Category: TLS Chapter 3

Episode 516 – The Arising and Ceasing of the Five Groups

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>> “Listen to the Wondrous Dharma Lotus teachings to purify the lotus in the heart. Contemplate the Dharma and go among people to bring peace and happiness. Sustain the power of vows to practice the Bodhisattva-path. A seed contains an ocean of fruits, so our vows can be perfectly fulfilled.”

>> “Long ago in Varanasi, You turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths, distinctly teaching various Dharma such as the arising and ceasing of the five groups.”

>> “The five groups” may also be beings in the heaven, human, animal, hungry ghost and hell destinies. These are the sentient beings of the Five Destinies.

>> The five groups can also be the Five Skandhas, form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. A group means a gathering. Thus the arising and ceasing of the five groups is the arising and ceasing of the Five Skandhas.

>> Arising and ceasing: The five groups are constantly undergoing arising and ceasing.

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“Listen to the Wondrous Dharma Lotus teachings to purify the lotus in the heart.
Contemplate the Dharma and go among people to bring peace and happiness.
Sustain the power of vows to practice the Bodhisattva-path.
A seed contains an ocean of fruits, so our vows can be perfectly fulfilled.”

Do you understand? We listen to the Wondrous Dharma Lotus teachings. Isn’t this what we are listening to every day? The Wondrous Dharma Lotus Sutra is, among the Buddha’s 40-plus years of teachings, the most wondrous and pure teachings that were hidden in His mind. His mind is as pure as the lotus flower.

Actually, every one of us intrinsically has a mind as pure as crystal, which is our pure intrinsic nature. Take lotus flowers growing in the mud, for example. The mud provides many nutrients to the lotus plant, but does not defile the lotus flowers. This world is filled with turbidity, so we must listen to and learn the Dharma. Those who listen to the Dharma will develop a better understanding. These turbidities are also called impurities.

In this world, there are many impure and evil turbidities. When a desire arises in our minds, we give rise to greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt, five turbid emotions, five kinds of severely polluted mindsets. These turbidities produce the afflictions of the world. Yet, these afflictions of the world enable us to understand the truth of suffering taught by the Buddha. This is the principle of suffering, which is a continuous cycle.

We spend time among the multitudes of people to better realize the Buddha’s teachings. In this way, we “purify the lotus in the heart.” The more we mindfully listen to “the Wondrous Dharma Lotus teachings,” the more the lotus flower in our heart will grow while remaining undefiled by the mud.

To contemplate means we need to think mindfully and very deeply. Inch by inch, we must take the Dharma more deeply into our hearts and penetrate its intricacies. We must meticulously think about how to interact with others so that, as we are among them, we can remain very peaceful and happy. [We live] in this very complicated society, and we want to engage in spiritual practice. If our resolve is not firm, we may easily lose our spiritual aspirations. When spiritual practitioners [fear this], it means their faith is not deep enough. So, we must have deep faith in ourselves.

In order to have very deep faith, we must listen, contemplate and practice. We must mindfully listen to the Dharma. After listening to it, we must carefully contemplate it. Contemplating it is more than just listening to it and thinking about whether it is right or wrong. “Oh, it’s right; I know that.” Then the Dharma will be like water that flows through a pipe. Nothing is left behind. So, it is not enough to only “think” about it. We must “ponder” it and plant it deeply in our minds. We must engrave it on our hearts.

After listening to it, we must keep it in our minds so we can carefully contemplate and take each word to heart. The Dharma that we take to heart and comprehend is teaching us to walk the Bodhisattva-path. We must go among people with a firm resolve. Regardless of what sentient beings do that may cause our minds to stir, we must quickly reflect on our ourselves. Who wanted to engage in spiritual practice? We did. Since we chose to engage in spiritual practice, we must take good care of ourselves. What must we care for? Our minds.

In life, we give of ourselves to others. Some may say to us, “Oh, that is hard work, No, it is blessed work!” Thus suffering is turned into joy. In this world, we do good deeds and benefit others. Then, when others are helped and can transcend their afflictions to be peaceful and at ease, this is what gives Bodhisattvas the most happiness. So, this is bringing peace and happiness. When we can bring others [to this state], we will also feel at peace. This also brings peace and happiness. Thus, we must earnestly engage in spiritual practice.

We must practice and remain firm to sustain the power of our vows. Where does the power of vows come from? From walking the Bodhisattva-path. If we can do this, as a seed contains an ocean of fruits, our vows will be perfectly fulfilled.

For example, in the past, the Buddha [traveled] to spread the Dharma. It happened that, one time before His arrival in a particular city, the residents of the city happily spread the news. “Sakyamuni Buddha will soon arrive in our city.” When he heard this, the ruler of the city was very worried. What was he worried about? In this city, the residents admired the ruler very much. The ruler thought to himself, “If the Buddha, the Enlightened One, comes to my city, perhaps people’s hearts will favor Him over me. When my appearance is compared with His, won’t I be seen as less than Sakyamuni Buddha?”

Because of this, the ruler came up with a plan [to prevent this]. He issued an order, “When Sakyamuni Buddha comes to the city, people who want to make an offering to Him, must pay a tax of 500 taels. Only after paying 500 taels will they be allowed to make offerings to Him.” So, when the Buddha entered the city, no one was willing to make offerings.

At that time, in one of the city’s households there lived an old servant woman. She happened to be holding some leftovers from her master that she was about to throw away. When she stepped into the back alley, she saw the Buddha and Ananda. Watching them, suddenly, it was as if the door to her mind opened and a ray of sunlight shone straight in. Her mind became illuminated.

When she saw how dignified the Buddha was, and how everyone had shut their doors to Him so their alms bowls were still empty, she felt compassion for them. She looked down at the half-eaten leftovers that she held in her hands. Everything was jumbled together; how could she use them to make offerings?

The Buddha understood what was on her mind. In a wondrous voice, He said to the old woman, “What you are holding in your hands is food that is most precious to me. Just make this offering wholeheartedly.” The old woman was very happy that the Buddha surprisingly did not reject it and instead called it the most precious food. So, the old woman offered the food to the Buddha and respectfully prostrated to Him. The Buddha accepted this offering and left with Ananda.

Ananda saw the Buddha smile kindly. So, he asked Him, “Venerable Buddha, as you accepted this offering, You seemed to be very happy.” The Buddha said, “Yes, I was very happy. Because this old woman made this offering with great reverence, in the near future, she will be born in the heaven realm and enjoy heavenly blessings.” Someone walked past them at this time, and this man, hearing what the Buddha had said, asked, “You are the Great Enlightened One, how can you tell a lie in order to receive offerings? How can she possibly go to heaven by making this kind of an offering?”

The Buddha asked him, “So you think my words were false? Please tell me, is there anything that you have seen in this world that you feel is inconceivable?” The passerby answered, “Of course! I have seen a tree that was so huge that 500 ox carts could rest under it. They could be fully covered by its canopy and not be exposed to the sun at all. The rarest thing that I have ever seen”

“is this giant tree.” The Buddha said, “That tree was such a big tree; do you know how that tree came about?” The person said, “Of course I know. It came from a seed.” The Buddha then asked, “How big was the seed of this tree?” The passerby thought for a moment. “Probably not very big.” Indicating with his hand, he said, “It was probably even smaller than this.” The Buddha replied, “I cannot believe it; how could such a giant tree come from such a small seed?” The passerby said, “But this is absolutely true. The seeds of trees are all very small.”

The Buddha smiled and said, “The same principle applies here. That old woman [gave me food] when I was most hungry, when I faced great difficulty as everyone closed their doors to me. Amidst such difficulties, this old woman was able to make an offering with great respect and joy. Out of this reverence and respect, she was willing to give. Wouldn’t you say that this brings great merit?”

When the passerby heard this explanation, he recognized [the Buddha’s] great wisdom. He began to shout loudly, “This is the Great Enlightened One. The Dharma He teaches can benefit people. He is truly a man of great wisdom.” One by one, family after family opened their doors. They walked out and gathered around the Buddha. When people saw how dignified the Buddha was, they all thought, “I also want to make offerings to the Buddha.” So, everyone went into the city to pay the tax of 500 taels, then they rushed back to make offerings to Him. The Buddha expounded the Dharma and everyone in the city joyfully accepted it. Everyone’s mind was filled with joy.

So, “A seed contains an ocean of fruits”; the Dharma must simply penetrate our minds. If the seeds of wisdom from the Buddha’s mind are spread widely and people’s minds can receive these seeds, each seed can form a cause and produce an ocean of fruits. Thus, a seed contains an ocean of fruits. Therefore, we must all form Bodhisattva-aspirations and cultivate and uphold the power of vows. When we go among people to walk the Bodhisattva-path, every day we are sowing these seeds into people’s minds.

The previous sutra passage mentions that everyone was very happy. Heavenly beings, humans and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors were all happy. At the Lotus Assembly, they witnessed Sariputra receiving the prediction of Buddhahood. Everyone was happy to witness this. So, the heavenly lords “restated their meaning.” Thus they said,

“Long ago in Varanasi, You turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths, distinctly teaching various Dharma such as the arising and ceasing of the five groups.”

Soon after the Buddha attained enlightenment, He traveled to Deer Park to turn [the Dharma-wheel of] the Four Noble Truths, which covered all the principles of suffering in this world. He also thoroughly explained how people created karma out of ignorance and afflictions and thus accumulated many karmic causes. He called on everyone to earnestly engage in practice of the Path so they could bring all these afflictions to cessation.

He “distinctly taught various Dharma such as the arising and ceasing of the five groups.” Starting then, He distinctly taught everything from the principles of the Four Noble Truths to the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. All of these teach us how to cultivate the path. Adapting to sentient beings’ capabilities, He gave teachings for them to listen to. [Knowing] what they wanted to hear, the Buddha exercised His wisdom for over 40 years. Thus He spoke of “the arising and ceasing of the five groups.”

“The five groups” are described in several ways in the sutras. Some sutras describe “the five groups” as the Buddha’s four or five groups of disciples. How can there be five groups of disciples? Everyone knows about the four groups, but what is the additional group? They are siksamanas. Siksamanas are female neophytes. Among the Buddha’s disciples, in addition to bhiksus, bhiksunis, sramaneras, sramanerikas, there are also siksamanas. These are the five groups of monastic disciples. These are the five groups.

Within these five groups, people are constantly being born and dying. They go through birth, aging, illness and death and live in the midst of formation, existence, decay and disappearance, while their unenlightened minds go through arising, abiding, changing and ceasing. Everyone in these five groups lives this kind of life.

Other than this description of the five groups, there is another explanation.

“The five groups” may also be beings in the heaven, human, animal, hungry ghost and hell destinies. These are the sentient beings of the Five Destinies.

Any being in the Five Destinies may be enjoying blessings; many people enjoy heavenly blessings in this world. But as they enjoy themselves [materially], they still face spiritual suffering. [Worrying about] gains and losses is very painful. These afflictions darken our lives and cause us to feel as if we are in hell. Afflictions entangle us like hungry ghosts, as if we were in the hungry ghost destiny. A mind like this only hungers with greed; it does not recognize the suffering of the world. We may greedily claim things for ourselves, but have no sympathy for those who are suffering. Living in this way makes us no different from animals. Thus, whether we are talking about the Five Destinies or “the five groups,” we can see them all in the world around us. In order to learn the Buddha-Dharma, we must understand the principles.

“The five groups” also has yet another explanation, which is the Five Skandhas.

The five groups can also be the Five Skandhas, form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. A group means a gathering. Thus the arising and ceasing of the five groups is the arising and ceasing of the Five Skandhas.

The Five Skandhas are, form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. “Skandha” means an aggregate or a gathering.

The first of the Five Skandhas is “form.” Because we have this body, we need material things [to sustain it]. Because we have this body, we go through birth, aging, illness and death; we experience the suffering of illnesses. So, with “feeling,” we have sensations. If we see something pretty and we really like it, we may dream about getting it, day and night. Whether we feel craving for affection or desire for material things, these are all feelings in our minds.

“Perception” lets our imagination run wild. When we attain something, we are afraid of losing it. Then we will take “action.” Whenever we act, we create [karma]. Then all of our good and evil seeds will be stored in our storehouse consciousness. We cannot take anything with us when we die, except our karma. Thus we continue to be tormented. Because of the Five Skandhas, we constantly experience arising and ceasing. Arising and ceasing, along with birth, aging, illness and death and so on, is a constant cycle.

Arising and ceasing: The five groups are constantly undergoing arising and ceasing.

Everyone, if we simply live life within these cycles, then aren’t we letting our lives go to waste? In the future, where in the Six Destinies will we end up? We do not know. Thus, we should seize this moment. We all know this. So, our one great cause is to learn from the Buddha to attain Buddhahood. This path is very long, so we must begin immediately to do good deeds, benefit others and form good karmic connections. We do this by walking the Bodhisattva-path. We must earnestly and happily help others. This requires us to sustain the great power of our vows as we walk the Bodhisattva-path. We must believe in the law of cause and effect. Because of the law of cause and effect, a seed contains an ocean of fruits. Therefore, we must have deep faith. Everyone, we must always be mindful.

Episode 515 – Attaining Realizations at Different Times

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>> “The fourfold assembly heard the same Dharma, but did not attain the same understanding. They had the same teacher and practiced the same direct path to enlightenment. But because of varying capabilities, they attained realizations at different times. Upon witnessing the prediction of Buddhahood, they began to believe in these truths.”

>> “Heavenly beings played music. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of varieties were played all at once throughout the universe.”

>> “They rained down celestial flowers as they spoke the following words.”

>> “The Buddha, in the past at Varanasi, first turned the Dharma-wheel. Now He turns the wheel again, the supreme, greatest Dharma-wheel.”

>> “At that time, all heavenly lords, wishing to restate their meaning, spoke the following verses.”

>> “Long ago in Varanasi, You turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths, distinctly teaching various Dharma such as the arising and ceasing of the five groups.”

>> Repeated verse: In the past, to suit sentient beings’ capabilities, the Buddha gave the limited and provisional teachings of the Small Vehicle Dharma. Now He freely carried out His original intent to teach the Great Dharma. To help people remember, they restated the teachings in verse.

>> In the past in Varanasi, You turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths: First, the Buddha expounded the Small Vehicle Dharma of the Four Noble Truths and then separately taught the Five Skandhas and the way things arise and cease. Now, at this time and place, He was going to turn the great Dharma-wheel.

>> Heavenly beings, humans and the rest said: The Buddha, in the past at Varanasi, transformed the five bhiksus by teaching the Four Noble Truths of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. This was the first turning of the Dharma-wheel.

>> “Now, at this assembly, He also taught the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle.”

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“The fourfold assembly heard the same Dharma, but did not attain the same understanding.
They had the same teacher and practiced the same direct path to enlightenment.
But because of varying capabilities, they attained realizations at different times.
Upon witnessing the prediction of Buddhahood, they began to believe in these truths.”

“The fourfold assembly heard the same Dharma.” In the Buddha’s lifetime, when He taught the Dharma, the male and female lay disciples and the male and female monastic disciples were the fourfold assembly who listened together. Although they listened together, for them to attain the same understanding was not an easy matter. This is because people have varying capabilities. Listening to the same Dharma, they cannot come to the same understanding, even with the same teacher, path and practice. Though they have the same teacher, walk the same road and practice the same teachings, people’s understanding and perspectives still differed. This is because people have varying wisdom.

Spiritual practice is actually very simple as long as our thinking is straightforward. This is because the Bodhi-path is direct. The Bodhi-path is truly very direct, very simple, as long as we have the will to walk it. If our minds are simple and straightforward and we have deep faith, then after we understand, we will aspire and vow to walk this Bodhi-path.

However, due to varying capabilities, people attain realizations at different times. Once we take the principles to heart, the only way to connect them to matters and things is to put them into practice. This is like walking; we must actually walk to get somewhere. Otherwise, it is like looking at a map. We can memorize the [seven] continents, know which countries border each other and how far apart certain countries are. We can learn these facts and memorize them well. However, to physically go to another country goes beyond learning about it on paper. We must actually travel there to truly understand the distances involved. The state of that country, the local customs and so on, can only truly be known by going there. So, we must walk the path ourselves.

In terms of capabilities, because of varying wisdom, though everyone is on the same Bodhi-path, some people will walk quickly and be very focused. They may actually attain more realizations than those who think a lot and understand many things. People who understand many things may take longer to walk this road. This is because they keep looking all over; they browse through everything around them, so they drag out the amount of time it takes them to move forward. Thus, the order in which we will arrive depends on whether our minds are focused or not.

Take Tzu Chi volunteers, for example. This morning I watched a story about a certain Tzu Chi volunteer. It sounds like a very ordinary story, but if we could all do the same thing, the changes we must make in our lives to turn from delusion toward awakening will not be difficult.

Mr. Chang lives in Taichung. Over 20 to 30 years ago, when Taiwan began its rapid economic growth, his businesses became very profitable. When he worked, he only had to work half days and his family could have a good life and build up their savings. Mr. Chang said that back then, he only worked for a half day every day. If he worked half the day, what did he do during the other half? He became addicted to gambling; every day he was immersed in Mahjong and other forms of gambling. He gambled all over Taiwan.

His elder brother in southern Taiwan, who had become a Tzu Chi volunteer a while back, felt his younger brother could not go on like this. The only solution was to get him to join Tzu Chi, so that he would change his ways. His brother arranged for him to be on one of the ten tour buses traveling from. Kaohsiung to Hualien at the time. There was a Mr. Lin from Kaohsiung who was very experienced at motivating the people on these buses. He would go to each tour bus and talk to the passengers. He even told the bus leaders not to let people go to sleep, because this is the best time to teach the Dharma and have people share their experiences. Mr. Chang was on one of these buses, so he came to Hualien and learned about Tzu Chi, what life in the Abode was like and how the hospital came about.

At that time, the hospital was in its third year, celebrating its third anniversary. Since Tzu Chi still had many unfinished projects, like building schools, during the third anniversary celebration, people were inspired; they raised their hands and pledged to support future projects. They pledged to donate a certain amount to construct schools. Sitting there, Mr. Chang was very moved. So, he told his brother, “When I go back to [Taichung]. I want to try to help. I have many friends [I can talk to].”

After he went back, he told everyone he met about Tzu Chi and started to fundraise. After he collected several thousand dollars, he was very happy. When he went to the Taichung branch office, he saw a member of the Faith Corps who was also delivering contributions. The money included his personal donations, and other people’s donations. Wow, there were tens of thousands of dollars! He thought to himself, “I thought several thousand was a lot already. OK, I lost this battle, but I won’t lose the war. What I have is time, so I will use my time to surpass him.”

So, he stopped gambling. He spent his free time on traveling and sharing his experience of visiting the hospital in Hualien. Some people would say, “Is there really such a place?” He would say, “I will pay for you and take you to Hualien.” So, he brought one person after another. Every time he came, he continued to be moved. After he went back, he felt, “Since I am determined to volunteer with Tzu Chi. I must take the Dharma to heart. I must listen to more of Master’s teachings. I need to have a better understanding of the spirit behind how they live at the Abode and to experience more of the type of work Tzu Chi has been doing. This is the only way I can answer the questions people ask me.”

So, he began to listen to cassette tapes. No matter which sutra I was expounding, he listened to the lectures repeatedly and kept his mind focused on the Dharma. In the morning, he interacted with customers. After business was concluded, if they were willing to chat afterward, he would share with them. “On the tapes of her lectures, this is what Master said. Life is just like this.” Even in a business setting, he was still turning the Dharma-wheel.

Sometimes he put Tzu Chi Monthly in his car, which had stories of dedicated volunteers. Then, when he was driving on the highway and had to stop at a booth to pay the toll, he would say, “This magazine is for you, please read it.” People behind him would honk at him, so all he would say is, “Please remember to read it.” Then he would drive off. With this passion, he took the Dharma to heart and diligently practiced. Not only did he himself benefit, his members also continued to increase in number until he was collecting hundreds of thousands in donations every month. Around that time, he went through the training and was certified.

This was because he diligently practiced; it is that simple. Originally, Mr. Chang was addicted to gambling. His family was worried about him; his relatives were also worried about him. He gambled from Taichung all the way to the south. But because of his karmic conditions, he came to Hualien on this tour bus. These moving stories truly touched his heart, so he was very inspired. During the Blessed Life lecture series in Taichung, I said that we need to use the hands we use for clapping to do recycling work. So, now he is also a dedicated recycling volunteer. Whether he is recruiting members or doing recycling, he is truly very diligent.

When we learn about his story, we can see that he is a regular person. But when his mindset changed, the Dharma-wheel began to turn in his mind. Then his life turned around completely. For over 20 years, he has [sustained this]. This comes from attaining realizations.

“Because of varying capabilities, they attained realizations at different times.” As for those certified at the same time as him, did they develop the same experience as him? Not necessarily. As for the other people on those ten busses, were they all [inspired] like he was? Not necessarily. In summary, this depends on people’s state of mind as well as their wisdom.

When Sariputra received the Buddha’s prediction for attaining Buddhahood, at that assembly, many people witnessed that it is possible for everyone to attain Buddhahood. They can definitely attain it; it is more than just a possibility. It just depends on how we make the effort. Do we have the patience? Becoming a Buddha takes more than a day’s or a lifetime’s worth of work. We must sustain our original aspirations forever. We must continue walking this path for a long time. So, I keep talking about the great and direct Bodhi-path. The Bodhisattva-path is very broad and straight. As long as we aim ourselves in the right direction and never deviate from that course, then all we need to do is to keep walking forward.

What we are seeking is enlightenment, an awakening equal to the Tathagata’s. This means using our nature of True Suchness to connect with the truths of the universe. This is such a grand and important task; this awakening is boundless. After attaining this great awakening, we must do good deeds, benefit others and form good karmic connections. That is how we can transform all sentient beings. Only then can we connect to the truths of the universe with our nature of True Suchness. The more worldly matters we understand, the more principles we can comprehend.

Because of this, everyone at the Lotus-assembly felt very happy. So, the previous passage states,

“Heavenly beings played music. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of varieties were played all at once throughout the universe.”

What we could see with our eyes and hear with our ears were flowers scattered in the air, the sounds of heavenly music and so on.

“They rained down celestial flowers as they spoke the following words.”

These heavenly beings all had [the same thought].

“The Buddha, in the past at Varanasi, first turned the Dharma-wheel. Now He turns the wheel again, the supreme, greatest Dharma-wheel.”

These heavenly beings all witnessed the Buddha’s [teachings] at Deer Park; Deer Park was in the kingdom of Varanasi. After the Buddha attained Buddhahood, He taught the Four Noble Truths. At that time, there were also flowers in the air, and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors were also very joyful. This was the scene when He first turned the Dharma-wheel. Now that He was teaching the Great Dharma and turning the great Dharma-wheel, [the scene] was also the same. Therefore, it was said that the heavenly beings all told each other that. Sakyamuni Buddha first turned the Dharma-wheel [at Varanasi] and was now turning the great Dharma-wheel. So, everyone was happy.

The following passage in the sutra states,

“At that time, all heavenly lords, wishing to restate their meaning, spoke the following verses.”

These heavenly lords wished to “restate their meaning.” They wanted to repeat this important [message] that made them happy. So, they repeated it again in verse.

“Long ago in Varanasi, You turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths, distinctly teaching various Dharma such as the arising and ceasing of the five groups.”

They hoped everyone would remember this. After the Buddha attained Buddhahood, He spent over 40 years “speaking according to others’ capabilities.” In accord with sentient beings’ capabilities, He opened the doors to skillful means and gave teachings people could understand. So, in accord with sentient beings’ capabilities, He gave limited and provisional teachings; He taught the Small Vehicle Dharma. The Buddha had taught with skillful means. Now, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, He could freely carry out His original intent and teach the wondrous Dharma.

He was already happily sharing the most subtle, wondrous, unconditioned Dharma, which is one with the entire universe. With the principles of conditioned phenomena, He created analogies and expressions to help people go from the principles of conditioned phenomena to the true principles of unconditioned Dharma. This is so very important! So, this passage is repeated again in verse.

Repeated verse: In the past, to suit sentient beings’ capabilities, the Buddha gave the limited and provisional teachings of the Small Vehicle Dharma. Now He freely carried out His original intent to teach the Great Dharma. To help people remember, they restated the teachings in verse.

“Long ago in Varanasi, You turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths.” The Buddha initially taught the Four Noble Truths. This is Small Vehicle Dharma. Is this really a limited teaching? No, it is not. It is the foundation of the Dharma, because all living things go through birth, aging, illness and death. They suffer from being parted in life or by death, or from the destruction that all things in the world undergo as they cycle through formation, existence, decay and disappearance. If we do not understand suffering, then we will be living our lives aimlessly. Then our life will truly be filled with suffering. In this world, everyone has experienced this kind of suffering, so it is easier for them to comprehend.

In the past in Varanasi, You turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths: First, the Buddha expounded the Small Vehicle Dharma of the Four Noble Truths and then separately taught the Five Skandhas and the way things arise and cease. Now, at this time and place, He was going to turn the great Dharma-wheel.

“[He] then separately taught the Five Skandhas.” Everyone should know what the Five Skandhas are. We recite them every morning and evening. Form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness are the Five Skandhas. It is because of the Five Skandhas that in this world we go through so much arising and ceasing. This will be explained further later on. This arising and ceasing causes endless suffering in this world. So, for over 40 years, the Buddha expounded the Four Noble Truths, the Five Skandhas and even the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. These principles help us understand how we come to and leave this world. Then at the Lotus Assembly, after over 40 years, He began to turn the great Dharma-wheel. Here, the heavenly beings were recalling how, more than 40 years ago, He first turned the Dharma-wheel at Deer Park and made three turnings of the Dharma-wheel of Four Noble Truths.

Heavenly beings, humans and the rest said: The Buddha, in the past at Varanasi, transformed the five bhiksus by teaching the Four Noble Truths of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. This was the first turning of the Dharma-wheel.

For these five people, He gave the first turn of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. Did they understand? One person understood. That was fine; again He taught suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. Did they understand? Two more people understood, but there were still the other two. That was fine; again He taught. After the third time, all five people could finally comprehend it. Thus at this time, the Three Treasures were complete. The Buddha then began to travel and teach the Dharma and, in accord with sentient beings’ capabilities, transform anyone He could. This was how the Buddha turned the Dharma-wheel at the very beginning.

“Now, at this assembly, He also taught the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle.”

At the Lotus Dharma-assembly, He began to teach the One Vehicle Dharma. In the past, He taught the Four Noble Truths. Now, He returned to the wondrous Dharma of One Vehicle; this is turning the great Dharma-wheel.

Yes, from the Four Noble Truths He returned to the wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle. The Dharma of the One Vehicle is supreme; it teaches us how to connect with people and with principles. When the Four Noble Truths are applied and unified with people, matters and principles, from the appearances of conditioned phenomena we can return to the principles of unconditioned Dharma. This is the supreme, wondrous Dharma of the One Vehicle.

Dear Bodhisattvas, as Buddhist practitioners, we must truly begin with our minds. In the landscape of our minds, this road is actually very direct. We must try to keep things simple. A straightforward mind is where spiritual training takes place; the great Bodhi-path is direct. If we can [keep things simple], though this road is long, as long as we walk precisely forward, one day we will finally arrive at the state of realizing the true principles of the universe and connecting them with our nature of True Suchness. This will bring us a great awakening. So, I hope everyone will always be mindful.

Episode 514 – Dharma-Joy Blooms in the Heart

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>> “The flowers offered to the Buddha signify the simultaneous existence of seeds and fruits. Whirling in the air, the flowers spread the sound of the Dharma. Naturally, Dharma-nature leads to a turning of the Dharma-wheel so all beings will turn from the Small to the Great, to the Bodhisattva-path.”

>> “Sakro-Devanam Indra, King Brahma and so on, with countless heavenly lords, also used wonderful celestial garments, celestial Mandarava flowers, Mahamandarava flowers and so on to make offerings to the Buddha.”

>> “The celestial garments they tossed aloft remained suspended in the air and spun around by themselves.”

>> “Heavenly beings played music. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of varieties were played all at once throughout the universe. They rained down celestial flowers as they spoke the following words.”

>> “Spoke the following words ‘The Buddha, in the past at Varanasi, first turned the Dharma-wheel Now He turns the wheel again, the supreme, greatest Dharma-wheel.'”

>> Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands varieties of music swirled throughout in the universe, signifying that all the various skillful means of provisional wisdom ultimately lead back to true wisdom, the supreme empty nature of all things.

>> Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of varieties of music were played together. This has two meanings: 1. Because heavenly beings and humans all experienced the same karmic effect, music naturally began playing in the sky at precisely the right time 2. Among the heavenly beings, the kinnara kings and others began playing many kinds of celestial music together at once.

>> The fourfold assembly discussed this: Though they listened to the same teachings as Sariputra, they did not attain the same understanding. Seeing Venerable Sariputra receive predictions of Buddhahood, the assembly began to believe in these truths.

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“The flowers offered to the Buddha signify the simultaneous existence of seeds and fruits.
Whirling in the air, the flowers spread the sound of the Dharma.
Naturally, Dharma-nature leads to a turning of the Dharma-wheel
so all beings will turn from the Small to the Great, to the Bodhisattva-path.”

With what we have seen and heard in these past few days, have we attained any realizations? Heavenly beings, humans and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors all came together at this Dharma-assembly to celebrate that one of those who had listened to the Dharma already understood it. Not only did he understand, but he also formed great aspirations to walk the Bodhisattva-path and realize the Dharma deep within the Buddha’s mind. The Buddha was happy and praised Sariputra, at the same time promising that

he would attain Buddhahood in the future. As long as he can realize the principles, as long as he forms aspirations and makes vows, he will ultimately attain Buddhahood. This was how the Buddha affirmed Sariputra and bestowed this prediction upon him. When one receives a prediction of Buddhahood, the entire Dharma-assembly is happy for him. This pure and wondrous state is like lotus flowers in the mud, which always bloom. Furthermore, when the flower opens the seeds have formed. This means that in this turbid Saha World, lotus flowers are already blooming. So, “Flowers offered to the Buddha signify the simultaneous existence of seeds and fruits.” What kind of flowers does this refer to? Lotus flowers.

Actually, there were also soft celestial flowers whirling in the air. When celestial flowers bloom, everyone’s heart also opens up. This is confirmation that, in this world, people can come to a deep realization of the Buddha-Dharma. Overall, [when the Buddha] turned the wheel of His mind, it was as if flowers were whirling in the air this means that the sound of the Dharma can be transmitted. When He turned the Dharma-wheel in this way, people’s minds opened up and they felt happy and joyful. This comes from the True Dharma. So, the sound of Dharma spreads through the air. This bears witness to the Buddha-Dharma in the world. Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, so when they realize the Buddha’s principles, the heavens and earth will rejoice.

Right now, we have not yet understood the Dharma. We all know that “everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature,” but what exactly does Buddha-nature look like? Similarly, in our daily living, there may be Dharma that is very important to us; it may even be essential to our lives. It is something we need every day, but we end up neglecting it every day.

For example, there is a story about a young monk. He went to a big monastic community. He asked Master Yi Shan if he could learn the Dharma from him. Master Yi Shan happily accepted him and assigned him to work in the bath house. He was responsible for heating and providing water for everyone’s baths.

One day, Master Yi Shan came to the bath house to take a bath. The water was very hot, so the young monk quickly brought a bucket of water over and started pouring. “Enough, you do not need to pour all of it.” So, he stopped. The water temperature was just right. Since the bucket still had some water left, he casually dumped out the rest of the water. Master Yi Shan was displeased and said, “Don’t you know how precious water is?” The young monk replied, “But there wasn’t much left, so I just dumped it out.”

Master Yi Shan told him, “Even if it is only one drop of water, it is still very precious. If you give one drop of water to a flower, the flower will benefit. One drop of water, to flowers and plants, is still very important. When you dump it out like this, the water is useless; it will be wasted. Flowers and plants cannot benefit from it. So, this drop of water is wasted. Even one drop of water is needed by the air and by the land. People need it; flowers and plants need it. How can you say that a little bit of water is useless?” From this beginning, this young monk eventually attained realizations. He meditated on the concept of water until he finally realized [its truths]. Though we are unaware of it in our daily living, it is something absolutely essential. So, from then on, he changed his name to “Water Drop.”

Later on, Master Water Drop became quite famous. No matter what people asked, he answered with, “A drop of water.” A drop of water meets the needs of all things. Indeed! This is how important a drop of water is. A drop of water can encompass all things and fill the universe. When we think about it, this is true. If water did not exist in this world, how could people live on this planet? How could our world exist? Thus, we should know that though we are unaware of the Dharma, the Dharma is all around us. Those who are awakened can realize this. Those who are deluded cannot realize it. The awakened ones will cherish everything. The deluded ones will waste everything. In this world, all things contain the Dharma. Not being able to see something does not mean that we should not believe in it.

We must believe. What kind of mindset do we need to do this? One that is pure and genuine. A genuine mind is where spiritual training takes place. Besides being genuine, we must also have deep faith. Along with deep faith, we must also be on the right course. If our course is not right, then when our minds go astray, our deep faith becomes stubbornness; then, even if we want to change, we cannot change our habitual tendencies. So, to realize the Dharma, we must first meet many conditions.

We must now let go of our past attachments. Only when we purify and empty our minds will we be able to establish the pure Dharma in our heart. To take the pure Dharma to heart, we must have deep faith. With a genuine mind, we can deepen our faith and then the Dharma will gradually enter our minds, a drop at a time, and nourish the fields of our hearts. Otherwise, we may be immersed in the Dharma without being aware of what a treasure it is.

So, being “deluded” means we know nothing. If we are awakened, then we will know that everything around us is Dharma. Even a drop of water is also Dharma. The Dharma is such a natural part of things that it is all around us in our daily living and is always turning the Dharma-wheel for us.

If we can mindfully realize and accept the Dharma, then everywhere can be a place for spiritual practice. Wherever there is Dharma, it is a place for spiritual cultivation. So, in a place like this, everyone can open up their minds. This is like the moment when heavenly beings, humans and all of the Dharma-protectors came together and the flowers of joy bloomed in their minds. They scattered celestial flowers and made offerings of garments and other goods. These are analogies for this state of mind.

So, we must make use of our minds in our daily living to deeply contemplate and comprehend this. In this case, seeds and fruits exist simultaneously. If we listen to the Dharma now and realize it now, then the seed and fruits exist at the same time. Like the lotus flower, when the flowers in our minds bloom, we can see the fruits inside. That is the True Dharma. With the True Dharma, when flowers bloom, we can see the fruits. This is True Dharma.

Within the filthy mud, this evil world of Five Turbidities, we truly need many lotus flowers to bloom to beautify this mud pit. Thus in an era with a turbid world, we need even more Bodhisattvas to appear and turn the Dharma-wheel to purify people’s hearts.

If we can truly experience it, then the Dharma is all around us. We must apply our minds to the Dharma. After we hear it, we must focus on understanding what the Dharma we heard today was about. If we put aside what we have heard today and turn our minds to other things, then, of course, today’s Dharma will be like the rest of the water in that monk’s bucket; it will be discarded in the same way. We must remind ourselves to be vigilant of this.

The previous passage states,

“Sakro-Devanam Indra, King Brahma and so on, with countless heavenly lords, also used wonderful celestial garments, celestial Mandarava flowers, Mahamandarava flowers and so on to make offerings to the Buddha.”

They were scattering celestial flowers. This shows the joy in the heavens and this world. This Dharma-assembly was magnificent. People’s hearts were gentle and pliable.

“The celestial garments they tossed aloft remained suspended in the air and spun around by themselves.”

In this state, celestial garments and celestial flowers were tossed aloft and scattered by heavenly beings, thus filling the air.

Then the next passage states,

“Heavenly beings played music. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of varieties were played all at once throughout the universe. They rained down celestial flowers as they spoke the following words.”

These heavenly beings were scattering flowers while music could also be heard at the same time. Celestial music, the sounds of nature, all these sounds were very subtle and wondrous. As I told you before, in the early morning, I stand outside to quietly look at the sky and listen to the breathing of the earth. These subtle and wondrous sounds of the heavens and the earth are like the sounds of celestial music. So, with this sound, in this state,

in the midst of this all these heavenly beings.

“Spoke the following words ‘The Buddha, in the past at Varanasi, first turned the Dharma-wheel Now He turns the wheel again, the supreme, greatest Dharma-wheel.'”

Those there saw celestial flowers and garments aloft in the air. Everything they heard was celestial music which was well-matched with the rhythm of flowers being scattered and suspended in the air. This is a very beautiful and wondrous state. This signified all the various skillful means of provisional wisdom.

Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands varieties of music swirled throughout in the universe, signifying that all the various skillful means of provisional wisdom ultimately lead back to true wisdom, the supreme empty nature of all things.

This talks about how the Buddha had spent more than 40 years teaching. He wanted to first awaken people so they could recognize suffering. In this world, they should know that suffering can take many different forms. Starting with our physical body’s birth, aging, illness and death, we can begin to experience this. So, for over 40 years, the Buddha’s teachings were all related to worldly matters and the Four Noble Truths. This is an important layer of the Buddha-Dharma, taught with various skillful means of provisional wisdom.

“Provisional” refers to skillful means; the Buddha had to teach the Dharma with wisdom. Though He used provisional teachings and skillful means for the first over 40 years, He ultimately brought them back to true wisdom, the teaching of the supreme empty nature. If He did not first give those teachings, 42 years later He would not have been able to reveal the True Dharma. So, the flowers in the air and the music represented all the provisional teachings, these tangible and intangible means. Now these were all being brought back to the True Dharma.

Heavenly beings, humans and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors all shared a common feeling. This feeling was Dharma-joy. They had already understood the Dharma taught by the Buddha in the past. With the principles they comprehended now, they all felt Dharma-joy.

Thus, besides the visible celestial flowers and garments, “hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of varieties of music were played together.” This has two meanings. The first is that heavenly beings and humans together experienced the same karmic effect. As they listened to the Dharma together, they all felt Dharma-joy; this Dharma-joy was the effect. After listening to the Dharma for decades, things were finally coming to fruition. They were happy, so this sound appeared in their minds. The music in their minds came from the joy of thoroughly understanding the Dharma.

Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of varieties of music were played together. This has two meanings: 1. Because heavenly beings and humans all experienced the same karmic effect, music naturally began playing in the sky at precisely the right time 2. Among the heavenly beings, the kinnara kings and others began playing many kinds of celestial music together at once.

The second meaning is that, among heavenly beings, kinnara kings and others began to play various celestial music. The kinnara kings are heavenly beings, one of the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. They are gods of music. This also shows that the heavens and earth were full of joy. When everything is in harmony, beautiful music will naturally begin to play. So, this state is very beautiful. It is not something we can express in words. This is why the Buddha used various analogies to describe hearts filled with Dharma-joy; their hearts bloomed like flowers. And when these flowers bloom, fruits can be seen; this is a state filled with Dharma-joy.

At this moment, questions arose in the minds of heavenly beings and humans. They began to ask questions and thus “they spoke the following words.” This was the voice in everyone’s mind. This was also the question in the minds of all heavenly beings. “The Buddha, in the past at Varanasi, first turned the Dharma-wheel. Now He turns the wheel again, the supreme, greatest Dharma-wheel.” This was the start of everyone’s question.

So, the discussion of the fourfold assembly came out of these questions. Otherwise, everyone would be mindfully listening to the Buddha teach the Dharma. But while their ears were listening to the Buddha, there were other voices in their minds. Now, everyone’s minds were recalling the time when the Buddha first began to teach. Where did the Buddha begin to give teachings? It was in Varanasi that. He first began to turn the Dharma-wheel. At this Dharma-assembly,

even though they had listened to the same Dharma as Sariputra for all those decades, they were still not able to attain the same understanding as Sariputra. This is like all of you. As I describe again the state of the Buddha at that time, each of you is thinking something different.

The fourfold assembly discussed this: Though they listened to the same teachings as Sariputra, they did not attain the same understanding. Seeing Venerable Sariputra receive predictions of Buddhahood, the assembly began to believe in these truths.

During the Buddha’s lifetime, this was also the case. Though they had listened along with Sariputra, they did not attain the same understanding. Everyone listened but understood it differently. But then they saw that. Venerable Sariputra received the Buddha’s predictions of Buddhahood. So, they began to understand.

Dear Bodhisattvas, as we learn from the Buddha, we must understand the Dharma one stage at a time. We must understand the Buddha’s efforts. So, the Dharma has always been in our lives, but we are just not aware of it. Therefore, we must be mindful and apply the Dharma in our daily living. If we can realize the Buddha-Dharma, these seeds and fruits exist at the same time; as we listen, we can awaken. Because we are listening now, we can awaken right now. Why would this take a long time? But we must continue to accumulate [realizations]. An instant is a kalpa, and a kalpa can also exist in an instant. So everyone, please always be mindful.

Episode 513 – Repay the Buddha’s Grace with Utmost Reverence

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>> “Make offerings impartially and with the utmost sincerity. Practice goodness and benefit others to repay the [Fourfold] Grace. Respect the heavens and love the earth to amass blessed conditions. These are the true offerings to repay the Buddha’s great grace.”

>> “The assembly, seeing Sariputra, in the presence of the Buddha, receive the prediction of attaining. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, felt great joy and boundless jubilance. Each removed their outer garment and presented it as an offering to the Buddha.”

>> “Sakro-Devanam Indra, King Brahma and so on, with countless heavenly lords, also used wonderful celestial garments, celestial Mandarava flowers, Mahamandarava flowers and so on to make offerings to the Buddha. The celestial garments they tossed aloft remained suspended in the air and spun around by themselves.”

>> Trayastrimsa Heaven: Sakro-Devanam Indra is the lord of these 33 heavens, abbreviated as Sakra or Indra. There were 33 people who cultivated exceptional karma to be reborn in this heaven together and live on the top of Mt. Sumeru. In each of the four directions there are eight palaces. In the center is Indra’s palace. Indra is the king of this heaven. Those in this heaven cultivated blessed karma from upholding precepts and giving. They are superior to those in the four heavens of the heavenly kings.

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“Make offerings impartially and with the utmost sincerity.
Practice goodness and benefit others to repay the [Fourfold] Grace.
Respect the heavens and love the earth to amass blessed conditions.
These are the true offerings to repay the Buddha’s great grace.”

Over these past few days, we have been very happily taking joy in [Sariputra’s] merits, even though it has been over 2000 years. When Sakyamuni Buddha predicted that Sariputra would be able to attain Buddhahood in the future, it was a form of blessing and also a promise that the land in which Sariputra will attain Buddhahood will be very magnificent, with Bodhisattvas as its great treasures. When everyone heard this, they felt very happy. Not only were they happy and wished him well, they also felt very fortunate themselves because everyone can attain Buddhahood. Sariputra had received this prediction, so everyone should also have a part in this.

This is what we discussed yesterday. Attaining Buddhahood takes a long period of [spiritual practice]. Therefore, we must “make offerings impartially and with the utmost sincerity.” Previously, we talked about “showing compassion to all equally.” In our spiritual practice, the Buddha teaches us to cultivate compassion and develop great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy and great equanimity. These are the Four Infinite Minds. With great loving-kindness, we consider all sentient beings our loved ones. This is why we unceasingly do good deeds, unceasingly create blessings and blessed karmic connections to be replete with blessings and wisdom. With blessings and wisdom as our two feet, [we walk through] all our lifetimes. Not to mention, in the Sutra of Profound Gratitude toward Parents, the Buddha said, “This pile of white bones was once my mother and father. Not only were they my mother and father once, we were family in lifetime after lifetime.”

Therefore, we often say that when we are giving to other people, we must be grateful to them, because they help us to succeed [in our practice]. The truth of this world is that every sentient being, every single person, regardless of the appearance they manifest, whether they are our virtuous friends or our unwholesome friends, whether they help us to solidify our spiritual aspirations or prevent us from giving rise to faith, we must be grateful to them.

When Sakyamuni Buddha bestowed the prediction of Buddhahood upon. His disciples at this assembly, He also bestowed this prediction on Devadatta. Devadatta was one of the Buddha’s followers who tried to harm the Sangha. He slandered [the Buddha] at every turn, trying his best to break the group apart. Yet the Buddha bestowed this prediction on him. Although Devadatta was not by His side, He still blessed him all the same and bestowed this prediction upon him. Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature,

but we have good, evil and indeterminate [karma]. If afflictions arise in your mind and your mindset changes, then “an ignorant thought creates the Three Subtleties.” When our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body connect with form, sound, scent, taste and touch, this gives rise to desires and leads us to create much karma in the human realm. Thus we endlessly multiply our afflictions. But no matter how many afflictions we give rise to and no matter how much karma we create, our pure intrinsic nature is still there. When causes and conditions mature, we can likewise eliminate ignorance, aspire to engage in spiritual practice and thus attain Buddhahood.

This is [also true of] Devadatta. Although he was an unwholesome friend who spent lifetimes obstructing Sakyamuni Buddha, the Buddha was very understanding and knew. Devadatta was His beneficial adverse condition. So, He was still grateful to him and still considered him family. We must treat everyone in this same way. With a Buddha-mind, when we look at all beings, we see old people as our elderly relatives, people close to our age as our brothers and sisters and people much younger than us as our own children. This is a form of sincerity. Thus the Buddha said, “Show compassion to all equally.”

Everything you give to others is an offering. When we give material things with the utmost sincerity and reverence, that is like making an offering. With the utmost sincerity, we will treat everyone impartially. If we can achieve this state, then we are walking the Bodhisattva-path and developing a Buddha-mind.

So, we must spend a long time doing good deeds and benefiting others to repay [the Fourfold] Grace. Indeed, we must give to others with a sense of gratitude. Not only must we give unconditionally, but we must also express our gratitude. Moreover, we must repay [the Fourfold] Grace. We must treat everyone as if they are our parents. Whether they are from our past life or from our current life, we must treat them with a sense of filial piety and gratitude. Or we can treat them all as our virtuous friends or as our teachers. Every person is teaching us something.

If we can forever sustain our initial aspirations, the Buddha will certainly give us a prediction of Buddhahood when He sees us. That is what happened with Sariputra. Once he began forming great aspirations, the Buddha bestowed this prediction upon him. However, this will not come to be for a long time. What will he do for that long period of time? He will do good deeds and benefit others. As he does this, he sees it as repaying grace and is grateful; this is how he gives. For us to attain Buddhahood in the future, we must pave the road ourselves and absorb the spiritual nourishment we need for our wisdom-life to grow.

So, we must do good deeds and benefit others. This is how we repay the Fourfold Grace. Everyone knows the Fourfold Grace, the grace of parents, the grace of teachers, the grace of sentient beings and the grace of heaven and earth. Out of every person who lives in this world, who has not breathed the fresh air that allows us to grow? Who has not relied on the crops of the land to nourish our physical life? Who has not received the grace of the sun and the rain? Thus, we must repay the Fourfold Grace, the grace of parents, the grace of teachers, the grace of the Three Treasures and the grace of sentient beings. There is also the grace of heaven and earth. So, we must “respect the heavens and love the earth to amass good karmic conditions.”

We must cherish all things; by collecting recyclables and doing environmental protection work, we can care for all things. This is respecting the heavens and loving the earth. As we interact with each other, showing each other gratitude and helping each other succeed is how we amass blessed conditions. If we can achieve this, then we are truly making the offerings with which we can repay the Buddha’s great grace. Whatever the Buddha teaches us, we do. Practicing according to the Buddha’s teachings is how we repay His grace.

By developing our wisdom-life, we are repaying the grace of the Three Treasures. We are grateful for the Buddha and the Dharma because the teachings given by the Buddha can purify our hearts and minds. We must also be grateful to the Sangha. Engaging in spiritual practice alone, one may easily become lax. So, monastic practitioners must gather together. This is the grace of the Three Treasures. For the Dharma to flourish in the human realm, there must be a Sangha. Therefore, we must repay the Three Treasures.

Once we accept the Buddha’s teachings, the Buddha’s Dharmakaya will be part of our wisdom-life. So, we must turn the Dharma-wheel because the Buddha came to the world for one great cause. As His disciples, we are His heirs. So, working “for Buddha’s teachings, for sentient beings” is our fundamental responsibility.

“For Buddha’s teachings” means we must help the Dharma remain in this world and widely spread the seeds of goodness. This is what we do “for Buddha’s teachings. For sentient beings” means that we must dedicate ourselves to helping other people. The Dharma and principles the Buddha taught must be passed on one by one. Thus, we are the heirs of the Buddha, those who will continue the Dharma-lineage. This is our mission, so we must transmit the Dharma and turn the Dharma-wheel. This is a true offering; this offering is to repay the Buddha’s great grace.

When parents have children, they have very high hopes for them. They do not ask much from them; they just hope they will be well-behaved and earnestly study, so that they will make positive contributions to society. This is all that parents want for their children. If we can do this, we can repay our parents’ grace. By the same principle, we must use this kind of “true offering to repay the Buddha’s great grace.” In doing this, we will attain realizations and also benefit others. This is really worth celebrating, so we must have this sense of reverence.

The previous sutra passage states,

“The assembly, seeing Sariputra, in the presence of the Buddha, receive the prediction of attaining. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, felt great joy and boundless jubilance. Each removed their outer garment and presented it as an offering to the Buddha.”

This is the previous passage in the sutra. As we have said, they were all very happy. They were happy for Sariputra and felt fortunate that if they made an effort to engage in spiritual practice, then they, too, would attain Buddhahood. Whether they were heavenly beings, humans or one of the eight classes of Dharma-protectors, they all took joy in Sariputra’s merits. They were so happy they took off their outer garments as an offering; the garments all whirled through the air.

The next sutra passage states,

“Sakro-Devanam Indra, King Brahma and so on, with countless heavenly lords, also used wonderful celestial garments, celestial Mandarava flowers, Mahamandarava flowers and so on to make offerings to the Buddha. The celestial garments they tossed aloft remained suspended in the air and spun around by themselves.”

This passage mentions that, aside from humans, heavenly beings and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors all being happy [for Sariputra], even Sakro-Devanam Indra, King Brahma and many heavenly lords were all present at this Dharma-assembly. They were all very happy, so happy that heavenly maidens scattered flowers. Aside from using celestial robes as offerings, they also scattered many flowers. There were “celestial Mandarava flowers. Celestial Mandarava flowers” are soft flowers. They are very beautiful flowers. Some are red and some are white; some are large and some are small. The large flowers are Mahamandarava flowers. “Maha” means big. They are very soft and very pretty, and fell down from the heavens like that. They were used as offerings for the Buddha.

This is a description of that joyous state. Flowers were floating in the air, as were so many precious treasures, celestial garments and so on. They were brightly colored, spinning in the air. This signified a celebratory state. They celebrated the prediction bestowed upon Sariputra. Like any festive occasion in the human realm, there were many decorations and the air was full of excitement. This signified that it was a joyous occasion.

Who is Sakro-Devanam Indra? He is the lord of Trayastrimsa Heaven.

Trayastrimsa Heaven: Sakro-Devanam Indra is the lord of these 33 heavens, abbreviated as Sakra or Indra. There were 33 people who cultivated exceptional karma to be reborn in this heaven together and live on the top of Mt. Sumeru. In each of the four directions there are eight palaces. In the center is Indra’s palace. Indra is the king of this heaven. Those in this heaven cultivated blessed karma from upholding precepts and giving. They are superior to those in the four heavens of the heavenly kings.

Trayastrimsa Heaven, as we know, is made up of 33 heavens. There is a story behind these heavens.

Once, there was a very affluent woman. She was very wealthy and very reverent. One day, she saw a very old stupa, which was already falling apart. She saw a Buddha statue inside that had been worn down by the elements. She could not bear this sight, so she sought the help of her 32 good friends. They all pooled their money and were thus able to hire many workers to completely renovate the stupa and sculpt a new golden statue of the Buddha. As a result, many came to believe in the Dharma. She accumulated much merit from what she gave in that one lifetime. Besides rebuilding stupas and temples, she unceasingly did good deeds, benefited others and propagated the Dharma. Based on these merits, she was given a place in Trayastrimsa Heaven.

This heaven lies above the four heavens of the four heavenly kings 1 day in this heaven is 100 years in our realm and their heavenly lifespan is 1000 years. So, those in Trayastrimsa Heaven have long lifespans and great blessings. Because she did good deeds and benefited others and motivated others to do the same thing, this woman led so many people [to that heaven]. This is at the summit of Mt. Sumeru, above the four heavens of the four heavenly kings. There are 33 cities in this heaven. One in the middle and 32 cities around it. The 32 cities are divided into north, south, east and west. In each direction, there are eight palaces 4 times 8 is 32. The palace in the middle is Indra’s because he is the king of this heaven. So, the heavenly lord of Trayastrimsa Heaven, Sakro-Devanam Indra, is also known as the lord of the Thirty-three Heavens. This is Sakro-Devanam Indra.

Then there is King Brahma. King Brahma is the lord of the Saha World. He engaged in purifying practices, thus he became king of the Brahma heavens. He was very protective of all beings. He was also very respectful of the Buddha. So, he was also at this assembly and celebrated that Sariputra received the prediction of Buddhahood.

Therefore, as Buddhist practitioners we must cultivate our minds. As long as our resolve is strong, we can withstand the many challenges posed by the maras. This is also the challenge faced by King Brahma. So, by overcoming great difficulties, we can also be respected by all in Three Realms.

Whether Sakro-Devanam Indra or King Brahma, all of the heavenly lords were joyous and reverent. With Mandarava flowers, they showed their utmost respect.

The celestial robes of these heavenly beings were truly very gorgeous and very soft. With these garments of the highest quality, they made offerings. They also scattered flowers to show respect. The celestial garments that were tossed aloft remained in the air for a long time, whirling in that space. This shows the reverence of heavenly beings. Because they had this great reverence, they made these kinds of offerings. These offerings expressed utmost reverence; they stayed in the air without scattering, spinning by themselves.

We humans must have the same mindset. These are more than material offerings; these represent their happiness and joy that there was one person at this Dharma-assembly who had already received the Buddha’s affirmation. The Buddha had bestowed this prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra, so everyone took joy in this. This showed they all had the same mindset and their hearts were as one. In the whole world, everyone’s hearts and minds are equal. The Buddha, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, taught everyone to show compassion to all equally. This comes from “making offerings impartially and with utmost reverence.”

When we engage in spiritual practice, we must show compassion to all equally. With this true impartiality, we must earnestly make offerings at all times. We constantly make offerings by doing good deeds and benefiting others. Only by giving to others with the feeling that we are repaying them can we treat everyone equally. We even respect the heavens and love the earth to amass blessed conditions. This is the greatest offering we can make to the Buddha. Everyone, this is definitely not difficult. By making an offering with utmost reverence, we express our respect for ourselves and constantly give to others with gratitude, respect and love. Isn’t this the greatest offering we can make? Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 512 – A Heart Filled With Jubilance for Others

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>> “Becoming replete with blessings and wisdom, leads to infinite joy. The convergence of causes and conditions brings happiness and delight. This perfect enlightenment manifests as great freedom. Our hearts are filled with jubilance for others receiving predictions of Buddhahood.”

>> So, “At that time, the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, along with heavenly beings, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas and so on….”

>> [The assembly] “saw Sariputra, in the presence of the Buddha, receive the prediction of attaining. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi and felt great joy and boundless jubilance. Each removed their outer garment and presented it as an offering to the Buddha.”

>> Sariputra was the leader of all Hearers and known by all. At this time, in the presence of the Buddha, he received the Buddha’s prediction that in the future he would attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

>> “At this time, in the presence of the Buddha, he received the Buddha’s prediction that in the future he would attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

>> When those who gathered at that assembly, the heavenly beings, humans and the rest, heard the Buddha bestow the prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra, they felt happy for themselves and for others. The happiness and delight that arises internally is joy. The delight that is manifested externally is jubilance.

>> They felt such great excitement that they removed one of their garments as an offering to the Buddha. This was a demonstration of their reverence for the magnificent Buddha-body.

>> The celestial garments whirled in the air to mark that spiritual, auspicious occasion. This shows that those listening to the Lotus Sutra had the pure heart to transcend the Four Forms of Birth. They could amass wondrous principles, go between the Three Realms and had compassion for living beings; they could not bear to let them be affected by external phenomena and conditions.

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“Becoming replete with blessings and wisdom, leads to infinite joy.
The convergence of causes and conditions brings happiness and delight.
This perfect enlightenment manifests as great freedom.
Our hearts are filled with jubilance for others receiving predictions of Buddhahood.”

To attain Buddhahood, we must cultivate and perfect both blessings and wisdom. If we do so, we will gradually draw closer to our pure intrinsic Tathagata-nature. Because our minds and our intrinsic nature are equal to that of the Buddha, it is therefore often said, “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in their nature].”

We are all equal. But we unenlightened beings have given rise to one ignorant thought that has caused this huge difference. Over many lifetimes and countless kalpas, our ignorance and habitual tendencies have continued to grow. We have no control over our rebirth. We have no idea where we will be born. How did our previous lives lead us here? Where will we go when we leave this life? We do not know, but if we have the karmic conditions to encounter the Buddha-Dharma, even if we live in the least ideal, the poorest and the most distressing places, we can still see the light of dawn every day.

Take Africa, for example. In that place, people there are truly living in poverty and are looked down upon by other people. Though they live that kind of life, there is a group of Bodhisattvas who have spread the Dharma in these countries. This group of Bodhisattvas from Taiwan ended up in that place. Though they went there for business reasons, causes and conditions came together. These causes and conditions allowed them to bring this love from Taiwan to South Africa.

After almost 20 years of hard work, local Bodhisattvas have emerged. With more people, they have more strength, so [in 2013], for their winter relief distributions, they not only went to Zimbabwe and Lesotho, but also Swaziland and Mozambique. [Volunteers from] these five countries distributed the rice from Taiwan to people in their countries.

In Mozambique, because of the [invitation from]. Denise Tsai and her husband, starting [2012], South African Bodhisattva[-volunteers] went there to sow the seeds of Tzu Chi. This couple has been working to cultivate them. The distribution in August of this year was really possible thanks to them. Denise’s husband, Dino, started a group of “Facebook volunteers.” This group of volunteers was a very great help and helped a lot with [transportation]. August 12th was the day the distribution was going to be held in Matendene.

We are very grateful to Michael Pan, Wende Lai, John Wu and many other. Taiwanese Tzu Chi volunteers in Africa. This group of volunteers helped to lead the South African volunteers in Swaziland. After the relief distribution there was over, they immediately rushed to Mozambique for the second day of distributions, which was going to be in Matendene. When they arrived,

that increased the number of volunteers. Then there were also the “Facebook volunteers,” so suddenly there were a lot of people [to help]. Denise started to worry about this; how could they [get] so many people there? She initially wanted to reduce the number of people, but luckily Michael Pan reminded her that. “We can think of ways to arrange transportation so that people can come. We must not lose these seeds of love.” With that, they began to squeeze more people into the same number of cars. The people there are on the “wider” side, so this was very difficult.

The local volunteers close to Matendene said, “We can walk instead.” So, before sunrise, those who lived closer, about four or five kilometers away, walked there and arrived quite early. The trucks carrying the rice also arrived, but they could not make the climb to the distribution location, because the roads were made of gravel and were especially narrow. So, the trucks carrying such heavy loads could not get close to the distribution site. What could they do?

Luckily, there were so many people, including the local residents. They stood in a line of over 80 meters, that even crossed over two walls. Then they [passed the rice] from person to person, all the way down the line. In the videos that they took, we can see a very, very long line. This line of people was truly quite long. Bag after bag of rice seemed to fly down the line. They seemed to float through the air. This was truly a magnificent sight to behold. It was fortunate so many Bodhisattvas appeared at the last minute; thus it was possible to unload so many truckloads of rice in a very short period of time and get them to the distribution site. This was incredible.

See, having the will to do this [can move us forward like] our two feet. With blessings and wisdom as our feet, when we use both together, no matter how long it takes, no matter how far we need to travel, as long as we have love in our hearts, we will definitely reach our destination. Actually, those conducting the distribution did not want it to end. When the volunteers saw how happy people were, they also rejoiced and were willing to continue dedicating themselves. This kind of love and wisdom, and the deep happiness that comes from giving, give rise to infinite joy. So, “Becoming replete with blessings and wisdom leads to infinite joy.”

As they saw the number of volunteers continuing to increase, the happiness they felt was indeed “the convergence of causes and conditions that brings happiness and delight.” Isn’t this kind of human nature equal to that of the Buddha? It is “the manifestation of perfect enlightenment.” When all are replete with blessings and wisdom, the purity and joy in their mind is “great freedom.” They will feel very happy and free. So, “Our hearts are filled with jubilance for others receiving predictions of Buddhahood.” Isn’t this passage in the Lotus Sutra describing just such a state?

In the previous sutra passage, the Buddha had already bestowed the prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra. He gave Sariputra His blessings. “This will be your attainment in the future. Your reward-land in the future will be so prosperous. Those whom you will teach and transform will all be Bodhisattvas, so you should rejoice.”

So, “At that time, the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas, along with heavenly beings, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas and so on….”

As we explained before, this is the fourfold assembly and eight classes. These humans, heavenly beings, Dharma-protectors and so on were all very joyful.

The next passage of the sutra states,

[The assembly] “saw Sariputra, in the presence of the Buddha, receive the prediction of attaining. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi and felt great joy and boundless jubilance. Each removed their outer garment and presented it as an offering to the Buddha.”

This sutra passage is expressing that, while seeing someone receiving such a prediction, they were all very happy because they rejoiced in others’ accomplishments. This was because Sariputra had received the prediction of Buddhahood.

Sariputra was the leader of the Hearers. Everyone was familiar with him. All of the Buddha’s disciples were all familiar with Sariputra. This was because Sariputra was the leader of the Hearers in the Sangha and because he was foremost in wisdom. Thus everyone knew and respected him.

Sariputra was the leader of all Hearers and known by all. At this time, in the presence of the Buddha, he received the Buddha’s prediction that in the future he would attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

At this assembly,

“At this time, in the presence of the Buddha, he received the Buddha’s prediction that in the future he would attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

Now the Buddha predicted that Sariputra would realize supreme, universal, perfect enlightenment. In the future, he could be awakened, but he still had a long way to go before he could attain supreme, universal, perfect enlightenment. He has to go among people and continue to give. By engaging in spiritual cultivation in this way, he will accumulate many blessings and wisdom until he is replete with them. At that time, he will attain supreme, universal, perfect enlightenment. So, going among people is the fuel for our awakening.

This is just like what I told you a few days ago, about how the lotus grows from the mud and how it beautifies the mud. Similarly, among the people, there are many Bodhisattvas who are brightening up the human realm. We were just talking about South Africa. If we just think about South Africa, we think about how difficult people’s lives are. But now we have heard about such dedicated local Bodhisattvas[-volunteers]. They are not afraid to travel far. They are of the same ethnicity and as poor as the rest of the population. Now, incredibly, there are so many of these people who are jubilant at the idea of doing good deeds. They feel a deep joy and are unafraid of hard work. They are willing to help carry [the rice]; those who have cars lend their cars and those who have strength lend their strength. See, they are the lotuses that bloom in the mud.

In Taiwan, for example, we do not take pride in anything except for our kindness and love. The power of love, the seeds of love and the spirit of love have continuously been spread from this place. We sow seeds of goodness throughout the world. This is because we have the will. So, “supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment” is what we are all striving for.

Why do we give? Because when we are among people, we see suffering and recognize our blessings, and thus we feel very content. Content means we have more than enough, and so we feel like we have the power to help others. Whether what we can give is physical strength or is in the form of material goods, we are willing to offer it to others. This is the beauty [we see in] the human realm. This beauty lies in the power generated by the energy of love.

As for the world we live in, how can we purify it? How can we bring hope to it? With a loving heart. As we continually bring the love in people’s hearts together, blessings and wisdom will crystallize. Then the world can be pure as crystal.

To attain Buddhahood, we must realize the principles of all things in the universe, which is to attain supreme, universal, perfect enlightenment. We must turn our minds from the minds of ordinary people into the minds of Bodhisattvas and practice the Bodhisattva-path. Everything we see and hear in the world adds to our knowledge. When the Chinese character for “sun,” representing the light of dawn, is combined with the character for “knowledge” it becomes the character for “wisdom.” When our wisdom converges with the universe, we will attain enlightenment. So, we must cultivate goodness, benefit others and form good karmic connections. Sariputra still has to go through a long period of practice before he can attain Buddhahood.

In that assembly, he was the foremost in wisdom and known to all. So, when everyone heard that. Sariputra received the prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha, they all rejoiced on his behalf; they “felt great joy and boundless jubilance.” In that assembly, everyone became joyful from what they had heard. Not only were they happy for Sariputra, they also felt more confidence in themselves. They were also the Buddha’s disciples, and felt, “Since Sariputra received predictions, I will also receive the Buddha’s predictions.” So, they became joyful. They were happy for Sariputra, but actually they were also happy for themselves and each other. “Not only will I also receive such a prediction, others will also receive theirs in turn.” Everyone will have a chance.

When those who gathered at that assembly, the heavenly beings, humans and the rest, heard the Buddha bestow the prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra, they felt happy for themselves and for others. The happiness and delight that arises internally is joy. The delight that is manifested externally is jubilance.

People felt that kind of happiness when Sariputra received the Buddha’s prediction. “In the future, it will be my turn, in the future, it will also be others’ turns.” They felt happy and delighted for each other. How should they express this great joy? These heavenly beings wanted to express their joy, their great excitement. When the door to happiness opened, they were truly very happy. So, they removed one of their garments as an offering to the Buddha. This expressed their happiness and excitement.

They felt such great excitement that they removed one of their garments as an offering to the Buddha. This was a demonstration of their reverence for the magnificent Buddha-body.

Some nobles also removed one of their elegant garments. They did this to express their happiness. At college graduation, some students throw their caps into the air. Isn’t this also an expression of their happiness? These heavenly beings, in the same way, removed one of their garments as an offering. Could the Buddha actually wear these garments? He could not. But this represents a happy atmosphere. Removing this garment expressed how happy they really were. This let the Buddha know they were all happy. When students at their graduation ceremony throw their caps into the air, it means the same thing. This conveys the magnificence and joy of this occasion. These beings wanted the Buddha to know that they were rejoicing in others’ accomplishments.

The garments whirled in the air. They all had beautiful garments that they removed and threw into the air; everyone threw their garments in the air. One could see garments of all different colors whirling in the air. Similarly, at the distribution, when the trucks were not able to get through, people had to form a line to pass on the rice. From afar it looked as if the bags of rice were floating in air.

The celestial garments whirled in the air to mark that spiritual, auspicious occasion. This shows that those listening to the Lotus Sutra had the pure heart to transcend the Four Forms of Birth. They could amass wondrous principles, go between the Three Realms and had compassion for living beings; they could not bear to let them be affected by external phenomena and conditions.

This kind of happiness is an auspicious appearance arising from the heart. It is an analogy for what happened to those who heard the Lotus Sutra. They “had the pure heart to transcend the Four Forms of Birth.” After listening to these teachings, they were happy. The Four Forms of Birth, as we all know, are egg-born, womb-born, moisture-born and transformation-born. These are the Four Forms of Birth. Only humans can achieve [this transcendence]. Humans can help others. Humans can do good deeds, benefit others, form good karmic connections and feel this kind of happiness. Their hearts were already filled with joy. By giving unconditionally, they could bring wondrous principles together in their minds. When wondrously profound principles converge, they “could go between the Three Realms,” the form realm, formless realm and desire realm. Thus they “had compassion for living beings and could not bear to let them be affected by external phenomena and conditions.” Because they felt happy, they could not bear to let others remain in the Saha World and be influenced by its tangible and intangible changes. I often say that every day we can hear and see that the macrocosm of the world is out of balance and the earth is being harmed. The Buddha comes here for one great cause, in the hope that true principles will penetrate people’s minds. When people take them to heart and then put them into practice, they create an auspicious celebration for the world, a very happy occasion.

The Buddha feels compassion for living beings, so He cannot bear to let them suffer from changes in “external phenomena and conditions.” The formation, existence, decay and disappearance of material things are due to the workings of people’s minds. So, we must expound the Dharma to bring purity to people’s minds so that everyone is willing to give to others. Then everyone can help each other to reinforce this pure and undefiled state of mind. That will be the most beautiful world. Achieving this is not impossible. When everyone’s minds are purified, then this world will naturally be a pure land. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 511 – Understand the Mind and Principles of the Buddha

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>> “By understanding the Buddha’s mind, we can be in accord with true principles. With great compassion, we go among the people. With the power of great wisdom, we understand Right Dharma. With great blessings, we attain freedom and ease.”

>> “The Two-Footed Honored One, shall be supreme and without peer. He will be none other than you, so you should rejoice and feel fortunate.”

>> “At that time, the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas [were there].”

>> “Heavenly beings, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas and so on.”

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“By understanding the Buddha’s mind, we can be in accord with true principles.
With great compassion, we go among the people.
With the power of great wisdom, we understand Right Dharma.
With great blessings, we attain freedom and ease.”

I want to emphasize again to everyone that as we learn the Buddha’s teachings we need right understanding and right views. Only then can our minds be in accord with the Buddha’s mind.

In the Buddha’s past spiritual practice, He spent countless kalpas in the presence of trillions of Buddhas. Over countless lifetimes, He never stopped doing good deeds, benefiting others and forming good karmic connections. He continuously accumulated these things. Why? For the sake of delivering sentient beings. Forming karmic connections with sentient beings to transform them, this is the Buddha’s mind.

He comes to this world for one great cause and with a mind of great wisdom. His mind must fully and perfectly encompass the true principles of all things in the universe. Lifetime after lifetime, He unceasingly cultivated blessings and wisdom until He reached His “final body,” which is when He finally manifested the appearance of a Buddha. So, for a Buddha to manifest in this world is not easy. Thus we say it is rare to encounter a Buddha.

“By understanding the Buddha’s mind, we can be in accord with true principles,” which are the principles of Absolute Truth. We have to be able to come together with the Buddha’s mind and wisdom. Not only must we understand the Buddha’s mind, we must also be in accord with the truth that He has realized. This is why we must learn the Buddha’s teachings and. His “great compassion, [going] among the people.”

If we have wisdom, we will take good care of our minds as, with great compassion, we go among people to help those who are suffering, both from tangible suffering and intangible suffering. Intangible suffering refers to afflictions. Tangible suffering is the lack of material resources. Both tangible and intangible suffering are unbearable. We may be willing to help them, but we must first have the power of great wisdom and understand Right Dharma before interacting with them so that we will not confused or defiled. This is why we have to work hard.

This hard work is necessary for achieving great blessings. For us to have great blessings, we must form many good karmic connections. Only by accumulating blessings and wisdom can we be at ease and come and go freely. Then whether we are going among people or returning to our intrinsic nature, we can do so with great freedom and ease. We have to be able to go among people without being defiled by them. Thus, “with great blessings, we attain freedom and ease.”

Yesterday, I shared with everyone that. Living Bodhisattvas go among the people and into places with the greatest suffering. Yesterday, we talked about Mozambique. Initially, to carry out our work in this country, many causes and conditions had to come together. After causes and conditions converged, we were able to make a start. We planted seeds of goodness and opened up a road [for helping people].

We also felt very happy as we listened yesterday. Normally, in Mozambique, once it is dark, everyone goes to sleep. But they had taken the Dharma into their hearts, so they wanted to help others by unloading the rice. Normally, they may not eat rice even once a year. Yet, they moved over 2000 bags [of it], each weighing over ten kilograms. In less than two hours, they finished moving them. Everyone still had the energy to sing and dance until it was past midnight. They had this kind of spirit because after receiving [our] help once, they took our love into their hearts and discovered their own spiritual wealth. This kind of spiritual wealth [comes from] the power of the Dharma. So, now it is they who are carrying rice to help others.

This time, they were helping 500 households. These are households of people with AIDS. Some people were not strong enough, so the volunteers immediately walked them to a cooler place where they could wait. Older people also received gentle assistance; volunteers steadied and guided them, and took care of them while they waited. Those who came to receive aid were very orderly. Those who handed out the rice wished people well, those who received it expressed their gratitude. This is how, “with great compassion, we go among the people.” We saw this in the first district where they

conducted the winter relief distribution [of 2013]. Then they crossed into another district; they have begun crossing into other districts, expanding out of their own district to continue their relief efforts. The district of Matendene, [where they held the next distribution,] is very poor and needed our winter relief distribution. Denise Tsai led a group of volunteers into this community. Every day, she carried a computer and brought a chair with her and went among these people to spread the seeds of goodness in this community.

At any time, she could connect to the internet and use the computer to show them how Tzu Chi has conducted distributions in countries around the world. She could also show that, in Mozambique, Tzu Chi had held distributions both last year and this year. She showed these images to everyone and shared about the Tzu Chi spirit with everybody. At the same time, she reminded everyone there that they can be the rich among the poor and can help people who are even poorer than they are, and that the joy of helping others is greater than that of receiving material goods. The volunteers working with Denise had received our help in the past and after having been helped, are now helping others. They are a living example of the cycle of love. Now they are going among people to spread the seeds of goodness.

The next time Denise Tsai went to that community, she brought her daughter. As soon as she arrived there, she saw the children there tying string to small sheets of plastic or plastic bags and flying them in the wind. Watching these children sitting on the ground while they flew these “kites,” she held her child’s hand and thought, “We are so fortunate!”

We often say that we “witness suffering to recognize our blessings.” Those of us who are blessed should not give up on the one great cause. Denise Tsai led her child and took her computer as she went into the poorest communities. For what? For the one great cause, her mission. That is why she is doing all this. Many touching stories have come out of our relief work in Mozambique.

For example, during the preparation stage, her husband received a call from his hometown. He learned that his mother was seriously ill. After receiving this news from 1500km away, he wondered if he should go back and see his mother, or if he should spend these couple of days taking care of all the details for the event. The new volunteers had to be trained and the new rules for the distribution must be clear so that everything would happen smoothly. The culture of holding a distribution takes time and attention to communicate; it requires a lot of training and so on.

But after hearing about his mother’s illness, what could he do? Denise and her husband felt that if his mother’s situation became critical, they absolutely had to go back. They immediately stepped up the training and told them, “You have to pay close attention. I have to tend to something in my family, so I may not be here with you that day. But, I have confidence in all of you that you absolutely can carry out this mission. Everything will happen perfectly.” Denise continued to encourage them in this way.

The day before the distribution, her husband said to her, “Although my mother is seriously ill, for now, she remains in a stable condition.” With the Tzu Chi spirit in him, he said, “Let us set aside personal love for great love. At a moment like this, we should have a broad view of things. There are so many people in need, and for Mozambique, it is rare to have such a big shipment of goods that can be distributed to the poorest people. This is very important for Mozambique. In particular, this love comes to us from Taiwan. Also, the Bodhisattva[-volunteers] from South Africa have repeatedly come here to pave this road for us and to guide us. Now is the time to show our spirit of great love. This is the time to demonstrate it.” So, he decided to set aside personal love and live out great love.

The relief distribution was very successful and the volunteers were very organized. Also, something very rare happened there. Because they often listened to the Dharma, they knew that in the seventh lunar month, our focus is on filial piety. In Mozambique, they do not have traditions relating to this month but because of the example we set in Taiwan, by explaining that it is a most auspicious month and one for being filial, they made a decision to lead the young people to pay their respects to their elders.

So, at the location of the distribution, they advocated washing the feet of elders. In that place, during the distribution, some volunteers led these young people to do this for their elders. They prepared the water, lined up the chairs and led the elders to sit down. Holding the containers of water, they knelt down and then began washing their feet. Some led their own parents to the chairs. After the parents’ feet were washed, the parents and children embraced. This was shocking; in Mozambique this had never had [this ceremony] before.

When these people looked down and saw that bag of rice in their arms, they felt this was something they never had before. But then, they saw young people kneeling down to wash the feet of their parents and afterwards, [embraced them]; parents and children hugged each other. This was a kind of scene that they had never experienced before in their lives, had never heard about and had never seen.

You can imagine this; in a place like Mozambique, they were able to carry out these distributions in a way that was so abundant with Dharma. Furthermore, these things were unprecedented. Think about it, without the Buddha’s mind, how could this be achieved? If people had not been in accord with the principles, how could they have accomplished this? How could they lead a big group of people to create such an orderly and beautiful state? This comes from a heart of great compassion; they are willing to go among people. There is nowhere they will not go; no one they will not transform. No wonder Denise carried a computer and a chair to go among these people on a daily basis. Every day, she spread the seeds of goodness.

This power comes from great wisdom. This kind of spirit is truly very admirable. Because she has understood Right Dharma, she wanted to extend the Jing Si Dharma-lineage all the way to Mozambique. This was her vow; she will open up the Tzu Chi [path] of going among the people to help. This means that people there can do good deeds and create blessings. Denise herself felt very at ease. The more poor people she saw, the more fortunate she felt she was. Hers is not the only story to emerge from there. There are many more. So, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, this is what we must learn to do.

The previous sutra passage states,

“The Two-Footed Honored One, shall be supreme and without peer. He will be none other than you, so you should rejoice and feel fortunate.”

In this previous sutra passage, when the Buddha bestowed this prediction, He told Sariputra that in the incalculably [distant] future, after trillions of kalpas, he will attain Buddhahood. The most important thing is [what he does during] these countless kalpas. This period of time is very important, and it includes the time we are now living in. Sariputra has already repeatedly returned to the human realm to go among people to do good deeds, benefit others and form good connections. Perhaps among our Tzu Chi volunteers, Sariputra is also present.

The Sariputra of Sakyamuni Buddha’s lifetime will spend this long period of time creating blessings and cultivating wisdom. Over this very long period of time, he will become the Two-Footed Honored One, and “shall be supreme and without peer.” Among the Bodhisattvas, he will be the most exceptional and attain enlightenment as Flower Light Buddha.

“Who is Flower Light Tathagata? It is you, Sariputra. Sariputra, you should be very happy and have even more confidence in yourself to go among people.”

He also needed to make the Four Great Vows. As I have told everyone, the Four Great Vows are the original vows of all Buddhas. Every single Buddha must carry them out. “I vow to deliver countless sentient beings. I vow to eliminate endless afflictions. I vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors. I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.” No matter how long it takes, they must carry out these vows, lifetime after lifetime. Day after day, they must go among the people. This is the one great cause of a Bodhisattva. Didn’t we see this in Mozambique?

When the Buddha bestowed the prediction of Buddhahood on Sariputra,

“At that time, the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, upasikas [were there].”

These comprised the fourfold assembly. There were also the eight classes,

“Heavenly beings, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas and so on.”

So many people were in that place, witnessing this for Sariputra. Knowing that Sariputra was able to receive the prediction of Buddhahood, knowing that this was possible for Sariputra, made them all feel this would be possible for them. So, who would be next to receive this prediction?

The Buddha was nearing the end of His life. For the sake of the one great cause, He spent over 40 years using various skillful means to guide people to an understanding of “awakening.” Everyone has an awakened nature. Everyone needs to understand the law of karma. After everyone understood it, He took the next stop of telling them, “You, you, you and you, every one of you can attain Buddhahood.”

For people to attain Buddhahoood, He must first give them a prediction of attainment. So-and-so will have to spend a very long period of time doing certain kinds of things, practicing good deeds, benefiting others and forming good karmic connections. Then in the future, he will attain Buddhahood. After he is replete with blessings and wisdom, and his causes and conditions have matured, he will attain Buddhahood. He will be the leader of his reward-land.

Take Sakyamuni Buddha, for example. His reward-land was the Saha World. This was because of His vow to be here at the most critical moment, prior to the most turbid eras in the human realm, to begin teaching and transforming sentient beings. So, I often share the saying, “Buddhahood must be attained in this world.” Teaching the Dharma in this turbid world is what Sakyamuni Buddha vowed to do. This is a time when people’s minds need to be purified. So, in our communities there is a need for Bodhisattvas who have [vowed] to help in this world.

Sariputra will also return to this world. He will spend a very long time going among the people. At the same time, he must keep his mind pure. Only with bright and clear wisdom can he go among people and not be defiled by them. By coming back repeatedly he will form many good karmic connections. In the future, replete with blessings and wisdom and having awakened himself and others, he will complete the path to Buddhahood.

Everyone, to learn the Buddha’s teachings, we should do the same. It is very difficult to compare ourselves to people who lived over 2000 years ago. We can compare ourselves to what is currently taught, how people currently live, what people currently suffer from and the aspirations people currently form. Look, Mozambique is a place of great hardship. In this poor country in Africa, there are actually Bodhisattvas like this there. Aren’t they truly Living Bodhisattvas? Aren’t they very precious? Aren’t they fulfilling the Buddha’s one great cause in the human realm? With great compassion, they go among the people. This is not merely a description; this is real life. The power of their wisdom is truly admirable.

In summary, regardless of the country, Tzu Chi’s seeds can be found there. The Bodhisattva[-volunteers] in South Africa and in Zimbabwe are also very exceptional. Living Bodhisattvas are like seeds; one gives rise to infinity and infinity arises from one. So, dear Bodhisattvas, we must all aspire to be Bodhisattvas. We must have absolute confidence. It is not impossible as long as we are always mindful.

Episode 510 – Wisdom-life Grows with Sustained Radiance

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>> “Passing the flame from lamp to lamp brightens the illumination on the path. This radiance is sustained from light to light as our wisdom-life grows. Be mindful of the path from thought to thought and transmit the Dharma-lineage. Predictions are passed from Buddha to Buddha so all feel great joy.”

>> The Buddha said: One who beholds another in the practice of giving and then feels joyful after assisting him will gain great blessings. A sramana asked: Would the blessings of the giver be diminshed? The Buddha said: It is like the fire of a torch. If hundreds or even thousands of people would each come with a torch to be ignited by that flame, [then each of these torches] could be used to cook meals and keep a house brightly lit without diminishing the original flame. And so it is the same with these blessings. The Sutra of the Forty-Two Sections.

>> “When Right Dharma becomes extinct, Dharma-semblance will last for 32 kalpas. That Buddha’s sariras will circulate widely; heavenly beings and humans everywhere will make offerings to them. The deeds of Flower Light Buddha will be as I have stated.”

>> “The Two-Footed Honored One shall be supreme and without peer. He will be none other than you, so you should rejoice and feel fortunate.”

>> Ending a section with this verse brings joy. [The Buddha] told Sariputra: Since you have attained my prediction that you will become a Buddha in the future, you should feel glad. This is clearly one of the conclusions from this Dharma-assembly.

>> So, “At that time, the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas, along with heavenly beings, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas and so on….”

>> How humans, heavenly beings and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors all gathered together to reverently witness. Sakyamuni Buddha bestowing the prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra.

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“Passing the flame from lamp to lamp brightens the illumination on the path.
This radiance is sustained from light to light as our wisdom-life grows.
Be mindful of the path from thought to thought and transmit the Dharma-lineage.
Predictions are passed from Buddha to Buddha so all feel great joy.”

In learning the Buddha Dharma, we must follow the Buddha’s teachings and light a lamp in this evil world of Five Turbidities. How bright can the light from one lamp be? If even one lamp can be lit, everyone can take the unlit candle of their mind and, by bringing it to the flame of this lamp, can light it in turn. Then it can light another lamp, and another. This is how the flame is passed from lamp to lamp. In this way, the Saha World, a place that is so turbid and dark, will have all its roads illuminated, along with their surrounding area.

This is a passage that we read in the sutras.

The Buddha said: One who beholds another in the practice of giving and then feels joyful after assisting him will gain great blessings. A sramana asked: Would the blessings of the giver be diminshed? The Buddha said: It is like the fire of a torch. If hundreds or even thousands of people would each come with a torch to be ignited by that flame, [then each of these torches] could be used to cook meals and keep a house brightly lit without diminishing the original flame. And so it is the same with these blessings. The Sutra of the Forty-Two Sections.

Some people believed that they would only benefit from their own practice. “In my spiritual practice, if I give the Dharma to others, if I turn the Dharma-wheel to share the Dharma with others will this diminish [my own attainment]?” They asked the Buddha this question, and the Buddha answered with this analogy. If one lamp has been lit and many people bring their unlit lamps to this place and use this already lit lamp to ignite their flames, then endlessly pass this flame from lamp to lamp, what do you think would happen? Would the original flame become dimmer? No. Would the surrounding area become brighter? Yes.

By the same principle, if we can understand the Dharma and help other people understand it, we can use the Dharma that we connected with to pave a road. If billions of people pave it instead of just one person, very quickly this road will reach its destination and be paved smoothly and without obstruction. So, with the Buddha-Dharma, if everyone can accept [and share] it with the same spirit as lighting a lamp or paving a road, then as the flame is passed from lamp to lamp, won’t that add to the brightness of this road? The road will also be smooth, and the path ahead will be bright.

So, this radiance is sustained from light to light. The light around us grows as the lamps are lit, one after another. This is just like the way our wisdom grows. We all have wisdom in our minds, and we can collectively pool our wisdom. Think about this. If we were surrounded by people full of blessings and wisdom, won’t this place be like Flower Light Tathagata’s world of Great Treasure Adornment?

In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha began to bestow predictions of Buddhahood on all His disciples. Actually, He had the same experience in His own past lives. He also received a prediction of Buddhahood from past Buddhas. Now it was the same for His disciples. All have the opportunity to attain Buddhahood, so “predictions are passed from Buddha to Buddha.” Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature and has the chance to attain Buddhahood; it just depends on how diligent we are.

We must put our hearts into diligent practice. Some can hear one thing and understand one thing. Others can hear one thing and understand ten or even one thousand or tens of thousands of things. For those whose [capabilities] are less sharp, they will comprehend fewer things. If even more dull, they may need to be guided and taught for a very long time to build a gradual understanding. Thus, people attain Buddhahood in a sequence. The sequence is based on their capabilities, their karmic conditions and the severity of their afflictions. For those with severe afflictions, they need to be gradually cleansed with. Dharma-water over a long period of time.

Where do these afflictions come from? We accumulated all of them ourselves. If we can understand the Dharma sooner, we will create fewer afflictions. The sooner we realize the Buddha-Dharma, [the sooner] we can protect ourselves and grow in blessings and wisdom. When our minds are pure, we will not give rise to more ignorance, and we can immediately begin doing good deeds, benefiting others and forming good karmic connections. In this way, our wisdom will grow unceasingly as our afflictions constantly dwindle. So, we must seize our karmic conditions and do the right thing.

I received some information from a Tzu Chi office in another part of the world that moved me deeply. The news was that in Mozambique the warm light of love is already being spread. As lamp after lamp has been lit, in what was a very dark place, they have opened up a [brightly lit] road. Seeing this, joy arose from the bottom of my heart. Of course, this is a long story.

Previously, we have spoken of the first relief distribution [there]. When we held the distribution in Mozambique, Mr. Michael Pan went, leading a large group of South African volunteers. There were seeds originally from Taiwan and those that sprouted in South Africa. This large group of volunteers went to Mozambique to guide the volunteers there. Of course, in delivering rice to Mozambique, there were many kinds of challenges. They were eventually able to solve those problems to get the rice cleared [through customs]. That is another moving story.

Prior to holding the relief distribution, Mr. Pan spent time with them and instructed them in how to guide people [to receive their goods] in an orderly manner, how to conduct the distribution using the facilities of an elementary school, where to place the people, where to position the rice and how to guide people in. With each of these things, he gave them very thorough instructions. Meanwhile, every person involved in the distribution had to be trained. So, the volunteers who were trained during the last distribution, this time now vowed that they would be Tzu Chi volunteers forever.

This was to be the second round of distributions. When this second shipment of rice arrived, they were notified just before 4pm. Denise, [one of our volunteers in Mozambique,] immediately sent out the announcement, and 21 volunteers gathered within an hour. They all arrived at the warehouse before 5pm. They were there, but the truck kept being delayed. However, everyone there was very happy. At almost 7pm, the sky began getting dark so. Denise quickly coordinated people to cook so that the volunteers would have dinner to eat. That way, when all the rice arrived, they would have the energy to move it.

Denise wanted to make full use of this time. So, she connected her computer to the internet so they could hear me speak. Were they able to understand what I was saying? They could not. But when she played the video, they could see my image and hear my voice. Everyone sat there and watched earnestly as. Denise translated the general idea of my words. This made everyone very happy and they took each word of the teachings to heart.

They finished eating, and it was already past 9pm when the truck with the rice finally arrived. It was very late, but everyone was still happy. There were 22 people including Denise. They carried the rice from the truck to the warehouse and stacked it neatly. They did this until almost midnight. The people who told me this story also said that people in Mozambique usually start getting ready for bed at dusk. This is because, in that country, people are very poor. During the day, they may not have a job, so they end up doing nothing. Then after dusk, everyone goes to sleep. But on that day, [though it was late,] everyone was energetic.

They spent over two hours moving 2000 bags of rice. These 22 people moved all of the bags and then stacked them neatly. They did this very happily and sang as they moved their bodies. As they sang, they danced from side to side. We can recall how the South African volunteers also sing as they walk and move their whole bodies. Think about how happy they must have been, even though it was midnight.

Meanwhile, Denise’s husband worked with some volunteers online to share this story and the pictures on the internet. After they uploaded this, they received much praise, and this was only the beginning. What happened next was really amazing. Isn’t this flame being passed from lamp to lamp? In this dark world of poverty and suffering, [Tzu Chi volunteers] are already paving this road and are gradually continuing to spread the light. This radiance spread from Taiwan to South Africa, and then from South Africa to Mozambique.

See, “This radiance is sustained from light to light as our wisdom-life grows.” Everyone was working happily. None of them complained of being tired. That kind of happiness can be described as “jubilance.” Everyone was full of Dharma-joy. When they saw the material goods that were intended to be used to help others, they did not feel any desire for these things. They felt joyful and wished to do more to help. To “be mindful of the path from thought to thought and transmit the Dharma-lineage” is not at all an easy matter.

So, this is what we must learn when we learn the Buddha’s teachings. We learn how, in any era, with sentient beings in any kind of environment, we can relieve people from their suffering. This is truly the one great cause for which the Buddha came to this world.

The previous sutra passage states,

“When Right Dharma becomes extinct, Dharma-semblance will last for 32 kalpas. That Buddha’s sariras will circulate widely; heavenly beings and humans everywhere will make offerings to them. The deeds of Flower Light Buddha will be as I have stated.”

When Right Dharma becomes extinct [in the future], Dharma-semblance will last for 32 small kalpas. Flower Light Buddha will abide in the world for 12 small kalpas. After Flower Light Buddha enters Parinirvana, the sariras from His body and His Dharma will constantly circulate in the human realm.

Next, the sutra passage continues with,

“The Two-Footed Honored One shall be supreme and without peer. He will be none other than you, so you should rejoice and feel fortunate.”

The Buddha said to Sariputra, “Flower Light Buddha is the Two-Footed Honored One, supreme and without peer. He is one who cannot be surpassed by anyone. Who is that great enlightened one? That will be you, Sariputra. When you attain Buddhahood, you will be Flower Light Tathagata in that place. You should be happy about all this.” This was the blessing the Buddha bestowed on him.

Life after life, he will accumulate blessings and wisdom. Blessings and wisdom are the two feet. He will perfect them both. So, an honorable epithet for a Buddha, the most respectful way to address Him, is “the Two-Footed Honored One.” This is because. He is replete with blessings and wisdom. To attain enlightenment, one must be replete with both blessings and wisdom. One who is replete with blessings and wisdom is the most honored among awakened sentient beings. Among Bodhisattvas, the Buddha has surpassed all. So, He is the most honored among two-footed awakened beings.

Thus He is called “the Two-Footed Honored One” and is “supreme and without peer.” The Buddha is unparalleled because He has surpassed everyone else.

The title “Two-Footed Honored One” means the Buddha is replete with blessings and wisdom. This is already [the end] of this section of verse. After the end of the previous prose section, the Buddha restated His meaning in verse.

Ending a section with this verse brings joy. [The Buddha] told Sariputra: Since you have attained my prediction that you will become a Buddha in the future, you should feel glad. This is clearly one of the conclusions from this Dharma-assembly.

Whenever we speak, we must end with a conclusion. So, these verses were the concluding remarks about the prediction of Sariputra’s Buddhahood. Thus, Sariputra had already received the Buddha’s prediction that he would become a Buddha in the future.

This describes the mindset of both teacher and student. The Buddha is the teacher, Sariputra the disciple. After the teacher blessed the disciple, He said, “You must work hard. You need to have confidence in yourself. You should be very happy.” This was very heartfelt advice.

So, “At that time, the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas, along with heavenly beings, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas and so on….”

These are the fourfold assembly and eight classes. At this Dharma-assembly, the fourfold assembly refers to bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas. These comprise the fourfold assembly. The eight classes of Dharma-protector are heavenly beings, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas. Those are the eight classes. The eight classes of Dharma-protectors refers to these eight groups.

This passage is about.

How humans, heavenly beings and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors all gathered together to reverently witness. Sakyamuni Buddha bestowing the prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra.

Upasakas and upasikas were representatives of [laypeople] from different societies and countries, and included everyone from kings and high officials to average citizens, rich and poor, with no regard to caste. All kinds of people were gathered together at that Dharma-assembly. This assembly was held over 40 years after the Buddha began teaching. He wanted for everyone to gather together. This assembly was the time to turn from the Small Vehicle to the Great Vehicle Dharma. This was a very special and grand occasion. So, He described all those who were there. In addition to human beings, many other beings knew that this time, the teaching given by the Buddha would be different from those He had given before. It was to be the great turning of the Great Vehicle Dharma-wheel. So, they came to listen to the Dharma.

You may recall from when we talked about the Introductory Chapter how grand an occasion this Dharma-assembly was. It was not only attended by humans, but also by the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. They also all gathered at that place, so it was an exceptional gathering. There, everyone could witness the Buddha bestowing a prediction of Buddhahood on certain disciples. The sight of this cannot really be described in words, but only by analogy. In summary, it was very grand and magnificent.

This is why one must constantly do good deeds, create blessings and form good karmic connections. Then all will eventually receive such predictions, just some sooner than others. Everyone has the chance to attain Buddhahood. Everyone has a lamp in their minds that has not yet been lit. As the flame is passed from lamp to lamp, this radiance will be sustained from light to light. Thus wisdom-life will grow. Being mindful of the path from thought to thought, the Dharma-lineage can be transmitted and predictions will be passed from Buddha to Buddha. Then everyone will be very happy.

At this Dharma-assembly, everyone was happy and filled with great hope. Everyone hoped to receive the prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha and they all rejoiced on behalf of those who had. This was a very joyous and celebratory assembly. So, we must always be mindful to truly pass along the Dharma. By doing this, the world will become peaceful. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 509 – Make Offerings of Harmony and Reverence

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>> “With the right mindset and Right Dharma, our path will always be right. With long-lasting compassion and great love, we will walk the Bodhi-path. To make offerings of harmony and reverence, we completely dedicate our bodies and life.”

>> “Flower Light Buddha will abide in this world for a lifespan of 12 small kalpas. The people of His kingdom will have a lifespan of eight small kalpas. When that Buddha enters Parinirvana, Right Dharma will abide in the world for 32 small kalpas, widely transforming sentient beings.”

>> “When the Right Dharma becomes extinct, Dharma-semblance will last 32 kalpas. That Buddha’s sariras will circulate widely; heavenly beings and humans everywhere will make offerings to them. The deeds of Flower Light Buddha will be as I have stated.”

>> “The ancient noble beings were farther away.”

>> “People can analyze [the Dharma] with relative awareness for a seeming effect.” This is Dharma-semblance.

>> The three periods are Right Dharma, Dharma-semblance and Dharma-degeneration. The 500 years after the Buddha’s Parinirvana was the period of Right Dharma. For 1000 years after that, the Dharma people practiced resembled Right Dharma, but was not Right Dharma. So, it was called the era of Dharma-semblance. Thus, it is said, “Since ancient times, many noble beings and sages understood the path to Buddhahood and transmitted the noble teachings. The Buddha’s images were respected, as if He was present. Thus, this era is called Dharma-semblance. Since ancient times, many noble beings and sages….”

>> They are described thus. Bone fragments are “sariras of the physical body.”

>> What about sutras? They are “sariras of the Dharmakaya.”

>> The deeds of Flower Light Buddha will be as I have stated: The wondrous Dharma of the path to enlightenment, the essence of the lineage, will be passed on like a series of lamps that are successively lit to clearly illuminate all things. Transmitting wondrous Dharma extends this radiance.

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“With the right mindset and Right Dharma, our path will always be right.
With long-lasting compassion and great love, we will walk the Bodhi-path.
To make offerings of harmony and reverence, we completely dedicate our bodies and life.”

Our minds must be oriented in the right direction. If our mindset is correct, then we will not go astray. In Confucianism, Confucius also made a point to talk about “illuminating luminous virtue.” We must “thoroughly study things to understand their principles.” For us to find a way to illuminate luminous virtue in this world, we must [study] all principles and all matters and things to thoroughly understand them.

To be able to “illuminate,” we must first seek knowledge, must first understand. Then with “luminous virtue,” we can penetrate our intrinsic nature. When we learn the Buddha’s teachings, isn’t this what we are doing? We all intrinsically have a nature of True Suchness. This Buddha-nature manifests as the most penetrating “luminous virtue.” Therefore, for us to “illuminate luminous virtue,” we must clearly understand all external states, matters and things. After we clearly understand them, we must be sincere and have the right mindset.

To be sincere, we must “understand the principles.” When we give to others with utmost reverence, our minds are free of discursive thoughts; we simply do our best to help each other out of the goodness in our hearts. This is how we cultivate ourselves. If we have the right mindset and are sincere, when we do things, everyone will affirm our efforts. If we are in the right state of mind, then the Dharma [we learn] will naturally be right. This is how we engage in spiritual practice. On the path of spiritual practice, we must walk in the right direction. Then naturally, with long-lasting compassion and great love, we walk the Bodhi-path.

We must do this for a long time, life after life. Each Buddha that comes to the world has this characteristic; He extends His compassion because He will never abandon sentient beings. No Buddha is willing to give up on them. They have affinities with sentient beings, so They extend Their compassion and spread great love. This is how They do good deeds and benefit others to form good karmic connections. This will take a very long time.

Thus we say that long-lasting compassion and great love is our Bodhisattva-path. How do we step onto this broad and correct Bodhisattva-path? When do we begin? We must begin right now. As we listen to the Dharma, we must form aspirations right away. Then how do we express that we have begun? By making offerings of harmony and reverence. Harmony and reverence are the offerings we make. When we interact with others, we must do so harmoniously and with reverence. With harmony and reverence between us, we completely dedicate our bodies and life, not only in this lifetime, but also in lifetime after lifetime in the future. We will continue this through all of our lifetimes, starting now.

When the way we lead people and handle matters brings other people happiness, clearly those people have shared the same aspiration, mission, path and practice in the past. So, if the same thing can make all of us happy, then that means we have formed good karmic connections in the past. Will these connections extend into the future? Yes. So, lifetime after lifetime, we must make the same vows, the Four Great Vows. These are not for just one lifetime, but for lifetime after lifetime.

Then in each lifetime we will practice together and live together. We will practice reverence and harmony. “When I see how you help me, I’m grateful to you and. I’m very willing to help you. I will respond to what you propose and help you.” When we help each other and act in concert, there is a sense of harmony and unity of purpose. When our hearts and minds are connected, engaging in practice in this spiritual community will bring us happiness every day. This comes from “harmony and reverence.”

Offerings of “harmony and reverence” take place in a monastic community. We completely dedicate our bodies and our life to learning and practicing the Buddha-Dharma. If we are willing to dedicate our bodies and life, why wouldn’t we be able to make offerings of harmony and reverence to each other? Our society also needs harmony and reverence and so do families. We must vow to do this, starting with ourselves; this is the way it should be.

There was once a village outside of a small town in rural Korea. In this village, everyone lived a very simple life. They were not very well-off and they lived along narrow and winding streets. These streets led all the way up into the hills.

There was one particular street, which was so narrow and winding that at night people frequently had accidents. ․It was easy to stumble and fall there. In the cluster of houses at the end of this street, there lived a family. This family’s house was very run down. But even so, every night when the sun went down, one would hear an old woman calling her husband’s name and asking, “Did you turn on the light outside?” And her husband would reply, “This is such an important matter, how could I forget to turn it on?” Actually, both of them were blind.

Why would an elderly couple who could not see need to turn on the light? Because the street they lived on was very narrow. They often heard people tripping on things and then falling down. So, whether or not the light was on did not make a difference to the two of them, but for the people who could see, this was a great help.

One year, it snowed a lot. There was an old man who lived up in the hills who pulled a cart up this street. The cart was piled high with burned charcoal. He brought this cart of tiny pieces of charcoal all the way up to the doorway of this couple’s home. Then he dumped out the contents on the ground and slowly spread them. He spread this all the way down the street.

In the morning, the elderly couple opened the door and said, “It is not even light out and someone has already covered the streets outside with something that will keep us from slipping and falling as we walk; we feel so grateful. If not for this person, after a large snowstorm, this steep road becomes very slippery this sloped road becomes very slippery. We are so grateful; which kind person laid out this path for us?”

You see, what a heartwarming story this is! This shows people’s mutual reverence and respect. This shows how they cherish this relationship and display their love for each other. This is the way life works. It can be very simple to help others. We must understand the needs of others and then apply the Dharma, apply our methods, to do our best to meet those needs.

In the previous passage, the Lotus Sutra states,

“Flower Light Buddha will abide in this world for a lifespan of 12 small kalpas. The people of His kingdom will have a lifespan of eight small kalpas. When that Buddha enters Parinirvana, Right Dharma will abide in the world for 32 small kalpas, widely transforming sentient beings.”

Flower Light Buddha is the name of the Buddha Sariputra will become. He will live for 12 small kalpas, which is a very long time. The lifespan of people of that land will be eight kalpas, which is also a long time. When that Buddha enters Parinirvana, Right Dharma will abide in the world for 32 small kalpas. That is a long time.

A world like that will be so radiant; it will be so blessed. This is what we cultivate in our spiritual practice; this is the kind of world we hope to achieve. We hope that in the future, the world will be like this.

Next, the sutra passage says,

“When the Right Dharma becomes extinct, Dharma-semblance will last 32 kalpas. That Buddha’s sariras will circulate widely; heavenly beings and humans everywhere will make offerings to them. The deeds of Flower Light Buddha will be as I have stated.”

Right Dharma will abide for 32 small kalpas. After Right Dharma recedes, Dharma-semblance will last for 32 small kalpas. During that time, “The Buddha’s sariras will circulate widely.” In our world, with Sakyamuni Buddha’s sariras, King Ashoka, according to legend, vowed to build over 80,000 stupas so people can make offerings to these relics. In the Saha World, there was really a king like this, King Ashoka.

Several years ago, I heard about a stupa built for Sakyamuni Buddha that was discovered somewhere in Myanmar. Also, a few years ago, the Buddha’s tooth also came to Taiwan. This is also one of His sariras. During the era of Dharma-semblance, these objects were preserved [and venerated]. So, during the era of Dharma-semblance, images [of the Buddha] were prevalent. Both in the human and the heaven realm, everyone respected and made offerings [to these images]. So, “Heavenly beings and humans everywhere will make offerings to them.”

“The deeds of Flower Light Buddha” refers to what Flower Light Buddha will do. “When Right Dharma becomes extinct, Dharma-semblance will last 32 kalpas.” That will be a very long time. During the era of Right Dharma, the teachings, principles, practice and realization will all be correct.

The Buddha personally gave these “teachings.” All of these “principles” were spoken by Buddha. Those who receive the teachings will then put them into “practice.” Whatever the Buddha taught will be what they put into practice.

For example, when Sakyamuni Buddha led His monastic disciples in spiritual practice, He also had to guide them step by step. Those who did not understand had to continue to listen. Was the Buddha only teaching the Dharma for the monastics, or was He teaching it for the world? They listened very mindfully so they could take it to heart and keep it in mind. They even put it into practice and manifested the Dharma in their actions. This was how, with both body and mind, they sincerely engaged in spiritual practice. So, there were many who attained “realization.”

This is the process of teachings, principles, practice and realization. All four were present in the era of Right Dharma, or when the Buddha was in this world. People “experienced it with direct awareness.”

“Direct awareness” is experiencing the present situation. The people, the Buddha, the Dharma were all present in that moment, so they could “experience it with direct awareness.” Thus everyone had a tangible example to follow, and people were able to put Right Dharma into practice and attain realization. There were many spiritual practitioners who were able to do this.

But after the Buddha left this world,

“The ancient noble beings were farther away.”

After noble beings become farther away,

“People can analyze [the Dharma] with relative awareness for a seeming effect.” This is Dharma-semblance.

Because the Buddha left, there was just relative awareness. The Dharma is like this, in the past, people practiced like this, the Buddha said something like this. As esteemed monks and great sages gradually passed away, the people who followed them could only analyze things with relative awareness. “It was more or less like this.” The difference is like saying, “I’m almost as tall as you are. No, you’re not, you’re a little bit shorter.” This kind of comparative analysis is called “relative awareness.” In the past, the Dharma was like this, so we try our best to learn it as it was taught; this is called Dharma-semblance. But how do we try to learn what was taught? All we can do is try our best and use our imaginations to come up with an image of the Buddha.

After the era of Dharma-semblance came the era of Dharma-degeneration, which is the era we are in now. So, after the Buddha entered Parinirvana, during the 500 years of the era of Right Dharma, people were able to practice according to the Buddha’s original teachings, as they were still very close. Teachings, principles, practice and realization were put into action.

But after these 500 years, there was an era lasting 1000 years when the Dharma that was being practiced resembled Right Dharma. It was similar, very close. Whether through building stupas or temples, or by creating sculptures and so on, Dharma-semblances flourished. So, this was the era of Dharma-semblance.

The three periods are Right Dharma, Dharma-semblance and Dharma-degeneration. The 500 years after the Buddha’s Parinirvana was the period of Right Dharma. For 1000 years after that, the Dharma people practiced resembled Right Dharma, but was not Right Dharma. So, it was called the era of Dharma-semblance. Thus, it is said, “Since ancient times, many noble beings and sages understood the path to Buddhahood and transmitted the noble teachings. The Buddha’s images were respected, as if He was present. Thus, this era is called Dharma-semblance. Since ancient times, many noble beings and sages….”

Ancient times refers to an era when people were very simple and pure. They delighted in acquiring knowledge and learning the Buddha-Dharma. After learning about impermanence, they sought liberation. So, when they understood and believed something, their faith would be deep. This was what noble beings and sages were like. Whether it be Sakyamuni Buddha or Confucius, Lao Tzu or Mozi and so on, that era was when most of these sages appeared.

When it came to learning, or the Dharma, they were all very earnest and worked very hard. People who sought and learned the Buddha-Dharma “understood the path to Buddhahood and transmitted the noble teachings. The Buddha’s images were respected, as if He was present.” The Buddha’s images were respected, as if He was present. Confucius also said to “respect gods, as if gods were present.” Of course, as Buddhist practitioners, we respect the Buddha, as if He is here. This kind of reverence and love is what we Buddhist practitioners should have.

So, Flower Light Buddha will live in that world for 12 kalpas. It will be such a long time. But though His lifespan will be long, He will still eventually enter Parinirvana. This is why “the Buddha’s sariras will circulate widely.” His body, His body’s remains, the bones that He left behind and other parts of the body He left behind are called “sariras.” These “sariras” were formed through [His] cultivation of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. Everyone respected them and recognized how precious they were.

So, in the Treatise on Great Perfection of Wisdom, they are described thus.

They are described thus. Bone fragments are “sariras of the physical body.”

After the body is cremated and bones scattered, these pieces are also called sariras.

What about sutras? They are “sariras of the Dharmakaya.”

Even though His physical body is gone, the Dharma still remains. Teachings are the sariras of the Dharmakaya.

So, we talk about the Dharma-essence of the wondrous Dharma of the path to enlightenment. For the path to enlightenment, the wondrous Dharma is its essence. The Dharma-essence is in the lineage and the Dharma-lineage must be passed on.

The deeds of Flower Light Buddha will be as I have stated: The wondrous Dharma of the path to enlightenment, the essence of the lineage, will be passed on like a series of lamps that are successively lit to clearly illuminate all things. Transmitting wondrous Dharma extends this radiance.

The present Buddha passed it onto Sariputra and bestowed a prediction of Buddhahood upon him. In the future, Flower Light Buddha will pass it on to Firm and Complete Bodhisattva and bestow a prediction upon him in the same way. We can clearly see that the essence of this wondrous Dharma of the path to enlightenment is transmitted through the Dharma-lineage. This is like lighting a series of lamps, so they can light the way. This is how the wondrous Dharma is passed on. Passing on this wondrous Dharma sustains and expands its radiance.

So, with the right mindset and Right Dharma, we will always travel on the right path. Long-lasting compassion and great love are the Bodhi-path. In our daily living, we must “make offerings of harmony and reverence” by “completely dedicating our bodies and life.” This is how, in our lives, we transmit the Dharma-lineage like Buddhas. For the sake of harmony in the world, we must always be mindful.

Episode 508 – With Profound Virtue, Abide in the Right Dharma

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>> “We must firmly resolve to hold fast to our vows. By upholding sincerity, integrity and faith, we can reach the True Dharma. We walk the Bodhi-path in a gentle and genuine manner. To walk this path, we must go among people.”

>> “In the presence of countless Buddhas, they will learn well the Bodhisattva-path. Great saints such as these will be transformed by Flower Light Buddha.”

>> That Buddha, while still a prince, will renounce his kingdom and worldly glory. In his final body, he will become a monastic and attain Buddhahood.

>> “Flower Light Buddha will abide in this world for a lifespan of 12 small kalpas. The people of His land will have a lifespan of eight small kalpas. When that Buddha enters Parinirvana, Right Dharma will abide in the world for 32 small kalpas, widely transforming sentient beings.”

>> With Flower Light Buddha’s long lifespan, He will abide in the world for 12 kalpas. The people who share the circumstantial retribution to live in His land will enjoy blessings. To live during that Buddha’s lifetime, they must have exceptional blessings and virtues. Not only do they live in the same era as Him, they can see Him, listen to and attain the Buddha-Dharma and can enjoy a lengthy lifespan of eight kalpas.

>> That Buddha’s lifetime will be 12 small kalpas. After that Buddha enters Parinirvana, the Dharma will initially flourish. People can experience it through direct awareness. This is the era of Right Dharma. The Dharma will then spread throughout the world. Right Dharma will abide in the world for 32 small kalpas, widely transforming sentient beings.

>> Right Dharma: It is the proper teachings of the path. Principles that do not deviate are called proper. This is the Dharma Treasure from among the Three Treasures. Its essence is the teachings, principles, practices and realizations.

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“We must firmly resolve to hold fast to our vows.
By upholding sincerity, integrity and faith, we can reach the True Dharma.
We walk the Bodhi-path in a gentle and genuine manner.
To walk this path, we must go among people.”

When we resolve to engage in spiritual practice, we must uphold our vows and follow the path. Therefore, our resolve must be very firm and we must hold fast to our initial aspiration, that very first thought.

Recently I have been talking to you about initial aspirations. Our initial aspiration must be to deliver sentient beings, [the first of] the Four Great Vows. To deliver sentient beings, we must eliminate our own afflictions. To eliminate our own afflictions, we must learn the Buddha’s teachings. When we understand the Buddha-Dharma and go among the people, we will see all kinds of worldly matters. When we can connect them to the principles, this will develop our wisdom-life. I hope that our wisdom-life will never stop growing. When we unite matters with principles, one day, our wisdom-life and the universe can also be one. That is when we will attain a great awakening.

So, we must maintain our sincerity, integrity and faith. If we can uphold sincerity, integrity and faith, we will naturally reach the True Dharma. When we face [different situations] with our fellow spiritual practitioners, we need to be true, sincere and proper in the way we treat one another. This shows how the Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from the way we live in the world.

There is a saying, “Only when we have perfected our character can we attain Buddhahood.” Therefore, if we seek the Buddha’s teachings because we want to attain Buddhahood, we have to spend a very long period of time, lifetime after lifetime, refining our character. As we interact with people, we must always “walk the Bodhi-path in a gentle and genuine manner.” This is how we interact with everyone when we go among people. Then everyone will be drawn to us because of our gentle manner. A gentle demeanor is something people can see. Being genuine comes from our heart, so we must be upright and straightforward. These are valuable qualities in a person and can help us perfect our character. If we walk the Bodhisattva-path with a mind that is gentle and genuine, then we will awaken and attain Bodhi on this path. Walking the path to awakening will take us to our goal.

Every day, we must walk this path, follow the road that we should follow and do the things that we should do. When we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must have a clear goal. We must head toward this goal every day and every moment. We must never turn away from this path. The road that we walk and the things that we do must not be apart from other people. Walking the Bodhisattva-path among people is the true spirit of learning the Buddha’s teachings.

We normally think, “The people I should transform are those I have karmic connections with.” Of course, the Buddha has also said, “The Buddha transforms those He has karmic connections with.” If we have no karmic connections with people, does that mean we shouldn’t transform them? Not at all. If we have no karmic connections with them, then we must find a way to draw near them and create [good] karmic connections with them, transforming animosity into gratitude. This is not impossible.

A very long time ago, there was a monastic practitioner, an elderly bhiksu. One day he left his temple and went to the city. When he was on his way home, it was already dusk and the sky was almost dark, but he still had a long way to go. Suddenly, there was thunder, lightning and heavy rain. This rain would likely not stop any time soon, so the monk felt that he must find shelter to be safe.

In the haze of the rain, there seemed to be a house in the distance. This made him very happy, and he called for them to open the door. “It is raining so hard. Would you allow me into your home to take shelter from the rain?” This doorkeeper answered, “You should leave quickly. My master has no [fondness] for the Sangha. Whenever a monastic or spiritual practitioner comes, he feels no connection with them, so I believe he won’t take you in.”

The old monk begged him persistently, until the doorkeeper said, “I will go inside and ask my master. Only with his consent would I dare to let you in.” While he went in to ask, the old monk stood outside the house in the pouring rain. After a long time, the doorkeeper finally returned. He said, “I’m sorry. I spoke to my master and asked him, but he will not allow it. I’m sorry, but you must leave now.” The old monk was at a loss, so he said to the doorkeeper, “Please let me in, I won’t enter the house. I’ll wait in the corridor, under the eaves of this corner of the house. Can you let me just huddle there for a while?”

He said, “It’s best that you do not, because my master has a negative affinity with the Sangha,” Since he could not even huddle under the eaves, the monk decided to travel through the night in the pouring rain. By the time he arrived back at the temple, it was the middle of the night. It was still pouring heavily. This was how things went.

Three years later, the master of that house took a concubine. He really adored and doted upon this new concubine of his. She was very kind and liked paying her respects to the Buddha. So, this man accompanied her to the temple. At the temple, as his concubine started paying her respects, he looked around. Why was his name written over there? It was on an altar honoring great benefactors. He thought that this was strange. There was young monk sweeping the floor, so the man asked him, “Excuse me, why is my name on this altar honoring great benefactors?” The monk said, “I don’t know whose name that is. Three years ago, my master came back in the middle of the night, soaking wet from the rain. I only heard him say that ‘Today, there was a benefactor with whom I had no karmic connection with. After he said that, I saw him write something. Then he put this plaque on the altar for honoring great benefactors. Every day, my master pays his respects and prays for negative affinities to turn into good ones.”

Upon hearing this, the man felt very remorseful. “That’s right! Three years ago, my doorkeeper came in and told me that an elderly monk was outside in the rain and would like to take shelter at my house. How could I have felt such an aversion toward monastics? Not only did this monastic not harbor a grudge, he even put my name on the altar and prayed for my longevity and wellbeing.” The more he thought about this, the more remorseful and repentant he felt. From then on, the man became a great benefactor of the temple. This was a wealthy man, the owner of that big house.

So, we often say that we must form good karmic connections with others and walk the Bodhisattva-path. We should show compassion to all equally. Toward those who have helped us, we should be grateful. Toward those who were unwilling to help us or may have even slandered us, we should also be respectful. We must love all sentient beings equally. This is how we show compassion to all equally. Because there was no karmic connection, he needed to resolve that negative affinity and create a positive karmic connection.

So, he is a role model for us. Although this is only a story, this is the type of mindset that we spiritual practitioners must have. So, we should “walk the Bodhi-path in a gentle and genuine manner. To walk this path, we must go among people.” I hope everyone can spend a long period of time doing good deeds, benefiting others and forming good karmic connections. This way, in the future, [these people] will be our spiritual family when we attain Buddhahood. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

The previous passage states,

“In the presence of countless Buddhas, they will learn well the Bodhisattva-path. Great saints such as these will be transformed by Flower Light Buddha.”

In the future, Sariputra will become Flower Light Buddha. In Flower Light Buddha’s lifetime, His place of spiritual cultivation will be filled with Bodhisattvas. They all have great aspirations and great vows and will still continue to progress diligently, preparing to go among people and transform them, lifetime after lifetime. These beings will all be taught and transformed by Flower Light Buddha.

“That Buddha, while still a prince” means that, before Flower Light Buddha attains Buddhahood, this noble will “renounce his kingdom and worldly glory.”

That Buddha, while still a prince, will renounce his kingdom and worldly glory. In his final body, he will become a monastic and attain Buddhahood.

In the Lotus Sutra, we read about the 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas who, one after another, manifested in the human realm. Because They all unceasingly did good deeds, unceasingly benefited others and unceasingly formed good karmic connections, by the time They reached the lifetime in which. They would attain perfect enlightenment, They would be replete with blessings. Once Their blessings were sufficient, They would be born into the most noble family in the entire kingdom. This is why we must make an effort to do good deeds, benefit others and form good karmic connections.

Being born as a prince signifies high noble status. They “renounced kingdom and worldly glory.” Each was born into a noble household, then renounced this noble life and sought the path to attain Buddhahood. They did this in their final body.

The next sutra passage states,

“Flower Light Buddha will abide in this world for a lifespan of 12 small kalpas. The people of His land will have a lifespan of eight small kalpas. When that Buddha enters Parinirvana, Right Dharma will abide in the world for 32 small kalpas, widely transforming sentient beings.”

Flower Light Buddha will abide in this world for 12 small kalpas; His lifespan will be 12 small kalpas, which is a very long time. One small kalpa is already difficult to calculate, much less 12 small kalpas. “The people of His land will have a lifespan of eight small kalpas,” which is also a very long time. So, “when that Buddha enters Parinirvana, Right Dharma will abide in the world for 32 small kalpas, widely transforming sentient beings.” When that Buddha enters Parinirvana, Right Dharma will abide in the world for 32 small kalpas. This is a long time. Thus, Right Dharma can transform many sentient beings.

With Flower Light Buddha’s long lifespan, He will abide in the world for 12 kalpas. The people who share the circumstantial retribution to live in His land will enjoy blessings. To live during that Buddha’s lifetime, they must have exceptional blessings and virtues. Not only do they live in the same era as Him, they can see Him, listen to and attain the Buddha-Dharma and can enjoy a lengthy lifespan of eight kalpas.

When Sakyamuni Buddha came to this world, because the karma of the world’s sentient beings was very severe, His lifespan could not be very long. Only when sentient beings have great blessings can the lifespan of a Buddha be very long. Because the Buddha came to the Saha World, His lifespan was like that of the humans here. So, the Buddha only lived for 80 years. This was what happened to Sakyamuni Buddha. After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, Right Dharma abided in the world for 500 years. So, everyone practiced according to the teachings. The monastics lived a life very similar to the Buddha’s when He first started. This was true spiritual practice, so there were many who attained realizations. After 500 years passed, it became the era of Dharma-semblance. This era lasted for 1000 years, and then it gradually entered the era of Dharma-degeneration. This is the era that we are in now; this is the era of Dharma-degeneration. In the Saha World, sentient beings’ karma is very severe. So, the Buddha-Dharma is very short-lived. The life of Flower Light Buddha will be long; it is a blessed retribution to be born in that era.

When we speak of “kalpas,” we explained that the average human lifespan becoming 84,000 years depends on the karma of sentient beings. The lighter our karma is, the longer our lifespan and greater our blessings. The more [bad] karma we create, the more severe our defilements and the shorter our lifespan and the fewer our blessings in the world. In this deteriorating world, there will be more and more poverty. So, in the world we live in now, we see so many natural and manmade disasters, so many countries where the people cannot get by. This is due to our collective karma.

So, “[people] who live in His land will enjoy blessings. [They] live during the Buddha’s lifetime.” They are indeed very blessed. Their blessings must be exceptional; not only do they live during the Buddha’s lifetime, but they can also meet Him and interact with Him.

Actually, when the Buddha comes to the world, not everyone will necessarily see Him, even if they live during the same era. You have all probably heard this example that I have shared. In a city of 90,000 people, only 30,000, one third, knew about Him, saw Him and heard the Dharma. Another 30,000 knew about Him, but did not see Him or hear the Dharma. The remaining 30,000 did not know about Him, see Him or hear the Dharma. See, to live in the same era as the Buddha, to personally see Him and hear Him teach the Dharma truly requires a very great blessing. Not only will they live in the same era as Him, but they will also be able to hear Him teach. Their blessings will truly be great. In particular, some will enjoy a long lifespan of eight small kalpas. Those who live in the same era as Flower Light Buddha are indeed truly blessed. After this Buddha enters Parinirvana, Right Dharma will abide in the world for 32 kalpas widely transforming sentient beings.

That Buddha’s lifetime will be 12 small kalpas. After that Buddha enters Parinirvana, the Dharma will initially flourish. People can experience it through direct awareness. This is the era of Right Dharma. The Dharma will then spread throughout the world. Right Dharma will abide in the world for 32 small kalpas, widely transforming sentient beings.

The Dharma will really be flourishing, so in accordance with these guidelines, people will use these methods of spiritual practice. So, “in accordance with” refers to direct awareness. By engaging in spiritual practice in accordance with Right Dharma, they can experience the truth taught by the Buddha. This happens during the era of Right Dharma. Then the Dharma will spread throughout the world. Right Dharma will abide for 32 small kalpas and transform many beings. Even though that Buddha enters Parinirvana, people can still earnestly practice, as if He is still there, and the Dharma will still be transmitted.

Among the Three Treasures, the Dharma Treasure depends on [the transmission of] the Dharma to be maintained. Even though the Buddha is not here, the Dharma sustains His presence here. So, Right Dharma could abide in the world for 500 years because it was healthy and flourishing. So, the Dharma Treasure was sustained for 500 years.

Right Dharma: It is the proper teachings of the path. Principles that do not deviate are called proper. This is the Dharma Treasure from among the Three Treasures. Its essence is the teachings, principles, practices and realizations.

“Its essence is the teachings, principles, practices and realizations.” Those with teachings, those with principles, those who truly engage in spiritual practice and those who have truly attained realization are the four valuable things that help Right Dharma abide in this world.

The multitude of sentient beings need the Buddha-Dharma for this world. Thus, turning the Dharma-wheel and bringing the Dharma among the people depends on us all sharing the same mission and having a firm resolve. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 507 – Attaining Buddhahood by Perfecting Affinities

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>> “The great Bodhi-path is wide and direct. Awakened beings make the [Four] Great Vows. They keep their bodies pure and guard their minds. By perfecting their affinities with all beings, they attain Buddhahood.”

>> “With roads bordered with golden ropes. Its multicolored trees of the Seven Treasures will always have flowers and fruits.”

>> “The Bodhisattvas in this land will always be firm and solid in their resolve. Their spiritual powers and Paramitas have all been perfected.”

>> “In the presence of countless Buddhas, they will learn well the Bodhisattva-path. Great saints such as these will be transformed by Flower Light Buddha. That Buddha, while still a prince, will renounce his kingdom and worldly glory. In his final body, he will become a monastic and attain Buddhahood.”

>> In the presence of countless Buddhas, they will learn well the Bodhisattva-path: Upon first forming their initial aspirations, they will make the [Four] Great Vows. From the Buddha, they hear the Dharma and learn the Bodhisattva-path. They perfectly benefit themselves and others, and practice the two beneficial conducts concurrently. By learning well the Bodhisattva-path, they will be transformed by Flower Light Buddha.

>> A common name for Bodhisattvas is great saints. This means they accomplish great things. They are those with the great mission of seeking the fruit of Buddhahood and transforming sentient beings. Therefore, Guanyin Bodhisattva is also called the Great Saint Guanyin.

>> The final body is one’s final incarnation in samsara. This is their final cycle of birth and death. These Bodhisattvas will be born, then ultimately become monastics and attain Buddhahood.

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“The great Bodhi-path is wide and direct.
Awakened beings make the [Four] Great Vows.
They keep their bodies pure and guard their minds.
By perfecting their affinities with all beings, they attain Buddhahood.”

The Bodhisattva-path is indeed wide and direct. It can take us from the state of unenlightened beings very precisely to our pure intrinsic nature of True Suchness. Walking straight forward in this way allows us to arrive safely at our destination. However, we still need to truly achieve an awakening. With this Dharma, if we can awaken, we will start off in the right direction. If we are deluded, if a single thought deviates, we will get lost. We will end up on a winding and roundabout road. This very long detour began because we went down the wrong fork in the road. Thus we became lost, and no matter how far we go, we will not reach our destination.

So, awakened sentient beings are those who have already attained realizations and have already formed great aspirations. They know they must return to this road to attain Buddhahood. Once we make the Four Great Vows, our goal will be to transform all sentient beings. This is because [the first vow is to] “deliver countless beings.”

No matter how widespread sentient beings are, what state they are in, how big of an area they cover, Bodhisattvas’ hearts must be able to embrace them however and wherever they are so that Bodhisattvas can always be mindful and compassionate. They must be mindful because if a single thought deviates, they can be tempted by sentient beings. They wish to transform sentient beings, but can end up being transformed by them. This may happen to us because we have not yet awakened and cannot see clearly, so we are in a state of confusion. We know that the Buddha-Dharma is wonderful, saving people is the right thing to do and that we are very happy when we help others. This is just knowledge.

Why do we need to save others? Why, when we give of ourselves, are we so happy? If our faith is deep, the Dharma will be clear. When faith is deep, the Dharma is clear. Thus, these awakened sentient beings will use their awakening, their understanding of the Buddha-Dharma, to persist [in transforming] sentient beings.

Since we are learning the Buddha’s teachings, we must go among people just as the Buddha did. However many people there are, however widespread they are, we must also have a state of mind that can adapt to them however and wherever they are so we can maintain the deep faith and clear mind that come from our awakening. Then, when we go among the people, we will be able to exercise our compassion.

We often talk about extending our compassion and spreading great love. We must go among people to do good deeds, benefit others and form good karmic connections. All this [comes from] a feeling of compassion. People have feelings, so by making good connections with them, in the future they will be members of our spiritual family who help us perfect our spiritual practice.

So, “awakened beings make the [Four] Great Vows.” On this broad and direct Bodhi-path, awakened sentient beings make the great vow to go among the people. However, the human realm is a turbulent world full of temptations and many different beings. Before entering the world of sentient beings, we must make preparations. That is, we must “keep our bodies pure and guard our minds.” We must keep our minds pure. Not only must we keep our minds pure, in all the actions we take we must maintain the purity of our bodies.

By safeguarding our minds, when we encounter interpersonal conflicts, we will be able to apply the wisdom of awakened sentient beings to form good affinities with those people and help resolve the delusion in their minds. We must not get caught up in the whirlpool of confusion and ignorance. Then, while among people, we will not be affected by them. Thus, we can keep our bodies and minds pure. Thus we can perfect affinities with sentient beings and then attain Buddhahood. We must form these perfect karmic connections.

Recently, I have been sharing about this topic. Sariputra received the Buddha’s prediction of Buddhahood. Afterwards, he realized how prosperous his land will be and how magnificent; Bodhisattvas will be its great treasures, and “its ground is made of crystal.” The ground of our Saha World is made of sand, soil, rocks, mud and so on. However, the land of Flower Light Tathagata will have a ground made of crystal.

The “crystal” here is just like the color of the sky in the very early morning. As the sun is just about to rise, there is a golden hue that is very beautiful. The rest of the sky seems very blue, with slight hints of gray. It is such a clear and beautiful sky. It is hard to describe that kind of beauty with language or with something as an analogy. This beauty changes very quickly. No matter how it changes, the color of the sky is always very beautiful.

When we look at a ground made of crystals, if we observe it from different angles, we will find different kinds of beauty. This shows what that land will be like. Indeed, its ground will be made of crystal,

“With roads bordered with golden ropes. Its multicolored trees of the Seven Treasures will always have flowers and fruits.”

It is very beautiful.

“The Bodhisattvas in this land will always be firm and solid in their resolve. Their spiritual powers and Paramitas have all been perfected.”

This will be the state of Flower Light Buddha because, in His past, He perfected so many [connections] by helping so many sentient beings. After perfecting these karmic connections and attaining Buddhahood, this is what His future land will be like. Therefore, “perfecting affinities with sentient beings” in order to “attain Buddhahood” is very important.

The next sutra passage states,

“In the presence of countless Buddhas, they will learn well the Bodhisattva-path. Great saints such as these will be transformed by Flower Light Buddha. That Buddha, while still a prince, will renounce his kingdom and worldly glory. In his final body, he will become a monastic and attain Buddhahood.”

Let us briefly consider this passage. “In the presence of countless Buddhas, they will learn well the Bodhisattva-path.” In order for a Buddha to attain Buddhahood, He must [follow] countless Buddhas in spiritual cultivation and forming aspirations. He aspires and vows to follow the Bodhisattva-path.

In the presence of countless Buddhas, they will learn well the Bodhisattva-path: Upon first forming their initial aspirations, they will make the [Four] Great Vows. From the Buddha, they hear the Dharma and learn the Bodhisattva-path. They perfectly benefit themselves and others, and practice the two beneficial conducts concurrently. By learning well the Bodhisattva-path, they will be transformed by Flower Light Buddha.

Upon first forming their initial aspirations, they will make the [Four] Great Vows. When any Buddha or Bodhisattva begins to walk the path to Buddhahood, the first vows he makes must be the Four Great Vows. “We vow to deliver countless sentient beings.” This is the first vow of all Buddhas, from the very beginning to the end, when They attain Buddhahood. So, we always say that once we find the right course, we must follow it precisely. This starts with facing in the right direction. Which direction is the right direction? Moving toward delivering sentient beings. If we do not transform them, then we definitely will not attain Buddhahood. So, we must perfect our karmic affinities in order to attain Buddhahood.

From the Buddha, Bodhisattvas hear the Dharma and aspire and vow to deliver sentient beings. For such a long time, life after life, in the presence of countless Buddhas they hear the Dharma and learn the Bodhisattva-path. Once they learn it, they must put it into practice. So, they must walk the Bodhisattva-path lifetime after lifetime until they perfectly benefit themselves as well as others and practice the two beneficial conducts concurrently. The two beneficial conducts are benefiting ourselves and benefiting others; we must practice them simultaneously. Over many lifetimes, we must “learn well the Bodhisattva-path.”

The Bodhisattvas [in this land] will have walked the Bodhisattva-path, lifetime after lifetime. These Bodhisattvas will all be transformed by Flower Light Buddha. Beginning in His lifetime as Sariputra, He has had a spiritual family. He was willing to go among the people and deliver them. By transforming sentient beings in each lifetime, extending His compassion and spreading love, these beings become His spiritual family members. Then lifetime after lifetime, they will follow Him in their spiritual cultivation. So, the text here says, “they will learn well the Bodhisattva-path.”

These Bodhisattvas are all great saints. “Great saints such as these.” Bodhisattvas are also called “great saints” or “ones who open the way.” Bodhisattvas are referred to in three ways. Usually, we call them. “Bodhisattvas,” awakened sentient beings. Actually, Bodhisattvas in the world can also be called “great saints.” So, Bodhisattvas are called great saints. What does it mean to be a “great saint”? Great saints are the people who accomplish great things. This is what makes them great saints. They also have “taken on the great mission of seeking the Buddha’s teachings and transforming sentient beings.” This is what makes them great saints.

A common name for Bodhisattvas is great saints. This means they accomplish great things. They are those with the great mission of seeking the fruit of Buddhahood and transforming sentient beings. Therefore, Guanyin Bodhisattva is also called the Great Saint Guanyin.

They form great aspirations and make great vows. They seek the Buddha’s teachings and transform sentient beings. Thus all the matters involved with teaching and transforming sentient beings are all accomplished. People who make the great vows to do these things in the human realm are called great saints. They are like Guanyin Bodhisattva. Guanyin Bodhisattva is also called the Great Saint Guanyin.

Bodhisattvas can also be called “ones who open the way.” That means they have already awakened; they want to go among people in order to perfect their karmic connections. “Ones who open the way” and “great saints” both refer to Bodhisattvas; they are those who work to benefit all people.

The next verse continues, “That Buddha, while still a prince, will renounce his kingdom and worldly glory.” Everybody should remember what the Buddha did before teaching the Lotus Sutra in the Introductory Chapter. This was when. Manjusri Bodhisattva began to describe the past 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas. He explained that these 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas shared the same first name and last name and appeared in the human realm, one after another. The very last of these Buddhas, before He left the lay life, had eight sons.

His eight sons, before becoming monastics, governed his kingdom. But after hearing that their father had become a monastic and had even attained Buddhahood, the eight sons also aspired to leave the lay life and follow their father to become monastics. This was in the era of the 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas. At that time, the princes began to aspire to engage in spiritual practice.

These eight princes all became monastics and went to different lands to deliver sentient beings. The sentient beings that they transformed also continued to follow them. Life after life, they continued to accumulate karmic affinities with sentient beings. Life after life they returned to perfect karmic connections with sentient beings.

Eventually, they attained “their final bodies.” These were their final incarnations in the cycle of birth and death.

The final body is one’s final incarnation in samsara. This is their final cycle of birth and death. These Bodhisattvas will be born, then ultimately become monastics and attain Buddhahood.

In the past, they followed their karmic conditions and spent lifetimes in this world to transform sentient beings. At the very end, they had put an end to their rebirth. They completely eliminated the karmic conditions that would continue their cyclic existence. If they came to this world again, it would be because of their vows, not because they were led here by their karma. So, this is their final body. After attaining Buddhahood, They would enter Parinirvana.

Parinirvana does not have anything to do with death or passing away. “Nirvana” is a state that is tranquil and still, so this is “entering the land of calm illumination.” The Buddha’s mind is already in the land of calm illumination. His mind will always be as tranquil and still as the light of a crystal, which is a very pure and bright light. This is called Parinirvana. The tranquil and still state of Parinirvana is naturally one of non-arising and non-ceasing. A state without arising and ceasing is a tranquil and still state. This tranquil and still state is called a land of calm illumination. After the Buddha attains enlightenment,

His final body is His last incarnation in samsara. This is due to enlightenment. A Bodhisattva who is experiencing his last cycle of birth and death in samsara has completed his Bodhisattva-practices and in the end will attain Buddhahood.

Therefore, for Sakyamuni Buddha, that lifetime in the Saha World was the final body He used to walk the Bodhisattva-path. For countless lifetimes, He had been walking the Bodhisattva-path and this was His final body. So, over 2000 years ago, when Prince Siddhartha was born into the palace, that was the last time He would walk the Bodhisattva-path. To complete it, He would come to the world, become a monastic, engage in spiritual practice and attain Buddhahood. This was to let everybody know that if they want to engage in spiritual cultivation, this is the road to follow.

Why do we need to engage in spiritual practice? Because life is full of suffering; there is so much hardship. The Buddha, having spent time among the multitude of sentient beings had seen all kinds of human suffering. In fact, while Sakyamuni Bodhisattva was still walking the Bodhisattva-path, this was already clear to him. In order teach everyone what it means to attain Buddhahood, He manifested this appearance and lived among ordinary people by being born among them. He was born among ordinary people and with various ways of living expressed what was in His heart to help people understand.

This young prince enjoyed glory, status, wealth and luxuries, but when he saw how people were suffering, he could not bear it. To find a solution for everyone’s suffering, he left the palace. After experiencing many hardships and engaging in ascetic practices, in the end, he sat beneath a tree, surrounded by nature. In this natural state, under the starry sky, he watched the twinkling of the stars. Suddenly, his mind connected with that star; the light of his mind and the light of the star came together and became one. This light opened up his mind completely.

The Buddha manifested this to show us that, like Him, we were born in the state of ordinary people, and all of us have seen the pain and suffering of this world. When we hear the principles taught by the Buddha, we can comprehend His experience for ourselves. So, we also become monastics and engage in spiritual practice. This is how we begin. We must also make the Four Great Vows. To start on the path to Buddhahood, we must make the Four Great Vows. Then for countless lifetimes, we extend our compassion and spread great love. Living among people, we perfect our karmic connections with them. Then we can also walk from the state of ordinary people back to our pure, undefiled nature of True Suchness, which is the land of calm illumination.

We can also achieve this, but it will take a very long time for us to form karmic connections with everyone. This is a very natural [process] and it is not particularly difficult, as long as we can open up and broaden our hearts. The sooner we perfect these karmic connections, the sooner we will attain Buddhahood. The sooner we do good deeds, the sooner we benefit others and the sooner we form good karmic connections. Then once our causes and conditions are perfect, we will return to the Tathagata’s state of mind in the land of calm illumination. So, “in his final body, he will become a monastic and attain Buddhahood.” This is the journey of every Buddha. So, we must always be mindful.