, not two.

“All the World-Honored Ones” refers to the. Buddhas who have appeared in this world for countless numbers of past kalpas. They “all taught the One Vehicle Dharma.” This was everything that they taught. The One Vehicle Dharma is the true principles. As we previously learned, “All Buddhas share the same path.” In this world, They all use analogies, expressions and causes and conditions. The ways They teach the Dharma are the same. In the end, They still must return to the One Vehicle Dharma.

Next, we will discuss, “Now all those assembled here should resolve all their questions.” Teaching the Great Vehicle Dharma is all about resolving everyone’s questions. “The teachings of all Buddhas are the same; there is only One Vehicle, not two.” After all this, we ordinary people need to continuously eliminate our doubts. Though we learn the Dharma, we still have questions about birth, aging, illness and death and so on.

Most of the people who listen to the Dharma go through this process. “In the past, I was not willing. I did not know why I.” ․”had to give so much in this lifetime.” They did not know why. After listening to the Dharma teaching that things we did in the past led to our present life where in our relationships we are filled with mutual indebtedness, resentment, hate and enmity. They say, “I see! Now I know. I have opened up my mind.” But as for their future, who knows what it will be like. After this life passes, what will their next life be like? They still have many questions [like this].

So, we need to listen to more [teachings]. Regardless of what our futures will be like, we need to learn more. There is an old saying, “well-read from a previous life.” Take the three- or four-year-old child. I mentioned yesterday as an example. A child of only four had such sincere compassion. She knew Malaysia is very far away from America. Her teacher told her that the disaster victims were in a sad state. Does a four-year-old know what that means? Yes, she does, but she knows more than that.

For adults like us, we just say, “Yes, we know [this is happening], but they are really far away from us.” But this small child did not make distinctions based on distance. She did not think, “This is happening far away.” She just heard her teacher say, “They have no food to eat and no shelter. In this cold weather, they have no [warm] clothes; this is very sad.” She simply felt empathy for them, deep in her heart. How could a four-year-old child really know what things are like there? As she sang the song, “Prayer,” her tears kept falling.

Over these past two days, I have been thinking. She is so young and innocent, but, with a little information, she realized many things. She understood the sadness of people who lived so far away. If, right now, I tell all of you about how sad things are there, how much they suffer, I cannot fully explain it in a way that you can take it to heart and experience that suffering. But at her school, after her teacher briefly explained what happened, her compassion was easily evoked. Don’t you think, in a previous life, she already cultivated this sense of compassion?

Another child said, “I want to sing loudly for the disaster victims in America, so they can all hear me praying for them.” See, isn’t this wisdom? We can witness how these two children are exercising compassion and wisdom. Can you imagine how, at just four, five years old, they have such faith that they are free of doubts? We must believe in the Buddha’s principles and not allow [our faith] to constantly waver, believing sometimes and constantly doubting at other times. We understand the past, so we must have faith in the future,

As I just told everyone, perhaps in our past lives, we were present during the Buddha’s lifetime. However, our spiritual aspirations were not firm, so we still transmigrate within the Six Realms. Right now, we are very fortunate that we can review these teachings to [apply them] in the future. The more we review, the clearer our understanding will be. We can learn terms very quickly, but we must really take them to heart for them to stay with us.

If we casually do something unwholesome, have an unwholesome thought or do an unwholesome deed, then those seeds will enter [our minds]. If we have wholesome thoughts and do good deeds, these good seeds will also enter [our minds]. So, these young children had probably given rise to good thoughts and done good deeds. If they have already done this, they are familiar with doing it among people. So, as soon as they hear about disasters and victims of disaster, they have an impression of their tremendous suffering, Thus, that sense of compassion arises in them.

There is a saying, “After we die, we cannot take anything with us except for karma.” These karmic forces follow us. So, we must mindfully review [the teachings] now and hope that in the past, we have already heard the Dharma and practiced the Great Vehicle. Even if we did not do this continuously, we have still sown the seeds and created this karmic condition. We must further understand that, in this era, we live in an evil world of Five Turbidities. This is very obvious. The weather, and the four elements, are not in balance. As for people’s minds, they are not in harmony. If neither minds nor the weather are in harmony, there will be many disasters in the world.

Thus, we must now understand the Buddha’s mindfulness in [teaching] in this evil world of the Five Turbidities. For countless eons, what He taught was “suitable for the Five Turbidities,” using skillful means to patiently guiding people. He wants us to recognize that life is filled with suffering, so we must constantly heighten our vigilance. We must not indulge ourselves and ceaselessly create more karma. This is why we must believe in the Buddha’s teachings.

“The teachings of all Buddhas are the same.” As for Sakyamuni Buddha and all Buddhas of the past and in the future, these past, present and future Buddhas all appeared in the world and gave the same teachings. We must “resolve our questions.” We should no longer have doubts. All of our afflictions arise from delusions of views and thinking, dust-like delusions and delusions of ignorance. These three kinds of fundamental afflictions give rise to doubts and questions that prevent us from accepting the proper teachings. Thus, we must be very mindful.

“The teachings of all Buddhas are the same.” It is not just Sakyamuni Buddha or past Buddhas. Perhaps, all around us, there are many Buddhas from the past. All Buddhas come to the world out of compassion; they steer the ship of compassion back here. We must, at all times, accept good teachings with gratitude. “In a group of three, I will find my teacher.” When others show us the wrong way of behaving, we must be grateful to them for reminding us not to walk that path. When others show us the proper course, we must be grateful to them and follow the right path without deviation. We must seize the moment and immediately engage in diligent practice.

This must be done through interacting with people. The Buddha has told us that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. Moreover, Buddhist sutras constantly talks about “returning on the ship of compassion.” Guan Yin Bodhisattva returns out of compassion. Maitreya Buddha returns out of compassion. Manjusri Bodhisattva returns out of compassion. Earth Treasury Bodhisattva and many others also return out of compassion. All past Buddhas and Bodhisattvas repeatedly come to this world to teach by example.

We cannot say, “This person looks dumb.” Actually, those with great wisdom may appear foolish. Each person has his or her own causes, conditions and affinities with sentient beings. How can we help sentient beings be more aware? How can we teach and guide sentient beings? Toward everyone around us, we must feel a sense of gratitude and respect. So, if we can see how “the teachings of all Buddhas are the same” and “there is only One Vehicle, not two,” we will be grateful to every person.

Think about how Sakyamuni Buddha lived more than 2000 years ago. Although He said there were. Buddhas throughout countless past eons, that past is actually neither long nor short. All Buddhas are past, present and future Buddhas. As I often tell all of you, the moment I walked in just now is the past.

As I am talking, this is the present. But actually, the words I have just spoken are now in the past. If we want to know how to explain time, we should not overthink it. The past is a moment, the present is a moment and the future is moment. Past, present and future are unceasing. Time continuously changes. The past is actually a very short period of time. We always think of the past as very long, but actually, the past is very short. We should seize the present and be mindful of this moment. This is most important.

So, I hope we can all realize “first the provisional, then the true.” The provisional teachings that come first help us understand the workings of the Buddha-Dharma. We must practice diligently. To engage in spiritual practice not for ourselves, but for the sake of all sentient beings. This is the appearance and vehicle of one reality. It is also the wondrous Dharma of one reality. This is our most important goal in learning the Buddha’s teachings. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0375

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Wisdom at Dawn

Chapter 2

Episode 375 – Advance in Virtue to Attain Buddhahood

>> “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in nature].” We must “diligently cultivate precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.” The Bodhisattva practice is to walk the Bodhi-path. So, we exercise both compassion and wisdom to attain Buddhahood.

>> “Although I speak of Nirvana, it is not [ultimate] extinction. All phenomena, from the very beginning, have borne the marks of perfect extinction.”

>> “When Buddha-children have walked the path in a future lifetime they will become Buddhas. I who possess the power of skillful means teach the Dharma of the Three Vehicles.”

>> Buddha-children have walked the path: Sentient beings who accept the Buddha’s precepts are called Buddha-children. They walk the Path and advance in virtue in order to attain Buddhahood, therefore they are Buddha-children.

>> Buddha-children have walked the path: Buddha-children is also a common epithet of Bodhisattvas. Because they follow the Buddha’s noble teachings, they give rise to the noble path. They help Buddha-seeds flourish and continue so [the path] never ends.

>> In a future lifetime they will become Buddhas: Lifetimes of spiritual practice ultimately lead to the attainment of Buddhahood. The Bodhisattva-practice ultimately leads to the elimination of delusions. With a true mind, we attain the path to perfect enlightenment.

>> I who possess the power of skillful means: People in the world, in their present life, draw near to wholesome and virtuous friends. By listening to skillful teachings, they give rise to Bodhicitta. This is the power of skillful means.

>> So, He still “teaches the Dharma of the Three Vehicles,” the teachings for Hearers, Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas. Practicing these various methods can “transport us out of samsara in the Three Realms to the ultimate reality of Nirvana.” So, these are the Three Vehicles,

“The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in nature].”
We must “diligently cultivate precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.”
The Bodhisattva practice is to walk the Bodhi-path. So, we exercise both compassion and wisdom to attain Buddhahood.

Everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, we must always take good care of our minds. How long will the Buddha abide in our minds? Furthermore, can we view sentient beings with a Buddha-mind? Every single day, we meet other people and interact with the planet. As we come in contact with nature and people, do we bring out our respect for them? Every day, we see many Buddhas because everyone we see is a Buddha, because all of us intrinsically have Buddha-nature. Is this the mindset we have as we interact with people every day? If so, we have remembered that “the mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in nature]”, and because of this, naturally we will always have gratitude, respect and love in our minds. We are replete with these “three minds.”

When we have the Buddha-mind, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom will always abide in our minds. When we exercise both compassion and wisdom, have the “three minds” and [practice] the Three Flawless Studies, we will automatically advance on the Bodhi-path, one step at a time. Won’t we then attain Buddhahood?

Indeed, we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. Recently (2012), each day has brought us news. Recently, each day has brought us news from the East Coast of the United States, from the city and state of New York and the other disaster areas. Tzu Chi volunteers all around the world have steadily been mobilizing to raise funds for [hurricane] disaster relief. Our [volunteers] in Malaysia have also responded to our fundraising campaign. They all came together with love to help the disaster victims in the US. Their actions are very touching and adorable, and also prove that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature.

In kindergarten classes, we saw these innocent little children. We thought that in talking with them, the best thing was just to coax them into action. However, they clearly [know what is happening]. In our kindergarten classes, we began to show videos of the disaster area to these children. The teacher then told the children, “Master is calling on people to help. She feels deeply for them because the weather is very cold and many people have been affected by the disaster. Many children also lack clothing and shelter.” Their words evoked empathy in the children. Then the teachers told their students, “Let us sincerely pray that those children can soon have a house to live in” and so on. After the teachers said this to the children, they began to sincerely sing the song “Prayer.”

I saw a four-year-old child who belted out the words to the song and kept crying as she sang. The teacher asked her, “Qin-en, why are you crying?” The little girl, Qin-en, replied, “Teacher, I saw that these children in America were very cold. They don’t have clothes to wear, they have lost their [homes] and they don’t have anything to eat, so they are very miserable. That’s why I’m crying.” She is only four years old. Doesn’t this prove we intrinsically have Buddha-nature? Even a four-year-old child, felt sympathy for them, so she cried.

There was another child, who was five, named Zhi-xuan. As “Prayer” played, she sang along very loudly and her voice overpowered many others. In the entire class, her voice was the loudest. She sang with all her might. The teacher asked her, “Why did you sing so loudly?” She said, “I want to sing very loudly so my voice can reach America. Then those who are suffering can hear my voice praying for them and wishing them blessings.” Look at the sincerity of this five-year-old child. Doesn’t this show that “the mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in nature]”? A five-year-old child can demonstrate this.

Further, at the Philippines’ medical clinics, our CEO in the Philippines told everyone at the free clinic about the hurricane disaster in the US. He told them that a few years ago, after Typhoon Ketsana hit the Philippines, help came to the Philippines from [volunteers in] 40 to 50 countries. Volunteers in the US were among those who raised funds to help them. So in the Philippines, even those who were poor or ill also prayed [for the US] with utmost sincerity and happily donated money to them.

One woman donated all the money she had [with her], a little over 10 dollars. She said, “Although I don’t have much money, I am very grateful that when I suffered from a disaster, so many people around the world helped me. Though the money I donate is very little, it is from my heart.” This is very meaningful. This was the heartfelt wish of a poor person.

We have seen similar things in many places, even in far-off Ireland, where there are two newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. They are a couple, Chi Qin and Tzu Heng. When they heard me calling for donations, they promptly applied to the Irish government for [permission] to go out and fundraise. Before the application was approved, as they could not wait any longer, they solicited from their friends and families. They even traveled to New York to join the disaster relief efforts.

Where they live, there are no Tzu Chi volunteers, just these two newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. Every step was hard, but their resolve was firm. They still wanted to raise funds and join the disaster relief work. This was very touching. Think about this, don’t they have a Buddha-mind? Our minds, the Buddha’s mind and the minds of all sentient beings are equal. As long as we diligently practice and advance in precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, we will be able to return to our Buddha-mind.

With love, there is no distance between our hearts so we will seize the opportunity to help. Children understand what is happening and the elderly are even more able to [empathize] with the suffering in the world. Wealthy people will feel love and have empathy. Poor people, though they live in poverty, will still help others. When they work to benefit others, it is particularly meaningful. All kinds of people intrinsically have Buddha-nature. This is something we must mindfully contemplate.

The Buddha mentioned previously that.

“Although I speak of Nirvana, it is not [ultimate] extinction. All phenomena, from the very beginning, have borne the marks of perfect extinction.”

When we talk about “Nirvana,” we do not mean the last day of a person’s life. We are talking about how, every day, we must eliminate all kinds of afflictions and strengthen our spiritual aspirations. By eliminating our afflictions, we are transforming ourselves and thus entering the Bodhi-path. If we eliminate afflictions, Bodhi will arise.

Because we are still unenlightened beings, the moment when we can transcend fragmentary samsara or transformational samsara is still very far away. But every day, we can eliminate the thoughts that bring about fragmentary and transformational samsara and eliminate all kinds of afflictions. This is something we can do in our daily living because “all phenomena, from the very beginning,” were this pure and undefiled. All of us bear “the marks of perfect extinction” and intrinsically have Buddha-nature. We all inherently have a pure Tathagata-nature.

So, the following verses state,

“When Buddha-children have walked the path in a future lifetime they will become Buddhas. I who possess the power of skillful means teach the Dharma of the Three Vehicles.”

As long as, in every moment of every day, we can realize the Buddha’s teachings, though [our body] is a conditioned phenomenon and goes through birth, aging, illness and death, the unconditioned Dharma in our mind will be everlasting. However, this everlasting state of mind has been defiled again and again, so now we must return [to the right path]. We must return to this course. Thus, as Buddhist practitioners, we are considered Buddha-children. By practicing the path and walking this road, we can enter the Bodhi-path. Our every step must take us from the road of ordinary people to the Bodhi-path of noble beings. Those of us who are engaged in spiritual practice are “Buddha-children who have walked the path.” Additionally, this Bodhi-path is very long, so we must walk steadily every step of the way.

Thus the Buddha said, “in a future lifetime they will become Buddhas.” This is what the Buddha said. We must believe the teachings He has given, since He has verified for us that if we follow this path, we can become Buddhas in a future lifetime. If we walk without deviating from this Bodhi-path, ultimately we will become Buddhas, enlightened ones.

“I who possess the power of skillful means teach the Dharma of the Three Vehicles.” For a long time, sentient beings’ minds have been covered by layers of defilements. We have had these habitual tendencies for a very long time. To give us time to learn the Buddha’s teachings, He repeatedly comes back to this world to guide us and show us the way. To do this, He uses all kinds of methods.

We know about the “power of skillful means,” how He teaches according to capabilities. To do this, He “teaches the Dharma of the Three Vehicles.” So, “Buddha-children have walked the path.” This is the route we must take.

Buddha-children have walked the path: Sentient beings who accept the Buddha’s precepts are called Buddha-children. They walk the Path and advance in virtue in order to attain Buddhahood, therefore they are Buddha-children.

“[Those] who accept the Buddha’s precepts” are called “Buddha-children.” If we do not accept the Buddha’s teachings, if we do not accept the rules He gave us, we do not know how to refrain from all evil or how to do only good deeds. What is “evil”? Does it come from the actions of our bodies, the words of our mouths, or the thoughts that arise in our minds? The Buddha analyzes for us how all bad karma arises from a single thought. In the thoughts we think, the words we speak or the actions we take, one stray thought may lead to all kinds of improper behavior. Those [actions] are considered “evil.”

Since we now know about such things, we can take precautions. We call that upholding precepts. We begin by walking the Bodhisattva-path. We awaken ourselves and others and cultivate awakened conduct; with this conduct, we go among people to “walk the path and grow in virtue.” As long as we continue on this road, we will advance [in our practice]. This is how we “walk the path and grow in virtue.” If we do not put [teachings] into practice, our virtues will not grow. So, we engage in practice to accumulate virtue, the virtues of blessings and wisdom.

As for internal cultivation and external practice, if we cultivate our minds, we must put [the teachings] into practice. We must actualize the teachings in order to become Buddhas. This is why we are called “Buddha-children.” Thus “Buddha-children have walked the path.”

Bodhisattvas are also commonly referred to as “Buddha-children.”

Buddha-children have walked the path: Buddha-children is also a common epithet of Bodhisattvas. Because they follow the Buddha’s noble teachings, they give rise to the noble path. They help Buddha-seeds flourish and continue so [the path] never ends.

Their wisdom-life comes from the Buddha-Dharma. “I know what I did in the past is wrong, I will immediately change and [engage in spiritual] practice in the future.” This Buddha-Dharma comes from the Buddha’s mouth. We have received these teachings, so we can develop our wisdom-life and be considered “Buddha-children.” To develop our wisdom-life, we must “follow the Buddha’s noble teachings.” This gives rise to the noble path, which is the Bodhi-path.

We must also “help Buddha-seeds flourish and continue.” We also “seek the path to Buddhahood and transform sentient beings.” This is what Bodhisattvas do. After listening to the teachings, we accept and apply them in our lives. Once we accept and apply them, we teach others. This is also what “Buddha-children” do. We “help Buddha-seeds flourish and continue.” Helping the Buddha-Dharma flourish is everyone’s responsibility.

Only the Buddha-Dharma can save the world. The Dharma that can save the world is found within all of us. We are already here engaging in spiritual practice. Our conduct as spiritual practitioners can create an air of spiritual cultivation. This allows the Buddha-Dharma to thrive and “helps Buddha-seeds flourish and continue.” Then we can unceasingly transform others so the Dharma will forever remain in this world.

Then, “In a future lifetime [we] will become Buddhas.” If we can [practice] in this way, we will become Buddhas in a future lifetime.

In a future lifetime they will become Buddhas: Lifetimes of spiritual practice ultimately lead to the attainment of Buddhahood. The Bodhisattva-practice ultimately leads to the elimination of delusions. With a true mind, we attain the path to perfect enlightenment.

To become a Buddha in a future lifetime, we need lifetimes of spiritual practice. This cannot be accomplished in one lifetime; we need many lifetimes, life after life. We often hear Tzu Chi volunteers vowing to remain on the Bodhi-path, life after life. Indeed, we must do this life after life and engage in “lifetimes of spiritual practice.”

Then we can “ultimately attain Buddhahood.” We have continued to practice from the past to the present, and we will continue to do so. Then in the future, as we continue to [practice], we will ultimately attain Buddhahood. “In a future lifetime [we] will become Buddhas.” No matter how many future lifetimes it will take, we must persist on the Bodhi-path.

“The Bodhisattva-practice ultimately leads to the elimination of delusions.” When we engage in spiritual practice, it is most important to “eliminate delusions.” In our daily living, we have much ignorance and many afflictions. Delusions of views and thinking, dust-like delusions and delusions of ignorance are the three kinds of delusions that completely cover [our minds].

So, when we engage in spiritual practice, we must go among people. This is how “infinite Dharma-doors readily appear before us.” We have to interact with people in order for our delusions of views and thinking, dust-like delusions and delusions of ignorance to be broken down through our interactions. It is only among people that we realize the afflictions of sentient beings are as numerous as dust and sand. Since we have formed aspirations, we must persist in eliminating all kinds of ignorance. This is “the elimination of delusions.” We must not give rise to more delusions or let our thoughts get away from us. We must seize the present moment. To maintain “a true mind,” we must eliminate delusions. Our every thought must be “true.” Only with True Dharma can we attain perfect enlightenment.

Next, “I who possess the power of skillful means.” We sentient beings have many afflictions, delusions of views and thinking, dust-like delusions and delusions of ignorance. How can they all be eliminated? The Buddha has to use the power of all kinds of skillful means to teach us.

I who possess the power of skillful means: People in the world, in their present life, draw near to wholesome and virtuous friends. By listening to skillful teachings, they give rise to Bodhicitta. This is the power of skillful means.

The Buddha’s skillful means are present among us in our wholesome and virtuous friends. So, “by listening to skillful teachings, they give rise to Bodhicitta.” When we listen to what our wholesome and virtuous friends tell us, even if it is just a casually-spoken sentence, we can absorb it with our true mind, with our resolve to engage in spiritual practice. This is another way we learn. If this is our mindset, every time we deal with a matter, it is an opportunity to give rise to the Bodhi-mind.

So, He still “teaches the Dharma of the Three Vehicles,” the teachings for Hearers, Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas. Practicing these various methods can “transport us out of samsara in the Three Realms to the ultimate reality of Nirvana.” So, these are the Three Vehicles,

which are the teachings for Hearers, Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas. There are these Three Vehicles, but actually, the most important thing for the Buddha is for us to practice the Bodhisattva-path. So everyone, the Bodhisattva-path must be walked among people. We must awaken ourselves and others and have perfect awakened conduct. We must believe that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature; even young children can demonstrate this, so what about us? Everyone, we must always be mindful.

Ch02-ep0374

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Wisdom at Dawn

Chapter 2

Episode 374 – The Extinction of Afflictions Purifies the Mind

>> In a tranquil and clear state, the mind is pure and radiant. There is no arising and ceasing, no thoughts of gain and loss.

>> “Although I speak of Nirvana, it is not [ultimate] extinction. All phenomena, from the very beginning, have borne the marks of perfect tranquility.”

>> Although I speak of Nirvana: [Nirvana means] crossing into cessation. It means that all sentient beings must renounce the suffering of samsara. Then they [can] cultivate purifying practices, eliminate all afflictions and realize great Nirvana.

>> It is not [ultimate] extinction. Extinction is Nirvana. It is the extinction of the Three Delusions, those of views and thinking, dust-like delusions and delusion of ignorance. Crossing is to transcend the two kinds of samsara, fragmentary and transformational.

>> Our intrinsic nature is true and everlasting. Its essence is a state of perfect tranquility, therefore it is [ultimate] tranquility. Though the Dharma is intrinsically tranquil, if we do not cultivate the path, we cannot resonate with it.

In a tranquil and clear state,
the mind is pure and radiant.
There is no arising and ceasing,
no thoughts of gain and loss.

A tranquil and clear mind is something we originally had. Actually, our minds were pure and bright, like a clean piece of land, but over time, we have attracted many afflictions that pollute our minds. Interpersonal conflicts and [negative] attitudes create negative conditions that we then bring into our minds. Thus, our goal of having “tranquil and clear minds, with vows as vast as the universe,” are often swayed by our external conditions.

To “remain unwavering” is not an easy thing to do at all. We may read, recite and memorize sutras and become very familiar with them. We may even write articles or long dissertations on them. With beautiful and artistic phrases, we can write one wonderful essay after another. But whether we are chanting sutras, writing essays or so on, becoming familiar with them, we are unable to fully “uphold our vows and follow the path.” We cannot control our minds; our thoughts are often wild and unruly. We invite many afflictions into our minds from our surroundings. So, this is what we mean when we say that spiritual practice is not easy.

If our minds are pure and bright, if our minds are clear, we should not invite discursive thoughts in from our external conditions, which would sway our minds. If we avoid doing this, then we are truly living out the words, “In a tranquil and clear state, the mind is pure and radiant.”

After having “tranquil and clear” minds we must not forget to have “vows as vast as the universe.” What comes after “vows as vast as the universe? Remain unwavering.” When our minds give rise to the slightest thought, when our resolve begins to waver, we must quickly become “tranquil and clear, with vows as vast as the universe. We remain unwavering.” What comes next? “For countless eons.” This verse of four phrases is the central [teaching] in the Jing Si Dharma-lineage.

Remember this; my hope is that all of us can maintain the purity and clarity of our minds where “there is no arising and ceasing.” Indeed, if we have a pure mind, nothing is really arising and ceasing in it. Our pure intrinsic Tathagata-nature is already tranquil and still. If it is tranquil and still, how can there be any arising and ceasing? How can there be so many discursive thoughts, thoughts that arise and cease and bring about afflictions, causing our minds to be unable to settle down? These are all illusory afflictions.

Where do they come from? From thoughts of gains and losses. These thoughts of gains and losses arise when we are afraid of getting or of losing things. If we have delusions, and think about gains and losses, we can never settle our minds. So, we must reach a state where we understand if “there is no arising or ceasing,” then there are “no thoughts of gains or losses.”

Thinking back, to have “no thoughts of gains or losses” and to settle our minds, there must be no arising or ceasing. Only when we eliminate arising and ceasing can we return to a pure and radiant state of mind. What are the qualities of a pure and radiant mind? It is “tranquil and clear.” To return to our [intrinsic nature],

we must apply this method. Do you all understand? Actually, to truly understand how to engage in spiritual practice is a bit difficult. Even during the Buddha’s lifetime, those closest to Him, the royals who followed Him to become monastics, also gave rise to ignorant thoughts.

The Buddha’s cousin, the son of His paternal aunt, was named Tissa. He also followed the Buddha and became monastic, but had not eliminated his habitual tendencies. He thought, “I come from a royal family. I am the son of the Buddha’s aunt. I should have a higher status in the Sangha. So, in all matters, you should show respect to me.” He was very egotistical and arrogant.

At times, even when he conversed with the elders in the Sangha, he would not defer to them. If they began to speak, he had to speak first and forced them to listen to him for a long time. This created afflictions in the Sangha. If an elder wanted to correct him, he would lose his temper and get angry. Then he would reply, “I am the Buddha’s cousin, the son of His paternal aunt.” He continued to flaunt his status. Eventually, the Sangha could no longer tolerate it and they went to talk to the Buddha.

So, the Buddha said, “Bring Tissa here.” The Buddha then said, “Since you are following me, you must get along with people in the Sangha. You must respect all the elders. Only then are you truly a son of my aunt. You need to have good character. We cannot have good character in name only. It must come from deep inner cultivation. If you want people to respect you, you must begin to cultivate a pure mind. You must spend a very long time cultivating virtue without giving rise to anger. You must always give rise to good thoughts. Every one of your thoughts must be good. You must respect others and constantly tame your anger.”

“With anger, delusion, arrogance and so on, you will lose all of your good thoughts. So, Tissa, you must put an end to your anger and arrogance. You must also diligently train yourself by cultivating goodness and purifying practices. You must work on your practice and nurture these thoughts. When you meet people, be agreeable. You must be broadminded and kind in dealing with people and matters.” This begins with cultivating purifying practices,

which are also called Brahma-conduct. To be pure, our minds must be free of defilements and our behavior must be good and agreeable. So, we need purifying practices.

At times, we may think that engaging in spiritual practice is very difficult. Even if we spend a long time around the Buddha, [it is not easy] to tame our minds so that we will not be influenced by the desire for fame, thoughts of gain and loss evoked by our conditions. To truly tame this kind of mind is not easy.

Once we engage in spiritual practice, why can’t each of us control our afflictions? If we “sustain our initial aspiration”, won’t we “certainly attain Buddhahood”? In a “tranquil and clear” state, “the mind is pure and radiant.” Our minds were originally very pure and radiant, with no arising or ceasing. So why would we take issue over anything? There is nothing to gain or lose.

If we can always cultivate self-control, behave according to the rules and etiquette, and live a lifestyle [fitting for] the Sangha, then won’t our inner spiritual training ground always be harmonious and pure? So, engaging in spiritual practice sounds easy, but it may actually be very hard. It all depends on our minds.

The previous passage said, “Nor do they hear Right Dharma.” These were people with arrogance, ignorance, afflictions and so on. Even though they encountered Right Dharma, were part of the Sangha and were alive during the Buddha’s lifetime, the Dharma had not penetrated their hearts. If they took the Dharma to heart, naturally they could transform themselves. The Buddha helps us transform ourselves; then our minds can be very disciplined.

So the Buddha said,

“Although I speak of Nirvana, it is not [ultimate] extinction. All phenomena, from the very beginning, have borne the marks of perfect tranquility.”

Haven’t we discussed how our external conditions and internal state of mind were originally pure, were originally perfectly tranquil? [The mind] was originally non-arising and non-ceasing. But we sentient beings gave rise to thoughts that created conditions in our surroundings that further led to complicated [relationships] between people. So, originally, there was nothing but we ordinary people trouble ourselves. [From the beginning, all phenomena,] “have borne the marks of perfect tranquility.”

The Buddha said, “Although I speak of Nirvana.” Nirvana is a Sanskrit word that means crossing into cessation. That [comes] when sentient beings’ minds “renounce the suffering of samsara.”

Although I speak of Nirvana: [Nirvana means] crossing into cessation. It means that all sentient beings must renounce the suffering of samsara. Then they [can] cultivate purifying practices, eliminate all afflictions and realize great Nirvana.

If we know that samsara is suffering, we must learn about cyclic existence in the Six Realms. We ordinary people cannot control our cyclic existence in the Six Realms. We learn about samsara in the Six Realms by engaging in spiritual practice. So, we must “renounce” [samsara]. To renounce and no longer be enamored by samsara, we must engage in spiritual practice and cultivate purifying practices.

We hope that we can clearly [recognize] the causes and conditions that we have created. We must quickly put an end to our past causes and conditions; we must quickly resolve them. Then starting in this life, we must create good causes and conditions. So, to [cross into] “cessation”, we must deliver ourselves across and extinguish our afflictions. Therefore, we must cultivate purifying practices. We must always maintain the purity of our minds. As for interpersonal conflicts, we must always be vigilant and clearly discern right from wrong. When other people try to cause us afflictions, we must not accept them. At this moment in our lives, we must “eliminate all afflictions.”

If we can clearly understand this, we can hold on to a mind of purity and goodness. This is how purifying practices lead us to “remain unwavering.” We must “maintain our initial aspiration.” We want to engage in spiritual practice, and want to be firm, so we do not fear hard work, nor fear being challenged by others. This aspiration is very pure. Also, if our minds are expansive, we will not allow external afflictions to [obstruct] our minds. If we can do this, our spiritual practice can help us cross into cessation, help us extinguish all kinds of afflictions and deliver our own minds across.

So, the Buddha said, “Although I speak of Nirvana” because though He had taught about Nirvana, everyone thought that the last day of life was what He called Nirvana. Actually, Nirvana is not this. It is about how, in our daily arising and ceasing, we can purify our minds and find perfect tranquility. To find perfect tranquility, our minds must be tranquil and we must eliminate afflictions. So, this state of “extinction” is Nirvana.

It is not [ultimate] extinction. Extinction is Nirvana. It is the extinction of the Three Delusions, those of views and thinking, dust-like delusions and delusion of ignorance. Crossing is to transcend the two kinds of samsara, fragmentary and transformational.

“Extinction” is extinction of the Three Delusions, those of views and thinking, dust-like delusions and delusion of ignorance. “Delusion” is not understanding the principles. If we do not understand principles, even if we keep memorizing and chanting them, can recite them easily and expound on them, we may still be deluded when it comes to the truth. Ignorance constantly arises in our minds. This is also “delusion.” This is “delusion of views and thinking.” A deeper delusion than that of views and thinking “is dust-like [delusion].” Dust is subtle and tiny. We have so many afflictions;

these many afflictions are caused by ignorance. This is Root Ignorance. So, we must transcend “fragmentary samsara.” I have also analyzed “fragmentary samsara” and “transformational samsara” for you in the past. We are subject to unexhausted karma, and go through “fragmentary samsara” through past lives, this present life and future lives, one fragment after another. “Transformational samsara” refers to changes in our thinking and in our minds. We cannot yet “remain unwavering;” we have not yet reached that state.

So, we must have “vows as vast as the universe” and “remain unwavering for countless eons.” We must attain the Bodhisattva-state of equal enlightenment for this to be possible. This is not unattainable. As long as we let go of our daily afflictions, naturally our minds will be pure.

When we eliminate all kinds of afflictions, we can bring purity to our minds. So for all of us, “our intrinsic nature is true and everlasting.”

Our intrinsic nature is true and everlasting. Its essence is a state of perfect tranquility, therefore it is [ultimate] tranquility. Though the Dharma is intrinsically tranquil, if we do not cultivate the path, we cannot resonate with it.

Our nature was originally true and permanent. Our Tathagata-nature, the nature of True Suchness, is intrinsically pure. “Its essence is a state of perfect tranquility.” What would you say is the essence of our intrinsic nature? It is perfect tranquility or “[ultimate] tranquility.” The meaning of “perfect tranquility” is a complete and true purity, where all afflictions are extinct.

First, we eliminate the various afflictions from interpersonal conflicts. As we begin to engage in spiritual practice, we must first clearly discern right from wrong. We must avoid improper behavior. So, “Its essence is.” So, “a state of perfect tranquility.” The essence of our nature is very genuine and undefiled. It is orderly, perfectly tranquil and pure. This is “[ultimate] tranquility.” We must follow the rules and fulfill our duties; that is a part of our spiritual practice. If we fulfill our duties and follow the rules, it shows that our minds are abiding by the Dharma and the truth.

So, “though the Dharma is intrinsically tranquil, if we do not cultivate the path, we cannot resonate with it.” If we do not earnestly cultivate the path, how can we resonate with its principles? Everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, we must, in our daily living and in our surroundings, maintain control over ourselves. If individuals in a group control themselves, the entire group will [behave] wonderfully. Only then is this a spiritual training ground. Only then is there “tranquility and clarity.” This beautiful spiritual training ground is here [around us] and in our state of mind.

Our state of mind is pure and radiant. The state of everyone’s mind was originally pure, radiant and without arising and ceasing, so there is no need to be constantly afflicted. “This person said that this thing must be done a certain way, but I want to do it my way.” If we are like this, there is no harmony in the group. Then, how can our surroundings be beautiful? The Buddha taught us in the hope that we can train our own minds.

Though the Buddha spoke of Nirvana, He was not speaking of [ultimate] extinction, of the last day of our lives. Instead He spoke of how we must always unceasingly eliminate afflictions. “All phenomena, from the very beginning,” were perfectly tranquil. We must find a way to purify our minds so we can achieve “the marks of perfect tranquility.” We must bring our minds into a state of purity and perfect tranquility by eliminating all afflictions. This is what the Buddha teaches us. We must diligently protect our minds and control all our thoughts. We must remember that we are engaging in spiritual practice. So, everyone, please always be mindful.

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Posted on October 3, 2024October 3, 2024 by Scott Ogata

Wisdom at Dawn

Chapter 2

Episode 373 – Transform Difficult People with Skillful Means

>> The worldly and the conditioned are all skillful means. The world-transcending and unconditioned are subtle and wondrous truths. For awakened sentient beings, the Four Noble Truths lead to the Six Paramitas.

>> Nor do they hear Right Dharma. Such people are difficult to transform.

>> “Therefore, Sariputra, I establish skillful means for them, speak of ways to end suffering, and demonstrate Nirvana.”

>> Such people are difficult to transform: Stubborn people are difficult to teach. Inflexible sentient beings are difficult to help and transform. Because they do not seek liberation, it is hard for them to be helped and transformed.

>> I establish skillful means for them: Such are the kinds of skillful means used to teach sentient beings. They are all [taught] for the purpose of transcending the cycle of suffering and attaining Dharma-joy.

>> I speak of ways to end suffering and demonstrate Nirvana: Here, the Four Noble Truths are explained. Because of the severity of the Five Turbidities, the great Dharma was hard to teach, so [the Buddha] had to use the Four Noble Truths as skillful means to gradually guide people. “Suffering” refers to the truth of suffering and includes the causation of suffering. “Ways” are the path to its cessation. Nirvana is the cessation of suffering.

>> As long as heaven and earth exist, karmic forces will be present. The Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms are an endless cycle of existence. With a pure mind, we must earnestly practice the Six Perfections. By listening to and practicing Right Dharma, we will benefit all sentient beings.

>> They take a tiny form in the womb: From just one thought deviating, karma leads us to take a tiny form in the womb. Like a person who takes drugs we become physically addicted, and cannot mentally free ourselves from it. Thus we take on a tiny form in one of the Four Forms of Birth.

>> Life after life, [their karma] continues to grow: the causes and conditions of rebirth grow and extend continuously. “Growing” is horizontal expansion. “Extending” is vertical extension. This leads to retributions of cyclic existence and being born as one of the Four Kinds of Beings.

>> “Little virtue and few blessings and are pressured by all kinds of suffering.”

>> People with little virtue and few blessings are those who do not often benefit others.

>> For beings in the [hungry] ghost realm, their bodies are like burning mountains while their minds are like boiling woks. For beings in the human realm, their actions do not benefit others, and their minds are often troubled. In the heaven realm, they indulge in pleasure and idleness and cannot encounter Right Dharma. Their lives are long.

>> The sentient beings in the Five Realms are lost and have not awakened. They are pressured by all kinds of suffering. They cannot control their lives and face unbearable suffering.

As long as heaven and earth exist,
karmic forces will be present.
The Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms
are an endless cycle of existence.
With a pure mind,
we must earnestly practice the Six Perfections.
By listening to and practicing Right Dharma,
we will benefit all sentient beings.

To learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must be focused and sincere. As long as heaven and earth exist, karmic forces will be present. The Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms are an endless cycle of existence. We must wholeheartedly and with a pure mind, earnestly practice the Six Perfections. By listening to and practicing Right Dharma, we will benefit all sentient beings.

In addition to that, we often discuss countless kalpas to remind ourselves that time is endless. Exactly how long ago did time begin? We do not know. When exactly did we start to create karma? We started before Beginningless Time, countless kalpas ago, which is an incalculable amount of time. I believe that our minds gave rise to that first thought quite some time ago. All in all, as long as the earth and heaven exist, karmic forces will also be present. The question is simply whether we are creating bad karma or blessed karma.

With the influence of this karma, where will we be heading? [Among] the Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms. We have no control over where we go. Because we are still ordinary people, we continue to cycle endlessly through the Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms. When can we stop this endless cycle so that we can make the choice to come and go freely? This is like all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, [who come] because sentient beings have delusions and ignorance. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas come to this world or choose to go through the Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms solely because they want to help sentient beings. This is how they come and go freely.

So now, we must seize this present thought in each moment and every second. When a good thought arises, we must immediately hold on to it. This is how we seize the present moment. If we can keep holding on to this good thought, we can forever sustain the aspirations and vows we formed. If, when we suddenly give rise to this thought, we hold on to it and persevere; then our minds will be pure. Once we form this aspiration and hold on to it, cravings, desires and affections and so on, will not confuse our minds. Then we can earnestly practice the Six Perfections.

Doing so is the way of Bodhisattvas. We must really seize the opportunity to listen to and learn Right Dharma. After we listen to it, we must work hard to uphold it. We must seize every good thought that arises in every second.

At Tzu Chi, we are recruiting Living Bodhisattvas. Every [Tzu Chi] location in every country is currently a Bodhisattva training ground. With certification at the end of the year, many different countries will send the newly-inspired Bodhisattva[-volunteers] to Taiwan to be certified [as Commissioners]. We can see that in every country, the pre-certification trainings are very intense.

Right now (in 2012), South Africa is doing this. In Lesotho, their training is just as strict as Taiwan’s. Even though they are far away from us, in order to keep Right Dharma in this world and to spread Tzu Chi’s ideals, they must [learn] the Bodhisattva-path properly. So, the stages of their training match the ones in Taiwan. Every step leaves a clear impression.

When I see them, I feel very moved. They do not have the kind of buildings we have. Though they were using canvas tents, their place of practice looked very dignified. They also began by singing the Tzu Chi Foundation Anthem. When [they] sang the anthem [in Chinese], we could hear from the video that they were very much in unison. When we saw them on video, they looked orderly. They even read Tzu Chi’s Ten Precepts, reading them in English.

The certified African Commissioners looked very refined in their cheongsam. They also gave a demonstration of wearing the uniform, how to walk and where to put one’s hands. They showed this very clearly. They also showed how to sit in a chair with both of their feet flat on the ground, not leaning sideways or rocking back. This training was very strict. We can imagine what it will look like for people of a different skin color and body shape to wear a cheongsam and properly follow all of Tzu Chi’s etiquette. We can already picture how wonderful this large group of Bodhisattvas will look.

There are not only rules for sitting or for lying down and resting; they meticulously taught the Four Demeanors, how to walk, stand, sit and sleep. They used both live demonstrations and videos. This was really eye-opening, very touching and incredible.

There was an elderly woman shown whose family has received help from Tzu Chi. In 2007, her family suffered hardship and Tzu Chi helped them. She experienced the sincerity and thoughtfulness of the Tzu Chi volunteers. Their love really touched her heart. She began to work hard and vowed to be someone who could help others. So, she became an apprentice and started training to be a Commissioner.

She brought her two grandchildren with her. To help her focus on the trainings, Tzu Chi volunteers babysat for her. The volunteers from Taiwan held these young children. [This image of] Taiwanese grandmothers holding them [like their own] grandchildren showed that everyone in the world is one family. They did this to fulfill this Bodhisattva’s wish. This was the act of awakened sentient beings. They helped others to succeed in their practice and walk the Bodhisattva-path.

Although this woman was poor and received assistance from us, she aspired to help others as well. She used her body, her physical strength, to help many AIDS patients by cleaning their homes and keeping them company. She even raised ten or fifty cents at a time from her friends and family. Every little bit really adds up to something big. As long as people have the will, there is nothing they cannot achieve. This was in Lesotho.

Today is the last day of this training in South Africa. Volunteers from eight locations gathered there. This year (2012), 74 people completed the training.

When we see the diligence of these Bodhisattvas, we should remind ourselves that there is nothing in the world we cannot do. Even people living in poverty and hardship can find a way. “With a pure mind, earnestly practice the Six Perfections. By listening to and practicing Right Dharma, benefit all sentient beings.” The Tzu Chi volunteers in South Africa are doing exactly this. This place is so poor, has so many hardships and is so far away from us, but people there believe in the Buddha-Dharma and firmly practice. Tzu Chi’s Bodhisattva-path in the world. Their willingness to accept and practice the Buddha-Dharma is very [precious].

We must know, as long as heaven and earth exist, karmic forces will also be present. Cyclic existence in the Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms is endless. The most important thing is our minds. We must persevere and take good care of them. We must also practice the Six Paramitas and benefit all sentient beings. This is very important.

Previously we mentioned how sentient beings create various causes and conditions so they fall into the Three Evil Realms and cycle through the Six Destinies, suffering greatly. What kind of suffering is that? Aside from their experiences in this world, they “take a tiny form in the womb; life after life, [their karma] continues to grow.”

“They take a tiny form in the womb.” The Four Forms of Birth are womb-, egg-, moisture- and transformation-born. Why did we take form in the womb? Because we all have desires. Once we have desires, we endlessly experience cyclic existence.

They take a tiny form in the womb: From just one thought deviating, karma leads us to take a tiny form in the womb. Like a person who takes drugs we become physically addicted, and cannot mentally free ourselves from it. Thus we take on a tiny form in one of the Four Forms of Birth.

In the Six Destinies, heavenly beings are very tall and big. To describe the size of heavenly beings, we must measure them in yojanas. So, we can imagine how big they are. Compared to them, we are like ants. When we compare ants to humans, aren’t they very tiny? Compared to heavenly beings, we are like ants. We are really very insignificant; we start as a tiny form in the womb.

Besides humans, other living beings [also begin like this]. When dogs look at people, they lift their heads. When people look at dogs, they lower their heads. There are many creatures even smaller than dogs that have also taken form in the womb. Why do [womb-born] sentient beings end up with such different appearances? “From just one thought deviating, karma leads us to take a tiny form in the womb.” When a thought goes astray,

if we have upheld the Five Precepts, we may still be reborn in human form. If we did not uphold the Five Precepts, combined with the other karma we have created, we may be reborn in the form of an ox, horse, dog, pig, goat, chicken or duck. These are just animals we can name; there are many more that we cannot. Indeed, depending on the karma we create, it “leads us to take a tiny form in the womb.”

“Like a person who takes drugs, we become physically addicted.” This is how we humans are. Once a thought goes astray, we cannot save ourselves. We are like drug addicts who have no control. They know they are addicted and should quit, but they cannot because quitting is so painful. Even if they work hard and finally succeed in quitting, their will may still be weak. If someone beckons them with the crook of a finger, they cannot help but go over and start using again. This is truly “becoming physically addicted;” we cannot help but face unbearable suffering. We cannot free our minds. Though we clearly know doing this is wrong, though it is painful, we cannot free ourselves.

Our minds are just like this. This is not just talking about the mind of a drug addict, no. This describes all of our minds. Besides tangible [physical] suffering, there is the intangible suffering of our minds. We cannot escape the desires in our minds, so we continue to be reborn in the Four Forms of Birth. Thus we face unbearable suffering and in “life after life, [our karma] continues to grow.” Over each lifetime, [our karma] continues to accumulate.

This is why we often talk about ignorance. It is the reason that, lifetime after lifetime, we continue to multiply our karma. So, with lifetimes of causes and conditions, it “continues,” [meaning that] it continuously grows.

Life after life, [their karma] continues to grow: the causes and conditions of rebirth grow and extend continuously. “Growing” is horizontal expansion. “Extending” is vertical extension. This leads to retributions of cyclic existence and being born as one of the Four Kinds of Beings.

Of the two words, “grow and extend,” growing means “horizontal expansion.” Increasing land area is an example of horizontal expansion. Extending means “a vertical extension.” When we construct buildings, we add one floor after another. This is “extending.” An increase in height makes a thing taller; this is “extending.” When something “grows,” it is widening. Becoming taller is extending. Growing taller is to “extend.” Whether we are growing or extending, in life after life, through this constant process of expansion and growth, we continue to create karma. So, life after life, causes and conditions continue to grow and extend continuously and our karma increases.

If our blessed karma grows, that is wonderful. Life after life, increasing our blessed karma will help us develop our wisdom-life. If our bad karma grows in each lifetime, our suffering will be unbearable. Unfortunately, we sentient beings have.

“Little virtue and few blessings and are pressured by all kinds of suffering.”

People have little virtue and few blessings. Most people rarely benefit others and mostly commit bad deeds and create negative karma. Who has little virtue and few blessings?

People with little virtue and few blessings are those who do not often benefit others.

These people are stingy and greedy and are reluctant to give. Clearly they have the ability to help others, but they are not willing to do so and do not do any good deeds. These are people with little virtue and few blessings.

We are pressured by all kinds of suffering. Having all kinds of suffering is very painful. In hell, there is the suffering of hell. In the animal realm, there is animal suffering. Hungry ghosts suffer in the hungry ghost realm. Humans suffer in the human realm. There is even suffering in the heaven realm.

Everyone, what kind of suffering is in hell? Being pressured by all kinds of suffering. Suffering in hell is indescribable; their body endures endless suffering. Because there was boundless evil in their minds, they face suffering in hell.

In the animal realm, they physically consume other beings. We see big fish eat small fish. Beings of the same species and appearance will also consume one another.

In the hungry ghost realm, their bodies ache. For the hungry ghost realm, we know the story about Maudgalyayana trying to give his mother a bowl of rice. Flame erupted from her mouth and burned the bowl of rice to ashes. It was as if her whole body was engulfed in fire and a fire was raging in her mind. This is what it is like in the ghost realm.

In the human realm, our actions may not benefit others. If our body commits actions that do not benefit sentient beings and our minds are often tempted by cravings and desires, we will always be troubled.

For beings in the [hungry] ghost realm, their bodies are like burning mountains while their minds are like boiling woks. For beings in the human realm, their actions do not benefit others, and their minds are often troubled. In the heaven realm, they indulge in pleasure and idleness and cannot encounter Right Dharma. Their lives are long.

And in the heaven realm, “they indulge in pleasure and idleness and they cannot encounter Right Dharma.” Heavenly beings cannot hear the Buddha-Dharma; they must come to the human realm to hear it. So, they have not heard Dharma for a long time. Since their heavenly lifespan is very long and they have not heard the Dharma for a long time,

they indulge in pleasure and idleness and live a mixed-up life. All they want is to enjoy pleasures, and once they deplete [their blessings] they will still fall into the Four Forms of Birth and the Six Realms.

They have no control over this. In the Five Realms, the Five Destinies, or the Six Destinies if we add the asura destiny, they will take form in the womb. This is truly unbearable suffering.

The sentient beings in the Five Realms are lost and have not awakened. They are pressured by all kinds of suffering. They cannot control their lives and face unbearable suffering.

So everyone, human beings learn the Buddha’s teachings best because we can listen to the Dharma. If we do not listen to Right Dharma, we humans have many chances to create bad karma. Therefore, we must be vigilant and always be mindful.