Category: TLS Chapter 3

Episode 523 – Attain Realizations Through Learning

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>> “When we learn at the stage beyond learning, we can awaken to our intrinsic nature. Ultimate reality is not found in the substances and appearances outside our minds. In the True Suchness of ultimate reality we truly understand emptiness and existence and attain the state of clarity in the tranquil and still light.”

>> “The foremost paramita spoken of by the Buddha is not the foremost paramita. Therefore it is called the foremost paramita.”

>> “The 1200 people here, whose minds are free and at ease, were once at the stage of learning. The Buddha always taught and transformed them by saying, ‘My Dharma can free you from birth, aging, illness and death and will enable you to ultimately attain Nirvana.'”

>> “Those at and those beyond the stage of learning, each believing that they had freed themselves from the view of self and the views of existence and non-existence, and so forth, claimed to have attained Nirvana.”

>> Those at and those beyond the stage of learning: Sariputra was their leader. He said that because he had already received the Buddha’s prediction for attaining Buddhahood, he no longer had any doubts or regrets. This shows the distinction between those at the stage of learning, people with Leaks, and those beyond the stage of learning, people without Leaks. This is the deeper meaning behind the reason that the Tathagata bestowed predictions of Buddhahood among His disciples.

>> The Three Flawless Studies are the essence of learning. Those who advance in practice are at the stage of learning. Those who advance in perfection, the practice of bringing the mind to rest, are beyond the stage of learning.

>> “Each believed that they had freed themselves from the views of self, of existence and non-existence and so forth.” They called this Nirvana. “View of self” is an attachment to self.

>> “The view of existence” is when sentient beings deludedly cling to all phenomena as having real existence from the convergence of causes and conditions.

>> “The view of non-existence” is. “Sentient beings deludedly cling to all phenomena as being without an intrinsic nature.”

>> “They are attached to its non-existence.” This is called “the view of non-existence.”

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“When we learn at the stage beyond learning, we can awaken to our intrinsic nature.
Ultimate reality is not found in the substances and appearances outside our minds.
In the True Suchness of ultimate reality we truly understand emptiness and existence
and attain the state of clarity in the tranquil and still light.”

This is telling us that we all need to learn first, and then awaken. By learning the Buddha’s teachings, we can thoroughly understand true principles and awaken to our nature of True Suchness. However, for who knows how long, we have transmigrated in the Six Realms, as our intrinsic awakened nature has been covered with ignorance.

Now that we have encountered the Buddha-Dharma, we must seek to understand how we came into this life and how we will leave this life. Where will we go? How will we return? As ordinary people, none of us understand this, so we must learn. We must learn at the stage beyond learning, which means to return to our awakened nature. So, we constantly say, “Learn by doing, awaken by learning.”

Thus, “Ultimate reality is not found in the substances and appearances outside our minds.” These substances and appearances are things we can see with our eyes, but is there anything that really is as it appears? No. The flowers you saw last time are not these. Those have all withered. Those withered flowers had once grown from the earth. It took some time for someone to plant the flowers and take care of them. So, external objects like these all go through a process of formation. Truly, they are “not ultimate reality.” There is not one thing that has always existed. First, there has to be a “cause,” a seed, and then “conditions,” such as soil, rain, dew, and so on. Then they must be arranged by human hands before they appear here in front of us. How long will they last? After a few days, they will be replaced.

This cycle between existence and non-existence demonstrates that they are not ultimate reality. Everything is formed by the convergence of humans, causes and conditions. This desk, this room and so on, everything external to our minds, these substances and appearances, do not truly exist. They have not always been that way. The “me” you saw yesterday is not the same “me” that you see today. Every second, the old is replaced by the new. My body continues to [metabolize], [creating] infinitesimal changes.

Before we realize it, infants become children; when did this happen? Parents hold their dear children in their embrace, but suddenly it seems that they are all grown up. So, substances and appearances continuously go through infinitesimal changes; this shows that they are not the ultimate reality.

“In the True Suchness of ultimate reality, we truly understand emptiness and existence.” Ultimate reality is something we must learn about and understand. Small Vehicle practitioners understand the principle that all things only come together in a temporary union. “There is no need to be attached; everything is empty in nature. I have few desires, so I am content. I will cultivate myself, and with clear wisdom, I can protect myself. I will not bother with external matters.” This is only a partial understanding. They know that everything is a temporary union. But how did all of these temporary unions come about? How does the law of karma continue the cycles of existence? Wondrous existence is something we must understand more fully. [To reach] the True Suchness of ultimate reality we must “understand emptiness and existence.” Only wondrous existence in emptiness is the ultimate reality. Only by unifying emptiness and existence can we attain a truly perfect realization.

The truth is that, in our lives, there is not one day that we are not undergoing the infinitesimal changes of the aggregate of action. Thus, with our ignorance and afflictions, we are affected by these ever-changing phenomena. In this world, there is so much confused and distorted thinking. Now that we have encountered the Buddha-Dharma, we need to immediately seize this moment. Only by understanding the Buddha-Dharma, can we understand worldly appearances. Our confused and distorted thinking must be corrected by applying the Dharma and returning to “the state of clarity in the tranquil and still light.” This is our goal in learning the Buddha-Dharma.

Through the workings of things, we must find a way to learn the true principles. What can we do in this world so that, while living amid “wondrous existence,” we can realize “emptiness”? To experience “true emptiness,” we have to understand it in “wondrous existence.” The people, matters and objects we encounter over the course of our lives are what we must experience.

For instance, in the kingdom of Kapilavastu, ruled by the Sakya clan, in the great garden within the palace, there was a group of children, all of them six, seven or eight years old. They were all part of the royal family. Nearly 500 children were there playing in the garden. One of them was named Devadatta. In the garden, he saw a small bird on a tree, so he aimed an arrow at the bird and shot him. When the arrow hit the bird, he tried to fly despite his injury and

fell in front of another group of children. One of them was a boy named Siddhartha; Prince Siddhartha was among this group. When he saw this small bird with the arrow in his body he felt a sense of compassion and picked him up to apply some medicine.

Devadatta ran up to Prince Siddhartha. Holding out his hand, he said, “This bird is mine. I shot him, give him to me.” Prince Siddhartha said, “You shot this bird and if he had died, I would have given him to you. But as I saved his life, so I will not hand him over.” As they stood there, continuing to argue,

the teachers of this group of children, two elders, walked over. “What’s going on here?” After everything had been explained, these wise elders pronounced their judgment. The small bird was originally flying in the sky. Shooting him was bringing harm to a living thing, while saving him was in accord with human nature, and since nature embraces living beings, they judged that Prince Siddhartha was right.

From then on, Devadatta felt hatred in his heart, which stayed there [even at this Dharma-assembly]. In the Buddha’s teachings, [we hear of how] Devadatta slandered the Dharma and tried to destroy the Sangha. This karmic connection continued to entangle them. But Sakyamuni Buddha had attained Buddhahood, so now, in the Lotus Sutra, as He was bestowing predictions of Buddhahood, He still had a spacious mind and pure thoughts. Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, so one day, Devadatta will also be able to attain enlightenment. Therefore, when the Buddha bestowed predictions, He also bestowed a prediction upon Devadatta that he would also attain Buddhahood.

Clearly, awakening to our intrinsic nature, depends on how we are learning now. If we can be mindful right away, we will diligently practice [the right teachings]. We must wholeheartedly move in that direction without deviating in the slightest, working to diligently advance. Those who walk diligently will arrive first. In fact, everyone can get there. We can all return to our awakened nature of True Suchness; the only difference is in how long it takes. “When we learn at the stage beyond learning,” we can “awaken to our intrinsic nature.”

In the Diamond Sutra, the Buddha also says,

“The foremost paramita spoken of by the Buddha is not the foremost paramita. Therefore it is called the foremost paramita.”

Thus, we “awaken” to the principles of learning at the stage beyond learning. After we understand the foremost paramita, we are able to reach the other shore, but after getting there, we must come back. We go from the deluded state of ordinary people to the awakened state of noble beings. After attaining a noble being’s awakened state, we have to come back to transform deluded people. So, we must go back and forth. This awakening starts with learning. “When we learn at the stage beyond learning,” our learning has reached the ultimate, which is to return to our Tathagata-nature, So, “when we learn at the stage beyond learning, we can awaken to our intrinsic nature.”

Everyone must clearly understand this. Previously, in the sutra it was stated,

“The 1200 people here, whose minds are free and at ease, were once at the stage of learning. The Buddha always taught and transformed them by saying, ‘My Dharma can free you from birth, aging, illness and death and will enable you to ultimately attain Nirvana.'”

In this previous passage, Sariputra described the retinue that was constantly by the Buddha’s side. These people’s minds were already at ease, and they were determined in their direction. By hearing the Buddha’s teachings, their minds were put at ease. ․At that time, they were still at the “stage of learning.” Everyone was at ease with being in an environment where they were being taught by the Buddha. They also frequently heard the Buddha say that, by giving everyone these teachings, He hoped they could all be freed from birth, aging, illness and death so they could reach the state of Nirvana.

To truly penetrate our awakened nature, we must go among people to experience the truths of birth, aging, illness and death. Then we must help those who, because of birth, aging, illness and death, experience all kinds of suffering, to also realize these truths and be transformed. We must penetrate and practice the paramitas to deliver them. By helping them to understand the principles, they will be free of the fear of birth and death. This is how learning the Dharma can lead to a state of freedom. Understanding that birth and death are natural laws, they can attain a tranquil and clear state; they are able to pass away peacefully. After leaving, they will come back again, living and dying in a state of ease. This is learned from the Buddha-Dharma.

Therefore, the next passage continues, saying,

“Those at and those beyond the stage of learning, each believing that they had freed themselves from the view of self and the views of existence and non-existence, and so forth, claimed to have attained Nirvana.”

Some people were still at the stage of learning. Those beyond learning had already understood everything they needed to. Of these 1200 people, Sariputra was their leader.

Those at and those beyond the stage of learning: Sariputra was their leader. He said that because he had already received the Buddha’s prediction for attaining Buddhahood, he no longer had any doubts or regrets. This shows the distinction between those at the stage of learning, people with Leaks, and those beyond the stage of learning, people without Leaks. This is the deeper meaning behind the reason that the Tathagata bestowed predictions of Buddhahood among His disciples.

So, Sariputra himself had personally received the Buddha’s prediction of attaining Buddhahood. Sariputra also expressed that he no longer had any doubts or regrets. He deeply believed in and understood the Buddha’s teachings.

Here, he began to divide people who were learning into different categories. “Those at the stage of learning” have Leaks. They are not clear on how to uphold precepts, their Samadhi is not strong enough and their wisdom has not matured. This is what it means to have Leaks. Having Leaks means they still have afflictions, so their wisdom will be insufficient as long as there is still ignorance in their minds. Their minds are like a mirror that has not been wiped clean. They still have Leaks, so they need to continue learning. Thus they are “at the stage of learning.”

“Those beyond the stage of learning” have no Leaks. Everything they needed to learn, all the principles that the Buddha taught, was already completely clear to them. They could accept and experience this truth. So, Sariputra, who had been affirmed by the prediction bestowed upon him by the Buddha, was in the category of “those beyond learning.” They already understood everything they needed to. Now it was time to act. The Dharma must be in their actions, and they must act in accord with the Dharma. From now on, what was needed was action. This is “the stage beyond learning.” After understanding principles, they must act. These were the ones the Tathagata would bestow predictions upon.

So, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are what we have to cultivate; these are the essence of our learning.

The Three Flawless Studies are the essence of learning. Those who advance in practice are at the stage of learning. Those who advance in perfection, the practice of bringing the mind to rest, are beyond the stage of learning.

What we learn has an essence, appearance and function. In the course of our spiritual practice, we must understand its essence. What are the principles of this essence? As we just discussed, this essence is not ultimate reality. No phenomenon inherently exists; many causes and conditions must converge in order for us to see this appearance. Appearances have a function we can make use of. The same applies to the Buddha-Dharma. We have to realize the essence of the Dharma, the appearance of the Dharma, and how to apply its functions. This is the essence, appearance and function.

What we learn is “the essence of learning.” As we learn, we need to thoroughly understand. As we gain understanding, we have to move forward and advance through practice. After hearing the Dharma, we must constantly review it. “Those who advance in practice are at the stage of learning.” This is all a part of our spiritual practice. This happens “at the stage of learning.”

If we are “advancing in perfection,” then everything we do is already perfect, and we freely apply our understanding of essences and appearances. Our practice of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom will be flawless and without Leaks. This is called perfection. Perfection is “the practice of bringing the mind to rest.” When we have perfected what needs to be learned, we are “beyond the stage of learning.” We can already freely apply [what we have learned] and will not be defiled by worldly matters or objects. This is “the stage beyond learning.”

“Each believed that they had freed themselves from the views of self, of existence and non-existence and so forth.” They called this Nirvana. “View of self” is an attachment to self.

Everyone has this attachment. Everyone has a different way of thinking. Everyone’s way of doing things is different. So, we talk about “unity, harmony, mutual love and concerted effort.” Giving to the world in this way creates a state of truth, goodness and beauty. This also requires every one of us to eliminate our view of self and be united in the way we do things. Then we can do things in perfect harmony.

If we remain attached to our sense of self, it will be hard to do things to help others. Our attachments cause hardships for ourselves and will also cause hardships for others. This comes from our attachment to self. “Not doing things my way is a mistake. I am right; you all are wrong. When you don’t listen to what I say, I get angry.” When we are attached to our sense of self, we see a permanent self where there is none. This will continue to create many afflictions for us. We must avoid having this view of self.

“The view of existence” is when sentient beings deludedly cling to all phenomena as having real existence from the convergence of causes and conditions.

They think of this as “existence.” If there is “existence,” what is it that exists? This is how many superstitious beliefs arise. If we do not understand the principles, we will end up with many deluded beliefs. “Do I need to look for an auspicious day? Is today a good day for doing this or not? I have to look for an auspicious direction. Is this the right direction to go in or not?” In any case, people have so many attachments.

“The view of non-existence” is. “Sentient beings deludedly cling to all phenomena as being without an intrinsic nature.”

Thus they deny the law of karma;

“They are attached to its non-existence.” This is called “the view of non-existence.”

With the view of non-existence, it is easy to develop “views of nihilism. When people die, that’s it. There will be no more karmic retribution.” For this reason, they commit all kinds of evil and do many unwholesome things without fear of karmic retributions. These people are very stubborn. This is also a form of deluded attachment. “As long as I am happy,” “nothing is off-limits to me.” This kind of person “clings to all [phenomena] as being without an intrinsic nature.” They do whatever makes them happy; that is their only consideration. They are “attached to non-existence”; this is called “the view of non-existence.”

In summary, as Buddhist practitioners, we have to take the middle path and learn the true and proper principles of life so we can walk a road that leads somewhere, in particular the road that we should take. We must make sure our direction is correct; this is something we must mindfully learn. If we want to learn, we must act. “Learn by doing, awaken by learning.” In fact, this awakening is returning to our awakened nature. This is how we should engage in spiritual practice. Going from the “stage of learning” to “the stage beyond learning,” we will return to our intrinsic awakened nature; this is our true direction in spiritual practice. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 522 – Be at Ease by Practicing the Dharma

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>> “By learning and always practicing, we attain Dharma-joy. When the Dharma is in our actions, we will be at ease. The Buddha teaches sentient beings the way the sun illuminates all. The laws of nature are found in our daily living.”

>> “At that time, Sariputra said to the Buddha….”

>> “World-Honored One, I now have no further doubts or regrets, having personally received from You the prediction of attaining. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

>> “The 1200 people here, whose minds are free and at ease, were once at the stage of learning. The Buddha always taught and transformed them by saying, ‘My Dharma can free you from birth, aging, illness and death and will enable you to ultimately attain Nirvana.'”

>> Bodhisattvas apply the provisional and skillful means of [cultivating] blessings and wisdom to tame their own minds. Their minds transcend the entanglements of afflictions and reach unobstructed understanding. In this way, they are at ease.

>> The Buddha said: An evil person who harms a sage is like one who spits towards the sky. The spit does not reach the sky, but falls back on the person. When one flings dust against the wind, the dust does not reach others but is blown back on oneself. The sage cannot be harmed, so the ruin will destroy the doer. The Sutra of 42 Chapters.

>> Their mind is free: When they are no longer attached to the self, their mind is free and at ease. But they are still attached to their concepts of the Dharma. They have not yet become at ease with the Dharma.

>> “The Buddha constantly taught and transformed them by saying, ‘My Dharma can free you from birth, aging, illness and death and will enable you to ultimately attain Nirvana.'”

>> Therefore, “to teach and transform” means to counsel, which is to teach people to transform evil into goodness.

>> In the Chapter on Skillful Means, we talked about how. “All Buddhas, the Tathagatas, only teach the Bodhisattva Way.”

>> “Ultimate” means to the very end. “Ultimate” means to the very end. To completely awaken to the source of the defiled mind is to attain the ultimate realization. This is the same as intrinsic enlightenment. Thus it is called ultimate enlightenment.

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“By learning and always practicing, we attain Dharma-joy.
When the Dharma is in our actions, we will be at ease.
The Buddha teaches sentient beings the way the sun illuminates all.
The laws of nature are found in our daily living.”

In our daily living, whenever we interact with people and matters, that is the Buddha-Dharma. If we apply Dharma in our interaction with others and in the way we handle matters, the Dharma will always be in our daily living. Then aren’t we “learning and always practicing”? If we lived according to the Dharma, then in interacting with people and matters, what afflictions would we have? Wouldn’t we be very happy? If the Buddha-Dharma is part of our daily living, we will always be happy and at ease. So, “When the Dharma is in our actions, we will be at ease.”

Our hearts will always be free of afflictions, and our minds will be free of hindrances. Our every action will be in accord with the Dharma. When we talk about “action,” we are referring to what happens in our daily living. The minutes and seconds continuously pass, and our thoughts arise uninterruptedly, one after another. Everything we do happens in the contexts of time, space and interpersonal relationships. All actions happen in the intersection of these three contexts. This is the continuous change of the aggregate of action. If the Dharma always remains in our hearts, there will be nothing that can hinder us. To completely understand everything, the Dharma must be a part of our actions, meaning everything in our lives has Dharma in it.

So, “By learning and always practicing, we obtain Dharma-joy. When the Dharma is in our actions, we will be at ease.” By doing this, it is like having the Buddha in the world. “The Buddha teaches sentient beings the way the sun illuminates all. The laws of nature are found in our daily living.”

The Buddha came to this world for one great cause, for one goal. He hoped that all sentient beings in the world could accept the Buddha-Dharma. [The Buddha-Dharma] is like the sun in the sky; when the sun shines, everything is clearly illuminated, unless we deliberately shut the sun out. If we seal off an enclosed environment, it will be dark inside. If the sun is shining on a house, but all the doors and windows are closed and covered, won’t it still be dark inside?

The Buddha-Dharma was selflessly given to us. The Buddha is here for one great cause. His only hope is that everyone can come in contact with the Buddha-Dharma. However, some sentient beings have karmic conditions that cut them off from it. The sun’s rays of light, in fact, cover everything. All we need to do is open the door to let them in. This is such a simple principle. Therefore, we must gratefully open the door to our minds and take in the Dharma, like the illumination of sunlight.

This is a law of nature. In the solar system that we are in, there are other planets that are also orbiting the sun. Each of them has its own orbital path, each is on a natural course. We can make use of this law of nature. If everyone can understand the natural principles of the world, then in the conditioned phenomena of everything that we do, we will not transgress the boundaries of human rules and morals. So, “The laws of nature are found in our daily living.”

We learn and then always practice. We learn to apply the Dharma to our lives, to our bodies and minds. Then the actions of our bodies and minds, regardless of time, space or relationships, will not deviate from the Buddha-Dharma. This will happen without our awareness. “It is only natural that we should act this way.” The Dharma has already been engraved on our hearts. This is the right thing to do. This is virtuous conduct.

Some people think to themselves, “I am educated and engage in spiritual practice. I’m living my life this way; why aren’t you praising me? This makes me feel troubled.” As practitioners, we should not feel this way. This is simply part of our fundamental duty. Applying the Dharma in our daily living is naturally something we should be doing. It does not matter whether others know or not; we truly must learn to have this be a natural part of our lives. The natural laws are found in our daily living. We can bring people, matters, objects and principles together in harmony. This is how we can truly engage in spiritual practice.

The Buddha-Dharma must be applied in daily living and we must be Bodhisattvas among people. If we can do this, we will be at ease in our spiritual practice, and we will always be happy and full of Dharma-joy.

Similarly, in the Lotus Sutra, when Sariputra received the Buddha’s prediction for attaining Buddhahood, his body and mind were happy and jubilant. And not only was Sariputra happy, but everyone else at the assembly was, too. They all took joy in his merits. This can also happen in our daily living. When other people achieve something, it is as if we have achieved it ourselves. This is how we take joy in others’ merits.

So, the previous sutra passage states,

“At that time, Sariputra said to the Buddha….”

Sariputra was beginning to speak.

“World-Honored One, I now have no further doubts or regrets, having personally received from You the prediction of attaining. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

Sariputra expressed the joy in his heart and the great ease he felt. Because he had doubts and regrets in the past, his mind was not at ease. Now, having attained the Buddha’s affirmation and received this prediction from Him, his mind was completely at ease. “In the future, if I keep practicing this way and do not deviate from this direction, I will be able to attain supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment, which is Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. I now have this faith in myself, and I have affirmed that I can do this. But I will not be the only one.”

The following sutra passage states, ․”The 1200 people here, whose minds are free and at ease, were once at the stage of learning. The Buddha always taught and transformed them by saying, ‘My Dharma can free you from birth, aging, illness and death and will enable you to ultimately attain Nirvana.'”

Sariputra began by saying that aside from him, there were also “1200 people here.” These “1200 people” all had minds that were at ease. For many decades, they followed Sakyamuni Buddha and remained by His side to listen to the teachings. They also followed Him all over to spread the Dharma. Their resolve to engage in spiritual practice was very firm. So, their “minds were free and at ease.” This shows that they would not turn back or be obstructed. Having a mind that is at ease means that they will not retreat or be affected by any obstacles. We ordinary people constantly face obstacles. Our own greed, anger and ignorance are three obstacles that hinder our minds.

Is greed really that powerful? Actually, with spiritual practice, true spiritual practitioners are content and always happy. They are always very content to live with simply three robes and an alms bowl. With so few desires, they are content. If they can stay warm, cover up their bodies, and get enough to eat, that is all they need to live. What else would they desire? If we are free of greed, we do not create karma.

As for anger, since we are engaging in spiritual practice, the Buddha taught us to expand our mind so that it is spacious enough to encompass the universe. Then there is nothing that can bother us, so we will not give rise to afflictions or lose our temper when things do not go our way.

As for ignorance, because we practice the Buddha-Dharma, the sunlight, the light of wisdom, is always illuminating our minds. Thus we do not have the darkness or delusion caused by ignorance. If our minds are always calm, they will not give rise to ignorance. The Buddha’s teachings help our wisdom-life grow. So in this way, what can possibly obstruct us? We will not retreat nor be hindered; this is the state of ease.

Bodhisattvas apply the provisional and skillful means of [cultivating] blessings and wisdom to tame their own minds. Their minds transcend the entanglements of afflictions and reach unobstructed understanding. In this way, they are at ease.

This states, “Bodhisattvas apply the provisional and skillful means of [cultivating] blessings and wisdom to tame their own minds.” If we want to form Bodhisattva-aspirations, we must begin by learning. If we want to turn the Dharma-wheel, we accept the Buddha-Dharma into our hearts, then from our hearts we share our realizations and understanding with other people. At the same time, sentient beings’ habitual tendencies and afflictions will not defile us. Thus our minds will “transcend the entanglements of afflictions.”

The many afflictions we encounter will not defile our minds. This is because we have tamed our own minds. Even if you want to make me angry, I will not get angry. I will not punish myself with other people’s mistakes. If they are wrong in the way that they treat us, that is their problem. If we do not let it in, we will not be provoked.

Like the Buddha said in the Sutra of 42 Chapters, if someone grabs a handful of sand and throws it at you, but he is throwing dust against the wind, who does it hit? It does not hit the person ahead, but rather the person who originally threw it.

The Buddha said: An evil person who harms a sage is like one who spits towards the sky. The spit does not reach the sky, but falls back on the person. When one flings dust against the wind, the dust does not reach others but is blown back on oneself. The sage cannot be harmed, so the ruin will destroy the doer. The Sutra of 42 Chapters.

Therefore, we must learn to develop the open and spacious mind of a Bodhisattva. We must not only accept the Buddha’s teachings, but also use them to teach and transform others. Some sentient beings may be foolish or dull, with severe habitual tendencies. We must also be like the Buddha and calm our minds. We must avoid losing our temper with someone who is deluded. These habitual tendencies are theirs; they have nothing to do with us. But we care about these people, so we say, “Get rid of these kinds of habitual tendencies.” By doing this, we are taming ourselves. Not only do we train ourselves, we must also apply “the provisional and skillful means of [cultivating] blessings and wisdom” in order to transform sentient beings. If we cannot teach others, we must tame our own minds so as not to be influenced by them.

We must train our own minds, then we can transcend afflictions and free ourselves from their entanglements. Though we want to go among people, we must still protect ourselves with the Buddha-Dharma. Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom can help us protect ourselves. Thus we “reach unobstructed understanding.” In this severely turbid atmosphere, those who are pure have purified themselves, and those who are clear found their own clarity. The turbidities and afflictions of other people will not defile them. This is also being free and at ease.

“In this way, their minds are free and at ease.” They are Small Vehicle, Two Vehicle practitioners, such as Hearers or Pratyekabuddhas. People like that, since they do not go among people, will not attract afflictions. Because they know that everything in the world is inherently illusory, they cultivate the purity of their minds. This is the freedom of Small Vehicle practitioners.

Their mind is free: When they are no longer attached to the self, their mind is free and at ease. But they are still attached to their concepts of the Dharma. They have not yet become at ease with the Dharma.

“But they are still attached to their concepts of the Dharma.” Although with the Small Vehicle they were liberated and had purified their minds, they stubbornly refused to go among people to transform them. They stopped there and could not move forward because of this attachment to the Dharma. So, they could not let go of this attachment to go among people with a sense of freedom. Thus they had “not yet become at ease with the Dharma.”

They were at ease with the limited “self” but could not feel at ease with the greater self of the Great Dharma. This is why obtaining freedom is not so simple. We absolutely must learn to go into places with severe turbidities. When we do, it will be like clouds passing by the moon; as the cloud passes, it is not caught on the moon. We must learn to achieve this state. This is why we say, as Buddhist practitioners, we must have an open and spacious mind.

“In the past, they were at the stage of learning.” This means that, in the past, the cause they planted was their aspiration to learn from the Buddha. During that time, “they learned and always practiced to end delusions.” They constantly trained to treat their minds. This was “the stage of learning.”

When we first begin to learn, we all must go through this stage of learning to put an end to our delusions. Delusion is ignorance, and ignorance is affliction. The afflictions of the three obstacles all begin with delusion. The seeds of our spiritual practice have to start from this. To truly eliminate our attachment to the Dharma, we must train ourselves among people. If we form great aspirations, we must interact with others to polish and hone our spiritual aspirations. Only by becoming at ease with the Dharma are we truly learning it.

So, we talk about the Buddha.

“The Buddha constantly taught and transformed them by saying, ‘My Dharma can free you from birth, aging, illness and death and will enable you to ultimately attain Nirvana.'”

The true Dharma of the Buddha had been safeguarded in His mind for decades. He was now proclaiming it to everyone. “Honestly speaking, this is what my Dharma can do. It can free everyone from birth, aging, illness and death.” After being liberated from this cyclic existence, one will ultimately reach the tranquil and undefiled land of calm illumination, “tranquil and clear, with vows as vast as the universe.” That is the state we can reach. This is what the Buddha taught sentient beings.

Therefore, “to teach and transform” means to counsel, which is to teach people to transform evil into goodness.

We begin “by learning and always practicing,” [discovering] “the laws of nature” and so on. We must [go along with] the laws of nature, abide by these natural moral guidelines. So, we cannot wait to be filial or do good deeds. This is the way that we are already practicing the Buddha-Dharma. The Buddha’s teachings also counsel people to transform evil into goodness.

In the Chapter on Skillful Means, we talked about how. “All Buddhas, the Tathagatas, only teach the Bodhisattva Way.”

This means that, in the past, all Buddhas, the Tathagatas, only wanted to teach sentient beings one thing, to go among people, practice the Bodhisattva-path and transform evil into goodness. This was the Buddha’s goal for coming to the world. He wanted to help us all arrive at the ultimate, to arrive at the ultimate state of Nirvana.

What is this ultimate state of Nirvana? It is a state where we can “completely awaken to the source of the defiled mind.”

“Ultimate” means to the very end. “Ultimate” means to the very end. To completely awaken to the source of the defiled mind is to attain the ultimate realization. This is the same as intrinsic enlightenment. Thus it is called ultimate enlightenment.

Our suffering begins in our defiled minds, in greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt etc. Only by understanding the source of these defilements of the mind will we have a way to reach that ultimate end, which is that ultimate state. That is returning to our intrinsic enlightenment, which is known as the ultimate enlightenment.

If we do not know the source of these defilements, we will have no way to purify our minds. To understand the source of these defilements, we must go among people to understand their afflictions and the truths of “suffering” and “causation.” Only then can we reach “cessation” and see the “Path.” By eliminating all afflictions and defilements, we will truly see the Path. Therefore, all of us must always be mindful.

Episode 521 – A Deeply Planted Root of Faith Prevents Doubts

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>> “People without faith have nothing to stand on. The root of faith, the source of the path, must be deeply planted. By destroying doubts and regrets, they realize the right path. They must uphold the Great Dharma and turn the Dharma-wheel.”

>> “The path to Buddhahood is difficult to fathom so He taught suitable skillful means. May our blessed karma from this life and all past lives and the merits gained from seeing the Buddha be dedicated to the path to Buddhahood.”

>> “At that time, Sariputra said to the Buddha, ‘World-Honored One I now have no further doubts or regrets, having personally received from You the prediction of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.'”

>> Sariputra, having learned the Dharma and received the prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha, was deeply grateful for the grace of the Dharma which nurtured and extended his root of faith so that he had no further doubts and regrets.

>> The Buddha’s wisdom is also called unsurpassed complete awakening and the unsurpassed path to complete enlightenment. It is the unsurpassed wisdom that is being completely awakened to all truths.

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“People without faith have nothing to stand on.
The root of faith, the source of the path, must be deeply planted.
By destroying doubts and regrets, they realize the right path.
They must uphold the Great Dharma and turn the Dharma-wheel.”

To us humans, faith is very important. Without trust, how can we interact with other people? In this world, people need faith to build their character; this is particularly true for us Buddhist practitioners. If we are trustworthy, everyone will affirm us. Learning from the Buddha takes faith. Our faith must be deep. Only if we have deep faith in the teachings can we uphold [our vows] and follow the path. Thus, by following the Buddha’s teachings we can take the road we need to take.

What road should we walk on? “This path is a road to walk on.” That is the Bodhi-path. All of the Buddha’s teachings were ultimately summarized in the Lotus Sutra as the True Dharma of the One Vehicle. This Dharma is the Bodhisattva Way. Therefore, He is “teaching the Bodhisattva Way.” Bodhisattva is [a Sanskrit word] that means awakened sentient being. So, the Bodhisattva-path, or the Bodhi-path, is the path to awakening.

Previously, I have told everyone that this road through the world must be paved carefully so that it can connect with the Bodhi-path. Those of us who are now Buddhist practitioners must begin by establishing our faith. Faith in the Buddha-Dharma must be deeply rooted. This starts with how we act as a person. As we interact with people, we must build faith. When we speak to others, if there is no trust, who will be willing to trust us? If we are not trustworthy, we lack character. Without character, how can we develop Buddha-character? So, we must perfect our character in order to attain Buddha-character. Building character starts with faith. If we quickly do what we have promised to do, people will have faith in us.

Whatever it is that we need to do, we must promptly complete it, because life is impermanent. If we agree to do something and then procrastinate, in the end, it will not get done. If we cannot even complete simple worldly tasks, how can we possibly attain Buddhahood? Therefore, we must be diligent. Once we have faith, we must also be diligent.

So, “The root of faith, the source of the path, must be deeply planted.” The root of faith is the origin of the path. In learning from the Buddha, if we establish faith at the beginning, we will not stray as we move forward, step by step. Similarly, the root of faith must grow deeper and wider. So, the foundation of our character must be firm in order for us to truly progress as. Buddhist practitioners, starting as ordinary people, then steadily moving forward on the Bodhisattva-path. This is the root of faith, the source of the path. From this starting point to our ultimate destination, there is only one road. As we travel this road, we must extend our roots. If our root [of faith] grows, this means we are diligently progressing and making advancements.

What hinders the growth of faith? Doubt. There was also a period of time in the past when Sariputra doubted the Great Vehicle Dharma. So, he stopped [at the Small Vehicle]. Then as the Buddha tirelessly and continuously praised the True Dharma of the One Vehicle, Sariputra also reflected upon himself. In the end, he destroyed his doubts and regrets. If he had not destroyed his doubts, he would always have been left with regrets. The Buddha’s lifetime is like ours; it is limited and ultimately must came to an end. The length of our lifespan is limited. At His advanced age, the Buddha had to freely and quickly carry out His original intent. So, He told everyone, “There are many treasures here. Take a good look at them.” The invaluable treasure He referred to was the Dharma. This Dharma is priceless. It is unsurpassed and unequalled.

For the first over 40 years, He guided us. After those over 40 years, the Buddha revealed all the True Dharma. This was something Sariputra had finally realized. He finally “realized the right path.” After following the Buddha for several decades, he now realized that there is only one path that leads to the source, the one Bodhisattva-path. He began to form aspirations and make vows to “uphold the Great Dharma and turn the Dharma-wheel.” He was finally inspired to make this resolve.

Similarly, in the Buddha’s lifetime, there was a group of bhiksus who engaged in spiritual practice. One of them had already awakened; he was an awakened bhiksu. However, there was an elder in the city who knew that Sakyamuni Buddha advocated the Right Dharma, but doubted whether all the bhiksus were actually able to accept this Right Dharma. It is said that the minds of bhiksus are pure. Could their minds truly remain unaffected by external phenomena? The elder had this doubt in his mind. One day, he had a thought. He was very affluent and had many servants, and he said to all of them, “I want to make an offering to these bhiksus, but I want to test if their resolve is truly unwavering. All the female servants must look very elegant. Change into beautiful clothing and put on makeup and accessories. You need to do your best to display your dancing and singing skills. I will observe whether the resolve of these young bhiksus will waver.”

The day finally came, and the bhiksus came to accept offerings. On their way there, the awakened bhiksu told the young bhiksus, “You must all remember to keep your resolve firm. Constantly contemplate the body as impure. When we fall ill, we may die. Even before we die, our bodies may have wounds that fester, rot, give off a stench and so on. After death, the entire body will become bloated. Fluid will start flowing out. The flesh will rot. Everyone, think about this. We must contemplate the body as impure. We are going to the elder’s house. He intends to make offerings, but he will also deliberately test our resolve. We must show our pure and disciplined conduct. In order to behave in this way, we must contemplate impurity; we must contemplate the body as impure.” These young bhiksus understood. Wasn’t the purpose of their spiritual practice to free them from passion and desires? So, they were all very proper as they entered the elder’s home in an orderly manner.

He truly made a very abundant offering. One after another, the dishes were brought out. There was also singing and music. The dancers all bared themselves and moved in a very seductive manner. However, for the bhiksus, it was as if they did not see or hear them. With great respect, they finished their meal. As the elder observed them from the side, he was moved and felt ashamed. He came before them and respectfully repented to them. He said that he had sincerely wanted to make respectful offerings, but he had doubts about the bhiksus. When he saw everyone’s firm spiritual aspirations, he felt that he should not have [tested them]. Therefore, he felt repentant.

The awakened bhiksu said to the elder, “First, we are grateful for your offering. Second, I want to tell you that although spiritual practitioners each have different capabilities, we have received the Buddha’s teachings in the forms of various analogies and expressions. Although we are not yet able to realize the True Dharma of the One Vehicle, everyone’s spiritual aspirations are firm. You cannot use a dipper to measure all the water in the ocean. The Buddha’s wisdom is as vast as the ocean, so it is not something you can measure with a scale or a dipper. You overestimate your ability [to test it].” The elder then very reverently and remorsefully asked the bhiksus to teach the Dharma. From that point on, everyone in the elder’s household, including his family members and servants, all took refuge in the Buddha-Dharma. They regularly went to the Sangha to request and listen to teachings.

So, “By destroying doubts and regrets, they realize the right path.” Lay practitioners cannot have doubts, either. They must also destroy their doubts. “By destroying doubts and regrets, they realize the right path.” They must uphold the Great Dharma to turn the Dharma-wheel. When Buddhist practitioners listen to the Dharma, they apply it and also share it with others, so everyone will benefit. Although the Buddha-Dharma is very profound, as long as our root of faith grows deep, we will slowly realize it.

The previous sutra passage states,

“The path to Buddhahood is difficult to fathom so He taught suitable skillful means. May our blessed karma from this life and all past lives and the merits gained from seeing the Buddha be dedicated to the path to Buddhahood.”

Yesterday we said that although the path to Buddhahood is profound, the Buddha uses various skillful means to explain it to us according to our dispositions and help us understand that life is impermanent. If we understand the principles of suffering, emptiness and impermanence, we will understand that life is short. We will understand that the human body is impure and lasts only briefly; it is impermanent. So, why would we give rise to greed and desire on behalf of this body?

We already understand these principles, so we create blessed karma in all that we do. In our past lifetimes and this current lifetime, if we had not created blessings, we would not have been able to encounter the Buddha. So, in “this life and all past lives,” in our past, present and future lives, we have been on the Bodhisattva-path, giving to help others. All the merits we have created have been dedicated toward the path to Buddhahood.

The next sutra passage states,

“At that time, Sariputra said to the Buddha, ‘World-Honored One I now have no further doubts or regrets, having personally received from You the prediction of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.'”

In this passage, Sariputra expressed his gratitude to the Buddha. He even expressed the thoughts from deep in his mind, that the teachings the Buddha transmitted had destroyed his doubts and allowed him to realize the ultimate truth of the Great Vehicle. So, Sariputra now understood and was deeply repentant of his past attachments and bias toward emptiness. He now understood that he had to put the Bodhisattva-path into action. Having formed this aspiration, he received the Buddha’s prediction for attaining Buddhahood. He would go among people and walk the Bodhisattva-path until reaching the ultimate state, which is the state of enlightenment. This is how he would repay the Buddha’s grace.

So, “[Sariputra] was deeply grateful for the grace of the Dharma which nurtured and extended his root of faith so that he had no further doubts and regrets.”

Sariputra, having learned the Dharma and received the prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha, was deeply grateful for the grace of the Dharma which nurtured and extended his root of faith so that he had no further doubts and regrets.

Now, all of us already understand and have deeply realized and connected with the Dharma. The Dharma has helped nourish our wisdom-life and grow our root of faith so that doubts no longer hinder our spiritual practice. Sariputra himself felt very fortunate to “have personally received from [the Buddha] the prediction of attaining. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

In the past, he had cultivated blessings and wisdom. He was replete with blessings and wisdom, so he was born during the Buddha’s lifetime and received the prediction of Buddhahood from Him. We will probably receive the same if we continue to follow this path. Although the path is very long and extends far, as long as we continue walking in this direction, then we can go among people to accumulate goodness and blessings, life after life. We will continue to accumulate them so we will also be able to encounter a Buddha and to receive a prediction of Buddhahood from Him. We must have this kind of faith in ourselves. Although the path is very long and extends far, as long as we start walking, we will get there if we do not deviate from the path.

That is the Buddha’s wisdom. “Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi” is the Buddha’s wisdom. This supreme, universal and perfect wisdom is called “complete awakening.” With it, our [understanding] will be correct and universal.

The Buddha’s wisdom is also called unsurpassed complete awakening and the unsurpassed path to complete enlightenment. It is the unsurpassed wisdom that is being completely awakened to all truths.

The state of sentient beings is as familiar to the Buddha as His hand; it is like looking at the lines on His palms. The Buddha’s wisdom is a complete awakening. He understands all things in the universe, including all things in the human realm. The wisdom of the Buddha gives him correct and universal understanding. So, it is an “unsurpassed path to complete enlightenment.” It is “unsurpassed” because no one has greater wisdom than the Buddha. It is universal; the Bodhi-path, the Bodhisattva-path, can be practiced in Taiwan, the United States, and Africa. It is applicable anywhere. So, this is the supreme wisdom that is being completely awakened to all truths. It is what we call. “Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”

Everyone, isn’t attaining this the purpose of learning from the Buddha? The Buddha often reminded everyone that the Dharma He had taught compared to the Dharma still contained in His brain and in the ocean of His wisdom was like the many grains of sand on earth; there is so much Dharma that has not been taught. How many people can encounter the Buddha-Dharma? They can be compared to sand under a fingernail while those who do not comprehend the Dharma are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River.

Everyone, we are truly very fortunate to be able to listen to the Dharma here. Therefore, we must celebrate our good fortune. Sariputra was fortunate among all of the Buddha’s Sangha. When others receive a prediction [of Buddhahood], we are happy on their behalf. We also feel fortunate that, in the future, we will be able to attain Buddhahood. As ordinary beings, we just need to pave a smooth road that connects with the Bodhisattva-path. If we can proceed on the wide straight Bodhi-path, if we do not deviate from the path, then naturally we will attain complete awakening to all truths.

Once we have penetrated the workings of worldly things among people, we can understand even more. Therefore, through these true principles, we can actually experience this supreme, universal and perfect wisdom. So, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path, go among people and understand worldly matters. We absolutely must penetrate the habitual tendencies of countless sentient beings. But, we must also safeguard our minds. We have received many different teachings. If we can attain many realizations in this world, [we will realize] the world-transcending Dharma. If we have ways of transcending our afflictions, that is world-transcending Dharma. In that case, nothing in this world can hinder our spiritual aspirations. Therefore, I hope everyone will always be mindful.

Episode 520 – Be Dedicated to the Path to Buddhahood

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>> “Unconditioned Dharma is true emptiness and is without form. Wondrous existence is conditioned phenomena, the union [of conditions] that form appearances. The coming together of causes and conditions gives rise to names and appearances. Within this temporary union is concealed the Dharma of Suchness.”

>> Sariputra, the Wise One, has now received this prediction from the Honored One. We are also like him and will certainly attain Buddhahood in the future. In all the world, we will be the most honored and unsurpassed.

>> “The path to Buddhahood is difficult to fathom, so He taught suitable skillful means. May our blessed karma from this life and all past lives and the merits gained from seeing the Buddha be dedicated to the path to Buddhahood.”

>> The path to Buddhahood is the Bodhi-path. A path is unobstructed and leads somewhere. The Buddha’s wisdom is perfect and unobstructed. Therefore it is called a path. The Bodhi-path is “a path that is unobstructed and leads somewhere.”

>> The path to Buddhahood is difficult to fathom, so He taught suitable skillful means: The unsurpassed Bodhi-path attained by the Buddha is inconceivable. The path to enlightenment is such that this state is not something ordinary people or. Small Vehicle practitioners can realize or conceive of. All He could do was use skillful means and suitable analogies to speak of matters so they could understand these principles.

>> The three kinds of good karma: 1. Blessings from worldly deeds 2. Blessings from upholding precepts 3. Blessings from practice 1. Blessings from worldly deeds: These come from being filial to parents, respecting teachers and elders, and from upholding the Ten Good Deeds and Ten Precepts.

>> The second is blessings from upholding precepts.

>> By “upholding the Three Refuges, Five Precepts and even the complete [monastic] precepts.”

>> The merits gained from seeing the Buddha [will] be dedicated to the path to Buddhahood: To [dedicate] is to turn around and move toward a certain direction. We turn and dedicate the merits we have cultivated toward the Bodhisattva-path. This is turning from the Small to the Great.

>> “For sentient beings without good [karma],” we give them virtuous Dharma. After giving them these teachings, they will head precisely toward Bodhi. Just as when we play drums and other music, the echoing sounds can be heard from far away, we can turn small good deeds into great benefits.

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“Unconditioned Dharma is true emptiness and is without form.
Wondrous existence is conditioned phenomena, the union [of conditions] that form appearances.
The coming together of causes and conditions gives rise to names and appearances.
Within this temporary union is concealed the Dharma of Suchness.”

Principles are not things that we can see. We cannot see them because they are in a state of true emptiness. In this space that we live in, is there truly nothing at all? This vast space actually contains everything, it is just that we cannot see it. But the principles behind everything do exist. There is moisture and there is air; looking at things, there are many incredibly tiny particles. As we breathe, there are also numerous infectious germs in the air. But our eyes cannot see them. What does electricity look like? We cannot see it, but if there is a [live wire], it could be very dangerous.

In conclusion, even if we cannot see something in our daily living, we must not overlook it, because it is actually true emptiness. Though it does not seem to have any form, actually wondrous existence, conditioned phenomena, this very subtle and wondrous thing, exists within true emptiness. The power of this wondrous existence is there. So, with wondrous existence, as long as we are mindful, science and technology will develop. We conduct research into how, from unconditioned Dharma, a [tangible] union is formed. By putting together various material things, the appearance of this lamp is manifested. With the lamp’s appearance and the workings of true emptiness, consistent with its form, this lamp can light up. This “coming together of causes and conditions” is the convergence of many things. Through this tangible thing, something intangible is transmitted. So, this is the formation of an appearance.

Once something has an appearance, it gets a name. We all have the appearance of a human, but we each have different names. We each have different names, but we can collectively be called “human.” We are called “human” because of our appearance. This is our label. The label for these causes and conditions is a “temporary union.” We each have different names, and within each family, one person is the father and another person is the mother. When a mother and a father come together, there are daughters and sons. All are members of the same family, but each one is addressed differently. Because of these different forms of address, there are morals that guide the relationships.

So, people use these morals in their relationships to maintain their ethical standards in daily life. Similarly, the essence of our spiritual practice is embodied in the precepts. For life in the mundane world, the essence is found in these morals and ethics. Having these different levels of address helps to maintain the way things work in the world. So, we must understand them. To understand the Buddha-Dharma, we must not only uphold worldly Dharma, we must also uphold world-transcending Dharma.

The world-transcending Dharma is what was revealed by the Buddha as He peeled open these worldly principles, layer by layer, for us to see and understand. He did this because our direction as Buddhist practitioners has already been obscured for such a long time. As ordinary people, in all of our minds ignorance has arisen, so this Bodhisattva-path has become covered by “dense smoke and fog.” Thus we cannot see the path clearly. The Buddha came to point out that, within this “dense smoke and fog,” there is a stable and solid path that we can walk without worries. No matter how far we go, each step forward will be on very solid ground. It is very safe. As we advance, our every step forward is safe and steady.

So, we must believe that. “Unconditioned Dharma is true emptiness and is without form.” This is true principles. True principles cannot be seen, except when various causes and conditions come together. That is wondrous existence; within true emptiness is wondrous existence. Although there is true emptiness, the wondrous existence within is everlasting.

Through the technological research of many people, the television was created. Early televisions used to receive signals through an antenna, but now everything is sent over the internet. The internet is connected by cables and wires. Now, with more inventions many of these wires are completely unnecessary. Information can be accessed through “the cloud.” Just by pushing the “on” button, this physical body of mine can be seen all over the world.

As I sit here right now, not only is that screen in front of me showing my image, but volunteers at over 200 locations around this island are listening to me speak at the same time. They are able to see my image, so I have already reached the place where they are. This is wondrous existence. Truly, “wondrous existence is conditioned phenomena.” These true principles can only manifest through the convergence of tangible things. Although this union is temporary and illusory, within it is concealed the Dharma of Suchness. This Dharma of Suchness is our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. In this world, everything contains this Dharma. So, we must learn from the Buddha in our daily living. If we can be a little more mindful, by understanding one principle, we can penetrate all principles. Thus, we must have this resolve at all times.

The previous sutra verse states, “Sariputra, the Wise One, has now received this prediction from the Honored One. We are also like him.” ․Sariputra, the Wise One, has now received this prediction from the Honored One. We are also like him and will certainly attain Buddhahood in the future. In all the world, we will be the most honored and unsurpassed.

The listeners at the Lotus Assembly heard the Buddha bestow the prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra. They were all joyful; since Sariputra had received this prediction of Buddhahood, they took joy in his achievement. They were happy because they will also have a part in this. In the future they will also receive this prediction from the Buddha. They will also attain Buddhahood in the future.

So, “in all the world” encompasses the Ten Dharma-realms. The Ten Dharma-realms are Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Solitary Realizers, Hearers, then heavenly beings, humans, and those in the hell, hungry ghost, animal realms etc. These are the Ten Dharma-realms. This is considered “all the world.” After the Enlightened One became a Buddha, He could go anywhere in the Ten Dharma-realms to teach and guide sentient beings. So, He was “the most honored and unsurpassed.” In the Ten Dharma-realms, the greatest, the most honored and most respected are those who attain Buddhahood.

The next passage states,

“The path to Buddhahood is difficult to fathom, so He taught suitable skillful means. May our blessed karma from this life and all past lives and the merits gained from seeing the Buddha be dedicated to the path to Buddhahood.”

The path to Buddhahood is incredible; it is very profound and difficult to understand. But the Buddha “taught suitable skillful means.” The Dharma must be explained though many methods, analogies and expressions so that we can understand how things really are.

The path to Buddhahood is the Bodhi-path. Every day we talk about the Bodhi-path, how the great Bodhi-path is direct. This broad path leads directly from the state of ordinary people to the state of Buddhahood. This straight line does not curve or bend. Thus we can advance diligently with each step. This is a very smooth and level path.

The path to Buddhahood is the Bodhi-path. A path is unobstructed and leads somewhere. The Buddha’s wisdom is perfect and unobstructed. Therefore it is called a path. The Bodhi-path is “a path that is unobstructed and leads somewhere.”

By taking this road, we can arrive somewhere. Where will we arrive? At the Buddha’s wisdom. If we are mindful and use a penetrating mind to have faith and understand, we will accept the Dharma with wisdom. Then we must uphold our vows and follow the path. How do we accept the Dharma and apply it in this world? “Wisdom comes from experience.” Then we can enter very complicated environments without facing any hindrances at all. This is like clouds passing in front of the moon. The moon remains where it is as the clouds pass and is never affected by the passing clouds. The moon will always remain so clear and bright. The same principle applies here; if we are able to walk the Bodhi-path, this path allows us to reach “the Buddha’s wisdom, [which] is perfect and unobstructed.” The way there is direct and unobstructed.

Consider a road, for example. There are often traffic jams nowadays. This is because there are too many cars and drivers do not stay in their lanes. They dodge between one another. If they cannot get in the lane they want, they slow down and block the cars behind them. The broad [Bodhi-]path is wide and straight, and everyone can follow that path forward. Thus it is perfect; there is nothing that will obstruct or hinder us. Thus, it is called a path. This path is unobstructed and can lead us to the Buddha’s unsurpassed Bodhi-path. This is inconceivable.

The path to Buddhahood is difficult to fathom, so He taught suitable skillful means: The unsurpassed Bodhi-path attained by the Buddha is inconceivable. The path to enlightenment is such that this state is not something ordinary people or. Small Vehicle practitioners can realize or conceive of. All He could do was use skillful means and suitable analogies to speak of matters so they could understand these principles.

The path to enlightenment is such; the state of this path is not something ordinary people or. Small Vehicle practitioners can realize or conceive of. In the Buddha’s heart and in His mind, how many things does He understand? Within the ocean of enlightenment in His mind, how many truths has He penetrated? This is inconceivable. “The path to Buddhahood is difficult to fathom.” It is inconceivable, so He could only use skillful means “and suitable analogies” [to teach it]. Through matters, He helped them understand principles. He used the workings of things in the world to draw analogies to explain principles until people could understand them. It is due to His compassion and wisdom that all sentient beings can realize the Dharma. Therefore, we must be very grateful that the Buddha took such great care [in teaching us].

“May our good karma from this life and all past lives….” We should feel very fortunate that we are so blessed. We have at least three kinds of good karma, so we should all feel very fortunate.

The three kinds of good karma: 1. Blessings from worldly deeds 2. Blessings from upholding precepts 3. Blessings from practice 1. Blessings from worldly deeds: These come from being filial to parents, respecting teachers and elders, and from upholding the Ten Good Deeds and Ten Precepts.

The first is blessings from worldly deeds. How do we create these worldly blessings? Without actions, we have no blessings, so we must know how to create blessings. The first kind of blessing from worldly deeds comes from being filial to our parents, then from respecting our teachers and elders. So, I often say, “Being filial and doing good deeds cannot wait.” We should be filial because our parents gave us this body and our teachers helped us grow in knowledge. Therefore, we must respect our teachers and be filial to our parents. These are blessings from worldly deeds. At the same time, we must uphold the Ten Good Deeds and Ten Precepts. We must practice the Ten Good Deeds and uphold the Ten Precepts. When we uphold the Ten Precepts, we can avoid making mistakes, When we practice the Ten Good Deeds, we create blessings to benefit the world.

The second is blessings from upholding precepts.

Blessings from upholding precepts depend on us. How do we create blessings by upholding precepts?

By “upholding the Three Refuges, Five Precepts and even the complete [monastic] precepts.”

This protects our wisdom-life. By upholding precepts, we protect our wisdom-life and increase our good karma. We must take the Three Refuges. The Three Refuges are refuge in the Buddha, refuge in the Dharma and refuge in the Sangha, who are continuously transmitting the Buddha’s teachings in the world. They will continue to pass them on so that people can move from the state of ordinary beings to the state of Buddhahood.

These are the Three Refuges. We must carefully uphold the Five Precepts, which are fundamental to being human. There are also the complete precepts for those who become monastics. The more meticulously and carefully we uphold the precepts, the more clearly our Buddha-nature will manifest. So, these are our blessings. These are blessings from precepts.

The third is blessings from practices, which comes from putting teachings into practice. After we hear the Dharma, we must put it into practice. We give rise to Bodhicitta and walk the path to Buddhahood.

“The merits gained by seeing the Buddha” will “be dedicated to the path to Buddhahood.” With the merits of being able to see the Buddha, we must learn to be like Him. If we create those three kinds of blessings in that particular sequence and also uphold those precepts, everything we do can be “dedicated to the path to Buddhahood.” Our goal is to reach the [state] of Buddhahood. We do not seek to be born in the heaven realm; we do not seek to return to the comforts of the human realm. We do not pray to make a lot of money. These are not the kinds of merit we seek. We seek to ultimately attain Buddhahood. We amass all the good [deeds] we can, create as many blessed connections as possible and transform as many sentient beings as possible. In the end, we will be awakened and attain Buddhahood. We must be dedicated to the path to Buddhahood.

The merits gained from seeing the Buddha [will] be dedicated to the path to Buddhahood: To [dedicate] is to turn around and move toward a certain direction. We turn and dedicate the merits we have cultivated toward the Bodhisattva-path. This is turning from the Small to the Great.

To [dedicate] is to turn around; we return to our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. Then we move toward a certain direction. In the state of ordinary people, we have already strayed from the path. From being lost and confused, we must find a way to return to our pure intrinsic nature of True Suchness. To do this, we must go toward a certain direction; once we turn around, we see [the way back]. So, “We turn and dedicate the merits we have cultivated toward the Bodhisattva-path.” This is turning from the Small to the Great. To return to our intrinsic nature of True Suchness, we must cultivate all merits. Then we dedicate our merits toward the Bodhisattva-path. We must continually accumulate them. We dedicate ourselves to all sentient beings. When we have reached our destination, then we will have completely returned to our intrinsic nature of True Suchness.

So, it is “for sentient beings without good [karma].” Sentient beings lack good [karma] because they have not done good deeds. Thus “We give them virtuous Dharma.” This is what Bodhisattvas do. They will give virtuous Dharma to everyone.

“For sentient beings without good [karma],” we give them virtuous Dharma. After giving them these teachings, they will head precisely toward Bodhi. Just as when we play drums and other music, the echoing sounds can be heard from far away, we can turn small good deeds into great benefits.

“After giving them these teachings” means that [Bodhisattvas] will help them to understand the Dharma. By doing this, “they will head precisely toward Bodhi.” This is how we transform sentient beings. Many sentient beings are deluded and no longer know the way. So, we go among people to help and teach them so “they will head precisely toward Bodhi.” This is Bodhi.

This is like playing music. When someone beats a drum, it rings through the surroundings; the sound will spread far and wide. This is turning from the Small to the Great. Here, “Great” refers to returning to our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. However, if we wish to return to this pure nature, we must work to benefit all sentient beings. In summary, the Dharma can be very great, and it can also be very small. We cannot just talk about it; we must hear it, understand it and then mindfully devote ourselves to realizing it. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 519 – Uphold Your Vows and Walk the Bodhi-path

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>> “From Beginningless Time until now, we have had the wondrous nature of True Suchness. By upholding our vows and following the path, we can understand true principles. Sariputra was affirmed and received a prediction of attaining Buddhahood. Walking the Bodhi-path to enlightenment results in this great karmic retribution. From Beginningless Time until now, we have had the wondrous nature of True Suchness.”

>> “From the past until now, I and the others have heard the World-Honored One teach many times. But never have we heard such profound, wondrous and supreme Dharma. When the World-Honored One taught this Dharma, we all rejoiced accordingly.”

>> “Sariputra, the Wise One has now received this prediction from the Honored One. We are also like him and will certainly attain Buddhahood in the future. In all the world, we will be the most honored and unsurpassed.”

>> They were very glad and joyful. The path to Buddhahood is inconceivable. With the good deeds we have done, now and in our past lives, may we dedicate all of our blessed karma and merits toward the Buddha Vehicle. In this way, we are also like him and will certainly attain Buddhahood in the future.

>> Period: This indicates the passage of time. The four seasons go through a cycle of flourishing and withering, formation, abiding, decay and disappearance. This indicates [eventual] destruction.

>> Space: It means everything contained within. All matters and things that exist in a period of time create the world.

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“From Beginningless Time until now, we have had the wondrous nature of True Suchness.
By upholding our vows and following the path, we can understand true principles.
Sariputra was affirmed and received a prediction of attaining Buddhahood.
Walking the Bodhi-path to enlightenment results in this great karmic retribution.
From Beginningless Time until now, we have had the wondrous nature of True Suchness.”

We all intrinsically have it. Basically, whenever something has life, it has this nature of True Suchness. It has existed “from Beginningless Time until now.” Where exactly will we be in the future? We have no idea. Will we be reborn as humans? We cannot be sure. If we are reborn as humans, will we be as we are now? This is completely unknown to us. Is this confusion, this lack of clarity in life, something we are willing to continue living with? In order for us to have clarity in the future, we must be very mindful from now on.

Because we have the causes and conditions to listen to the Buddha-Dharma and a place to practice the Bodhisattva-path, we are so very blessed. If we do not make an effort to uphold our vows, our minds will be wild and undisciplined. When we listen to the Dharma with this mindset, we understand, but once we leave this environment and encounter the phenomena in our surroundings, our unenlightened mind again manifests. The afflictions that come from interpersonal conflicts and attachments will once again gather in our minds. If this is the case, when will we ever be able to understand principles clearly? So, we must “uphold our vows and follow the path.”

We have already made vows to learn from the Buddha, engage in practice and walk the Bodhisattva-path. We must earnestly uphold these vows. So, to “uphold our vows and follow the path” is very important. If we are able to do this, naturally “we can understand true principles.” Here, “principles” refers to universal truths, the wondrous truths of the One Vehicle, which we will one day be able to understand.

These truths are that, as the Buddha said, when we walk the Bodhisattva-path, we must give, do good deeds, benefit others and form good karmic connections. Human life is short. At what point in our lives, under what conditions, will we come face to face with impermanence? No one knows. However, we can make [the best] use of this body. When we are healthy, we can put the Dharma into practice. When the impermanence of life manifests, how can we immediately make use of this body to give life to others? This is addressed clearly by the Buddha-Dharma.

The Buddha said, “Heads, eyes, bone marrow and brain were all given to others.” Very recently, we witnessed this in a very touching story. In Miaoli County, there was a 42-year-old man in the prime of life. This man, Mr. Liao, had a younger brother who lived in Taipei. They had grown up in a farming family, and Mr. Liao had continued working on the farm. One day, as he was riding his motorcycle, for an unknown reason, he fell into ditch and was severely injured. The doctors pronounced that he was brain-dead. His mother went to the hospital after learning the news. She was in deep anguish. His younger brother also rushed there from Taipei as soon as he heard the news. The doctor explained that. Mr. Liao could not be revived, that although he had not stopped breathing, he was brain dead.

The mother asked his younger brother, “Is it possible for his life to continue [being of use]? On Da Ai TV I have often heard that, in a situation like this, the organs can be donated.” His younger brother said, “It is very rare for a mother to think this way. Let’s switch hospitals right away to Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital.” Just like that, a social worker immediately put her in touch with our organ donation team. After analyzing the situation, they said, “Even though he is brain dead, he can still donate his heart valve and blood vessels. In addition to these, he can donate his corneas, his skin, and his bones.” There was still so much that could be donated.

His younger brother and mother agreed, so in spite of their great sorrow, they signed the consent form to donate any part of him that was usable. His heart valves and blood vessels were donated to Taipei’s Veteran’s Hospital, his corneas were donated to to Changhua Christian Hospital, his skin was donated to National Taiwan University and his bones went to our Tzu Chi Hospital and. National Taiwan University Hospital. By doing this, he was able to help over 50 people’s bodies to be able to continue functioning.

Think about how wise the Buddha was. Over 2000 years ago, He already spoke of how, in walking the Bodhisattva-path, not only do we give material things, we can also give parts of our bodies. Our head, eyes, bone marrow and brain can all be given to others. That shows the wisdom of the Buddha. We all intrinsically have this same wisdom. Think about Mr. Liao’s mother and younger brother. From the media reports, they understood that when a life ends, there is still a chance to leave behind a legacy of love for the world. Thus they very willingly and quickly made the donation. Is this not wisdom?

Wisdom is intrinsic to all of us. Because of this, we can all understand that everyone inherently has a kind and benevolent nature. Since we are engaging in spiritual practice, we must be able to accept the Buddha’s wisdom and wondrous true principles. The Buddha gives us teachings, and we must faithfully accept and practice them by upholding our vows and following the path. Only then can we comprehend the principles of all things in the universe, along with the principles of relationships.

Sariputra had followed the Buddha for so long, but he had not understood the Bodhisattvas’ wondrous Dharma of the Great Vehicle. He had confined himself to “true emptiness” and lacked understanding of “wondrous existence.” So, he had remained at the state of the Small Vehicle Dharma. Finally, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly. Sariputra’s mind opened. He had been upholding vows and followed the path, so now the Bodhisattva-path was open to him. Thus he “understood true principles.”

He intrinsically had a nature of True Suchness, and now he had opened his mind to the truth and comprehended these true principles. So, “Sariputra was affirmed.” The Buddha recognized that Sariputra had opened his mind, formed great aspirations and made great vows, so He gave him a prediction of Buddhahood. “Walking the Bodhi-path to enlightenment results in this great karmic retribution.” Because Sariputra had this understanding, the Buddha affirmed him.

In the previous sutra passage, [Sariputra] states,

“From the past until now, I and the others have heard the World-Honored One teach many times. But never have we heard such profound, wondrous and supreme Dharma. When the World-Honored One taught this Dharma, we all rejoiced accordingly.”

Those present at the Lotus Dharma-assembly had been constantly listening to the Buddha teach. They had heard everything that was taught. They had all heard this most profound and wondrous supreme Dharma but in the past, they had not recognized it as such. Now that everyone saw Sariputra receive a prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha, everyone’s minds finally opened and they were all very happy. They were happy on his behalf and at the same time they gained more faith in themselves. If Sariputra was able to receive this prediction, then eventually everyone would have a part of this.

The following sutra passage states,

“Sariputra, the Wise One has now received this prediction from the Honored One. We are also like him and will certainly attain Buddhahood in the future. In all the world, we will be the most honored and unsurpassed.”

Everyone knew this now. The verses in this passage are about people hearing Sariputra receive such a prediction and the joy and delight they felt. They felt fortunate that they would also receive a prediction that they would attain Buddhahood. They would also be a part of this. Sariputra was not the only one who would receive this prediction; they all would. They could wait; they did not need to rush, knowing that the Buddha would bestow this prediction on them, one after another.

Therefore, everyone was happy and had faith, because they would also be able to receive predictions from the Buddha. They had this kind of blessing.

Sariputra was able to receive this prediction because his mind could be in accord with the Buddha’s mind. He had already made the great vows, so the Buddha bestowed this prediction upon him. Therefore, everyone else felt that they must also immediately make these great vows. They were happy and willing to do this. They took joy in Sariputra’s accomplishment and felt very fortunate themselves. “As long as we promptly make the great vows, then uphold those vows and follow the path, we will comprehend the principles. Then naturally, we can also attain Buddhahood.” Thus they were very glad and joyful.

They were very glad and joyful. The path to Buddhahood is inconceivable. With the good deeds we have done, now and in our past lives, may we dedicate all of our blessed karma and merits toward the Buddha Vehicle. In this way, we are also like him and will certainly attain Buddhahood in the future.

The path to Buddhahood is inconceivable. We have to understand that it is truly inconceivable. For this inconceivable Dharma, we simply must mindfully have faith and understanding. Not only must we have faith in it, we must make vows. “With the good deeds we have done, now and in our past lives, may we dedicate all of our blessed karma and merits.” We must begin from the past. “Past lives” refers to the past. Right now we can live like this thanks to the blessings of the past. If we had not created any blessings in the past, we would not have these causes and conditions. Since we created blessings and good connections, we are able to all gather together in one place.

Sakyamuni Buddha had also created good karmic connections in the past, as had all His disciples at this assembly. In the past, they had done good deeds and created blessed karma. Everyone was able to gather there because of those merits. Everyone depended on those merits, whether they created them in the past or in the present. In the present and in the future, they must also dedicate their merits to the Buddha Vehicle.

They cannot think, “It is good enough if I engage in spiritual practice and liberate myself.” The Small Vehicle Dharma focuses on the individual. It does not lead to understanding of the Buddha’s great and true principles.

We hope to attain great liberation so that not only we, but everyone, will have the opportunity to attain liberation. We must listen to the Dharma and turn the Dharma-wheel. We must know ourselves and others. We must awaken ourselves and others. Only then will we have perfect awakened conduct. So, with everything we do, we must cultivate all goodness and create all blessings. Whether we amassed these in the past or create them in the present, we must promptly dedicate them to the Buddha Vehicle, which is the Great Vehicle.

“Therefore, we are also like him and will certainly attain Buddhahood in the future.” If we dedicate our minds toward the Bodhisattva-path and continue straight on this path, without deviating from our course, all of us can attain Buddhahood. We will receive the Buddha’s prediction that we will attain Buddhahood.

Then, “In all the world, we will be the most honored and unsurpassed.” This is something we all can achieve. In this world, in the future, “We will be the most honored and unsurpassed” and “attain supreme, universal, perfect enlightenment.”

The Chinese character for “the world” is also the character for “period.” It refers to the passage of time. In this world, we have four seasons. Spring, summer, autumn and winter are constantly cycling, one arising after the other.

Period: This indicates the passage of time. The four seasons go through a cycle of flourishing and withering, formation, abiding, decay and disappearance. This indicates [eventual] destruction.

Over time, each of the four seasons also goes through formation, existence, decay and disappearance. From the moment we are born, we grow up, first into our prime and then old age and so on. We go through birth, aging, illness and death. This happens in the microcosm [of our body] and the four seasons of the macrocosm we live in. In the macrocosm of this universe, the principle is that all things go through the four states of formation, existence, decay and disappearance. So, everything that exists in this world will go through a process of destruction. Because of the [cycle of] formation, existence, decay and disappearance and the collective karma of sentient beings, the climate in this world has become imbalanced and the land is no longer at peace. So, “decay” and “disappearance” will manifest. All this will happen over time. Therefore, we always say that we must seize every moment.

After we understand the principles of the world, we seek to experience them. The cycle of spring, summer, autumn and winter is something that we have all experienced. Will we live through the autumn and winter? Will we once again see the arrival of spring? No one knows for sure. We have lived through them in the past, but we do not know about the future. This what we ordinary people are like; our wisdom is very limited. Thus we need the everlasting wisdom of the Buddha. So, in our spiritual practice, we cultivate everlasting wisdom. We can take what the Buddha said about the principles of formation, abiding, decay and disappearance, and apply it to understand the present. In our short and brief lives, we need to be very hardworking and mindful. We must seek the path to Buddhahood.

The world is impermanent and filled with suffering. If there were no suffering in life, why would we need to seek enlightenment? It is delusion that creates suffering. This is what happens in the world. [The Chinese characters that make up “world”] [are those of “period of time,” and “space”], so the world is comprised of both time and space. Actually, time and space conceal and contain the truth, the truly wondrous principles. There are also principles of emptiness. Why is there decay? Decay is also governed by the laws of decay. Concealed and hidden within it are many true principles. Thus, the Buddha-Dharma is truly “the most honored and unsurpassed,” the highest teachings.

So, we say the nature of time is that it is always moving. As for space, from here to there how big is this space? Space encompasses everything between heaven and earth.

Space: It means everything contained within. All matters and things that exist in a period of time create the world.

Our lives are shaped by all things in this world, all the people, matters and objects. With the passage of time, people, matters and objects come into existence in this world. Then over time, the people, matters and objects arise, abide, change and cease. When our minds lead us to create tangible things, those things will go through formation, existence, decay and disappearance. That cycle is like the changing of the seasons. As time continuously passes, things “form,” then they “exist” and “decay.” After a period of decay, they “disappear.”

Time, space and interpersonal relationships all conceal and contain true principles. They are all part of this world. Then there are the principles of impermanence, no-self and decay. In addition to them there are the subtle and intricate true principles of unconditioned Dharma. Thus, we need to be very meticulous in upholding our vows and following the path. We need to focus our minds and wholeheartedly realize the principles within all people, matters and objects. If we are able to do so, we can make progress, bit by bit. This is why we must always be mindful.

Episode 518 – Practice Diligently and Rejoice for Others

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>> “All beings intrinsically have pure Dharma-nature, but their habitual tendencies lead them to go against the wondrous true principles. Bodhisattvas vow to spread the seeds of goodness. By diligently cultivating Bodhi, their roots grow deeply and solidly.”

>> “Now, again, You turn the most wondrous, unsurpassed, great Dharma-wheel. This Dharma is very profound and mysterious. There are few who can believe it.”

>> “From the past until now, I and the others have heard the World-Honored One teach many times. But never have we heard such profound, wondrous and supreme Dharma. When the World-Honored One taught this Dharma, we all rejoiced accordingly.”

>> “I and the others feel very fortunate. From long ago until this moment, we have often heard the World-Honored One teach many kinds of Dharma.”

>> But they had never heard this profound, subtle and wondrous Great Dharma of the One Vehicle.

>> The World-Honored One said that, in the presence of countless Buddhas. He practiced the profound and wondrous path. By seeing others do good deeds and rejoicing in them, He attained extremely profound, subtle and wondrous supreme Dharma.

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“All beings intrinsically have pure Dharma-nature, but their habitual tendencies lead them to go against the wondrous true principles. Bodhisattvas vow to spread the seeds of goodness. By diligently cultivating Bodhi, their roots grow deeply and solidly.”

This pure intrinsic nature is something that we often hear about. But after having [listened], do we attempt to seek it out? What does this intrinsic nature look like? In what way is it pure? If our intrinsic nature is as pure as the Buddha’s, what does it look like? If you ask me, my own answer will be that it is formless and leaves no trace; it is not long or short, but it is always connected to our lives. It is just that it is deeply concealed. Still, we often misunderstand the pure potential we have. What is it that has the power to cause us to misunderstand our nature of True Suchness? Our habitual tendencies.

Because of our habitual tendencies, we have transmigrated in the Six Realms since Beginningless Time. Therefore, our original, pure intrinsic nature has been defiled by external phenomena; this ignorance becomes our [habitual] nature. This obscures the potential of our nature of True Suchness. Thus our habitual tendencies lead us to go against the wondrous true principles. If we can change them, then our nature of True Suchness will emerge.

Are we working on changing them? All we need is the aspiration and contact with the Buddha-Dharma. We must have the will to do this. We must have faith and a penetrating mind. With faith and a penetrating mind, we make the [Four] Great Vows. Bodhisattvas make these vows to never leave sentient beings behind. Only by being among the many lost people will we have the opportunity to become awakened. So, as we make these [Four] Great Vows, we must vow to walk the Bodhisattva-path.

Because we are learning from the Buddha, we must thoroughly absorb and be permeated by the Buddha’s undefiled compassion. We often say that if we want to obtain a doctorate, we must conduct research and write a thesis. We must understand what we want to do, then mindfully conduct practical research and analysis in the lab. Then we must meticulously write a thesis so that our experience and understanding is completely explained through our writing. After conducting experiments, attaining an understanding and writing the dissertation and so on, the thesis must still be reviewed and accepted by a committee before we can receive our doctorate. Clearly, whatever our aspiration is, we must dedicate ourselves to it and work to achieve it. As we do the practical part of our research, in order to learn new things, we must continually conduct experiments. When we walk the Bodhisattva-path, these experiments are conducted among people, because to realize the Buddha’s awakened nature we must interact with people. Only then can we experience that clear awakening of our own intrinsic nature.

“Wisdom comes from experience.” By examining one delusion, we can reach one awakening. We hope to awaken to more things, so we must go among the delusions of sentient beings to attain more awakenings.

When we hear something, we may say, “I know this.” But knowing is only a small part of it. “I understand; I have experienced it.” Yet this is still different from taking the true principles into our ocean of enlightenment.

When someone is carrying a glass of ice water on a very hot day, the person carrying that ice water may tell us, “It is very cold.” We believe him, because ice is indeed cold. But how cold is it really? The coolness that he feels from holding the glass and our knowledge that the glass is cool are not the same. “Only the person who drinks the water knows the temperature of the water.” When someone has truly experienced awakening, the world that He sees, the people, matters and objects, is the same as our world, but He will perceive them differently. The way ordinary people see conditioned phenomena and the way the Great Enlightened One sees tangible, conditioned phenomena are completely different.

Ordinary people pursue what they see and discriminate based on what they like. What the Buddha sees, what the Enlightened One recognizes, is that we must be grateful for these material things. We must feel a sense of gratitude, not ownership. Without these things, we cannot survive. These material things also adorn the human realm with beauty. So, people who are awakened cherish all things on the planet with love. But when deluded, ordinary people see precious natural resources, they want to possess them. Cherishing them and pursuing them out of the desire to possess them are not the same.

How can we reach a level where all the conditioned phenomena that we see leads us back to unconditioned Dharma and we see all things as inherently equal, thus not giving rise to afflictions because of conditioned phenomena or material things? This certainly requires training. If we want to train ourselves to do this, where should we go? We must train ourselves by going among people. So, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path. This is the vow to go among people and spread the seeds of goodness. We must diligently cultivate this Bodhi-path and deeply and firmly plant our [Bodhi]-roots. Only then will society and the world be peaceful.

In Tzu Chi, we often see Living Bodhisattvas who live in this world of turbulent turbidities but remain solid in their spiritual aspirations. This is not an easy matter. On September 9 (2013), in Zamboanga, Philippines, rebel forces moved into the heart of the city. When they attacked, there was armed conflict in the streets, and shots were fired.

The Tzu Chi volunteers in Zamboanga, ten of whom are certified volunteers, were concerned that I would worry about them. They called here soon after things calmed down to report that they were safe. “The Tzu Chi volunteers are all safe.” However, part of the city had already been surrounded and occupied by rebel forces. Hundreds of people had been seized as hostages. Tzu Chi’s Eye Center in Zamboanga has been in operation for many years. Both Tzu Chi staff and patients were there when a nearby area, only two to three km away from the clinic, was occupied by rebels. It was practically next door, very close, so it was considered part of the occupied area. Quickly, the patients, doctors and nurses were evacuated in cars. They were settled in the indoor arena of a university. By this time, the arena was already filled with tens of thousands of the displaced.

Some people’s homes had been destroyed in the fighting. People were hurt, some had been killed, and some had even been kidnapped. What the rebels were asking for was to establish an autonomous Muslim region. Because of this, there was a stalemate. This made everyone very nervous.

In fact, 15 years ago in Zamboanga (in 1998), we held our first free clinic there and were able to help many people. At that time, in that place, there was a man named Yang Weishun, a devout Catholic. Actually, most people in Zamboanga are Catholic. Weishun was as well, yet he was moved by the love shown by Tzu Chi, so he courageously took on the responsibility and began to do quite a lot of Tzu Chi work there. He took charge of training volunteers and caring for people who were suffering.

In Zamboanga, they also established a prosthesis center, which manufactured prosthetics. The reason was that, in Zamboanga, there have always been rebels lurking around. With all the gunfire and exploding landmines, many people had lost their hands or feet and become disabled. The way to help them was to provide prosthetics so they could walk on two feet again or use their two hands. So, Tzu Chi established a prosthesis manufacturing [and rehabilitation] center to help them. This was all provided free of charge. They could also work in a “cash for work” program. If we could successfully treat them, we could teach them how to make prosthetics so they could, in turn, help other people. Then we would pay them a salary. By using this method, the prosthetics center has fitted over 600 people with prosthetics; all of them are now able to walk on their own.

Among them, there was one family with a man who had lost both feet. However, he had not lost them to gun fire. He had smoked so much that his arteries hardened and his feet turned black. One day, seeing how black his feet were, he scraped away at them until, without noticing, his nails and toes fell off. Only then was he aware of how serious this was. He went to the doctor, who amputated both his feet. Thus his family fell into poverty and hardship.

His eldest child was only 13 at the time. His 13-year-old daughter had to go to Manila to do odd jobs in order to earn money to support the family. From the year we helped fit him with prosthetics until today, he has been able to walk without anyone realizing that he was wearing them. He walks very well with those two feet. So, he has also joined our “cash for work” program, which taught him how to make prosthetics and fit them for other people. This has changed his mindset. Although he was physically disabled, his mind became healthy. He is willing to help others, improve his family circumstances and improve the lives of other amputees. His daughter was also able to return home. They became a happy family again.

Seeing something like this, we feel that lives can truly be changed. And the volunteers who were willing to dedicate themselves to helping others, the people who were willing to give back after they themselves had received assistance, were quite numerous. This shows that mindfully sharing the Dharma can deliver it to people’s hearts and transform the suffering they face in life. It can even turn their suffering into joy. Doing this requires Living Bodhisattvas. In this world, only by seeing the disharmony in people’s minds can we comprehend what the Buddha taught about the mind. Our minds can lead us to heaven or hell. Our minds can make us become unenlightened or lead us to Buddhahood. Everything is determined by our minds.

We must become awakened sentient beings. We must take the suffering of ordinary people into our minds and contemplate how we can awaken to the suffering of life and what methods we can use to transform the suffering of life into the joy of living. We stand between awakening and delusion. Turning one way, we can help others. Turning the other way, we will need help from others. In summary, this is determined in the space of a thought.

Bodhisattvas vow to spread the seeds of goodness. In this place of great suffering, the seeds of goodness still persevere. In these past two or three days, [these volunteers] have delivered food and necessities to the emergency shelters. They bring comfort in these times of crisis. This makes them Living Bodhisattvas.

Bodhisattvas must diligently cultivate the Bodhi-path. Their roots must be deep and solid. So, the Buddha turned the Dharma-wheel in order to help shake up everyone’s minds. Without movement, the wheel ceases to turn. So, the Buddha taught the Great Vehicle Dharma to turn the great Dharma-wheel.

The previous passage states,

“Now, again, You turn the most wondrous, unsurpassed, great Dharma-wheel. This Dharma is very profound and mysterious. There are few who can believe it.”

The Dharma is very profound. Everything I just said is related to the Dharma. The Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from the workings of the world. After beginning with the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha is now teaching the One Vehicle Dharma, the true wondrous Dharma of One Reality. It was not easy for some people to believe in the teachings.

So, in this next sutra passage, it states again,

“From the past until now, I and the others have heard the World-Honored One teach many times. But never have we heard such profound, wondrous and supreme Dharma. When the World-Honored One taught this Dharma, we all rejoiced accordingly.”

For a very long time, everyone had often heard. Sakyamuni Buddha speak. But during more than 40 years, the Buddha had never opened up His heart to speak the True Dharma that was in His mind. When this True Dharma was taught, everyone was very delighted and very shocked as well because they learned that everyone could attain Buddhahood. As long as they keep walking in the right direction without deviating, they will reach the state of Buddhahood. They had never heard this Dharma before. Now that they had heard it, fully believing in it was not very easy, for it is a profound, wondrous and supreme teaching. Still, they deeply believed that “the Buddha speaks the truth, what is real, what is such; He does not lie.” So, everyone already believed in Him. “I and the others feel very fortunate.” They all felt very fortunate. Once Buddha bestowed this prediction on Sariputra, they would also eventually have a part in this.

Therefore, they all expressed that.

“I and the others feel very fortunate. From long ago until this moment, we have often heard the World-Honored One teach many kinds of Dharma.”

They listened often so it seemed very familiar,

But they had never heard this profound, subtle and wondrous Great Dharma of the One Vehicle.

So, “the World-Honored One said that, in the presence of countless Buddhas, He practiced the profound and wondrous path.” Everyone also believed that in the past, the World-Honored One, in the presence of countless Buddhas, had engaged in many spiritual practices over a very long time. He had accepted the teachings of countless Buddhas and was always doing good deeds, benefiting others and forming good connections among people. He did this for a long time, over many lifetimes. In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha repeatedly talked about this. In the past, He drew near countless Buddhas and accumulated much merit so that He was now able to attain Buddhahood.

The World-Honored One said that, in the presence of countless Buddhas. He practiced the profound and wondrous path. By seeing others do good deeds and rejoicing in them, He attained extremely profound, subtle and wondrous supreme Dharma.

Therefore, after seeing the Buddha bestowing the prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra, by seeing another receive such a prediction, everyone rejoiced on his behalf. They were also happy for themselves. When others attain something and we are happy for them too, this is truly the profound, subtle, wondrous and supreme Dharma. This is also unsurpassed Dharma.

Dear Bodhisattvas, this is very simple. After we help others succeed, we too feel happy. This is quite extraordinary. If we see others and think, “I also work hard; why is it that other people always get praised? Why do they get all the credit?” this kind of taking issue over things is a sign that we have an unenlightened mind.

When we see other people doing something, we should quickly jump in to help. “We want you to succeed quickly. Once you succeed, you will be joyful. And when you have gained something, I will also be joyful.” Having this mindset also gives rise to merit. This is a very subtle and wondrous thing. Therefore, we should try to always have the mindset that no matter how long we have helped others, we see their success as our own success. When we see other people give of themselves, we rejoice in this and praise them. If we can do this, we are Bodhisattvas spreading seeds. The seeds spread by Bodhisattvas are the hopes that everyone can walk on the Bodhi-path and help pave the path to enlightenment. This is the Bodhi-path.

When others succeed, we rejoice. Even if we planted the seeds, if they achieve fruition, we must still rejoice. So, “By diligently cultivating Bodhi, our roots will grow deeply and solidly.” This type of Bodhi-root grows very deeply. So, as Buddhist practitioners, we must focus on our minds. So, I hope everyone will always be mindful.

Episode 517 – The Dharma Is Profound and Wondrous

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>> “Learn the Four Noble Truths of the world and the arising and ceasing of the Five Skandhas to realize the impermanence in the world and the extremely profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma.”

>> “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.”

>> “Now, again, you turn the most wondrous unsurpassed, great Dharma-wheel. This Dharma is very profound and mysterious. There are few who can believe it.”

>> They repeatedly listened to the supreme, wondrous Dharma and made the great vow to turn the Dharma-wheel. With deep faith, they rejoiced in others and followed the Buddha’s teachings to turn the Dharma-wheel of the Buddha’s wondrous Dharma. “Now, again, You turn that most wondrous, unsurpassed, great Dharma-wheel.”

>> This Dharma is extremely profound, subtle and wondrous: It is very wondrously profound. Its meaning is true emptiness. As for such extremely, wondrously profound. True Dharma of [wondrous] existence, very few can believe it.

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“Learn the Four Noble Truths of the world
and the arising and ceasing of the Five Skandhas
to realize the impermanence in the world
and the extremely profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma.”

We must realize that the Four Noble Truths are a very important part of the Buddha-Dharma. They are the foundation of the Buddha-Dharma. As Buddhist practitioners, if we do not comprehend the Four Noble Truths, we will not even know where to begin learning, why we would listen to the Dharma or why we would become Buddhists. So, we must all cherish the Four Noble Truths because this is how we begin learning the Buddha-Dharma.

There are so many things in life that we do not understand. Thus we face suffering, irritability, panic, unease, and our minds cannot be at peace. We experience all kinds of difficult emotions and it is very difficult to overcome them; much of our lives are consumed by these emotions. If we also suffer from physical illness, both our minds and bodies [are afflicted]. We will be afraid that we may not get better. Once we take our last breath, where will we go? Life is hazy and unclear. What will our future life be like? Where will we be reborn? We may feel panicked.

In our minds we may also feel greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt and jealousy. These emotions can constantly [arise] in our minds to torment us.

When other people’s success makes us unhappy, that is due to jealousy. When we hear teachings and feel, “This teaching is nothing special; I have a deeper understanding than this person,” this is our arrogance and doubt arising in response to the Dharma. These are deviant views and ways of thinking. As people interact with each other, they may fight for recognition and gain, openly or in secret. What is it all for? This is how many people live.

It is impossible to describe all of this. A lifetime is only a few short decades, yet we have to endure so much unease in our bodies and minds; this is unbearable suffering. This world is full of suffering because we put ourselves first, because everything revolves around our “self.” When we are embroiled in interpersonal conflicts, it is as if we were in a pot of boiling water. Clearly the state we are in is scalding hot, with suffering and hardship crushing us. This all comes from our attachment to “self.” Why do we put ourselves through this? We cannot let go.

If we could let go, we would understand that there is no self. When did this “I” come to be?” Several decades ago, when I was still a child, was that “me”? That “I” is in the past; I cannot go back to it. Several days ago, when I was still in good health, was that “me”? I am sick right now, so my good health is in the past. I am now experiencing illness and pain, and when I look into the mirror, I see that I am old. When I look at my old photographs and recall my younger days, was that really “me”? And what kind of “I” am I now?

Through the Buddha-Dharma we can realize that everything arises from the temporary union of the four elements. Amidst this world’s suffering, emptiness and impermanence, there is fundamentally no self. In particular, because of impermanence, everything changes with the passage of time. Every day we talk about minutes and seconds. Once a second passes, we cannot get it back, not to mention a whole day. So, the present second is the only second that each one of us has. Each day is the only day that we have in our lives.

We all need to truly realize that once time passes we cannot get it back; the whole course of our lives is the passage of once-in-a-lifetime moments. Since this is the only time we have, how can we not take advantage of every moment? When wholesome thoughts arise in our minds, we must quickly seize them. As for good deeds, we must do good deeds every day and create blessings for the world at all times. Every moment is a chance for us to form good affinities with everyone. This is why we must understand the Dharma.

The principles of the Dharma are in this world. If we want to enter the door to the Dharma, we must start with the Four Noble Truths. Suffering! Only when we recognize suffering will we seek to understand where suffering comes from. It is because sentient beings create karma that we share collective karma. If we do not quickly awaken, we will remain lost in the state of ordinary people and continue to give rise to more afflictions. Thus the suffering we will endure in future lives will become more severe.

By learning from the Buddha, we recognize that the source of suffering is “causation,” the accumulation of desires, cravings and [afflictive emotions] that arise during our interactions with people every day. We can see this everywhere in the world. Once people’s thinking deviates, it can cause great disturbances in society, plunging it into darkness. For people who hold great power, a careless or offhand remark, or an intentional action, can create disturbances in society and the country. A world like this is one of unbearable suffering.

If we make an effort to understand “causation,” we can find a way to extinguish it. To extinguish the source of suffering, we must cultivate our mind, refine our character and correct our behavior. Only by focusing our minds can we clearly understand interpersonal conflicts. Those who thoroughly understand the principles will not do the wrong things and will not speak the wrong words. They only think of how to benefit others.

After listening to teachings every day, [we chant]. “I vow to eliminate the Three Obstructions and all afflictions. I vow to obtain wisdom and true clarity.” And next? “I vow to eliminate all karmic obstacles.” And then? “I will follow the Bodhisattva-path, life after life.” Can these four vows be achieved in a single lifetime of spiritual cultivation? Are we applying these four verses in our daily living and in our interactions with other people?

In this world, we need a clear understanding to protect ourselves. Only then can we eliminate the Three Obstructions and all afflictions. The Three Obstructions, greed, anger, ignorance, and so on, all create afflictions, which are the source of all human suffering. This is “causation,” the ignorance and afflictions of sentient beings. So, from the Four Noble Truths, we can experience the truth of the Five Skandhas, the suffering of the raging Five Skandhas. Form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness come together to cause us to create [karma]. They are like the burning fire under a pot. When the water inside the pot is boiling, we may fall into the boiling water. With that raging fire, all kinds of emotions will be boiling and churning. This is the Five Skandhas.

When we connect with form, greed arises. When we attain what we desire, we feel happy, but when we cannot, we suffer; we worry over gain and loss. This applies to everything from material objects to fame, gain, wealth, sensual pleasure and so on. All this has to do with our feelings. Then our imagination runs wild with our perceptions. This troubles our minds and creates suffering. So, after form, feeling, and perception is action. We begin to create karma. We were already suffering, yet we take actions [which create more karma]. Our actions will have long-lasting effects. Life after life in the Six Realms, we cannot escape from the aggregate of action. The afflictions in our minds come from these incredibly minute and subtle changes.

Similarly, metabolism is occurring in our bodies, as [cells] continue to arise and cease. But we do not even understand our own bodies, so even though the infinitesimal changes of the aggregate of action are happening in our body, we are unaware of them. When did my fingernails grow long? Often, when I look at my hands, [I think,] “I just clipped them. When did they grow long again?” Our bodies require constant grooming. When did these get so long? We do not know.

As for the grass, when did it turn green again? We just recently cut the grass. There are many things we are unaware of. This is how subtle the aggregate of action is; it is an endless series of infinitesimal changes. So, both inside and outside of our bodies we continue to create karma without being aware of it.

So, the Five Skandhas take us from form, feeling and perception to action. In the end, the karma we create will be stored in our “consciousness.” Thus we are unable to come and go freely in life. This is arising and ceasing. We must become awakened so we can “realize the impermanence in the world.” We must thoroughly “comprehend the great path.”

This is the principle [behind] walking the great broad and direct Bodhi-path. Only by going among people can we understand the suffering in life. When we see other people’s suffering, we awaken to our own blessings. We must promptly walk the direct Bodhi-path so we can clearly understand the scenery along it.

This is “extremely profound, wondrous Dharma.” The workings of the world are very profound. Apart from this world, we will be unable to find the Buddha-Dharma. Actually, the Buddha attained enlightenment by seeking principles among people.

We liberate ourselves from what brings suffering so that we can devote ourselves to what makes us happy. How can we take joy in doing good deeds? We must remain in this virtuous cycle.

The world will not always be full of suffering; Amidst suffering, we can find liberation. We can be happy and do good deeds; this is not impossible. Isn’t this the case in Mozambique? The environment there has not changed, but people’s mindset have. When the mindset of those who are poor and suffering suddenly changed, they found their spiritual wealth; their hearts were filled with love. This kind of happiness [arises] when the wheel in people’s minds turn; this is the Dharma-wheel turning. The Dharma can turn the wheels in people’s minds and give them a way of helping others who are suffering. This is very subtle and wondrous Dharma.

So, when we are among people, we apply the Dharma for the world. Everything is suffering. How do we apply the Buddha-Dharma to transcend that pain and suffering? This is an important essence of the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha encouraged us to walk the Bodhisattva-path. He hoped that, by doing this, we could all immediately attain the “extremely profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma” and be filled with Dharma-joy from the Great Dharma. This gives us the strength to help others.

The previous repeated verse passage states,

“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.”

In Deer Park, the Buddha began to teach suffering, causation, cessation and the Path, the Four Noble Truths. With these four truths, He taught the Dharma. Of course, the five bhiksus were ordinary people, so they had to hear it three times before they understood the Buddha’s teachings. This is to say nothing of the multitudes of others with varying capabilities. He had to repeatedly and “distinctly teach various Dharma.”

So, [He taught] “the arising and ceasing of the five groups.” Yesterday we explained the “five groups” as five groups of humans, five groups of spiritual practitioners, or, as we transmigrate in the Six Realms, the five realms, heaven, human, hell, hungry ghost and animal. These are the five realms. But when we look at them another way, in the Dharma, the “five groups” are form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. When these Five Skandhas come together, they create suffering in people’s lives, and this is where arising and ceasing takes place. This is what we must mindfully comprehend.

The next passage states,

“Now, again, you turn the most wondrous unsurpassed, great Dharma-wheel. This Dharma is very profound and mysterious. There are few who can believe it.”

Everything from the Four Noble Truths to the Five Skandhas are distinct teachings of the Dharma. They were taught according to the capabilities of sentient beings. “Now, again, You turn the most wondrous [Dharma-wheel].” Now, the Dharma-wheel that the Buddha had begun to turn was the most wondrous Dharma-wheel, the unsurpassed and great Dharma-wheel.

The Buddha spoke to countless people and those who had affinities with Him also listened to the Dharma over and over. So, “They repeatedly listened to the supreme, wondrous Dharma.”

They repeatedly listened to the supreme, wondrous Dharma and made the great vow to turn the Dharma-wheel. With deep faith, they rejoiced in others and followed the Buddha’s teachings to turn the Dharma-wheel of the Buddha’s wondrous Dharma. “Now, again, You turn that most wondrous, unsurpassed, great Dharma-wheel.”

We engage in practice and listen to the Dharma at the same time, but we may not truly comprehend it at the same time. So, we must listen over and over to the supreme, wondrous Dharma. When people hear the Dharma, they eventually say, “I understand it; I want to make the Great Vows. I am willing to turn the Dharma-wheel and pass on the Buddha’s teachings to others.” People accept the Dharma at different times, understand it and pass it on at different times. Then “with deep faith, they rejoice for others.”

“You understand it, but even though I do not, I am happy that you do.” This is how we can encourage each other and rejoice with each other. Only those with very deep faith are able to see others achieve success and rejoice for them without giving up themselves. We must continue to advance forward; we must have this state of mind.

We should “follow the Buddha’s teachings to turn the Dharma-wheel of the Buddha’s wondrous Dharma.” For example, [volunteers in] South Africa passed it on to those in Mozambique. This is how we continue to pass it on. How many people can we benefit with it? How many doors to spiritual wealth can we open? How many suffering sentient beings can we save? As we continue to pass on teachings, we are turning this wondrous Dharma-wheel. “Now again, You turn the most wondrous [Dharma-wheel].”

“This Dharma is very profound and mysterious. There are few who can believe it.” To truly understand this Dharma, we must listen over and over. To attain a deep realization of this Dharma is truly not easy. “This Dharma is extremely subtle and wondrous.” It is extremely profound and mysterious.

What makes it profound? When we analyze things until there is “no-self,” we realize “everything is empty [in nature]. The mind is without hindrances; there are no hindrances, therefore there is no fear.” To really understand the Dharma of true emptiness, we must not have any attachments. Then we must comprehend “wondrous existence.” Then our hearts will be filled with the Dharma and Dharma-joy, which we bring with us among suffering people. We will not be influenced by them at all, so this Dharma is very profound.

This Dharma is extremely profound, subtle and wondrous: It is very wondrously profound. Its meaning is true emptiness. As for such extremely, wondrously profound. True Dharma of [wondrous] existence, very few can believe it.

“As for such wondrously profound [Dharma]….” Only a very small number of people can attain a deep realization of the. True Dharma of [wondrous] existence. So, dear Bodhisattvas, although these are just a few sentences, they actually contain very profound principles. Everyone, we must take the Dharma very seriously. “[Learn] the Four Noble Truths of the world and the arising and ceasing of the Five Skandhas to realize the impermanence in the world and the extremely profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma.” This is all extremely profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma. But is it difficult [to understand]? Let me tell you, it is not difficult, as long as we are always mindful.

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.