Category: TLS Chapter 4

Episode 858 – The Buddha’s Unmatched and Boundless Grace

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>> The Buddha’s grace is boundless, incomparable. It is the grace of guiding us to enter the Tathagata’s room, the grace of bringing joy and ease with great loving-kindness, the grace of liberating us and relieving suffering with great compassion, the grace of the warmth provided by the clothing of gentleness and patience and the grace of the peace found in the seat of the emptiness of all phenomena.

>> “The World-Honored One’s great grace is an extraordinary matter. He taught and transformed us out of compassion and to benefit all of us. Even over countless millions of kalpas, who could ever repay this?”        [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> The World-Honored One’s great grace: His lifetime of teaching and transforming was all a great grace. Beginning with the Great Dharma of the Avatamsaka, He prepared [to teach us], we failed to live up to this great grace.

>> The Agama teachings suited limited capabilities; they were a guarantee and biased toward emptiness. This shows the World-Honored One’s compassion for us. During the Vaipulya and the Prajna periods, He criticized and weeded this out. This is how the World-Honored One taught and transformed us.

>> For 40 years we had received the great grace of the Tathagata’s patient guidance, right up until today. Having taught the sutra, He entered Samadhi. Radiating light in His perfect manifestation, He then bestowed predictions of Buddhahood to benefit all of us. These were all extraordinary matters.

>> The Buddha sat upon His seat, composed in body and mind, having quickly attained peaceful stability. The sound of the Buddha’s teachings enabled all to hear. Universally worthy to receive offerings from humans and heavenly beings alike, the Tathagata on His seat has enabled us to be replete with the grace of cultivating ourselves and transforming others.

>> He taught and transformed us out of compassion and to benefit all of us. The Agama teachings suited limited capabilities; they were a guarantee and biased toward emptiness. This was the. World-Honored One’s compassion for us. This was how the Buddha treated His disciples. During the Vaipulya and the Prajna periods, He criticized and weeded this out. These were the World-Honored One’s methods of teaching and transforming.

>> Such compassion, such teaching and transforming and such benefit are all great grace and virtue. No words can describe how to repay this.

>> Even over countless millions of kalpas, who can ever repay this? When we first attained the small fruits, we thought we had lived up to the teachings and sufficiently repaid the Buddha’s grace. But from our assessment today, how can we repay it in a single life or kalpa? Even over countless kalpas, who can repay this?

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“The Buddha’s grace is boundless, incomparable.
It is the grace of guiding us to enter the Tathagata’s room,
the grace of bringing joy and ease with great loving-kindness,
the grace of liberating us and relieving suffering with great compassion,
the grace of the warmth provided by the clothing of gentleness and patience
and the grace of the peace found in the seat of the emptiness of all phenomena.”

The Buddha’s grace towards sentient beings is truly great. Sentient beings are deluded, so we cycle endlessly through the Six Realms. Over countless kalpas the Buddha has repeatedly returned, all for one great cause, to teach all sentient beings that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. Everyone who is lost can find their way back to the path to enlightenment and be liberated from suffering and cyclic existence. This is what the Buddha did for incalculable lengths of time, over spaces so vast that they cannot be described in words.

Thus, the Buddha’s grace toward sentient beings is extraordinarily great indeed. It cannot be quantified or compared to anything in the world. The Buddha often used the sands of the Ganges as an analogy for large numbers. Actually, the sands of the Ganges is not an adequate analogy because its number is finite while the Buddha’s grace is boundless and incomparable.

In so many ways, He [expresses] His love for us so that, by giving us love, little by little, He guides us into the Tathagata’s room. It is as if we are wandering vagabonds or impoverished people, with no possessions and no place to call home; exposed to the wind and freezing cold, the suffering is unbearable! But the Buddha hopes that we can all have something we can rely on, not just for one lifetime, but for many lifetimes to come. To have this [refuge] life after life, we must return to our nature of True Suchness. This is the analogy of “the Tathagata’s room.” With the Tathagata’s wisdom, we can be equal to and abide in the same place as the Buddha. We will not need to wander about out there, physically tormented by the cold and snow. We will have a place to live. It is a very warm and cozy place. This is the Buddha’s great loving-kindness; He helps us peacefully abide in the Tathagata’s room. This grace of helping us to attain joy and ease is likewise the Buddha’s grace toward us.

There is also “the grace of liberating us and relieving suffering with great compassion.” In a state of confusion, not knowing where we are going, we transmigrate in the Five Realms and four forms of birth without any control. For this reason, the Buddha spent a long time repeatedly returning to look for chances to approach sentient beings. Those with the affinity have the conditions to be delivered; this is how He saves us from suffering. He hopes to have the karmic conditions to enable sentient beings to encounter the Buddha-Dharma and through it, attain liberation. This is the Buddha’s grace of relieving our suffering with great compassion so that we can be liberated.

Next is “the grace of warmth provided by the clothing of gentleness and patience.” If it is freezing cold, what should we do? When there is wind and frost, snow and ice, what people need most is warm clothing. We need soft clothing that can keep out the cold. Similarly, the Buddha taught us how to live in a way that is both gentle and full of warmth. Just like putting on like clothing, we must cultivate gentleness and patience.

In our interactions, when others act harshly, we should respond with gentleness. This is like throwing a ball at the ground. If the ground is hard, the ball will bounce back up even higher. If the ground is covered with something soft, like a pile of sand, when the ball is thrown, it will rest in the sand, unable to bounce back up. We need to exercise gentleness and patience in the way we interact with sentient beings as we work with other people. When sentient beings are saved, we ourselves will feel very warm and happy. We can apply all Dharma in this way; by avoiding attachments, we will be at peace.

Seeing how many disasters there are in the world, it is fortunate that there are Bodhisattvas in this world. In the beginning of the year in Zimbabwe, as people were celebrating the New Year, a heavy rain began to fall. Once this rain started, things got out of hand. With the flooding, there were two meters of water in people’s homes, almost putting the entire roof underwater. Some places were immersed in over a meter of water for nearly an entire month.

The people there live impoverished lives. Their housing is very crude, if not built out of straw, then wit clay bricks if not built out of straw, then with clay bricks. How could they possibly withstand such heavy rain? So, entire houses collapsed. Many people could only watch as their houses broke apart before their eyes, leaving them without a place to shelter and rest, a place to protect them from the wind and rain. Local Tzu Chi volunteers were also affected, but the Dharma was already in their hearts. Having the Dharma is like being in the Tathagata’s room. They tossed aside worries about themselves and quickly made helping the suffering their priority. So, they went out with goods prepared for distribution, bags of rice as well as blankets. They delivered these to disaster areas.

Just looking at the pictures, one would think, “That must be hell. That is not the human world!” There was a 14- or 15-year-old child whose eyes had somehow become infected. Whatever the disease was, his eyes became swollen and deformed; all day long he was crying. Many people who saw him were frightened, but not Tzu Chi volunteers. We saw that volunteers in gray and white uniforms, our local volunteers, approached him and quickly used both arms to embrace him. This child was in such a sad state. When people in the village saw the volunteers approach the child to embrace him, to hold and comfort him, many of them gathered around, saying, “How are there such good people in this world? Why are they not afraid? How are their hearts so tender and loving?” Everyone was very touched.

After the volunteers comforted the child, they saw that his clothing was very tattered, so they immediately covered him with a blanket. They gave him rice to help him and his grandfather get by. This is giving. Teachings of love come from the Buddha-Dharma.

When we encounter this kind of environment, we must be brave and diligent. The volunteers’ actions were truly an example of “the clothing of gentleness and patience.” Those who saw their actions were very touched, and the recipients found it very heartwarming. To achieve this we must sit on “the seat of the emptiness of all phenomena.” We must not have attachments or worry about sullying our image. With love in our hearts and the courage to give, we will be at peace. After giving to others, we attain Dharma-joy, thus we feel very peaceful and at ease and the suffering receive our help. That is what the Buddha taught us. With this kind of Dharma, we can benefit both ourselves and others; this is the Great Vehicle Dharma. This is the Buddha’s grace toward us.

The previous sutra passage states, “The World-Honored One’s great grace is an extraordinary matter. He taught and transformed us out of compassion and to benefit all of us. Even over countless millions of kalpas, who could ever repay this?”

The Buddha’s great grace is truly very extraordinary. He has such compassion and loving-kindness. For sentient beings’ sake, over countless kalpas, a time that is impossible to calculate, He has continuously come to the world to teach and transform sentient beings. He did all this out of compassion. So, He came to benefit sentient beings. “Benefit all of us” is benefiting all beings. “Countless millions of kalpas” is a very long time. The Buddha has not left or abandoned us even after all these lifetimes. How can we ever repay this grace? Who can repay it?

The World-Honored One’s great grace: His lifetime of teaching and transforming was all a great grace. Beginning with the Great Dharma of the Avatamsaka, He prepared [to teach us], we failed to live up to this great grace.

“The World-Honored One’s great grace” is. “His lifetime of teaching and transforming” The World-Honored One’s great grace: His lifetime of teaching and transforming was all a great grace. Beginning with the Great Dharma of the Avatamsaka, He prepared [to teach us], we failed to live up to this great grace. In the Buddha’s lifetime, everything He taught was to benefit and transform all sentient beings. During that lifetime, as we have said, the Buddha had engaged in spiritual practice from the past up to this time. Through His practice, He awakened; this is the Great Dharma of the Avatamsaka. At that time, He had awakened, so initially, He wanted to teach this. However, the people listening seemed to be deaf and mute. Though they listened, they did not hear clearly and were unable to explain it. Thus, they failed to live up to His great grace!

The Agama teachings suited limited capabilities; they were a guarantee and biased toward emptiness. This shows the World-Honored One’s compassion for us. During the Vaipulya and the Prajna periods, He criticized and weeded this out. This is how the World-Honored One taught and transformed us.

So, during the Agama period, He suited their capacities with limited teachings. The Buddha had to use the Agama teachings, teachings of the Small Vehicle, to teach everyone the law of karma and tell them to earnestly eliminate their afflictions. “Refrain from all evil and do all good deeds; I guarantee you will attain blessings and wisdom.” This was what He taught. This was how the Buddha used skillful means to guide and transform sentient beings; but these teachings were biased toward emptiness

The World-Honored One showed compassion to us all; from the Agama, He gave the Vaipulya teachings, and after the Vaipulya period came the Prajna period. After the Prajna period, He “criticized and weeded this out.” At first, we were attached to emptiness, but this was insufficient. From true emptiness we needed to move toward wondrous existence. We must immediately go among people to teach sentient beings. So, He “criticized and weeded this out,” this kind of Small Vehicle mindset.

For 40 years we had received the great grace of the Tathagata’s patient guidance, right up until today. Having taught the sutra, He entered Samadhi. Radiating light in His perfect manifestation, He then bestowed predictions of Buddhahood to benefit all of us.

The World-Honored One taught and transformed for more than 40 years. With the great grace of patient guidance, He taught us repeatedly until we could understand. He did this “right up until today. Having taught the sutra, He entered Samadhi”  These were all extraordinary matters. “Until today” refers to the Lotus Dharma-assembly. After He finished expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, He entered Samadhi. In the Introductory Chapter, He radiated light, leading Bodhisattvas to engage in a dialogue. Then He bestowed a prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra, etc. This entire process was a reminder to everyone that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature “[It was] to benefit all of us.” This helped everyone understand that all of this was very extraordinary. In the Buddha’s teaching, He exercised His wisdom to, stage by stage, sequentially teach according to our capabilities.

The Buddha sat upon His seat, composed in body and mind, having quickly attained peaceful stability. The sound of the Buddha’s teachings enabled all to hear. Universally worthy to receive offerings from humans and heavenly beings alike, the Tathagata on His seat has enabled us to be replete with the grace of cultivating ourselves and transforming others.

So, “The Buddha sat upon His seat.” Sitting on the Dharma-throne, He was “composed in body and mind.” In this state, He “quickly attained peaceful stability.” He looked very peaceful and stable in the state of Samadhi

“The sound of the Buddha’s teachings enabled all to hear. The sound of the Buddha’s teachings,” His more than 40 years of earnest teaching, was all so that sentient beings could hear. This was not only heard in the human world, but by both heavenly beings and humans. Buddhist sutras state that heavenly beings often asked the Buddha for teachings. So, His teachings were not only heard by humans, but also by heavenly beings. Thus He was “worthy to receive offerings.” After these heavenly beings accepted the teachings they made offerings of conduct.

“The Tathagata on His seat has enabled us to be replete with the grace of cultivating ourselves and transforming others. Now that I have formed aspirations, I benefit myself by earnestly engaging in spiritual practice; I am even willing to go out and transform others.” This is the grace of the Buddha’s teaching

He taught and transformed us out of compassion and to benefit all of us. The Agama teachings suited limited capabilities; they were a guarantee and biased toward emptiness. This was the. World-Honored One’s compassion for us. This was how the Buddha treated His disciples. During the Vaipulya and the Prajna periods, He criticized and weeded this out. These were the World-Honored One’s methods of teaching and transforming.

“He taught and transformed us out of compassion and to benefit all of us. The Agama teachings suited limited capabilities; they were a guarantee and biased toward emptiness. This was the. World-Honored One’s compassion for us.” This was how the Buddha treated His disciples. “During the Vaipulya and the Prajna periods, He criticized and weeded this out.” These were the World-Honored One’s methods of teaching and transforming. From the limited teachings to the great teachings, the Buddha [taught us all] by exercising. His wisdom and love “Such compassion, such teaching and transforming and such benefit are all great grace and virtue. No words can describe how to repay this.”

Such compassion, such teaching and transforming and such benefit are all great grace and virtue. No words can describe how to repay this.

The Buddha, in His mindfulness and patience, spent countless past kalpas endlessly giving of Himself out of love [Even] having attained Buddhahood, it was the same. The Tathagata is simply replete with compassion, so He could not bear for sentient beings to transmigrate through the Five or Six Realms. For the Buddha to deliver all sentient beings on His own will take a very long time; truly this is very hard work. He needs more people to give rise to compassion and likewise teach and transform sentient beings and benefit them. This is the only way the suffering can be saved.

So, it is with great grace and virtue that the Buddha taught us “[This is His] great grace and virtue. No words can describe how to repay this.” Indeed, how can we say that we have a way for to repay His grace? So, we engage in spiritual practice and repay Him by going among people. This is the way to repay the Buddha’s grace.

Even over countless millions of kalpas, who can ever repay this? When we first attained the small fruits, we thought we had lived up to the teachings and sufficiently repaid the Buddha’s grace. But from our assessment today, how can we repay it in a single life or kalpa? Even over countless kalpas, who can repay this?

“Even over countless trillions of kalpas, who can ever repay this?” Who is able to repay this grace? “When we first attained the small fruits, we thought we had lived up to the teachings and sufficiently repaid the Buddha’s grace.” In the past we thought that by working hard to transform ourselves, we were living up to the Buddha’s teachings. “But from our assessment today,” now that we have measured, evaluated and compared, how can we repay it in a single life or kalpa? Life after life, the Buddha saved and delivered sentient beings. Only by helping Him deliver sentient beings are we truly requiting the Buddha’s grace. We cannot do this for just one lifetime, or for one kalpa; it must be over countless kalpas. This is how we repay the Buddha’s grace. This is what we call “repaying the Buddha’s grace.”

“Who can ever repay this?” Who can possibly be able to do this? Indeed! We should ask, “Who can possibly do this?” We have to ask this of ourselves. “The Buddha’s grace is boundless and incomparable. It is the grace of guiding us to enter the Tathagata’s room.” We have already encountered the teachings, which is like entering the Tathagata’s room. We ourselves are at ease. Not only are we at ease, but in this room we feel very happy, having attained Dharma-joy. With this Dharma, we can help people; thus we attain Dharma-joy. This allows us to feel at ease.

Take Zimbabwe for example. The locals were affected by the disaster and are very impoverished themselves, yet they still feel at ease and are still able to help others. This is the “grace of liberating us and relieving suffering.” Then, with the “grace of the warmth provided by clothing of gentleness and patience,” we are able to give to others and teach people in this way. Once we have helped them, we will feel very happy.

There are many things that appear to be difficult or filled with suffering, as if in a state of hell. If we are brave enough to go there and do what we can to help others, in the end we will feel peaceful and at ease. So, let us always be mindful.

Episode 857 – The Buddha’s Grace Is as Deep as the Ocean

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>> This is the Buddha’s great grace of teaching and guiding sentient beings to turn delusion into awakening. The World-Honored One’s immense grace is an extraordinary matter; He taught and transformed out of compassion. To benefit all of us, He transformed the unenlightened so we could enter the Dharma of the Great Noble Path.

>> “Now we have truly become Arhats. In all the various worlds of heavenly beings and humans, of Mara and Brahma, we are universally worthy to receive offerings.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> “The World-Honored One’s great grace is an extraordinary matter. He taught and transformed us out of compassion and to benefit all of us. Even over countless billions of kalpas, who could ever repay this?”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> The World-Honored One’s great grace is extraordinary: This is the Buddha’s great grace of constantly teaching and guiding sentient beings to abandon ignorance and turn delusion into awakening. Thus it says, The World-Honored One’s great grace is an extraordinary matter; He taught and transformed us out of compassion to benefit all of us.

>> The Buddha has great loving-kindness and great compassion. He teaches and transforms out of compassion, all for the benefit of sentient beings. For a long time, in many places, with firm resolve, traveling everywhere, He Himself suffered to benefit others. His grace is as deep as the ocean.

>> This grace as vast as the sky covers everything in this way. Thus it says, “Over countless millions of kalpas, who could ever repay this?”

>> The World-Honored One’s lifetime of teaching and transforming is all His great grace. This is an extraordinary matter. Starting with the Great Dharma of the Avatamsaka, He prepared to directly show us how to understand our minds so we can realize our nature. But sadly, it was as if we were deaf and mute; we failed to live up to this great grace.

>> The great grace of the World-Honored One: First, the Buddha began by making a compassionate [vow] to relieve the sufferings of the Six Realms and bring the joy of the Four Noble Realms. He led all in the Ten Dharma-realms to enter the Four Great Vows. This is the grace of the Tathagata’s room.

>> Second, the Tathagata practiced the Bodhisattva-path, revealing to us its benefit and joy. He had previously taught us the Great Vehicle. Though we later forgot midway down the path, our wisdom and vow were not lost. The Tathagata’s room brings coolness and warmth. This is the grace of giving joy through great loving-kindness.

>> Third, sentient beings encounter suffering, like the son only looking at the father. The Buddha observes, waiting for a suitable moment. This is like a calf pursuing its mother. He prepares the practices of the Six Perfections to benefit sentient beings. The Tathagata’s room blocks the cold and heat. This is the grace of relieving suffering with great compassion.

>> Fourth, the Buddha, having attained enlightenment, should have enjoyed Nirvana’s unconditioned joy. Nevertheless, He concealed these spiritual virtues and applied the Dharma that those of limited capabilities delight in, the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds. This is like sprinkling cold water on our faces to wake us up; this is the grace of the Buddha’s clothing protecting us from the heat of greed and desires.

>> Fifth, He manifested old age as a skillful means to draw His disciples near, giving them a day’s wages. This is the grace of the Buddha’s clothing eliminating the coldness of views and giving warmth.

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“This is the Buddha’s great grace of teaching and guiding sentient beings to turn delusion into awakening.
The World-Honored One’s immense grace is an extraordinary matter; He taught and transformed out of compassion.
To benefit all of us, He transformed the unenlightened so we could enter the Dharma of the Great Noble Path.”

The Buddha’s grace is immense, difficult to repay. Although the Buddha manifested the attainment of Buddhahood in the human realm to teach and transform sentient beings, in fact, for many kalpas, the Buddha has been coming here for the sake of sentient beings. He only has this one thought; He cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer. Thus, He repeatedly returns to the Saha World. This is the Buddha’s compassion. He comes to teach and guide sentient beings, hoping they turn their delusion into awakening. With such tremendous grace and virtue, how can we ever repay the Buddha’s grace?

“The World-Honored One’s immense grace is an extraordinary matter.” The immense grace He shows sentient beings is truly extraordinary. With the love and compassion He has for them, He teaches and transforms sentient beings. He absolutely never abandons any sentient beings. No matter how evil they are, or how mischievous they are, the Buddha never abandons them.

“To benefit all of us, He transformed the unenlightened so we could enter the Dharma of the Great Noble Path.” The Buddha’s loving-kindness is immense, infinite. He helps sentient beings to accept the Dharma. If they take the Dharma to heart, they can transform their mindset and improve their behavior. In this way, the Buddha never leaves or abandons sentient beings. Thus, sentient beings must truly know His grace. We must earnestly remember His immense grace.

So, let us look at the previous sutra passage, “Now we have truly become Arhats. In all the various worlds of heavenly beings and humans, of Mara and Brahma, we are universally worthy to receive offerings.”

“We” refers to. Venerable Kasyapa, Subhuti, Katyayana and Maudgalyayana, leaders of the assembly. On behalf of the assembly, they expressed their feelings about following the Buddha in spiritual practice. The Buddha, at the Vulture Peak Assembly, had already expounded the Introductory Chapter, the Chapter on Skillful Means and the Chapter on Parables, teaching them one by one. All those with great capabilities, whether beings of the heaven realm, the human realm, or above the heaven realm, such as the sixth heaven in the desire realm or the Brahma Heaven in the form realm, had already accepted the practices that they must cultivate as Arhats and given rise to Great Vehicle aspirations. They could already subdue heavenly beings, humans, Mara and Brahma. They could subdue them all because those beings were already fully convinced and had accepted their teachings. This was how they safeguarded the teachings and made offerings.

Thus, the next sutra passage further says, “The World-Honored One’s great grace is an extraordinary matter. He taught and transformed us out of compassion and to benefit all of us. Even over countless billions of kalpas, who could ever repay this?”

The Buddha’s great grace is truly tremendous; truly it is extraordinary. The Arhats, practicing according to the teachings, had gradually come to understand and could thus receive offerings and respect from heavenly beings, humans, Mara and Brahma. This grace and virtue was all due to the teachings of the World-Honored One. So, His grace is extraordinary. Out of compassion, He teaches and transforms us lifetime after lifetime, over countless kalpas. He never gives up on or abandons us, but follows sentient beings through the Five Realms and four forms of birth to teach and to benefit us. “We” refers to sentient beings, to all of us. “Even over countless billions of kalpas” is a very long time. So, who can ever repay the Buddha’s grace?

Thus, when it comes to this great grace, “This is the Buddha’s [great grace of] constantly teaching and guiding sentient beings to abandon ignorance and turn delusion into awakening.” This is His great grace

The World-Honored One’s great grace is extraordinary: This is the Buddha’s great grace of constantly teaching and guiding sentient beings to abandon ignorance and turn delusion into awakening. Thus it says, “The World-Honored One’s great grace is an extraordinary matter; He taught and transformed us out of compassion to benefit all of us.”

Sentient beings want to eliminate ignorance and turn delusion into awakening, but isn’t it easier said than done? As we listen to the Dharma, can our habitual tendencies and our afflictions actually be eliminated?

The Buddha always comes to teach sentient beings. Over the last 2000-plus years, there is no telling how many times He has returned to this world. As He goes among people, He is always continually teaching and transforming sentient beings; He has never stopped. It is just that He must adjust to conditions; whatever their causes and conditions, He observes their capabilities and steers the ship of compassion to go among people to transform sentient beings.

Thus, He is “constantly teaching and guiding sentient beings.” He absolutely never abandons nor rejects sentient beings. He never becomes vexed with sentient beings for being stubborn and hard to train, He just single-mindedly teaches and guides us to eliminate our ignorance. This is how the Buddha treats us. In lifetime after lifetime. He continues to teach us, hoping we will turn delusion into awakening. This is His great grace. So it says, “The World-Honored One’s great grace is an extraordinary matter.” This is because of His compassion. He teaches and transforms with great compassion to benefit all of us

The Buddha has great loving-kindness and great compassion. He teaches and transforms out of compassion, all for the benefit of sentient beings. For a long time, in many places, with firm resolve, traveling everywhere, He Himself suffered to benefit others. His grace is as deep as the ocean.

This is the Buddha’s great loving-kindness and great compassion. To act “all for the benefit of sentient beings” takes a very long time. It has taken a long time, since Beginningless time. Over countless kalpas, since Beginningless time, the Buddha has repeatedly come to the human realm for the sake of sentient beings. This is what He has done for a long time. “In many places” means He went to many places. On this planet alone, He was not only in India. He may have gone anywhere in the world. The Buddha may have appeared in any country. In any one of the world’s wealthy countries or in the most impoverished places, He might have manifested to save suffering people. That is also possible. He has been coming and going for a long time and across a vast space, not just in the human realm. He has gone throughout the Five Realms, transforming sentient beings according to their causes and conditions.

The Buddha’s mind is diligent. Diligent means He is absolutely never indolent. At all times, He is constantly seeking the Dharma and transforming sentient beings, widely transforming sentient beings. He is willing to go anywhere, using the same mindset of diligently practicing for the sake of sentient beings. The footprints of His travels, all the places He has been, cover all places [in the world], as He has taught and transformed sentient beings in all places. So, “He Himself suffered to benefit others.” He could endure all sufferings and hardships; He was willing to endure suffering and hard work for the sake of benefiting everyone and teaching and transforming sentient beings. The Buddha treated sentient beings with such grace and virtue. Think about it; this grace is as deep as the ocean!

This grace as vast as the sky covers everything in this way. Thus it says, “Over countless millions of kalpas, who could ever repay this?”

“This grace, as vast as the sky, covers everything in this way.” This is why it says in the sutra, “Over countless billions of kalpas,” over this long period of time, “who could ever repay this?”

The World-Honored One’s lifetime of teaching and transforming is all His great grace. This is an extraordinary matter. Starting with the Great Dharma of the Avatamsaka, He prepared to directly show us how to understand our minds so we can realize our nature. But sadly, it was as if we were deaf and mute; we failed to live up to this great grace. 

The Buddha spent so much time on sentient beings, never stopping to rest. He went to countless places, across a boundless area. He worked hard, diligently advancing,, all for the sake of transforming sentient beings. This was so, even in His one lifetime of teaching. More than 2000 years ago in the kingdom of Kapilavastu, the Buddha was born in the palace. After manifesting the attainment of Buddhahood, He gave a lifetime of teachings; this was all part of His great grace ․The World-Honored One’s lifetime of teaching and transforming is all His great grace. This is an extraordinary matter. Starting with the Great Dharma of the Avatamsaka, He prepared to directly show us how to understand our minds so we can realize our nature. But sadly, it was as if we were deaf and mute; we failed to live up to this great grace. In fact, He did not only do this in that lifetime but for vast kalpas and infinite lifetimes, continually teaching and guiding others. In that life, He manifested the attainment of Buddhahood in order to teach and transform. For countless kalpas in the past, He manifested as a spiritual practitioner to continuously go among the people to teach. Now He has already attained Buddhahood, which is an extraordinary matter.

“Starting from the Great Dharma of the Avatamsaka” refers to the time of His enlightenment. In the instant His spiritual practice brought Him to that awakening, He hoped and wanted to quickly let everyone know, “All of you inherently have the innate enlightenment of True Suchness, the same as the Buddha. You are able to, in this world, awaken to the truths of all things.” Everyone innately has this, but sentient beings truly have very limited capabilities, so they were unable to understand. He wanted to let us know, but nothing could be done. So, “It was as if we were deaf and mute.” Sentient beings are still covered in ignorance. Thus, “We failed to live up to this great grace.” From the beginning the Buddha wanted to pass on the true principles He had awakened to to us yet we were unable to take it in and unable to express it. In this way we have truly failed to live up to the Buddha’s great grace.

The great grace of the World-Honored One: First, the Buddha began by making a compassionate [vow] to relieve the sufferings of the Six Realms and bring the joy of the Four Noble Realms. He led all in the Ten Dharma-realms to enter the Four Great Vows. This is the grace of the Tathagata’s room.

How great is the World-Honored One’s grace? Of course, it is truly very great. First, the Buddha made a compassionate [vow] “to relieve the sufferings of the Six Realms.” He “began by making a compassionate vow.” He began by making a vow of compassion to relieve sentient beings from their suffering in the Six Realms. For sentient beings suffering in the Six Realms, He wants to teach them everything to “bring the joy of the Four Noble Realms.” He even “led all in the Ten Dharma-realms.” The Four Noble Realms are. Hearers (Arhats), Solitary Realizers, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas; these are the Four Noble Realms. They engage in spiritual practice; when they began forming aspirations to practice, they comprehended the Buddha-Dharma by listening. “He led all in the Ten Dharma-realms.” He [went] everywhere in the Ten Dharma-realms. The Ten Dharma-realms include, in addition to the Four Noble Realms, the Six Unenlightened Realms. The Six Unenlightened Realms are the Six Realms of sentient beings. So, in the Six Realms and the Four Noble Realms, the Buddha-Dharma has spread everywhere.

He led them to “enter the Four Great Vows,” hoping all could unite with this state of mind. “I vow to deliver all sentient beings. I vow to eliminate endless afflictions. I vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors. I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.” These are the Four Great Vows. “I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood” is to continually advance in spiritual practice. This is the grace of the Tathagata’s room. He has guided us into the Tathagata’s room, into the same space as the Buddha so that we can comprehend the Buddha-Dharma.

Second, the Tathagata practiced the Bodhisattva-path, revealing to us its benefit and joy. He had previously taught us the Great Vehicle. Though we later forgot midway down the path, our wisdom and vow were not lost. The Tathagata’s room brings coolness and warmth. This is the grace of giving joy through great loving-kindness.

Second, “The Tathagata practiced the Bodhisattva-path, revealing to us its benefit and joy.” The Buddha came to teach us by revealing the Bodhisattva-path, the Great Vehicle Dharma. The Great Vehicle Dharma helps us approach sentient beings and after we give we experience such joy! But we gave up halfway. We forgot the Great Vehicle Dharma, so after coming halfway, we stopped. “Though we later forgot midway down the path,” nonetheless “our wisdom and vow were not lost.” Our spiritual aspirations still existed. “Our wisdom and vow were not lost.” So, “The Tathagata’s room brings coolness and warmth.” We continue to engage in spiritual practice without creating more negative karma. Engaging in these pure practices is like being in a shelter provided by the Buddha, like being in the Tathagata’s room. In a place of spiritual practice, our lives can be very peaceful and free, a very refreshing feeling. “The Tathagata’s room brings coolness and warmth.” This is the grace of giving joy with great loving-kindness. The Buddha’s great loving-kindness gives sentient beings a place of peace and joy, a place for spiritual practice. This is the Buddha’s grace for sentient beings.

Third, sentient beings encounter suffering, like the son only looking at the father. The Buddha observes, waiting for a suitable moment. This is like a calf pursuing its mother. He prepares the practices of the Six Perfections to benefit sentient beings. The Tathagata’s room blocks the cold and heat. This is the grace of relieving suffering with great compassion.

Third, “Sentient beings encounter suffering, like the son only looking at the father”. As for the teachings the Buddha gave, the disciples did not accept them, like the poor son looking at the father, still unaware that he had a part in the treasure. He still did not know this. So, “The Buddha observes,” “waiting for a suitable moment.” The Buddha observes that sentient beings are only looking and listening, uninspired and not taking action. So, He patiently waits for an opportunity. He is “like a calf pursuing his mother.” He is like a calf chasing his mother; the Buddha makes use of all kinds of methods.

Before, the Four Noble Truths and Twelve Links were what He continually taught. Then later, “He prepared the practices of the Six Perfections.” After using all kinds of methods, He began using the method of the Six Perfections. Eventually He taught the Great Vehicle Dharma “to benefit sentient beings.” The Buddha slowly guided them, gradually bringing them in. “The Tathagata’s room blocks the cold and heat.” The Tathagata’s room keeps everyone in it warm so no one will feel too cold nor will anyone have fiery afflictions. This is the “grace of relieving suffering with great compassion.”

Fourth, the Buddha, having attained enlightenment, should have enjoyed Nirvana’s unconditioned joy. Nevertheless, He concealed these spiritual virtues and applied the Dharma that those of limited capabilities delight in, the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds. This is like sprinkling cold water on our faces to wake us up; this is the grace of the Buddha’s clothing protecting us from the heat of greed and desires.

Fourth, “The Buddha already attained awakening” and “should enjoy Nirvana’s unconditioned joy. Nevertheless, He concealed these spiritual virtues”. The Buddha attained enlightenment. He had spiritual virtues, but never manifested those spiritual powers. Just like other people, He went through birth, aging, illness and death. However, in His state of unconditioned Nirvana, “He applied the Dharma that those of limited capabilities delight in” so those of limited capabilities could joyfully enter. Thus, they accepted the Buddha’s teachings of the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds. This was like “sprinkling cold water on our faces to wake us up.”

“This is the grace of the Buddha’s clothing protecting us from the heat of greed and desire.” It is like clothing that protects us, that helps us understand that we can no longer continue to be greedy. This is the Buddha’s grace toward sentient beings.

Fifth, He manifested old age as a skillful means to draw His disciples near, giving them a day’s wages. This is the grace of the Buddha’s clothing eliminating the coldness of views and giving warmth.

Fifth, He manifested old age “as a skillful means to draw His disciples near.” He gave them the value of a single day’s wage. He also did this with an aged appearance. Like the elder who sought the return of his child, as He grew old. He wanted to pass on the Dharma to His disciples. With various methods and analogies He taught them. This is “the grace of the Buddha’s clothing eliminating the coldness [and] giving warmth.”

The Buddha showed sentient beings an abundance of grace. In order to repay the Buddha’s grace, we must earnestly engage in spiritual practice. By loving ourselves we repay His grace. By giving to others we show our gratitude. In summary, the power of love is found a single thought. I hope everyone will [make use of] this love, this pure and undefiled great love, this love that benefits sentient beings. The Buddha is like this, and we must be as well. We must not allow our aspiration to learn the Buddha’s Way to weaken. We must not let any time go to waste. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 856 – Unifying Minds and Actions

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>> When we take the True Dharma to heart, our faith, understanding and practice are proper. When our wisdom of True Suchness resonates with the principles, our minds and actions become unified. Exercising compassion inspires wisdom of the Path, so blessings and wisdom are cultivated together. Our innate enlightenment opens up the Buddha’s understanding and views and the noble path.

>> “Immersed in the Dharma of the Dharma-king, we have long cultivated purifying practices. Now, we have attained the flawless state which is the supreme, great fruition. Today we are truly Hearers, and with the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, we will lead all others to hear it.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> “Now we have truly become Arhats. In all the various worlds of heavenly beings and humans, of Mara and Brahma, we are universally worthy to receive offerings.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> Now we have truly become Arhats: Now refers to the moment when they truly knew that they had realized the Path and attained the fruit. They are true Hearers, true Arhats, and are determined to become Buddhas too..

>> Having previously realized the fourth fruit, we were Arhats of the Small Vehicle. Now, having already entered the perfect teachings, we have become true Arhats of the Great Vehicle.

>> In all of the various worlds of heavenly beings and humans, of Mara and Brahma: Existing within the Three Realms there are many heavenly beings, humans of the world, King Mara and King Brahma. The lord of the desire realm is King Mara. The lord of the form realm is King Brahma.

>> Mara here is the Mara of Mahesvara Heaven. He is called the lord of the desire realm. He is King Mara who interferes with the Right Dharma. Of the mara of afflictions, the mara of the Five Skandhas, the mara of death and the Mara of heaven, the four kinds of maras, he is the Mara of heaven

>> Brahma is King Brahma

>> We are universally worthy to receive offerings: Among heavenly beings, humans and the assembly, having cultivated the wisdom of the Tathagata, they were all worthy to receive those respectful offerings.

>> Worthy to receive offerings: One of the ten epithets of the Buddha. He is called Arhat, which means “one worthy of offerings”. Since the Buddha has eliminated all afflictions and attained all-encompassing wisdom, He is worthy of receiving offerings from all of the world’s sentient beings. 

>> They were true Hearers, true Arhats: In regards to the teachings, this means that having perfected the ten stages of faith, they entered the stage of the first abiding conduct. With partial realization of great Nirvana they attained the true Three Virtues. With the one truth that is all truths, [Sakyamuni] could, in a world without a Buddha, manifest the Eight Aspects of Attaining Enlightenment to benefit sentient beings

>> In the past, we internally hid the Bodhisattva-practice but outwardly manifested the bodies of Hearers. It could be said our manifestations were not true. Now we can let it be known that we are truly Bodhisattvas and will become Buddhas. Thus we are true Buddha-children.

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“When we take the True Dharma to heart, our faith, understanding and practice are proper.
When our wisdom of True Suchness resonates with the principles, our minds and actions become unified.
Exercising compassion inspires wisdom of the Path, so blessings and wisdom are cultivated together.
Our innate enlightenment opens up the Buddha’s understanding and views and the noble path.”

We “take the True Dharma to heart.” With all the Dharma that the Buddha taught, we must listen, take it in and not let it leak away. With no Leaks, with our afflictions eliminated, we will give rise to faith and understanding; naturally, with faith and understanding the Dharma will be in our hearts. Therefore, I always say, take the Dharma to heart and manifest it in your actions. When we take it to heart and put it into action, in this way, “Our wisdom of True Suchness resonates with the principles.” When our nature of True Suchness resonates with the principles of the Dharma that the Buddha taught, our “minds and actions become unified.” The principles have resonated with us, and we have taken them to heart, so when we put them into practice, our knowledge and understanding will be unified. We will know and we will understand, and we will also put it into practice, acting and cultivating in accord to the Dharma.

Therefore, “Exercising compassion inspires wisdom of the Path.” Blessings and wisdom are cultivated in parallel. A path is something that connects. It is like a road; it must take you somewhere to be called a road. Likewise, when principles are expressed clearly, we must carry them out successfully. Only then is it the True Path. If our path of spiritual practice is free of obstacles, after we form the aspiration to engage in spiritual practice, the whole way it will be smooth and unimpeded, taking us straight to great Nirvana. This is called “the wisdom of the Path.” To attain “the wisdom of the Path,” we must have compassion within our hearts. With “universal compassion,” we will be willing to go among people. By going among people to train ourselves, we can smoothly walk this Path to the destination. If we can walk without obstacles, naturally we cultivate blessings and wisdom in parallel. By cultivating blessings among people and developing our wisdom among people, we are cultivating blessings and wisdom together.

Thus, “Our innate enlightenment opens up the Buddha’s understanding and views and the noble path.” This is our nature of True Suchness. When we use the True Dharma in our daily living, our minds will naturally be replete with precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. We will have no afflictions; all of our afflictions will have been eliminated. Our innate enlightenment is without Leaks. When our innate enlightenment no longer has any afflictions mixed in with it, we will already be in a state without Leaks. We will can naturally “open up the Buddha’s understanding and views and the noble path.”

Yesterday, a group from northern, central and southern Taiwan came and met here in the east. These young Bodhisattvas came to meet each other, make friends and share their experiences. The first child was only four years old; he was a three- or four-year-old child. He was responsible for everyone’s notebooks. He carried the notebooks in his hands and walked up to the front. He introduced himself and then shared what he had learned from listening to the morning Dharma teachings.

He could not yet write, so he drew pictures. There was a picture of two fish that were bound together with a string. This was just one of the pictures. There was another picture drawn below the first. He drew a square piece of paper, and next to it he had drawn a bundle of sticks, like incense wrapped in paper. I only realized later that they were incense, after he explained it to me.

He told the story of how one day the Buddha and a disciple were walking on a road. The Buddha wanted the disciple to pick up a string and smell it. “It stinks!” The Buddha said to the disciple, “It is because this string was used to bind fish; that is why it stinks.” They walked on and then saw a piece of paper blowing in the wind. The Buddha said to the disciple, “Go and pick up that piece of paper,” so he picked it up. Then the Buddha told him, “Smell the paper. It smells good!” The Buddha said to the disciple, “If one does evil things and has evil thoughts, one will stink just like that string that was used to bind fish. If one engages in spiritual practice and upholds the precepts, one will be like that paper used to wrap incense. The fragrance still remains on the paper.”

After finishing the story, he added some concluding remarks. He said, “This is like all of us. If we do good deeds, our hearts will smell good. If we do bad things, our hearts will stink, just like that string.”

You see, his mind is pure. This innate enlightenment is every person’s intrinsic nature of True Suchness. After understanding the Dharma, he can interpret it in his own way, can have his own understanding. Isn’t this knowing the Buddha’s understanding and views?

The previous sutra passage states, “Immersed in the Dharma of the Dharma-king, we have long cultivated purifying practices. Now, we have attained the flawless state which is the supreme, great fruition. Today we are truly Hearers, and with the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, we will lead all others to hear it.”

Those at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, Sariputra, Venerable Kasyapa and all the other Hearers had, in the past, practiced only for their own awakening. Now, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, Sariputra had already received a prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha. Subhuti, Mahakasyapa, Katyayana and Maudgalyayana, four leaders of the Sangha, had already comprehended this. So, they expressed that they now had attained faith and understanding.

All the Hearers felt, “Today we are truly Hearers, with the sound of the Buddha’s teachings.” Now with the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, all the teachings He had given, they had taken the Great Vehicle Dharma to heart and would not let it leak away. So, “With the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, we will lead all others to hear it.” Not only had they taken in the Dharma, they also wanted to take the Buddha’s teachings and teach them to everyone in the world. Thus, “We will lead all others to hear it.” This was the great aspiration they formed after having understood the Dharma.

The next passage continues on to state, “Now we have truly become Arhats. In all the various worlds of heavenly beings and humans, of Mara and Brahma, we are universally worthy to receive offerings.”

This sutra passage states, “Now we have truly become Arhats.” At this time, all of their afflictions had been eliminated. Their minds were all already pure. Not only had their minds become pure, they had already formed great aspirations. “In all the various worlds,” even those “of heavenly beings and humans, of Mara and Brahma” and so on, “we are universally worthy to receive offerings.”

Now their hearts had been opened, and they could take that Dharma and adapt it that so all in the world might be able to listen to the Buddha-Dharma. They had formed this aspiration to benefit themselves and others. Their virtue had been elevated. They were no longer only receiving offerings of food from people. Now they should also be able to receive respectful offerings from heavenly beings, humans, Mara and Brahma. This is “virtue.” Their virtue had been elevated, so heavenly beings and humans would respect and make offerings to them. This is what it means.

Now we have truly become Arhats: “Now” refers to the moment when they truly knew that they had realized the Path and attained the fruit. They are true Hearers, true Arhats, and are determined to become Buddhas too.

Let us look at the text. “Now we have truly become Arhats” “Now,” refers to this moment. This moment is the Lotus Dharma-assembly. “They truly knew that they had realized the Path and attained the fruit.” With the Buddha’s teachings at the Vulture Peak Assembly, they had begun to pave the Bodhi-path. This path of enlightenment was the cause, and their putting it into practice was the effect. Not only did they pave the path to enlightenment, but they had also begun putting it into practice, so they were already true Hearers. Now, listening to every word the Buddha taught, they did not let any of it leak away. They took all of it to heart. They were true Arhats. They were now true spiritual practitioners, who practiced for the sake of sentient beings. “And they were determined to become Buddhas too.” To attain Buddhahood, we must be determined. If we have the resolve, we will naturally move in the direction of the True Great Vehicle Dharma and advance forward. In the future, we can definitely attain Buddhahood.

Having previously realized the fourth fruit, we were Arhats of the Small Vehicle. Now, having already entered the perfect teachings, we have become true Arhats of the Great Vehicle. 

In the past, they had “realized the fourth fruit” and “were Arhats of the Small Vehicle.” Although they had attained the fourth fruit, they still only sought their own awakening, so they were known as Small Vehicle [Arhats]. “Now, [we have] already entered the perfect teachings.” They had already begun, during the Lotus Dharma-assembly, to set aside the gradual teachings. It was now time for the perfect and complete teachings, the Great Vehicle Dharma. With the teachings of the Great Vehicle Dharma, they were now true Arhats. Only by taking the teachings of the Great Vehicle Dharma to heart could they be perfect and complete great Arhats, meaning they would reach the state of Buddhahood.

In all of the various worlds of heavenly beings and humans, of Mara and Brahma: Existing within the Three Realms there are many heavenly beings, humans of the world, King Mara and King Brahma. The lord of the desire realm is King Mara. The lord of the form realm is King Brahma.

“In all the various worlds of heavenly beings and humans, Mara and Brahma. This means, existing within the Three Realms there are many heavenly beings, humans, King Mara and King Brahma.” There is the desire realm; the lord of the desire realm is King Mara. He comes to the human realm to disturb our spiritual aspirations. He is called King Mara. The lord of the form realm is called King Brahma.

Mara here is the Mara of Mahesvara Heaven. He is called the lord of the desire realm. He is King Mara who interferes with the Right Dharma. Of the mara of afflictions, the mara of the Five Skandhas, the mara of death and the Mara of heaven, the four kinds of maras, he is the Mara of heaven

“Mara” here is the Mara of the heaven of those who take pleasure in the conjuring of others. This heaven, Mahesvara Heaven, is the sixth heaven of the desire realm. This is stated in the Buddhist sutras. [He rules] Mahesvara Heaven in the desire realm. This is “King Mara who interferes with the Right Dharma.” This is because he feels that if everyone in the human realm engages in spiritual practice, beings in the desire realm will decrease in number. The number of unenlightened beings under his command and control will be reduced. If there were fewer people in the desire realm, his power would weaken. So, he hopes there will be more descendants of Mara in the desire realm. Therefore, he obstructs people who practice the teachings of the noble path.

What kind of methods does King Mara use to bring afflictions, distorted thinking and delusions to the human realm? What methods does he use? Unenlightened beings suffer from the mara of afflictions, the mara of the Five Skandhas, the mara of death and the Mara of heaven. These are four kinds of maras in the desire realm.

We speak about afflictions every day. Right! They all destroy Right Dharma and ruin our thoughts of engaging in practice. This is the mara of afflictions. There is also the mara of the Five Skandhas, form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. With these things, we give rise to afflictions. There is also the mara of death. Humans life is painfully short. Although we may engage in spiritual practice, in this time, we have just formed aspirations and just begun to understand the principles when before long, aging, illness and death come, and then our life is over. Thus, the mara of death is another hindrance to spiritual practice. Next is the Mara of heaven. The Mara of heaven is the lord of the sixth heaven of the desire realm. He is always in the human realm disturbing people’s minds.

Brahma is King Brahma

When it comes to Brahma, Brahma refers to King Brahma, the lord of the form realm, [one who has] cultivated purifying practices.

We are universally worthy to receive offerings: Among heavenly beings, humans and the assembly, having cultivated the wisdom of the Tathagata, they were all worthy to receive those respectful offerings.

Next it states, “We are universally worthy to receive offerings” ․We are universally worthy to receive offerings: Among heavenly beings, humans and the assembly, having cultivated the wisdom of the Tathagata, they were all worthy to receive those respectful offerings.

Worthy to receive offerings: One of the ten epithets of the Buddha. He is called Arhat, which means “one worthy of offerings”. Since the Buddha has eliminated all afflictions and attained all-encompassing wisdom, He is worthy of receiving offerings from all of the world’s sentient beings. 

They had already attained Arhatship and transcended the form realm. “Among heavenly beings, humans and the assembly, having cultivated the wisdom of the Tathagata….” They had begun to follow the Buddha’s teachings and put the Tathagata’s wisdom into practice. Because of this, they had firm resolve and could overcome Mara and Brahma. After overcoming Mara, they would not linger in the form realm. They would be liberated from everything. Because of this, Mara would be vanquished. Moreover, they “received respectful offerings.”

“Worthy to receive offerings” is one of the ten epithets of the Buddha. One of the ten epithets is One Worthy of Offerings. In fact, He was a great Arhat. He appeared as a monastic, a transcendent spiritual practitioner, “universally worthy to receive offerings. The Buddha had eliminated all afflictions. Afflicted” implies being “bound.” All the bonds of afflictions had been completely eliminated and He had “attained all-encompassing wisdom.” So, He was worthy of receiving offerings from all of the world’s sentient beings.

They were true Hearers, true Arhats: In regards to the teachings, this means that having perfected the ten stages of faith, they entered the stage of the first abiding conduct. With partial realization of great Nirvana they attained the true Three Virtues. With the one truth that is all truths, [Sakyamuni] could, in a world without a Buddha, manifest the Eight Aspects of Attaining Enlightenment to benefit sentient beings

“They are true Hearers, true Arhats.” This [refers to] the teachings, how the teachings are divided into levels. There is the Small, the Middle and the Great Vehicle Dharma; these are different teachings. So, “Having perfected the ten stages of faith, they entered the stage of the first abiding conduct.” Bodhisattvas have the Ten Grounds, as well as the “ten stages of faith” and so on. We must go through these ten stages of faith to experience and understand the subtle and intricate Dharma. After removing many subtle, intricate afflictions, we can begin to take many subtle and intricate teachings to heart. So, “With partial realization of great Nirvana, they attained the true Three Virtues.” This means that they were drawing near the level of the Buddha.

“With the one truth that is all truths, [Sakyamuni] could, in a world without a Buddha, manifest the Eight Aspects of Attaining Enlightenment to benefit sentient beings.” This is truth, True Suchness. With the one truth that is all truths, in a world without a Buddha. He could truly “manifest the Eight Aspects of Attaining Enlightenment.” Sakyamuni Buddha came to the human realm, to a world without a Buddha. When He came to the Saha World, He “manifested the Eight Aspects of Attaining Enlightenment.”

In the past, we internally hid the Bodhisattva-practice but outwardly manifested the bodies of Hearers. It could be said our manifestations were not true. Now we can let it be known that we are truly Bodhisattvas and will become Buddhas. Thus we are true Buddha-children.

There is both an intrinsic and a manifest Buddha. Speaking of the intrinsic and manifest, “Today while listening to the Lotus Sutra, the provisional opened up to reveal the true.” The Lotus Sutra taught now [came after] the Three Vehicles of the past. In the past there was the Small Vehicle Dharma, followed by the Middle and Great Vehicles. At this point, the Three were opened up to reveal the One, simply the One Reality. Thus, “The manifest was opened up to reveal the intrinsic.” This means that the “manifest Buddha” is the appearance. He manifested when He attained Buddhahood. This is the “manifest.” It is like the footprint He left ․In the past, we internally hid the Bodhisattva-practice but outwardly manifested the bodies of Hearers. It could be said our manifestations were not true. Now we can let it be known that we are truly Bodhisattvas and will become Buddhas. Thus we are true Buddha-children. In fact, the intrinsic Buddha is True Suchness, which everyone inherently possesses.

“We” refers to these spiritual practitioners, to Kasyapa and the others expressing themselves. “In the past, we internally hid the Bodhisattva-practice.” In the past everyone had the Bodhisattva-practice contained within them. “Human nature is inherently good.” So, they “outwardly manifested the bodies of Hearers.” Everyone had this heart of goodness. They all knew the Dharma the Buddha taught, thus they manifested the bodies of Hearers.

However, they now understood it, and after understanding it, they still told the others that they were Hearers. However, they were transformed within, so their hearts were already those of Bodhisattvas. Thus, the internal and external [were different]. Externally, they looked like Hearers. Although these were their transformation-bodies, internally, they were beginning to draw near the Buddha’s enlightenment. This is the process of spiritual practice.

“Now we can let it be known that we are truly Bodhisattvas and certainly will become Buddhas.” They could walk the Bodhisattva-path, and in the future they would also become Buddhas. They were all “true Buddha-children.” That is right! We should have faith. In fact, we all have the same aspiration, to attain Buddhahood, and we know that before attaining Buddhahood, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path. Now, we have truly formed aspirations, and there are no obstacles in our path, so we can focus on walking the Bodhisattva-path. The direction is correct, we just need to walk it. To do this, we must always be mindful.

Episode 855 – Treating Unwholesomeness with Purifying Practice

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>> Brahma refers to purity. This means leaving faults behind and engaging in purifying practices. The Bodhisattva practice of benefiting others is treatment for all unwholesomeness.

>> “Throughout the long night, we upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts. Today, we have finally attained this fruition.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> “Immersed in the Dharma of the Dharma-king, we have long cultivated purifying practices. Now, we have attained the flawless state, which is the supreme, great fruition. Today we are truly Hearers, and with the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, we will lead all others to hear them.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> Immersed in the Dharma of the Dharma-king, we have long cultivated purifying practices: The Buddha is the Dharma-king, free and at ease in the Dharma. Immersed in the Dharma, we have long cultivated and upheld the Tathagata’s pure precepts and practices.

>> Purifying practices: These refer to the Four Demeanors and more generally to the Three Flawless Studies. Bodhisattvas do not have the defilements of the craving for or attachment to the extremes of emptiness and existence, so they are said to be pure.

>> Now, we have attained the flawless state which is the supreme, great fruition: The flawless state of the Small Vehicle is liberation from fragmentary [samsara]. The flawless state of the Great Vehicle is liberation from the suffering of transformational [samsara]. Complete cessation of both types of death is the supreme fruition. With perfect and complete purifying practices, we attain the flawless, supreme, great fruition.

>> Today we are true Hearers: In the past, we heard the teachings and thus entered the Path. Thus we were called Hearers of the Small Vehicle Now we are true Hearers of the Great Vehicle.

>> With the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, we will lead all others to hear them: The subtle and wondrous path that leads to Buddhahood is Bodhi. Though these teachings are infinite and inconceivable, with the subtle and wondrous sound of teachings, we will lead everyone to hear and thus attain Buddhahood.

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“Brahma refers to purity.
This means leaving faults behind and engaging in purifying practices.
The Bodhisattva practice of benefiting others
is treatment for all unwholesomeness.”

We often talk about “Brahma,” how it refers to purity. When engaging in spiritual practice, we must eliminate all forms of affliction and ignorance. Why are human lives full of suffering? Because we are full of ignorance and afflictions. These cause us to take actions that prevent the world from being in harmony. This comes from us, from our minds, our ignorance, afflictions and the like. When these converge, they give rise to turbidities, very severe pollution. As spiritual practitioners, we must understand that all of us are [inherently] pure and undefiled. Like a great, perfect mirror, our nature is pure and undefiled. But starting at some unknown time, ignorance began to unceasingly replicate and contaminate us, blacking out [our nature]. So, we must start at the beginning and earnestly engage in spiritual practice. We must find a way to continuously wipe this mirror clean.

Engaging in spiritual practice is similar to wiping a mirror clean. In the past, there was a Zen Master. His disciple said to him, “Master, I have listened to your teachings and. I uphold the rules you asked me to follow, but I still do not know how to eliminate afflictions and engage in practice.” His master remained silent.

One day, the master began to polish a brick. He kept polishing and polishing the brick. His disciple saw him and asked, “Master, why are you polishing this brick here? I want to polish it into a mirror.” The disciple said, “Master, a brick is a brick. Even if you polish it, how will it become shiny? Indeed! If a brick cannot shine through polishing, how could you attain Buddhahood solely by sitting in meditation?”

The disciple understood and said, “Indeed, spiritual practice is not only about sitting here and saying I am engaged in spiritual practice. It takes work, like polishing. It is not about seeking quick attainment, but about seeking refinement in my practice. If we think that with spiritual practice we can immediately attain spiritual powers, spiritual transformation and realization, if we are so impatient, we will forget that it takes years to train our minds before we settle our minds and achieve Samadhi. The rules you teach every day are precepts. We need to proactively do what we should do and avoid transgressions by not doing what we should not do. We must earnestly take care of our daily living and fix our minds on always coming back to precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, If we can discipline body, mind and thoughts by properly upholding the precepts and settle our minds in Samadhi, then no matter how long it takes us, as long as we do what we must do, when we engage with people, matters and things, we will attain wisdom.”

With this story we can comprehend how we should cultivate in our spiritual practice. We often give rise to discursive thoughts and immediately speak out to vent our emotions. With our sharp tongue, our words come out quickly, and we do not consider how our words [can affect] our own reputation as well as the other person’s state of mind. It may have a powerful impact. So, I often talk about self-love, how we must be careful with ourselves and earnestly guard our actions, speech and thoughts to return to our pure intrinsic nature. These are purifying practices. As for “leaving faults behind,” how do we attain purity? By leaving transgressions behind. We must not only prevent them, we must also leave wrongdoings behind. This is why it is called purifying practice.

“Bodhisattvas” are those whose spiritual practice is not only to awaken themselves, but also to benefit others. Bodhisattvas benefit themselves and others. They use this practice as the treatment for all unwholesomeness.

In the past, we have spoken of how. Sakyamuni Buddha’s spiritual practice started. How did He begin His spiritual practice? His spiritual practice began in hell. He himself was also one undergoing punishment. But while he was suffering in hell, he and another person were assigned to pull a fiery cart that was red-hot. When the person who pulled the cart with him approached the red-hot iron cart, that person already could not bear it and nearly died on the spot. When he saw this, he felt it was too much. He told the jailor, “He cannot bear it anymore. It is better that I pull this cart alone and use double the strength to make up for him. He is suffering; let him rest. I will bear this suffering by myself.” The jailor was enraged on hearing this and said, “You can hardly bear your own negative karma, yet you want to bear another’s negative karma? You do not know your own limitations.” In a rage, the jailor killed him with one blow.

After the yaksa or demon struck him dead, he ascended to heaven and was reborn there. Once he was in heaven, he thought to himself, “What virtues and ability did I have that allowed me to be reborn in heaven?” Then he thought to himself, “When I was in hell, I gave rise to a thought of goodness by willingly taking on suffering for another. Perhaps this thought of kindness and good will reduced my time of suffering in hell so that I was suddenly reborn in heaven.”

When he looked around in heaven, he saw people enjoying blessings everywhere. Then he thought, “The human realm is full of suffering. How do people come to be reborn in hell?” It is because in the human realm, people are ignorant and do not know the principles. They create a lot of negative karma and thus fall into hell. So, this heavenly being formed great aspirations and made vows to dedicate all of his future bodies and lives to helping suffering sentient beings. He wished that all sentient beings could be free from suffering, without seeking peace and happiness for himself. Thus, he began to seek to be reborn in the human realm.

This what the Buddha recalled of the period countless kalpas before, the time when He formed aspirations; it started in hell, that place of greatest suffering. Since the time He formed aspirations, countless kalpas had passed. He unceasingly went among the people to form affinities with them and create blessings. After realizing many truths among people, He perfected His wisdom.

“The Bodhisattva practice of benefiting others,” therefore, “is treatment for all unwholesomeness.” To go among sentient beings and transform them, we must purify our own minds. We must benefit others; while we benefit ourselves, we must benefit others. In so doing, we will be able to transform others. This is what spiritual practitioners must do.

Next, the sutra passage says, “Throughout the long night, we upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts. Today, we have finally attained this fruition.”

See, in everyone’s past, all had spent such a long time in the long night. From countless kalpas ago until now, they have had ignorance and afflictions. They brought these as they engaged in practice so they are still unable to completely wipe their mind-mirrors clean.

During that lifetime, they were able to meet the Buddha and “uphold the Buddha’s pure precepts.” However the Buddha taught them, that is how they practiced all the way until the Vulture Peak Assembly. “Today,” refers to the time when the Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra to that Dharma-assembly. They “attained this fruition.” In the past, they had heard of the Bodhi-path; this was the cause.

Putting the Dharma into practice is the effect. Now that we have awakened and understood, we begin to use enlightened love to go among the people, among sentient beings. This is how we got here. No matter how long the path is, if our direction is right, we must keep walking.

The next sutra passage says, “Immersed in the Dharma of the Dharma-king, we have long cultivated purifying practices. Now, we have attained the flawless state, which is the supreme, great fruition. Today we are truly Hearers, and with the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, we will lead all others to hear them.”

Immersed in the Dharma of the Dharma-king, we have long cultivated purifying practices: The Buddha is the Dharma-king, free and at ease in the Dharma. Immersed in the Dharma, we have long cultivated and upheld the Tathagata’s pure precepts and practices.

In this passage of the sutra, “Immersed in the Dharma of the Dharma-king,” means the Dharma-king is [at ease] with the Dharma. “We have long cultivated purifying practices.” This is also praise for the Buddha. The Buddha has already attained Buddhahood and become the Dharma-king, [at ease] with the Dharma; all the Dharma of the universe is encompassed in His ocean of enlightenment, in the Buddha’s mind. There is nothing He does not know or understand. Thus, “The Buddha is the Dharma-king” and. He is “free and at ease with the Dharma.”

The Buddha was already free and at ease. As ordinary beings, we often worry a lot. We are not free and at ease, for we worry over gain and loss. But the Buddha is the Dharma-king; He is “free and at ease with the Dharma.”

So, His disciples were “immersed in the Dharma.” As Venerable Kasyapa said, “I have been immersed in the Dharma for a long time, an unknown number of years. For such a long time, I have upheld the Tathagata’s pure precepts and practices. In this lifetime, I am very fortunate to have met the Buddha. I formed aspirations to engage in practice and have done so for so many years.” They practiced according to the teachings; whatever the Buddha taught, that is what they practiced. These were purifying practices; this is how they upheld pure precepts. So, these were purifying practices.

Purifying practices: These refer to the Four Demeanors and more generally to the Three Flawless Studies. Bodhisattvas do not have the defilements of the craving for or attachment to the extremes of emptiness and existence, so they are said to be pure.

Purifying practices also refer to the Four Demeanors. We are already learning the Buddha’s Way; Buddhist practitioners must understand propriety. As practitioners, in our comings and goings, in everything we do, through our actions we should demonstrate that we are spiritual practitioners. This is our dignified demeanor. “More generally, [these refer] to the Three Flawless Studies.” When we express ourselves in a dignified manner, it is not just that our appearance is proper and orderly. It is not merely this. With the Three Flawless Studies, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, nothing leaks away. We must continue to go deeper until we attain the state of Bodhisattvas, until we no longer have the “defilements of the craving for or attachment to the extremes of emptiness and existence.” We should keep our minds away from attachment to the extremes of emptiness and existence.

Some people are attached to emptiness, others are attached to existence. People who are attached to existence fear going among people. Those who are attached to emptiness regard everything as non-existent, and thus think there is no need to go among people. Both extremes are wrong. Bodhisattvas’ purifying practices are not attached to either emptiness or existence. They walk the Middle Way of wondrous existence and true emptiness as they go among people. This is the state of Bodhisattvas. This is purity, the upholding of pure precepts. This is how it is; we must earnestly uphold them

Thus, “With pure minds like this, we exercise our compassion to bring joy to sentient beings and relieve them of their suffering. This is known as purifying practices.” These are what we call “purifying practices.” If we can purify our minds and further cultivate compassion, we will find a way to help sentient beings eliminate afflictions and be joyful every day. Only when they take the Dharma to heart can sentient beings eliminate afflictions. If they do not take the Dharma to heart, even with more wealth, property, fame, profit and higher social status, they cannot be happy, because they lack Dharma. Sentient beings suffer in many ways. Look at how many sentient beings are suffering in this world. We must work to relieve sentient beings’ suffering. This is the resolve we must have. Then we are also engaging in purifying practices.

Now, we have attained the flawless state which is the supreme, great fruition: The flawless state of the Small Vehicle is liberation from fragmentary [samsara]. The flawless state of the Great Vehicle is liberation from the suffering of transformational [samsara]. Complete cessation of both types of death is the supreme fruition. With perfect and complete purifying practices, we attain the flawless, supreme, great fruition.

So, “Now, we have attained the flawless state, which is the supreme, great fruition. With the flawless state of the Small Vehicle,” they escape fragmentary samsara. The Small Vehicle eliminates afflictions and allows one to depart from fragmentary samsara, but the flawless state of the Great Vehicle provides “liberation from the suffering of transformational [samsara].” This is “the supreme fruition”

“With perfect and complete purifying practices, we attain the flawless, supreme, great fruition.” We must calm and settle our minds. This kind of cyclic existence is not something Bodhisattvas cling to; they return with Dharma to transform all beings. Following the natural laws of this world, appearances arise and cease, but Bodhisattvas have eliminated this [attachment]. They do not suffer from change. They do not need to worry about being old or dying or so on. None of these worry them. They are only concerned about how to spread the Dharma. “Have we taken good care of our own minds? Do we have firm spiritual aspirations?” This is the True Dharma. Otherwise, we are simply wasting time in birth, aging, illness and death.

We must earnestly engage in spiritual practice to achieve the state of being “without Leaks,” that of the flawless Dharma. This means we eliminate afflictions and take the Dharma to heart without losing it. The Dharma is in our minds; it enters and stays there. It has not leaked out. Thus, the Great Vehicle is already without Leaks. When we are liberated from the phenomena of transformational [samsara], that is “the supreme fruition.” To learn the Buddha-Dharma, we must engage in spiritual practice with this mindset, or we will forever just be coming and going. We must earnestly and mindfully practice. “With perfect and complete purifying practices, we attain the flawless, supreme, great fruition.” When purifying practices are perfect and complete, we achieve the state of flawlessness. This is the greatest fruition.

Today we are true Hearers: In the past, we heard the teachings and thus entered the Path. Thus we were called Hearers of the Small Vehicle Now we are true Hearers of the Great Vehicle.

Thus, “Today we are true Hearers.” Thus, “Today we are truly Hearers, In the past, we heard the teachings and thus entered the Path.” By listening to the Buddha’s voice, they practiced according to the teachings. So, they “heard the teachings and thus entered the Path. We were called Hearers of the Small Vehicle.” But at this time, “Now we are true Hearers of the Great Vehicle.” Although there is not much difference in the way of their spiritual practice, their state of mind has been transformed. Although from their appearance it seems as though they still only listen to the Buddha’s teachings, they have taken the Dharma to heart. “Now our mind is in a state of flawless Dharma. Now our mind does not let the Dharma leak out. We have truly taken the Dharma to heart.” Thus, they are already. Hearers of the Great Vehicle who have formed great aspirations.

With the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, we will lead all others to hear them: The subtle and wondrous path that leads to Buddhahood is Bodhi. Though these teachings are infinite and inconceivable, with the subtle and wondrous sound of teachings, we will lead everyone to hear and thus attain Buddhahood.

So, “With the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, we will lead all others to hear them.” The sound of the Buddha’s voice gives us a path, which is the Bodhi-path ․With the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, we will lead all others to hear them: The subtle and wondrous path that leads to Buddhahood is Bodhi. Though these teachings are infinite and inconceivable, with the subtle and wondrous sound of teachings, we will lead everyone to hear and thus attain Buddhahood. The Buddha’s words are the Bodhi-path. So, we hope everyone comes and hears them together. Thus, “We will lead all others to hear them.” This is the “path that leads to Buddhahood.” It is a subtle and wondrous path to enlightenment. This subtle and wondrous path to enlightenment is called Bodhi.

“Though these teachings are infinite and inconceivable….” There are so many teachings that for the average person to thoroughly understand is truly very difficult. Yet the Buddha’s subtle and wondrous sound can lead all who hear it to attain Buddhahood. So, they led everyone to hear it. Although these teachings are inconceivable and hard to understand, we should help the Buddha’s voice be spread extensively to all places for more people to hear the path to Buddhahood. We want to give people hope,

but we must also recognize that we must start by putting it into practice ourselves. We ourselves must engage in spiritual practice, must engage in purifying practices. Through our actions, our dignified demeanor and our words, we help everyone hear and feel touched. We invite everyone to walk this Bodhi-path with us and experience the True Dharma. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 854 – Constantly Uphold the Tathagata’s Precepts

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>> Be constantly mindful of the precepts and remember and uphold them without forgetting. To uphold precepts is to not do evil. To guard against wrongdoings and stop evil is to uphold the Tathagata’s precepts; this can prevent evils of body, speech and mind.

>> “World-Honored One, today we have realized the Path and attained the fruit. From the flawless Dharma, we have obtained pure eyes.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> Because our wisdom resonates with the principles, we realize both the Path and the fruit. When the Buddha’s understanding and views are opened for us, we see the principles of ultimate reality.

>>”Throughout the long night, we upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts. Beginning today, we are attaining the fruition.”       [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> Throughout the long night, we upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts: Before, during the long night of ignorance, our wisdom-eyes were covered by delusions of affliction. We continued to cycle through birth and death. This is compared to the darkness of a long night.

>> So, We cultivate and uphold the Tathagata’s pure precepts. We must uphold precepts and absolutely must not violate them. This is upholding the precepts cleanly, remaining as clean as a pure and radiant pearl.

>> Pure precepts are the cause that allows us to attain great effects. Thus it says, Beginning today we are attaining the fruition.

>> As a previous sutra passage states: Precepts are the foundation of supreme Bodhi. Thus, we must wholeheartedly uphold pure precepts.

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“Be constantly mindful of the precepts and remember and uphold them without forgetting.
To uphold precepts is to not do evil.
To guard against wrongdoings and stop evil is to uphold the Tathagata’s precepts;
this can prevent evils of body, speech and mind.”

The most fundamental part of spiritual practice is to uphold precepts. We must know and abide by the precepts. We unenlightened beings do not realize that we need to uphold precepts, so we constantly break them. We break them without even realizing it, so we are ignorant and deluded. With ignorance and delusion, we endlessly transmigrate in the Five Realms and four forms of birth. This is because we do not know the precepts. If we do not listen to the Dharma, how will we know the precepts? So, in learning the Buddha’s Way, it is important for us to listen to the Dharma. When we listen, we must take it to heart; with the Dharma we internalize, we must constantly heighten our vigilance. When we are doing the right thing, we must firmly keep advancing in that direction. This is diligence.

So, we must be constantly mindful of the precepts, constantly use them to discipline our minds and “remember and uphold them without forgetting.” We must always remember. We must not hear and then immediately forget. If we do, no matter how much Dharma we hear, it will all leak out. If it leaks out, we regress to the state of unenlightened beings. If our perspective deviates, we regress and become unenlightened beings and create much ignorance and afflictions. In this unenlightened state, we will constantly replicate our afflictions and can easily fall into the Three Evil Realms. So, we must eliminate our delusions of views.

The perspective of unenlightened beings is that everyone else is wrong and we are right. When we [pursue] worldly fame, wealth and status, we do not think about others, only of ourselves.

“Do you listen to the Dharma lectures? I do. I go beyond listening; I also do good deeds. But, if I see the right opportunity, I will try to make a lot of money. No matter what I need to do, if it benefits me, I will definitely do it.” This is not being mindful of the precepts and not thoroughly understanding the Dharma [Some people] think, “I will make more money, and as long as I do some good deeds, I am still benefiting people. Therefore, I should still reap blessings.” But they do not think of the karma they create.

Although they benefit people, they have no restraint; they continuously exploit [the land] and pursue their own personal gain. As long as this is their perspective, [the Dharma] will readily leak out. This comes from having Leaks, which are afflictions. If we give rise to many afflictions and much ignorance, we will regress to an unenlightened state. Not only will we be in an unenlightened state, we will fall into the Three Evil Destinies without any control. It will feel as if we are in the hell realm, or in the hungry ghost or the animal realm. Our suffering in the Three Evil Destinies is beyond our control.

So, after learning the teachings, we must “remember and uphold them without forgetting”; this is very important. To “remember” means to constantly recall, to recall that we must always uphold precepts. We must thoroughly understand that life is impermanent. We do not need to fight for or grasp at things. If we fight too much, we may easily regress to an unenlightened state and fall into the Three Evil Destinies. This leads to suffering. We must not forget this. In life, we must keep the Dharma in mind and

“not do evil,” avoid creating bad karma; this is “to uphold precepts.” If we can practice this, we can be content with only what we need. Why would we need to strive for more than that? If we are not careful and make enemies, that will create a lot of bad karma, which will be very harmful to us. So, our resolve must be firm, and we must uphold pure precepts. Then naturally we will not do evil, will not create negative karma; this is truly upholding precepts. We will immediately be able to resist external temptations. Or if our minds give rise to a thought of greed, we can quickly put a stop to this evil thought. As long as we remember and uphold the precepts, we are “upholding the Tathagata’s precepts.”

We must prevent those actions; when unwholesome things arise, we must stop them immediately. This is “upholding the Tathagata’s precepts. This can prevent evils of body, speech and mind.” So, if we make an effort to uphold precepts, naturally we will be able to guard against wrongs and stop evil. Guarding against wrongs and stopping evil is all about the body, speech and mind, our Threefold Karma. Through our body we take action, with our speech we express ourselves and from our minds we give rise to greed. Greed in our mind affects the speech from our mouth and the actions of our body. If we are not careful, we will create evil karma. If we are always mindful of the precepts and remember and uphold them without forgetting, naturally we will prevent the evils of body, speech and mind.

So, after volunteers join Tzu Chi, when they form aspirations to dedicate themselves in the ranks of Tzu Chi’s large organization, they must go to introductory and advanced training. This does not just apply to volunteers in Taiwan, but all over the world. These are rules based on love. In our great love, we must uphold precepts; this is Tzu Chi’s rule and is also the foundation for practicing and learning the Buddha’s teachings. So precepts are a foundation that is necessary for any large organization. The Buddha’s Sangha also cannot do without them. So, as Buddhist practitioners, this is mandatory homework. In the past, the Buddha placed great importance on the Sangha upholding precepts. In the present day in Tzu Chi, as volunteers around the world are trained, we also place great importance on the precepts. Thus, as everyone learns the Buddha’s Way, we must be mindful.

The previous sutra passage states, “World-Honored One, today we have realized the Path and attained the fruit. From the flawless Dharma, we have obtained pure eyes.”

We need to practice the Bodhi-path. The Bodhi-path is the cause for the Great Vehicle; the Bodhisattva-path is the effect achieved by Bodhisattvas of the One Great Vehicle. So, regardless of whether it is the Bodhi-path or the Bodhisattva-practice, both are subject to the law of cause and effect. To engage in Bodhi-practice, we must put [the Dharma] into action. We must awaken to and understand what is right or wrong in this world, what we can or cannot do. We must do all that is good and diligently go among people to help. We must refrain from all evil and uphold the precepts. This is the only way the Dharma will not leak away.

“Having Leaks” means that as we continually take in virtuous Dharma, it will continually leak out; we will forget it. If we forget it, our perspectives will remain unenlightened, and we will continue to create afflictions and karma. This is the way unenlightened beings are. So, to practice “flawless Dharma” means to eliminate all afflictions and ignorance. When all the Dharma we take in never leaks out, we have flawless Dharma. This is the only way to realize the principles of ultimate reality, the only way to obtain “pure eyes.”

Only with pure eyes can we realize the wisdom of ultimate reality. Then we can see the truth of things and will not be confused by appearances. Upon seeing things and hearing about them, we will be very clear about them; we will know what we should and should not do, what we should and should not obtain. These are the principles of ultimate reality. As spiritual practitioners, what we want to obtain are principles. What ordinary people want to obtain are things. These are very different. The principles are pure; when we use pure eyes to look at all things, the actions we take will be in accord with the principles. This is being pure. This is “the wisdom of ultimate reality.” We do not do things for our own benefit, but for the sake of helping all sentient beings. This is using pure eyes to realize the wisdom of ultimate reality.

If we see things and think, “I want more of this. I want more of that. I want many more things. I want more wealth. I want more recognition. I want even more….” These are all things. These are all illusory. These are all defilements. People with wisdom will recognize that these are all illusory and will not fight to get them; what they seek are principles. This is the wisdom of ultimate reality. If we can be like them and have “wisdom [that] resonates with principles,” our wisdom, our wisdom-life, will truly grow. When it comes to people, matters and objects, we should not look at their tangible substance, but at their intangible principles. In this way, “Our wisdom [will] resonate with the principles” ․Because our wisdom resonates with the principles, we realize both the Path and the fruit. When the Buddha’s understanding and views are opened for us, we see the principles of ultimate reality. So, “We realize both the Path and the fruit.”

We walk the Path, which is the cause of the Great Vehicle; the One Great Vehicle is the fruit of Bodhisattva-practice. So, as we walk the Bodhi-path we also engage in Bodhisattva-practice. We advance in cause and effect at the same time. After awakening, we go among people to help them. This is advancing in cause and effect concurrently. These are the two “feet” of blessings and wisdom. This is realizing both the Path and the fruit. We create blessings and at the same time gain wisdom; in this way, we continue to walk forward. This is realizing both the Path and the fruit. This means “the Buddha’s understanding and views are opened to us.” We understand them. The Buddha’s original intent, everything that He understood when His mind was united with the universe and. His awakened nature merged with True Suchness, is the Buddha’s understanding and views. We now understand what the Buddha realized; “From the flawless Dharma, we have obtained pure eyes.” With flawless Dharma, we have eliminated all our afflictions and can use this clear mind to view everything in this world. We have realized all of this.

Next, we want to understand, “Throughout the long night, we upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts. Beginning today, we are attaining the fruition.”

Throughout the long night, for a very long time, “We upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts.” For how long did they practice the Small Vehicle? In this life, they spent many decades on this, not to mention in their past lives over countless kalpas. The long night is boundless; it has lasted a very long time. They had not yet thoroughly realized [the Dharma], but they had firmly “upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts.” When it comes to precepts taught by the Buddha, the disciples had been upholding all of them to eliminate their ignorance. This is because they recognized suffering and life’s Four Noble Truths. “We understand, so we are vigilant and never forget to uphold the precepts”

Throughout the long night, we upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts: Before, during the long night of ignorance, our wisdom-eyes were covered by delusions of affliction. We continued to cycle through birth and death. This is compared to the darkness of a long night.

In “before, during the long night of ignorance,” the “long night of ignorance” refers to afflictions. Although we have spent a long period of time continuously engaging in spiritual practice, our “wisdom-eyes were covered by delusions of affliction.” Our eyes still seem to be covered by something; delusions of affliction prevent us from attaining a thorough understanding. “We continued to cycle through birth and death.” In our past lives, for infinite kalpas, we have engaged in spiritual practice. But along the way we lost clarity, so we went astray and fell into an unenlightened state, led by our ignorance. This is analogous to a long night, which is so dark we cannot find our way

So, We cultivate and uphold the Tathagata’s pure precepts. We must uphold precepts and absolutely must not violate them. This is upholding the precepts cleanly, remaining as clean as a pure and radiant pearl.

So, “We cultivate and uphold the Tathagata’s pure precepts.” We must uphold precepts and absolutely must not violate them. This is “upholding the precepts cleanly, remaining as clean as a pure and radiant pearl.” We must earnestly maintain purity, self-respect, make an effort to protect our body and mind so they remain as clean as a pure and radiant pearl.

One time, during the Buddha’s lifetime, a group of bhiksus had just passed through a village and were walking through the wilderness. Suddenly, a group of bandits appeared and surrounded them. “What do you want? We are all spiritual practitioners. We have no possessions. What is the use of surrounding us? Although you have no possessions, you are wearing clothes. If I stop someone but come away empty-handed, that is bad for my reputation.” So, he forced the monastics to take off all their clothes. One bandit said, “We should just kill them. Otherwise, if they report us to the authorities, we will not be able to evade punishment.”

But a kinder one among them said, “These monastics are the Buddha’s disciples. They uphold precepts and guard their speech. They will not report our crime and cause us to be arrested by the authorities. So, we should trust them [to follow precepts]. In fact, let’s weave together some grass to wrap them up and bind them on the side of the road.”

The next day at dawn, a group of soldiers were on their way to the city. When they passed by they saw the group of monastics and asked, “Why are you sitting there like that? We encountered bandits. Why are you [still here]? This is only grass. How can it possibly restrain you? We uphold precepts; we do not cross any lines. So, we remained here.” The soldiers quickly gathered clothing for the monastics to wear. This made it possible for them to leave, and they also escorted them back to the abode.

When they saw the Buddha, He praised them, “My disciples! Because you uphold precepts, you had the bandits’ trust. Thus, you escaped with your life. Furthermore, your upholding of the precepts awakened people’s conscience.” These were true spiritual practitioners. This happened during the Buddha’s lifetime. So, to maintain purity and self-respect and remain as clean as a pure and radiant pearl, we need to uphold precepts.

Thus, “Beginning today we are attaining this fruition.” This was what Venerable Kasyapa said. In the past, they remained in the Small Vehicle, but the Buddha taught them with skillful means. In the past, the Buddha also taught the Great Vehicle Dharma. It is just that they did not want to accept it. This continued until the Lotus Dharma-assembly. “Beginning today” means they had now arrived at the Lotus Assembly “[The Hearers] listen to the Buddha’s teaching.” The Hearers had listened to the Buddha’s voice and the Dharma He taught, and they had now comprehended it. “Thus [they] were attaining the true fruition of the achievement of Buddhahood. We have now comprehended. We have now understood. Other than seeking to awaken ourselves, we should also go among people to benefit them and to develop our own wisdom.” This is the true path to attaining Buddhahood, the true fruition.

Pure precepts are the cause that allows us to attain great effects. Thus it says, Beginning today we are attaining the fruition.

So, “Pure precepts are the cause that allows us to attain great effects”  We must awaken to the Bodhi Way. “Bodhi” means awakening, but it must be a very pure awakening. So, “Pure precepts are the cause.” We must uphold the flawless Dharma; we must eliminate all afflictions, all Leaks, to be flawless. If a bucket is flawed, no matter how much water you put in it, it will leak out. What remains will be filth. We should clear out the filth and keep the clean water. The Dharma is like water. We must take it into our hearts so our minds can be clean.

Thus “beginning today” means that with what we heard today, we have finally awakened “[We have] attained this fruition.” We understand we must walk the Bodhisattva-path

As a previous sutra passage states: Precepts are the foundation of supreme Bodhi. Thus, we must wholeheartedly uphold pure precepts.

As a previous sutra passage states, “Precepts are the foundation of supreme Bodhi. Thus, we must wholeheartedly uphold pure precepts.” The foundation of awakening is the precepts. Wholeheartedly upholding the precepts is what Great Vehicle practitioners, those who walk the Bodhisattva-path, must do. We must uphold precepts; this is the fundamental duty of a Bodhisattva-practitioner. So, we must always be mindful.

Episode 853 – Attaining Flawless Dharma and Pure Eyes

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>> The Bodhi-path is the cause of the Great Vehicle. The One Great Vehicle is the effect of Bodhisattva-practice. What is realized through the flawless Dharma are the true principles of ultimate reality. What is seen and observed with pure eyes is the absolute truth of emptiness.

>> “Today we are able to attain what we never had before. This is not what we first hoped for, yet today we spontaneously attained it. This is like how the poor son obtained infinite treasures.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> “World-Honored One, today, we have realized the Path and attained the fruit. From the flawless Dharma, we have obtained pure eyes. Throughout the long night, we upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts. Today, we have finally attained the fruition of this.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> World-Honored One, today, we have realized the Path and attained the fruit: We rejoice for ourselves that today we attained the fruit of the Path. In the past, we were content to remain on the Small Vehicle path, while now, through supreme Great Vehicle Dharma, we have realized the enlightened Bodhi-path.

>> Thus, Those who realize the Path are those who realize the path of ultimate reality; they realize the path of the One Buddha Vehicle. This means they realized the Buddha’s sequential teachings of opening and revealing His understanding and views so they may realize and enter them.

>> Those who attained the fruit in stages attained unsurpassed Bodhi and the fruit of learning the Great Vehicle. Upon first abiding in the perfect teachings, with every bit of ignorance we destroy we realize a bit of the Dharmakaya. This is called the fruit of learning

>> The Path is the cause of the Great Vehicle. The fruit is the effect of the Great Vehicle.

>> From the flawless Dharma: In the past, we eliminated the delusions of views and thinking. With the flawless Dharma of views, we have no Leaks and will not fall into the state of unenlightened beings.

>> We have obtained pure eyes: In the past, their wisdom-eyes saw the principles of emptiness. Today, their pure eyes see the Middle Way. Their Six Roots are pure, and the practices of the Ten Faiths fill their minds completely.

>> The flawless Dharma: This refers to unsurpassed virtues and merits. Pure eyes: This refers to unsurpassed wisdom. They had previously attained the flawless Dharma. Now with the flawless Dharma, they also attained pure eyes of Right Dharma.

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“The Bodhi-path is the cause of the Great Vehicle.
The One Great Vehicle is the effect of Bodhisattva-practice.
What is realized through the flawless Dharma are the true principles of ultimate reality.
What is seen and observed with pure eyes is the absolute truth of emptiness.”

“Bodhi” means enlightenment. To walk the path to enlightenment, we must practice the One Vehicle Dharma, which is the Great Vehicle Dharma. If we are willing to benefit others as well, we must form great aspirations. The direction of our spiritual practice is not one where we each walk our own path; we must motivate many people to practice and walk with us on this great, direct Bodhi-path. The Bodhi-path is the cause of the Great Vehicle; it is an open and spacious road. We can forge this path together and pave it with love. Only with this great loving-kindness and compassion can we contribute with a practice of great joy and equanimity. This is how we pave the great Bodhi-path.

The great, direct Bodhi-path is a broad and straightforward path. The One Great Vehicle, such an even and smooth path, must be paved by Bodhisattvas. When everyone puts the teachings into practice and is united in wholeheartedly paving this path, we will naturally attain the effect of Bodhisattva-practice, which is this path. If we can earnestly and mindfully engage in spiritual practice and mindfully experience the profound principles of the Buddha-Dharma, having walked this path ourselves, we can feel comfortable sharing it with others so they can likewise put the teachings into practice.

When none of the Dharma we take in leaks out, we have truly taken the Dharma to heart. So, through the flawless Dharma, what we realize is the principles of ultimate reality. Flawless Dharma, in addition to precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, also includes what the Buddha taught about the wisdom of all Dharma, all-encompassing wisdom and so on. He gave us many methods to help us eliminate afflictions, help us to purify our minds and, once we have formed aspirations, help us remain single-minded in our resolve so we can persevere in the face of any person or any kind of causes and conditions that come to disturb our minds. Thus afflictions and ignorance will be unable to contaminate our minds. These [methods] are flawless Dharma. If we can avoid being [influenced by] external conditions and are clear on principles of right and wrong, we will naturally be able to recognize the principles of ultimate reality.

Then, “What is seen and observed with pure eyes is the absolute truth of emptiness.” To have pure eyes, we must eliminate our ignorance. If we eliminated our ignorance, would we see anything as defiled? Everything will look pure. Look at Tzu Chi volunteers. They go among the people, go to those suffering from old age or illness or those living alone with no support. Their homes are filled with garbage and filth. This group of Bodhisattvas are not at all afraid of filthy things; they clear everything away with great care. This is what it means to have pure eyes.

The Buddha-Dharma is fundamentally something we practice in our daily living. What is the meaning of “pure”? We must not be obsessed with the language, breaking apart each word and dissecting its meaning, no. We must take the principles as a whole and apply it to our daily living as a whole. Of course, to eliminate afflictions, we must not discriminate between the poor and rich or the high and low in status. We must show compassion to all equally. All sentient beings, all life, are equal. We must be clear that [they suffer] because of the karma they brought with them. These deluded sentient beings have brought the karma of suffering with them into this world. “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings.” So, what they realize through the flawless Dharma are the true principles of ultimate reality, and what they see and observe with pure eyes is the absolute truth of emptiness. If we apply this kind of method toward experiencing the Bodhi-path in this world, the Bodhisattva-practice, we will be able to walk firmly with every step on this very real path.

So, the previous sutra passage says, “Today we are able to attain what we never had before. This is not what we first hoped for, yet today we spontaneously attained it. This is like how the poor son obtained infinite treasures.”

Venerable Kasyapa and others expressed that in the past, they were like the poor son. Although he saw many treasures, he did not dare to think of them as his own [The disciples said,] “We now understand that the awakened path the Buddha attained is also the awakened path that is inherently in us.” So, “Today we are able to attain what we never had before.” We have opened our hearts and understood. We have already broken through that mindset of only benefiting ourselves. “This is not what we first hoped for.” In the past, we did not dare think that we could realize this state, “yet today we spontaneously attained it.” We understand now. We believe; we have faith and understanding. Thus, we have attained this, just like the poor son “[He] obtained infinite treasures.” The Buddha had already announced that the enlightened state He had realized is something everyone can equally attain. Everyone can likewise attain that awakened state.

This is like how, in the vast universe, every planet is a world unto itself. If we can open up and broaden our minds and manifest our nature of True Suchness, we will be like a planet that is replete with all things. If we have not opened up our minds, we will be like the planets that are without water or life. These also exist in this universe. The same applies to the mindset of Bodhisattvas. Our lives must also be filled with abundance, not empty like the planets without water, grass or any sign of life. We must be like Earth, abundant in all things. As long as there is balance in the four elements, our minds can clearly discern right from wrong. Then, will there be anything we cannot understand? In conclusion, when learning the Buddha’s Way, we must learn to enrich our lives. Then we are truly practicing the Buddha’s teaching of the pure One Great Vehicle Dharma. So, we must be mindful.

The next sutra passage says, “World-Honored One, today, we have realized the Path and attained the fruit. From the flawless Dharma, we have obtained pure eyes. Throughout the long night, we upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts. Today, we have finally attained the fruition of this.”

Venerable Kasyapa was very reverent. With gratitude, he expressed to the Buddha the disciples’ state of mind. He also shared his own gratitude

World-Honored One, today, we have realized the Path and attained the fruit: We rejoice for ourselves that today we attained the fruit of the Path. In the past, we were content to remain on the Small Vehicle path, while now, through supreme Great Vehicle Dharma, we have realized the enlightened Bodhi-path.

“We rejoiced for ourselves.” Because of the Buddha’s teaching, we have finally understood. Thus, we rejoice and are very happy “that today we attained the fruit of the Path.” Now that we have attained the fruit of the Path; with the cause of the Bodhi, we know how to walk the Bodhisattva-path. We know this now, that in other words, in the past “we were content to remain on the Small Vehicle path.” In the past we [cultivated] the foundation, the Small Vehicle Dharma. Suffering, causation, cessation and the Path and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence were all very clear to us. We were clear on how we came and went. This is the Small Vehicle Dharma. “Content to remain” means we remained peaceful and at ease on this path. “Now, through supreme Great Vehicle Dharma, we realized the enlightened Bodhi-path.” At the Lotus Dharma-assembly, the disciples heard, had faith in and understood [this Dharma]. At this Great Vehicle Dharma-assembly, after understanding these teachings, they realized the enlightened Bodhi-path. They have now realized this. To “realize” is to experience. They were able to experience the Bodhi-path to awakening. The way to attain enlightenment was a path they now understood

Thus, Those who realize the Path are those who realize the path of ultimate reality; they realize the path of the One Buddha Vehicle. This means they realized the Buddha’s sequential teachings of opening and revealing His understanding and views so they may realize and enter them.

Thus, “Those who realize the Path are those who realize the path of ultimate reality; they realize the path of the One Buddha Vehicle.” This means they realized “the Buddha’s sequential teachings of opening and revealing His understanding and views so they may realize and enter them. Realizing the Path” is realizing the path of ultimate reality, the path that takes us to awakening. This is the path of ultimate reality, also known as the path of the One Buddha Vehicle. This is the only path; there are no others.

They had realized the Buddha’s “sequential teachings” for them. The Buddha came to this world to open and reveal to sentient beings. Thus, He taught according to their capacities. With “sequential teachings,” He taught us in stages to give us the Dharma. This is “opening and revealing.” Now, we mindfully listen to the Dharma. When His disciples mindfully listened, they eventually realized and entered the. Buddha’s understanding and views. The Buddha’s original intent, His understanding and views, were finally understood by the disciples. So, in realizing and entering them, they had already attained the fruit. In this way, they “in stages attained unsurpassed Bodhi and the fruit of learning the Great Vehicle”

Those who attained the fruit in stages attained unsurpassed Bodhi and the fruit of learning the Great Vehicle. Upon first abiding in the perfect teachings, with every bit of ignorance we destroy we realize a bit of the Dharmakaya. This is called the fruit of learning

[This is] “unsurpassed Bodhi and the fruit of learning the Great Vehicle. Learning” is starting to put the teachings into practice. We must earnestly learn and practice and not remain in the state of the Small Vehicle. This is what they all felt at that time.

“Upon first abiding in the perfect teachings” means that walking the Bodhisattva-path is “perfect teachings.” We must now immediately realize and perfect this teaching. So, we must practice the Bodhisattva-path and abide in this state of mind. “With every bit of ignorance we destroy, we realize a bit of the Dharmakaya.” If we can destroy our ignorance, then when we go among the people we will not be influenced by others or contaminated by turbidities. Going among people, we can create blessings; going among people, we can attain wisdom. So, “With every bit of ignorance we destroy, we realize a bit of the Dharmakaya.” The Dharmakaya is the true principles; it is the manifestation of True Suchness, which is our wisdom-life. If we can destroy a bit of ignorance, we will grow a bit in our wisdom-life. This is the “fruit of learning”

The Path is “the cause of the Great Vehicle.” The fruit is “the effect of the Great Vehicle.”

If we can aspire to learn and practice the Great Vehicle, we are cultivating the cause of the Great Vehicle and will obtain the effect of the Great Vehicle. The seed that we plant determines the fruit we harvest. So in this way, by planting the seed of the Great Vehicle, we will obtain the Great Vehicle’s fruit.

Thus, “We have realized the Path and attained the fruit from the flawless Dharma”

From the flawless Dharma: In the past, we eliminated the delusions of views and thinking. With the flawless Dharma of views, we have no Leaks and will not fall into the state of unenlightened beings.

“From the flawless Dharma, in the past we eliminated the delusions of views and thinking.” In the past we practiced the Small Vehicle. Although we practiced the Small Vehicle Dharma, we were clear on the most basic principles and had also eliminated ignorance. So, in the past we had the causes and conditions to eliminate all kinds of ignorance and delusions of views and thinking. Thus, we realized the Path and attained the fruit. In particular, “With the flawless Dharma of views, we have no Leaks and will not fall into the state of unenlightened beings.”

As we practice, if we hold certain views, though we say, “It is a good thing for everyone to do good deeds, I want to join them,” after joining, this thing is displeasing to us, and that thing makes us unhappy; thus, we lose our aspirations. We let our spiritual aspirations leak away. But now we already have firm aspirations; [deluded] perspectives and ignorance will not hinder us. If we have eliminated [delusions of] views, we are already free of Leaks and will not be influenced by external phenomena of all kinds. This is the flawless Dharma of views. Our perspectives must be pure and undefiled by ignorance. Then naturally we will not fall into cyclic existence; we will not bring karma with us when we pass away nor follow it into future lifetimes. Instead we will follow our vows into future lives and bring the Dharma with us instead

“Now we see the Middle Way and ultimate reality. We also destroyed dust-like delusions and fragmentary ignorance so we will not fall into the Two Vehicles.”

What we have seen at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, what we have witnessed and what we have heard, is now clear to us. Now our view is [one of] understanding. We now have faith and understanding. We have already witnessed this Dharma, the Dharma of the Middle Way and ultimate reality. We also destroyed maras and dust-like delusions. Mara’s web in our minds has been destroyed.

So, “fragmentary ignorance” refers to dust-like ignorance; There are still many dust-like [delusions]. These are the subtle and intricate afflictions that spiritual practitioners have. If our subtle afflictions and fragmentary samsara have been destroyed, when we return to the world, it will be because we are willing to transform sentient beings in each fragmentary life. It will not be ignorance, delusions and karma that bring us back to fragmentary [samsara]; it will be our vows and aspirations to always return to this world to transform sentient beings. Naturally “We will not fall into the Two Vehicles.” When engaging in spiritual practice in the future, we will not be in the Two Vehicles, clinging to our limited self. We will not, because we return with a sense of mission, steering the ship of compassion back to the world, coming to this world willingly and not because of the karma we bring with us

We have obtained pure eyes: In the past, their wisdom-eyes saw the principles of emptiness. Today, their pure eyes see the Middle Way. Their Six Roots are pure, and the practices of the Ten Faiths fill their minds completely.

Venerable Kasyapa said that in the past he used his wisdom-eyes to see the principles of emptiness. Now he is using the Dharma-eyes to see the principles of the Middle way. Thus, their “Six Roots are pure.” Not only is the eye-root pure, so are the rest of the Six Roots. “The practices of the Ten Faiths fill [our] minds completely.” The practice of the Ten Faiths are what Bodhisattvas must cultivate to advance. Thus, we have already entered the stages of the Bodhisattva-path, of perfecting the Ten Faiths.

The flawless Dharma: This refers to unsurpassed virtues and merits. Pure eyes: This refers to unsurpassed wisdom. They had previously attained the flawless Dharma. Now with the flawless Dharma, they also attained pure eyes of Right Dharma.

This is the Chapter on Faith and Understanding, so we must be firm in our faith. With the flawless Dharma, with those unsurpassed merits and virtues, we have already attained pure eyes. Throughout the long night, “We upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts.” So, we already have flawless Dharma and thus unsurpassed merits and virtues. When we practice the Bodhisattva-path, internally we must cultivate our minds, and externally we must continuously give to others. When we see all states as pure, our wisdom is unsurpassed.

In the past, we attained flawless Dharma because we had eliminated our afflictions. “Now with the flawless Dharma, [we] also attained pure eyes of Right Dharma.” In the past, we eliminated ignorance and afflictions. Now, even when we are in the midst of ignorance and afflictions, we can see through everything. So, “Attaining pure eyes of Right Dharma” is attaining wisdom

Everyone, learning the Buddha’s Way takes mindfulness. So, the Bodhi-path is the cause of the Great Vehicle path. The One Vehicle is the effect of Bodhisattva-practice. Thus, we must first awaken, then put this Dharma into practice. Cause and effect are absolutely essential. Only when we are awakened are we willing to give, only when we are willing to give to others do we have the chance to see flawless Dharma. “Flawless” means we eliminated all afflictions; only when we do not allow the Dharma to leak out can we develop our wisdom. So dear Bodhisattvas, as Buddhist practitioners, we must learn the Bodhisattva-path and must always be mindful.

Episode 852 – Taming Delusion With Wisdom of Skillful Means

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>> The mind of the Tathagata is equal to the entire universe. Through retaining and upholding, it can cover all things in the world. He upholds all virtuous Dharma and prevents it from dissipating. Upholding the Dharma has the power to prevent evil from arising. Increasing thoughts of wisdom allows one to freely apply and retain all.

>> “This is just like that wealthy elder who, knowing his son’s resolve was limited, used the power of skillful means to soften and tame his mind. Then afterward, he handed over all this wealth.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> ” The Buddha was just like this. He manifested these extraordinary matters. Knowing they only delighted in the Small, He used the power of skillful means to tame their minds, then taught them great wisdom.”      [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> The Buddha used skillful means, just like the elder in the analogy. He manifested these extraordinary matters: The Buddha displayed the wisdom of skillful means; there is nothing [like it] in the world. This is called a rare and extraordinary matter.

>> Knowing they only delighted in the Small, He used the power of skillful means: Knowing that these practitioners of the Dharma only took delight in the Small Vehicle practice of benefiting themselves, [He] used the power of skillful means to patiently teach and skillfully guide them.

>> He tamed their minds, then taught them great wisdom: Teaching with skillful means and the power of wisdom, gently adjusting and patiently guiding with the power of gentleness, He tamed their deluded minds.

>> “Today, we are able to attain what we never had before. This is not what we first hoped for, yet today we spontaneously attained it. This is like how the poor son obtained infinite treasures.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> Today, we are able to attain what we never had before. We Hearers have attained in this Dharma-assembly today the profound and intricate wondrous Dharma. This kind of wondrous Dharma is something we never had before.

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“The mind of the Tathagata is equal to the entire universe. Through retaining and upholding, it can cover all things in the world. He upholds all virtuous Dharma and prevents it from dissipating. Upholding the Dharma has the power to prevent evil from arising. Increasing thoughts of wisdom allows one to freely apply and retain all.”

“The mind of the Tathagata is equal to the entire universe.” How big is the universe? We truly have no way to measure it. The Buddha’s mind is equal to the entire universe; we should know this. So, we must all have a Buddha-mind, meaning that we must open up our minds and broaden our heart to be as vast as the universe. This is the Buddha-mind we must learn to have.

Because the Buddha’s mind is wide open, He was able to, through retaining and upholding, cover all things in the world. The universe is so big. There are so many stars in the universe, not to mention our own planet. All things in the world, in the whole universe, are covered [by His mind]. This is the Buddha’s mind, the Buddha’s wisdom. Thus, of all existing things and principles, there is nothing He does not know or understand. They are all encompassed by His mind. Clearly, the truths of all things in the world are within the Buddha’s ocean of enlightened wisdom. Thus, He is able to retain and cover all things.

The principle is the same. He is able to “uphold all virtuous Dharma and prevent it from dissipating” [He upholds] all virtuous Dharma. Though the Buddha taught for 49 years, the principles of all things in the world and the workings of the human mind still could not be explained fully and clearly. This because there are too many principles. The problem was not in His ability to teach, but in our inability to understand. The Buddha’s mind was wholly focused on helping all sentient beings to comprehend the great path and preventing virtuous Dharma from dissipating. Thus, we have been saying that we must uphold the [Three] Flawless Studies.

We must not allow virtuous Dharma to dissipate; we must earnestly listen to the Dharma and take it to heart. Taking it to heart is not enough; we must also put it into practice. Only by acting on it can we experience it. Once we experience it, not only can we understand the virtuous Dharma, from what we experience, we can give rise to this same Dharma with our own understanding. Having our own understanding is more clear than only hearing it. This is intimately connected with both our wisdom-life and our physical lives; this naturally helps us develop our wisdom-life.

“Upholding the Dharma has the power to prevent evil from arising.” The Buddha also taught us how to hold firm to our spiritual aspirations. We must hold firm to the Dharma. We cannot allow our mind to [be influenced] such that when we face external conditions we will be quickly led astray. We cannot allow this! If there is virtuous Dharma in our mind, it can “prevent evil from arising.” Then these evils, all the unwholesome things around us, will not contaminate our minds, as we are already upholding all virtuous Dharma. If virtuous Dharma does not dissipate, naturally unwholesome things will not arise. This is a great power, so we must develop and continue to grow, continually “increasing our thoughts of wisdom.” As our wisdom-life grows, we can freely apply our wisdom; we can apply it with total freedom. So, we must put our efforts into being mindful.

In the past, we and Sakyamuni Buddha engaged in spiritual practice at the same time. In the presence of countless Buddhas, we likewise engaged in spiritual practice. But when we practiced, we were not mindful and did not persist in upholding the virtuous Dharma. So, our minds were tempted by external conditions. A single thought gone astray can give rise to 1000 erroneous thoughts, thus we fall again into the Five Realms and four forms of birth. In the parable of the poor son, he wandered about for 20 to more than 50 years “20 years” represents transmigrating in the heaven and human realms.

To be in heaven, we practice the Ten Good Deeds. To be human, we must uphold the Five Precepts. If we can thoroughly practice the Ten Good Deeds, we will be born in heaven. We have talked about this before. As humans,we must obey rules and uphold the Five Precepts. Only then can we be reborn in the human realm. But as unenlightened beings in the human realm, in the place where the Five Realms coexist, it is easy to be tempted by other environments. If our minds give rise to a single evil thought, we will fall into the Three Evil Realms, the hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. These are the Five Realms, [represented by] “more than 50 years.” In the Lotus Sutra there is this very clear analogy that helps us understand.

Thus, the previous sutra passage says, “This is just like that wealthy elder who, knowing his son’s resolve was limited, used the power of skillful means to soften and tame his mind. Then afterward, he handed over all this wealth.”

This begins to explain how this wealthy elder had found his son but the son’s resolve was limited. So, he had to remove his magnificent clothing and put on tattered clothes to approach his son. This took so much effort. The Buddha, in order to deliver sentient beings, had to again manifest in the human realm, to be born into the world. In the human realm, He had to endure yet more trials and suffering. Only by manifesting this form to attain Buddhahood would He have stories to share as teachings. He did not appear out of nowhere; like other humans, He went through birth, aging, illness and death. Attaining Buddhahood requires hard training. This is different from how most people live; this is spiritual practice.

If spiritual practitioners live like everyone else how are they engaging in spiritual practice? If we do not engage in practice, how can we attain awakening? So, the Buddha had to manifest this identity of being born into the palace to let everyone know that people should not be split into castes of different status, should not enter into conflict with one another or be attached to recognition, wealth or status. He left everything in search of the truth, then with it He guided sentient beings all over the world to eliminate attachments to afflictions and ignorance. He taught and transformed sentient beings. This is the Buddha’s aspiration and the aspiration of all Buddhas since Beginningless Time. This is the aspiration of awakened beings. Those who have awakened cannot bear the suffering of all sentient beings, so they mindfully dedicate themselves to helping.

However, sentient beings are still deluded. Though they are engaged in practice, they still have attachments and do not dare to accept the Great Vehicle Dharma. So, the Buddha is like the wealthy elder who, knowing his son’s resolve was weak, “used the power of skillful means.” He used skillful means and limited teachings to mindfully and gently tame his mind. Only then could he give his son all his wealth. This was the elder’s aspiration.

“The Buddha was just like this. He manifested these extraordinary matters. Knowing they only delighted in the Small, He used the power of skillful means to tame their minds, then taught them great wisdom.”

The next sutra passage says, “The Buddha was just like this”; the Buddha likewise “manifested these extraordinary matters.” What He manifested was very extraordinary. “Knowing they only delighted in the Small, He used the power of skillful means to tame their minds, then taught them great wisdom.” The Buddha understood His disciples’ minds; their capabilities were not yet mature, and their minds were not yet open so they all still delighted in the Small Vehicle and only practiced for their own benefit. The Buddha thoroughly understood this, so He trained them with skillful means. When the minds of these disciples were almost mature, when it was about time and their capabilities were almost mature, only then did He “teach them great wisdom.” Only then did He begin to use the Great Dharma to unlock their great wisdom.

The Buddha used skillful means, just like the elder in the analogy. He manifested these extraordinary matters: The Buddha displayed the wisdom of skillful means; there is nothing [like it] in the world. This is called a rare and extraordinary matter.

In this way, “The Buddha used skillful means, just like the elder in the analogy. He manifested these extraordinary matters.”

The Buddha “manifested the power of wisdom and skillful means, which is like nothing in this world.” These are “extraordinary matters,” things that are very rare. He used all kinds of skillful means; this is wisdom. Skillful means are a kind of wisdom. If not for skillful means, we would be unable to call on or draw near others, unable to have a heart-to-heart with them. That would be impossible. So, He had to use skillful means to deliver others. This is the power of the Buddha’s wisdom. He uses the power of His wisdom, which is “like nothing in this world. I want to awaken your mind. Only if you like me will you listen to me [I hope] you will not only to listen to me, but also be willing to draw near me, that you will not only draw near me, but also be able to understand my thinking.” Accomplishing this in the world is very difficult, so this is considered “extraordinary.” These are very rare, very extraordinary matters.

The awakened state is as vast as the universe; it is equal to the universe. When this state is explained in this way, can we comprehend it? Impossible. So, the Buddha had to use all kinds of [skillful] means to guide us.

Knowing they only delighted in the Small, He used the power of skillful means: Knowing that these practitioners of the Dharma only took delight in the Small Vehicle practice of benefiting themselves, [He] used the power of skillful means to patiently teach and skillfully guide them.

“Knowing they only delighted in the Small, He used the power of skillful means”   The Buddha engaged in spiritual practice and attained Buddhahood for the sake of all beings. But Small Vehicle practitioners engage in spiritual practice and seek enlightenment for their own sake, merely awakening and benefiting themselves. So, He had to “know these practitioners of the Dharma.” When someone wants to be a practitioner, when a person is willing to practice and learn the Dharma, what exactly is it that this person wants? What does this person want to attain? So, “He used the power of skillful means.” The Buddha had to apply the power of skillful means “to patiently teach and skillfully guide them.” By patiently teaching and skillfully guiding them, [He] tamed their minds

He tamed their minds, then taught them great wisdom: Teaching with skillful means and the power of wisdom, gently adjusting and patiently guiding with the power of gentleness, He tamed their deluded minds.

“Teaching with skillful means and the power of wisdom” is [the ability of] the Buddha’s wisdom; He teaches sentient beings with skillful means, “gently adjusting and patiently guiding.” To tame [their minds]. He had to use very gentle methods. To “patiently guide,” first He followed sentient beings’ capabilities. The Buddha must follow sentient beings’ ignorance to find skillful means to tame our minds. So, He “gently adjusted and patiently guided with the power of gentleness.” Using gentle methods is using “the power of gentleness.” Although the power of gentleness is gentle, it is truly powerful.

Many who practice tai chi or other martial arts, though their techniques appear very gentle, are actually very strong and forceful within. They have that strength inside them. So, in teaching sentient beings, the Buddha also used this power of gentleness to tame their minds. How can sentient beings actually comprehend the True Dharma? The Buddha has to make use of His time and power. Of course, it always comes back to having a mind of wisdom and a heart of boundless love. Then like the universe, our minds can cover and encompass all things, and we will be able to shelter everything. This is how we can experience the Dharma.

The next sutra passage says, “Today, we are able to attain what we never had before. This is not what we first hoped for, yet today we spontaneously attained it. This is like how the poor son obtained infinite treasures.”
Today, we are able to attain what we never had before. We Hearers have attained in this Dharma-assembly today the profound and intricate wondrous Dharma. This kind of wondrous Dharma is something we never had before.

This shows that the Hearers originally relied on hearing the Buddha’s voice to realize the truth. Now at this Dharma-assembly, the Vulture Peak Assembly, what they attained was such intricate and wondrous Dharma. In the past, they never dared to imagine this nor had they ever experienced it. Truly, “This is something we never had before.”

At this time, they had already realized it. In the past they never thought that this was the path they all wished to follow. They simply remained in the state they were in. Now, after the Buddha bestowed a prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra, everyone suddenly attained a great awakening. “We can all attain Buddhahood after all!” This awakened state, their awakened nature of True Suchness, was suddenly unlocked. So, “This is not what we had first hoped for, yet today we spontaneously attained it.”

This was not what our hearts originally hoped for, yet today as we received the Buddha’s teachings, we attained it spontaneously

In fact, “This was not what our hearts originally hoped for.” In the past, we had never dared hope for this. “Yet today as we received the Buddha’s teachings, we attained it spontaneously.” Now we have received the Buddha’s teaching for us, which has opened up our minds. He pointed out this Dharma, these principles, so that we know we can further open our hearts and also that the Buddha-mind is one with the principles of the universe. This is actually a very natural thing. We are already able awaken to the Buddha’s teachings and be one with nature.

So, “This is like how the poor son obtained infinite treasures.” Though the poor son saw there were many treasures and great businesses, he did not dare hope [they were his]. The Hearers were like the poor son, but in the end they finally understood. “Those who are Hearers previously attained the fruit of Hearers. Today they have attained the Bodhi-fruit.”

Those who are Hearers previously attained the fruit of Hearers. Today they have attained the Bodhi-fruit.

In the past, they had already engaged in spiritual practice, having encountered the Buddha-Dharma. So, “today” refers to the Dharma-assembly at Vulture Peak where the Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra. At this assembly they took the next step; “Today they have attained the Bodhi-fruit.” In the past they attained the fruit of Hearers, and now at this Dharma-assembly at Vulture Peak, they further attained the Bodhi-fruit. The Buddha had begun to teach the Bodhisattva Way, paving a great, direct Bodhi-path. This very straight path has already been paved, so we can walk this Bodhi-path with peace of mind.

All of us must truly be mindful as we engage in spiritual practice. The mind of the Buddha and the minds of sentient beings are the same; it is just that sentient beings are deluded, while the Buddha is awakened. Awakening and delusion are two sides of one coin. We must return to nature, like “the mind of the Tathagata, [which] is equal to the entire universe.” And, “By retaining and upholding, [we] can cover all things in the world.” Our minds can be this open and expansive. We must return to nature; therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 851 – Repaying the Buddha’s Grace with Diligence

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>> Everything the Buddha taught them, they sincerely, steadfastly and diligently upheld. The fruit that they attained came from the seed of what the Buddha taught them. A seed contains an ocean of fruits, thus they truly attained realizations. Their minds did not betray the teachings, and they thought they had repaid the Buddha’s grace.

>> “We obtained liberation from the Three Realms and the troubles of suffering and afflictions, so we abide in our final incarnation, in Nirvana with remainder. With what the Buddha has taught us, we truly attain realizations. We thought that our attainment had already repaid the Buddha’s grace.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> “Though for the sake of all Buddha-children we expounded the Bodhisattva Way so they could seek the path to Buddhahood, regarding this Great Dharma, we never aspired to or delighted in it.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> “When the guiding teacher observed us giving up, He contemplated our intent and thus at first did not persuade us to advance nor tell us the true benefits.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> The Buddha in the past observed us giving up and remaining outside of the Great Vehicle. Through contemplation, He knew that this was because we only took delight in the Small Dharma.

>> Thus, in the Prajna Assembly, He did not persuade us to advance from the Dharma we were teaching nor tell us of the true benefit of attaining Buddhahood.

>> When the guiding teacher observed us giving up, He contemplated our intent: The Tathagata, the guiding teacher, observed us giving up [on the Great Vehicle]. He contemplated our intent: He observed that we only delighted in the Small and practiced only to benefit ourselves.

>> At first, He did not persuade us to advance nor tell us the true benefits: He did not speak nor urge them to advance forward by speaking of the true benefit of spiritual practice.

>> Inner cultivation to benefit ourselves is merit. External practice to benefit others is virtue.

>> “This is just like that wealthy elder who, knowing his son’s resolve was limited, used the power of skillful means to soften and tame his mind. Then afterward, he handed over all this wealth.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> This is just like that wealthy elder who, knowing his son’s resolve was limited: The great enlightened Tathagata’s mind knew that sentient beings’ resolve and aspirations were limited and weak. With His broad and boundless wisdom, He thoroughly understood all their thoughts. Hence, knowing his son’s resolve was limited.

>> He used the power of skillful means to soften and tame his mind: He responded to sentient beings by manifesting in the world, approaching them and becoming their beneficial friend and advisor. When they heard Him cleverly expounding the Dharma with the power of skillful means, it softened and tamed their minds, so they formed vows and aspirations of Bodhi.

>> Then afterward, he handed over all this wealth: [The Buddha] was just like this elder, who first tamed his son’s mind and later passed his wealth to him.

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“Everything the Buddha taught them, they sincerely, steadfastly and diligently upheld.
The fruit that they attained came from the seed of what the Buddha taught them.
A seed contains an ocean of fruits, thus they truly attained realizations. Their minds did not betray the teachings, and they thought they had repaid the Buddha’s grace.”

Over 2000 years ago, the Buddha gave teachings. Now, more than 2000 years later this Dharma is what we apply in our modern lives. We must cherish it wholeheartedly.

The previous sutra passage states, “We obtained liberation from the Three Realms and the troubles of suffering and afflictions, so we abide in our final incarnation, in Nirvana with remainder. With what the Buddha has taught us, we truly attain realizations. We thought that our attainment had already repaid the Buddha’s grace.”

We must be mindful in our spiritual practice. The Three Realms are the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm. We ordinary people are in the desire realm. For the sake of our desires, we produce countless afflictions. So, we need to understand that once a greedy thought arises, the doors to many afflictions will be opened, causing us to undergo endless cyclical existence in the Five Realms and the four forms of birth, where suffering abounds.

Some people during the Buddha’s lifetime. Some people during the Buddha’s lifetime followed Him in spiritual practice. They listened to His teachings seriously, but all they practiced was the Small Vehicle. With the Four Noble Truths and. Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, they earnestly eliminated their afflictions, but this was only to benefit themselves, to attain “Nirvana with remainder.” They said that this was what the Buddha taught. “We simply practiced according to His teachings,” thus, “We truly attained realizations.” They truly felt that they had already eliminated their afflictions. They had no conflicts with people, no conflicts over matters and no conflicts in the world. After eliminating all afflictions, they felt free and at ease. They thought this was repaying the Buddha’s grace.

So, “Everything the Buddha taught them, they sincerely, steadfastly and diligently upheld.” They felt that with everything the Buddha taught, “We have already been very mindful; we were very sincere, mindful and diligent in accepting and upholding this.” Thus, “The fruit that they attained came from the seed of what the Buddha taught them.” Now they were able to reap these fruits; by cultitvating the seed, one can reap the fruit. They could understand the Four Noble Truths. This is what the Buddha taught them. By planting this cause, a seed,

“[because] a seed contains an ocean of fruits, thus they truly attained realizations.” Once a seed is planted [in the ground], we must earnestly cultivate it. Within one seed there are many, many fruits. Small Vehicle practitioners remain enchanted by the Small Vehicle Dharma. They believe that they have attained many fruits, so they have no desire to advance to going among people and teaching them. They feel they have “truly attained realizations. When this seed was given to us, we were able to make it flower and bear fruit. This is enough for us.”

So, “Their minds did not betray the teachings; they thought they had repaid the Buddha’s grace. Venerable Buddha, we have been earnestly practicing what You taught us, so we have already repaid Your grace.” Of course, the Buddha expected that His disciples would honestly engage in spiritual practice, make an effort to listen to the Dharma and understand the principles. Moreover, He hoped His disciples would not merely awaken themselves, but that each one “could give rise to infinity.” If one person forms firm aspirations, he can then teach and transform more people. This was the Buddha’s greatest wish. So, He wanted His disciples to not only benefit themselves but also to benefit others.

Thus, the previous passage begins by stating, “Though for the sake of all Buddha-children we expounded the Bodhisattva Way so they could seek the path to Buddhahood, regarding this Great Dharma, we never aspired to or delighted in it.”

They did not have a great interest in the Bodhisattva Way that the Buddha taught them. “We never aspired to or delighted in it.” They were unwilling to go among the people; they did not want to contrive affinities. So, they clung to their Small Vehicle practices.

What the Buddha wants to teach us to do is to earnestly eliminate afflictions while also interacting with people. Going among people without being affected by them is the true path to Buddhahood. I see so many people dedicating themselves. Even in prisons we find Tzu Chi volunteers transforming [inmates]. They lead them in study groups. They taught them to perform the sutra adaptations. Group after group of inmates from Pingtung, after being touched by Tzu Chi volunteers, after being transformed and getting out of prison, have come to tell us, “I am grateful.” This is because they had come in contact with so many teachings and come to understand the law of karma.

Some people have even said that, although they have a ten-year prison term, they still participate in the musical adaptation. In prison, through the adaptation of the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, they understood the principles. Although they still have ten years in prison, they hope to make the prison into a place for spiritual practice. This is not about feeling happy listening to music or enjoying learning the sign language or being able to carry out such an orderly performance of “The Sutra of Infinite Meanings.” When they take the sutra to heart and perform it, the most important thing is that it purifies their minds.

Some received parole or conditional release; all they need to do now is check in [with parole officers] every day. Now, they can freely run a business or work outside of prison. When they return home, their parents and their families are all very touched to see how they changed. After returning from prison, they have completely changed into new person with a pure [mind]. Now, they are re-learning how to live; they have been reborn.

You see, if in this way, the Buddha’s teachings can spread good seeds all across our society, then everyone can turn from the bad to the good and from the Small to the Great, from the Small Vehicle to the Great Vehicle. When we go among people to create blessings, by working with others we cultivate wisdom. If we can do this, this world can become a pure land. So, all Buddhas have been manifesting in the world since Beginningless Time; it has been so long. However, as each [Buddha] came to the world to teach the Bodhisattva Way, many people were willing to follow those Buddhas and seek the path to Buddhahood. However, the Small Vehicle practitioners did not have much interest in the Bodhisattva Way. Most of them only sought to benefit themselves.

So, the next sutra passage states, “When the guiding teacher observed us giving up, He contemplated our intent and thus at first did not persuade us to advance nor tell us the true benefits.”

At first, the guiding teacher saw that for years His disciples had engaged in practice only to benefit themselves. So, “The teacher observed us giving up. Observed us giving up” does not mean He abandoned those people; it was that they only focused on the Small Vehicle. The Buddha taught the Dharma impartially. When people with great resolve heard, they could respond and form aspirations. But though they also listened to the teachings, the Buddha’s disciples felt that. He was not teaching them, that He was only teaching lay disciples, the people living in society. “Going among the people and benefiting others has nothing to do with us practitioners.” So, the guiding teacher’s education was something they had no capacity to accept. They could not accept so they “gave up.” They gave up the Great Vehicle Dharma. “The teacher did not proactively persuade us to practice the Great Vehicle Dharma.” So, “The guiding teacher observed us giving up.”

The “giving up” falls on the practitioner. When the practitioners gave up the Great Dharma, they believed that what the Buddha meant by “benefiting others” was that those who lived in society should benefit society, that it had nothing to do with practitioners who had separated themselves from society. So, they abandoned the Great Vehicle Dharma. The Small Vehicle practitioners gave up on the Great Vehicle Dharma. The Buddha saw His disciples were not joyfully seeking the Great Vehicle, so He did not proactively persuade them to advance. The Buddha did not tell them about the benefits. So, “At first, He did not persuade us to advance nor tell us the true benefits.” The guiding teacher observed the circumstances and believed the conditions were not yet ripe

“The Buddha in the past observed us giving up and remaining outside of the Great Vehicle. Through contemplation, He knew that this was because we only took delight in the Small Dharma.”

He saw that they only took delight in the Small Dharma and not the Great Vehicle Dharma because their capacities were too small. They had not yet formed aspirations, so the Buddha did not force them to practice the Great Vehicle Dharma

“Thus, in the Prajna Assembly, He did not persuade us to advance from the Dharma we were teaching nor tell us of the true benefit of attaining Buddhahood.”

During the Prajna Assembly, He hoped to inspire great wisdom in everyone. He explained all matters and objects completely, that while time is illusory and intangible, all people, matters and things change. They are constantly changing and impermanent, always arising and ceasing. During the Prajna Assembly, this was what He ceaselessly tried to make clear [Yet] what everyone was clear on was only that everything is inherently empty. Some things change; in the end they are always arising and ceasing. This was the extent to which they understood the prajna teachings. They had no intention of advancing further. Thus, the Buddha “did not persuade us to advance from the Dharma we were teaching.” The Dharma they practiced was like this, it was the Small Vehicle. The Dharma-wheel they turned was the Small Vehicle.

“Nor did He tell us of the true benefit of attaining Buddhahood.” The Buddha had not said that they would attain Buddhahood, because they had not shown true interest in attaining it. So, the Buddha did not confirm for them that they could attain Buddhahood.

In the sutra passage, it says, “When the guiding teacher observed us giving up, He contemplated our intent.”

When the guiding teacher observed us giving up, He contemplated our intent: The Tathagata, the guiding teacher, observed us giving up [on the Great Vehicle]. He contemplated our intent: He observed that we only delighted in the Small and practiced only to benefit ourselves.

This means “The Tathagata, the guiding teacher, observed us giving up.” He noticed that they were stuck in the Small Vehicle. So, “He contemplated our intent.” He had already seen through their intentions. He observed they “delighted in the Small Dharma and practiced only to benefit themselves.” The Buddha had already seen their intentions and knew that they only sought to benefit themselves. So, “At first, He did not persuade us to advance nor tell us the true benefits.”

At first, He did not persuade us to advance nor tell us the true benefits: He did not speak nor urge them to advance forward by speaking of the true benefit of spiritual practice.

Since their minds had not yet begun to broaden, they were unwilling to benefit others. This thought had not occurred to them. So, the Buddha did not force them. He did not encourage them to advance, nor did He tell them the principle to attaining Buddhahood. Therefore, the Buddha remained silent. So, “He did not speak nor urge them to advance forward by speaking the true benefits of spiritual practice.” The Buddha did not urge them to advance forward.

They themselves were not diligent, but they blamed the Buddha for not urging them on. This was truly a bit unfair. The Buddha continually taught them, but they believed this was for people in society, that people in society should benefit society. Since they had already left the lay life, they were unwilling to get involved. It was that they were [not diligent], not that the Buddha was discriminating against them. His teachings were the same for all.

“Speaking the true benefits of spiritual practice” means of course there are true benefits to spiritual practice

Inner cultivation to benefit ourselves is “merit.” External practice to benefit others is “virtue.”

We need to cultivate and benefit ourselves; truly benefiting ourselves means loving ourselves. We must no longer create karma out of ignorance. We need to hold fast to our pure minds, and we must open our hearts in order to benefit other people; this is external practice. Through external practice, we benefit others; this is called “virtue.” Our inner cultivation is called “merit,” while our external cultivation is called “virtue.” Inner cultivation means eliminating afflictions, and external cultivation is benefiting others. By benefiting others we can gain wisdom; this is our true goal as Buddhist practitioners

“This is just like that wealthy elder who, knowing his son’s resolve was limited, used the power of skillful means to soften and tame his mind. Then afterward, he handed over all this wealth.”

This sutra passage talks about how. He is like that wealthy elder. Like the elder guiding that poor son who was in fact his own child, so too did the Buddha lead His disciples. He also taught them as if He was teaching His own child, patiently guiding them all

This is just like that wealthy elder who, knowing his son’s resolve was limited: The great enlightened Tathagata’s mind knew that sentient beings’ resolve and aspirations were limited and weak. With His broad and boundless wisdom, He thoroughly understood all their thoughts. Hence, “knowing his son’s resolve was limited.”

So, “The great enlightened Tathagata’s mind knew that sentient beings’ resolve and aspirations were limited and weak.” Sentient beings’ aspirations are too weak to withstand even the smallest of challenges. They only seek to benefit themselves and are unwilling to give to others. They still crave merits and virtues, yet they are unwilling to give to others. They have many merits but no virtues, for they only practice eliminating their ignorance. This is like the poor son who only cleaned out garbage and held no hopes of attaining the treasure. He only wanted to get rid of the garbage. This is what “limited resolve” means.

“With His broad and boundless wisdom, He thoroughly understood all their thoughts.” Because the wisdom of the Buddha was broad and boundless, He could thoroughly understand the thoughts of all sentient beings. Because their thoughts were still weak, if He were to use more forceful methods, He might sever their roots of goodness. Thus, He used a gradual process, using comforting methods to guide sentient beings. So, “Knowing his son’s resolve was limited” means the wealthy elder understood that the capacities of his child were limited. Therefore, “He used the power of skillful means to soften and tame his mind.” He used The Four Noble Truths and. Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence to guide them patiently

He used the power of skillful means to soften and tame his mind: He responded to sentient beings by manifesting in the world, approaching them and becoming their beneficial friend and advisor. When they heard Him cleverly expounding the Dharma with the power of skillful means, it softened and tamed their minds, so they formed vows and aspirations of Bodhi.

“He responded to sentient beings by manifesting in the world, approaching them and becoming their beneficial friend and advisor.” Now, He became like a good friend to them, becoming both their friend and advisor. He guided them slowly as a virtuous friend. “When they heard Him cleverly expounding the Dharma with the power of skillful means” means the Buddha used all kinds of skillful means like analogies, like the analogies of the burning house, the great white ox cart, the poor son and so on. In this way, He guided the disciples patiently, to “soften and tame their minds.” Gradually, He used gentle methods to help them, hoping the disciples could gradually give rise to Bodhicitta and form Bodhi-aspirations. This is the hard work of educating sentient beings.

Then afterward, he handed over all this wealth: [The Buddha] was just like this elder, who first tamed his son’s mind and later passed his wealth to him.

“Then afterward, he handed over all this wealth”. By gradually guiding him, the elder first tamed the poor son’s mind. He patiently guided him until he became willing; only then did the father begin to gather people and announce to everyone, “This is my son. He is my trueborn son. All my wealth now belongs to him. I have given it all to him.”

Everyone, as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must definitely be mindful so we can experience what the Buddha taught us. With what the Buddha has taught us, we must aspire to and delight in [the teachings]. We must form aspirations and make vows and accept the Bodhisattva-path with joy. The Buddha’s hope for us was that. “One will give rise to infinity,” that we will all go among people to transform them. Sentient beings can be transformed. We can see no matter how lost sentient beings are, as long as we have methods to use with them, they can certainly find their way to awakening. It is not that they cannot be taught. So, we must all have faith in ourselves and also have faith in others. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 850 – Vowing to Seek the Wisdom of the Great Vehicle

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>> Ordinary people are not aware that their intrinsic nature contains great prajna. Though they may realize the small fruit of Hearers, ignorance remains within their minds. They seek the Dharma but not wisdom, having no aspiration to attain it. It is not that the Buddha withheld it from us, but that we took no delight in the Great Vehicle.

>> “We clung to liberation from the Three Realms and the troubles of suffering and afflictions, so we abide in our final incarnation, in Nirvana with remainder. With what the Buddha has taught us, we truly attained realizations. We thought that our attainment had already repaid the Buddha’s grace.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> “Though for the sake of the children of all Buddhas we expounded the Bodhisattva Way so they could seek the path to Buddhahood, regarding this Great Dharma, we never aspired to nor delighted in it.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> These verses refer to Subhuti and the others, who represented all Arhats in explaining that before the Lotus [Assembly], they had no intent to seek the Great Vehicle.

>> Though for the sake of all Buddha-children: “Though” here is connected to “we ourselves have attained” in the prior passage. For us, the fruit had been attained; as for the Buddha, His grace had been repaid.

>> During the Prajna Assembly, under the Buddha’s protection, the Great Vehicle sutras and the great causes of the Six Perfections were expounded to all Bodhisattvas so that they could seek the path to Buddhahood.

>> However, we saw all teachings of Great Vehicle Dharma as something extra, so we never aspired to nor delighted in them.

>> We expounded the Bodhisattva Way so they could seek the path to Buddhahood: They helped people with Great Vehicle capabilities use this to cultivate and uphold, and learn from practitioners with great aspirations, seeking to complete the path to Buddhahood

>> Regarding this Great Dharma, we never aspired to or delighted in it: Regarding the Great Vehicle Prajna teachings, we never had any interest or delight.

>> Never: He taught Bodhisattvas the Great Vehicle sutras. In the past, Small Vehicle practitioners respected the Great Dharma as being high above them and out of their reach.

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“Ordinary people are not aware that their intrinsic nature contains great prajna.
Though they may realize the small fruit of Hearers, ignorance remains within their minds.
They seek the Dharma but not wisdom, having no aspiration to attain it. It is not that the Buddha withheld it from us, but that we took no delight in the Great Vehicle.”

We all intrinsically have a pure nature. This nature of True Suchness contains great wisdom and prajna. Sadly, we ordinary people are unaware of it. Instead we oftentimes have the sense that. “Listening to the Dharma is about finding ways to escape from samsara and no longer transmigrate in the Six Realms. I will eliminate all my afflictions and no longer contrive affinities.” We may earnestly engage in this practice, but with this capacity we would only be able to attain the small fruit. As we have been recently saying, Hearers and Solitary Realizers have only reached this level.

Hearers eliminate afflictions by applying the Four Noble Truths. Having understood suffering, causation, cessation and the Path, they recognize that suffering comes from causation, which they must bring to cessation; this requires engaging in spiritual practice. “I must practice so that. I will no longer create and thus accumulate ignorance and afflictions. I must put an end to them.” This is the small fruit that Hearers realize. As for Solitary Realizers, they understand the. Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. With an ignorant thought, the Three Subtleties arise, thus each of the subsequent Twelve Links is continuously triggered in turn. Even after reaching old age, illness and death, we will still carry our karma and bring it back with us [in our next life]. This is what happens in the human realm. So, having understood that, we must put an end to the Twelve Links. This is realizing the fruit of Solitary Realizers. This is how Small Vehicle practitioners realize small fruits. However, traces of ignorance still remain.

These last two days we have been talking about escaping the Three Realms. Outside the Three Realms, there are still dust-like delusions, traces of afflictions we have not yet eliminated. So, we must advance to the stage of Bodhisattvas and walk along the Bodhisattva-path. Though we have reached the Bodhisattva-path, we may still have slight traces of afflictions. To address these, we must go among people. Just what is afflicting us? We cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer. So, we go among people to train ourselves, to benefit them and develop wisdom through our interactions with them.

But, Small Vehicle practitioners do not do this. They seek the Dharma, but not wisdom; they do not have that resolve. Wisdom is hidden in our nature of True Suchness. We inherently have great prajna in our nature, infinite wisdom that will never run out. But Small Vehicle practitioners stop [before realizing it]. They are like the poor son who only sought the bare minimum he needed to sustain his life each day. In fact, he was the son of a wealthy family and had abundant treasures. This is like us and our nature of True Suchness [In the parable,] when the elder found his son, he applied wisdom to approach him and gradually guide him.

The story of the poor son is used as an analogy for how we have lost sight of our nature of True Suchness. It is not that this pure nature disappeared, it is just that we have lost our way and no longer recognize our nature of True Suchness. We are also not aware that within our nature of True Suchness lies prajna, which is wisdom. We turned from our awakened nature to come together with objects of desire and ignorance. We are like the poor son who wandered away.

He is an analogy for us ordinary people or for those who lived in the Buddha’s lifetime and were transformed by the Buddha through directly receiving teachings from Him. Some of these disciples were already advanced in their spiritual cultivation. Upon seeing the Buddha, they aspired to become monastics and engage in spiritual practice, then became leaders of the Sangha. Many of them were great Arhats. Among them was Sariputra, foremost in wisdom. The Buddha had already bestowed a prediction of Buddhahood upon him. In the Chapter of Parables, as you may remember, we read about how the Buddha bestowed a prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra. Later, in the Chapter on Faith and Understanding, we read that people at the assembly saw the Buddha bestow a prediction on Sariputra that he will attain Buddhahood in the future. If Sariputra could attain Buddhahood, then there was hope that they could too.

The beginning of the. Chapter on Faith and Understanding mentioned. Wisdom-life Subhuti, Mahakatyayana, Mahakasyapa and Mahamaudgalyayana. Does everyone still remember? They stood up from among the Sangha and came before the Buddha together. On one hand, they repented that in the past, they remained in the state of the Small Vehicle and did not seek the Great Dharma; on the other hand, they expressed their feelings. They shared that in the past they were just like a poor son who, in a moment of immaturity, left that wealthy household to wander about for more than 50 years.” The Buddha is like that elder who would not abandon his son. No matter how much time it took, he continued to pursue and look for him. He kept searching until he found his son.

Similarly, the Buddha came to the human realm for one great cause. He came to open and reveal [the teachings] for sentient beings in the hope that they could realize and enter them. Thus, the Buddha opens and reveals, and the realizing and entering is up to sentient beings. When the Buddha expounds the Dharma, if we can comprehend it, eliminate afflictions and benefit both ourselves and others, then we will have both blessings and wisdom. In this world, we accumulate blessing. Among people, we develop our wisdom-life. By cultivating both blessings and wisdom, we can move forward evenly. This was the Buddha’s original intent.

At this point in the assembly, Subhuti, Katyayana, Mahakasyapa and Maudgalyayana, on behalf of the entire Sangha they led, stood up and said this, “It is not that the Buddha withheld it from us, but that we took no delight in the Great Vehicle. It was not that the Buddha was stingy toward us and refused to give us the Great Dharma; we were the ones who did not accept it. We thought this was only taught for Bodhisattvas and not for us. It was we who ‘took no delight in the Great Vehicle’ and remained in the Small Vehicle Dharma. The fault was not with the Buddha but with us.”

The previous sutra passage states that We clung to “liberation from the Three Realms and the troubles of suffering and afflictions, so we abide in our final incarnation, in Nirvana with remainder. With what the Buddha has taught us, we truly attained realizations. We thought that our attainment had already repaid the Buddha’s grace.” This was what we discussed yesterday.

We thought [all we had to do] was earnestly eliminate afflictions and attain Nirvana with remainder. We practiced according to the Buddha’s teachings, thus “we truly attained realizations.” We had already realized the fruits. “We thought that our attainment had already repaid the Buddha’s grace.” We thought that following the Buddha’s teachings as we engaged in spiritual practice was repaying the Buddha’s grace. This is what these disciples thought in the past.

In the next sutra passage, they went on to say, “Though for the sake of the children of all Buddhas we expounded the Bodhisattva Way so they could seek the path to Buddhahood, regarding this Great Dharma, we never aspired to nor delighted in it.”

They did this for sake of the children of all Buddhas. All Buddhas means not just Sakyamuni Buddha. The teachings of all past Buddhas have been continuously passed down. The teachings we have received have been passed down as if from father to son. “We expounded the Bodhisattva Way so they could seek the path to Buddhahood.” All Buddhas share the same path; in expounding the Dharma, everything They teach is the Bodhisattva Way, hoping that we can earnestly seek the Dharma and the path to Buddhahood. “But when it came to the Great Vehicle Dharma, we were still unwilling to [practice] it.”

This was the [disciples] expressing their thinking. This was in the past, because now they already understood. Sariputra was able to receive the prediction of Buddhahood, so everyone had hope for themselves. Thus, they were happy and jubilant.

These verses refer to Subhuti and the others, who represented all Arhats in explaining that before the Lotus [Assembly], they had no intent to seek the Great Vehicle.

Now they were expressing their old state of mind. So, these verses, the repeated verses, were spoken by Kasyapa. Venerable Kasyapa followed Subhuti’s long-form prose. These verses were stated by Venerable Kasyapa.

So, these verses came from Subhuti and Venerable Kasyapa, as well as Katyayana and Maudgalyayana. They represented all the Arhats in explaining that before the Buddha gave the Lotus teachings, in their minds, “They had no intent to seek the Great Vehicle.” This was their mindset before the Lotus period.

Though for the sake of all Buddha-children: “Though” here is connected to “we ourselves have attained” in the prior passage. For us, the fruit had been attained; as for the Buddha, His grace had been repaid.

Thus [Kasyapa] said, “Though for the sake of the children of all Buddhas….” Here Kasyapa is speaking for everyone. “Though” here refers to how everyone had already attained, had already attained the fruits; they themselves already achieved this. So, we thought that with regard to the Buddha’s teachings, we had already repaid His grace. This was their perspective.

During the Prajna Assembly, under the Buddha’s protection, the Great Vehicle sutras and the great causes of the Six Perfections were expounded to all Bodhisattvas so that they could seek the path to Buddhahood.

So, “during the Prajna Assembly, under the Buddha’s protection” [refers to how] the Buddha was so mindful. “The Great Vehicle sutras and the great causes of the Six Perfections were expounded to all Bodhisattvas so that they could seek the path to Buddhahood.” Though during the Prajna Assembly, the Buddha began teaching. Great Vehicle sutras to all Bodhisattvas, we still thought this was only for Bodhisattvas, not for us. However, during the Prajna Assembly we too heard the Buddha expound. Great Vehicle sutras, teaching the great causes of the Six Paramitas and actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions. The Buddha taught everyone to benefit themselves and others. This was a method of spiritual practice the disciples had also heard and understood.

He taught the great causes of the Six Paramitas. A “cause” is a seed. There are many varieties of seeds. There are seeds of plants, seeds of small bushes and seeds of big trees. There are seeds of many different kinds of trees. Small Vehicle practitioners such as Hearers are like the seeds of plants or seeds of little trees. These kinds of trees cannot grow very big. These kinds of seeds are just like that. There are also seeds of big trees. Although the seeds are small, they are able to grow into big trees. These are the seeds of big trees. The Six Paramitas are also called the Six Perfections. These are great causes, seeds for something big. People who “seek the path to Buddhahood” are those who practice the Great Vehicle Dharma. The Buddha expounded the Great Vehicle Dharma, and people with great capacities could accept it. They were seeking the Buddha’s Way seeking the path to Buddhahood. To reach Buddhahood, they must go through the Bodhisattva-path

However, we saw all teachings of Great Vehicle Dharma as something extra, so we never aspired to nor delighted in them.

“However, we saw all teachings of Great Vehicle Dharma as something extra, so we never aspired to nor delighted in them.” This is something extra. The most fundamental thing to do is to eliminate afflictions. As for transforming sentient beings, that is less important; it is something extra. If we have time, we can practice it. If we do not have time, we focus on cultivating ourselves. We still think we are more important; everything else is extra. We think [the Great Vehicle] is extra and does not have much to do with us. Only if the conditions are present will we do this extra thing; we do not think it is very important.

Thus, “We saw it as something extra, so we never aspired to nor delighted in it.” We see it as something to be done casually. Actually, we must do it earnestly, but we treat it very casually. We think our own responsibilities more important. Transforming sentient beings is beyond this; it is something extra; It is not part of our core responsibility. In summary, this was their thinking. So, “We never aspired to nor delighted in it.” This was the view of these Small Vehicle practitioners in the past; Hearers and Solitary Realizers only sought the [Small Vehicle] Dharma.

We expounded the Bodhisattva Way so they could seek the path to Buddhahood: They helped people with Great Vehicle capabilities use this to cultivate and uphold, and learn from practitioners with great aspirations, seeking to complete the path to Buddhahood

“We expounded the Bodhisattva Way so they could seek the path to Buddhahood.” Thus, “They helped people with. Great Vehicle capabilities.” The Great Vehicle Dharma was assumed by them to be teachings exclusive to Bodhisattvas. Those Bodhisattvas with great capabilities “use this to cultivate and uphold and learn from practitioners with great aspirations, seeking to complete the path to Buddhahood.” They thought that this was only for those with great capabilities, those who seek the Buddha-Dharma and are willing to uphold great practices and make, cultivate and uphold great aspirations. This type of person was different from them. In the past, Wisdom-life Subhuti and the others had these thoughts. They were by the Buddha’s side but believed that He was teaching this tothose who aspired to go into the world and help othersn. So, they thought these words had nothing to do with them. “Regarding this Great Dharma, we never aspired to nor delighted in it.”

Regarding this Great Dharma, we never aspired to or delighted in it: Regarding the Great Vehicle Prajna teachings, we never had any interest or delight.

Regarding this Dharma of saving other people, we felt that it was of no use to us. “Regarding the Great Vehicle Prajna teachings, we never had any interest or delight.” The Prajna teachings they cultivated were. Small Vehicle teachings biased toward emptiness. They were all about emptiness. But regarding the Great Vehicle Prajna teachings, they never had any interest or delight. These disciples simply had no interest in helping others or going among people. They were not interested.

The Great Vehicle Prajna teaches “wondrous existence and true emptiness.” They only understood up to the principles of emptiness; they were unwilling to advance beyond that. That “emptiness” is part of the Dharma of “wondrous existence and true emptiness,” but they were unwilling to delve more deeply. Thus, “We never had any interest or delight.”

Never: He taught Bodhisattvas the Great Vehicle sutras. In the past, Small Vehicle practitioners respected the Great Dharma as being high above them and out of their reach.

“Never” refers to when. He taught Bodhisattvas the Great Vehicle Dharma, the Great Vehicle sutras. “In the past” refers to how in the past. “Small Vehicle practitioners saw the Great Dharma as being high above them and out of their reach.”

In the past, they felt that when the Buddha taught the Great Vehicle Dharma, He was only teaching sutras for Bodhisattvas. Back when they heard it, these Small Vehicle practitioners sought the Small Vehicle Dharma to benefit only themselves. With such capabilities, when they heard the Great Vehicle Dharma, it seemed unfathomable, too far above them. They saw it as high above them, very far from where they were; it was high above them. How can a small plant compare to a big tree? So, they were unwilling to advance further in their practice, Because they believed that life is impermanent, having been born human and having listened to the Buddha-Dharma, they felt they had to earnestly practice and quickly eliminate their afflictions so they would not have to return to the human realm or transmigrate in the Five or Six Realms. In this life, they wanted to quickly be liberated, but there was still such a long road ahead. The Bodhisattva-path was so lofty and distant, so they did not wish to move forward. “I just want to stop here! Having attained this kind of liberation, I am already satisfied.” So, they took no interest or delight in the Great Vehicle Dharma.

As Buddhist practitioners, we know that life is impermanent so we must be proactive. With the Small Vehicle Dharma, we can eliminate our afflictions and put an end to fragmentary samsara. However, is our aspiration that firm? Can we repeatedly return to go among people to seek the Dharma and transform others? Can we sustain this for a long period of time? We must be able to sustain [our aspirations]; only then can we truly eliminate afflictions. If our aspirations are not firm, when we go among people, even though we fear entering samsara again and have eliminated afflictions with the Small Vehicle Dharma, when some kind of [challenge] manifests, our Root Ignorance will manifest again. So, this is not the ultimate;

to reach it, we must continuously train ourselves to withstand all kinds of storms as we interact with people. This is having “non-arising patience.” We have spoken of this before. We must be able to withstand all kinds of friction. We must get through all kinds of challenges. Only then can we truly attain ultimate liberation. Therefore, we must always be mindful.

Episode 849 – The True Repayment of the Buddha’s Grace

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>> Bodhisattvas who receive the perfect teachings have only slight confusion about the principles. They do not require analogies as skillful means but can be directly taught the wonders of all Dharma and all principles. The Buddha directly teaches the Bodhisattva Way, which refers to the principles and teachings outside the Three Realms, the wondrous truth of all paths and ultimate reality.

>> “Throughout the long night, regarding the Buddha’s wisdom, we had no desire or attachment, nor any aspiration to attain it. As for ourselves, regarding the Dharma, we thought we had reached the ultimate. Throughout the long night, we cultivated [only] the teaching of emptiness.”     [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> “We obtained liberation from the Three Realms and the troubles of suffering and afflictions, so we abide in our final incarnation, in Nirvana with remainder. With what the Buddha has taught us, we truly attained realizations. We thought that our attainment had already repaid the Buddha’s grace.”      [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]

>> By eliminating the delusions of views and thinking, we attain the flawless fruits and obtain liberation from the Three Realms, the cycle of birth, aging, illness and death, and worries, sadness, suffering and afflictions. This is speaking of those who possess the flawless wisdom to eliminate the suffering of samsara.

>> So we abide in the final body: Their bodies still exist; they have not yet ceased to be, so it says they “abide”.

>> In this lifetime they have ended [afflictions], so they will not experience future incarnations. They have already realized the fourth fruit, thus it says this is their ‘final incarnation’.

>> Nirvana with remainder: They eliminated the delusions of views and thinking but their bodies still remained This is called “with remainder”.

>> The mind abiding in emptiness and stillness is called ‘Nirvana’.

>> With what the Buddha has taught us, we truly attained realizations: These limited teachings on the Dharma of arising and ceasing were what the Buddha taught. Engaging in spiritual practice accordingly, we already attained the noble path; this is true and not false.

>> With what they gained, they revealed what was lost. Though the fruit they attained was with remainder, the seed was still what the Buddha taught them. The cause and effect are both real, so they truly attained realizations.

>> We thought that our attainment had already repaid the Buddha’s grace: They practiced diligently so they attained. They obeyed all of the Buddha’s instructions and faithfully put them into practice, so they thought they had repaid the Tathagata’s grace for transforming and teaching them.

>> All of us thought that we had practiced accordingly to attain realizations and had transformed ourselves and others, and thus we had already repaid His grace. Thus they had no wish to seek the Great Dharma. They did not accept the Buddha’s intention for them to turn from the Small toward the Great Vehicle.

>> Subhuti and others had thought if they could end fragmentary samsara, they would have repaid the grace of the Buddha. This is one who only liberates oneself.

>> They must learn His great compassion and wisdom to widely transform sentient beings. This is truly repaying the Buddha’s grace.

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“Bodhisattvas who receive the perfect teachings have only slight confusion about the principles.
They do not require analogies as skillful means
but can be directly taught the wonders of all Dharma and all principles. The Buddha directly teaches the Bodhisattva Way,
which refers to the principles and teachings outside the Three Realms, the wondrous truth of all paths and ultimate reality.”

Do you understand? The Small Vehicle practitioners still remained attached to their own practice to seek only their own awakening. Since their capabilities were limited, it did not matter what kind of principles the Buddha used to encourage them; when they listened to the Great Vehicle Dharma, those of limited capabilities thought it was something for other people and had nothing to do with them. They thought they had to stay pure and undefiled, with no conflicts in the world; thus they would have no afflictions. They thought that was all that they needed to do. No matter how the Buddha taught the Great Vehicle, the Bodhisattva Way, they thought it was something for other people.

He [used many] analogies, using matters as analogies for principles and principles as analogies for matters. He taught matters and principles using analogies, all to help us understand that when certain things happen in life, when our minds give arise to certain thoughts, as a result, we experience suffering or joy. So, everything the Buddha taught, the pitaka, common, unique and perfect teachings, were classified like this by those who came later.

“Bodhisattvas who receive the perfect teachings have only slight confusion about the principles.” This describes those with great capabilities. They believe in the Buddha’s teachings and also believe that they themselves have the Tathagata-nature of True Suchness. Therefore, as far as the principles go, they are already quite clear about them. They only have a few unclear things left. Their afflictions are light, not heavy, and the things they do not understand are subtle. They manifest as [unenlightened] Bodhisattvas, so they seek the path to Buddhahood because they still have room for improvement. Then they are able to transform sentient beings. Even Manjusri Bodhisattva, who had been the teacher of seven past Buddhas and who had attained Buddhahood himself, when he came to the world to help Sakyamuni Buddha deliver and transform sentient beings, also had to appear in Bodhisattva-form. Actually, when it came to the principles, these Bodhisattvas were not confused at all. They had simply come to help the Buddha teach and transform, so they requested the Dharma on behalf of sentient beings. They would appear and say, “I do not know. I will ask on everyone’s behalf so the Buddha can teach and everyone will know.” Actually they were not confused; they just manifested this kind of appearance in order to help.

For those with great capabilities like this, the Buddha did not “require analogies as skillful means.” He did not have to beat around the bush. He could directly point to their minds so they could behold their nature and attain Buddhahood. He could simply say to them, “For you to attain Buddhahood, your spiritual practice must be to truly understand the principles and eliminate ignorance. For every measure of ignorance eliminated, the same measure of wisdom will be revealed.” Where does wisdom come from? It comes from going among people. He simply told them this directly, and the Bodhisattvas understood and just did it. It was unnecessary to use all kinds of analogies; He could directly teach the Dharma to them. So, they could “be directly taught the wonders of all Dharma and all principles.” He taught them directly like this.

They understood; since their causes and conditions had already matured, coming to this world, they could encounter the Buddha-Dharma and put it into practice with faith and understanding. They knew that they should just do it. So, they went among people to transform them. This was what the Buddha taught them, and this was what those Bodhisattvas accepted. They formed great aspirations and walked the Bodhisattva-path, “which refers to the principles and teachings outside the Three Realms.” These are teachings outside the Three Realms.

As we discussed yesterday, spiritual practice inside the Three Realms only eliminates fragmentary samsara. But Bodhisattvas still manifest a slight amount of transformational samsara. Transformational samsara refers to our thoughts, to coming and going freely. They leave this life and go to the next, returning in order to fulfill their vows. Whether to the heaven, human, hell or hungry ghost realm, though they must still go there, it is because of their vows. No matter where in the human realm or whatever realm where they have affinities with sentient beings, they will go there.

For instance, Ananda had been following the Buddha for a very long time. But after the Buddha had entered Parinirvana, when His teachings were to be compiled, Venerable Kasyapa rebuked Ananda and said, “You have not eliminated your afflictions.” Ananda said, “In order to follow the Buddha, I retained a small measure of afflictions.” Therefore, when we form Bodhisattva-aspirations, we retain a small measure of afflictions. This is the “slight confusion.” They still keep just a little bit, but actually they are completely pure. They have to leave a little, so that they can appear to say, “I do not know. If I knew, the Buddha would not have to teach any further. So, I do not know. The Buddha has to teach us further.” So, when the Buddha spoke to these people

of higher capabilities and taught them the Dharma, it really was quite simple. He did not have to “pull the vine to get the bean.” He could teach them directly, without using all kinds of analogies. Thus, He “directly taught the Bodhisattva Way.” These are the “teachings and principles outside the Three Realms.” He pushed aside the Three Realms, the desire, form and formless realms, and how those afflictions can be removed. The Buddha quickly jumped over these and taught them how to practice the Bodhisattva Way. Thus, He “directly taught the Bodhisattva Way.” These are the teachings and principles outside the Three Realms.

So, this is “the wondrous truth of all paths and ultimate reality.” All Buddhas of past teach paths that connect; the Dharma of all Buddhas is interconnected. The principles are all the same. Thus, They pointed directly to our minds for us to behold our nature and attain Buddhahood. However, for us to do this we must go among people and walk the Bodhisattva-path. This principle is just as simple as that. Bodhisattvas, Living Bodhisattvas, are also like this. They just do it. It does not require a lot of explanation.

The previous sutra passage states, “Throughout the long night, regarding the Buddha’s wisdom, we had no desire or attachment, nor any aspiration to attain it. As for ourselves, regarding the Dharma, we thought we had reached the ultimate. Throughout the long night, we cultivated [only] the teaching of emptiness.”

This is the analogy that. Venerable Kasyapa used to describe himself. Throughout the long night, the Buddha’s wisdom shone like a ray of light. But the disciples remained in the long night, looking up at the stars and moon in the sky and thinking to themselves, “I have already seen the light! I have already realized the vastness of the sky.” They did not know that beneath the sky, all phenomena still exist. So many matters, appearances and principles were still not clear to them. They just remained within the long night, just looking up at the sky

[Kasyapa] used this kind of analogy to compare the Buddha’s wisdom to sunlight. When the sky is light, we can see the mountains, rivers and land, and the workings of things that are before us. This is the Buddha’s wisdom, yet they never thought to take it for themselves. Thus, they had no desire or attachment nor any aspiration to attain it. They thought they had already understood all of the teachings, that this was good enough. They thought they had reached the ultimate by attaining the fourth fruit, Arhatship. They were satisfied with that.

The next sutra passage then states, “We obtained liberation from the Three Realms and the troubles of suffering and afflictions, so we abide in our final incarnation, in Nirvana with remainder. With what the Buddha has taught us, we truly attained realizations. We thought that our attainment had already repaid the Buddha’s grace.”

“We obtained liberation from the Three Realms.” They had cultivated and practiced the Dharma of emptiness in the past, thinking that in doing this they would attain liberation from the Three Realms. They thought, “We abide in our final incarnation. In this lifetime, we have already thoroughly understood the principles and have eliminated our ignorance so this will be our final lifetime”; they are in “Nirvana with remainder.” In fact, this is only “Nirvana with remainder,” because “Nirvana with remainder” means that they had only eliminated the suffering of the Three Realms. Now they already knew this. “With what the Buddha has taught us, we truly attained realizations. We thought that our attainment had already repaid the Buddha’s grace.” Knowing that the Buddha taught us mindfully, we earnestly engaged in spiritual practice. We practice earnestly now in order to repay the Buddha’s grace and live up to His great efforts on our behalf.

Indeed, this is also true. Of course, seeing His disciples earnestly engaged in their spiritual practice gave the Buddha the greatest comfort and joy. However, besides their own spiritual practice, the Buddha would have been even more joyful if they had taken the next step of going among people without being defiled by them. Only then would they be truly pure. If the bustle of the crowd causes one afflictions, how could one be considered purity? The Buddha wanted them to eliminate afflictions so even in the midst of complicated situations they could remain calm and pure. Only then would they truly remain undefiled and have truly eliminated afflictions.

By eliminating the delusions of views and thinking, we attain the flawless fruits and obtain liberation from the Three Realms, the cycle of birth, aging, illness and death, and worries, sadness, suffering and afflictions. This is speaking of those who possess the flawless wisdom to eliminate the suffering of samsara. 

So, these afflictions are the delusions of views and thinking. “By eliminating the delusions of views and thinking, we attain the flawless fruits.” This is what is known as eliminating afflictions [We] “obtain liberation from the Three Realms, the cycle of birth, aging, illness and death, and worries, sadness, suffering and afflictions.” All of these take place in the Three Realms. It is in the desire realm that ignorance exists in our views and thinking, such that we undergo birth, aging, illness, death, worries, sadness, suffering and afflictions. The sources of these are ignorance and afflictions. They possess “flawless wisdom to eliminate the suffering of samsara.” They know all of this. They know and already have the flawless wisdom to eliminate the suffering of samsara. They already know this. Thus it says, “We abide in our final incarnation. Their present bodies still exist; they have not yet ceased to be.” This is called “abiding.”

So we abide in the final body: Their bodies still exist; they have not yet ceased to be, so it says they “abide”.

Kasyapa and the Buddha’s other disciples still had their bodies. They had eliminated afflictions, but their bodies still existed. So, they were said to “abide. We abide in our final incarnation.” Their bodies were still in this world, but they had eliminated their afflictions

“In this lifetime they have ended [afflictions], so they will not experience future incarnations. They have already realized the fourth fruit, thus it says this is their ‘final incarnation’.”

When their bodies ceased to exist, when their bodies came to that very last day, they would “not experience future incarnations. I will not return to this world. I have no need to transmigrate further in the Six Realms.” This was what Venerable Kasyapa said because he had already attained the fourth fruit, Arhatship. “This lifetime is my last. This is my final incarnation.”

Nirvana with remainder: They eliminated the delusions of views and thinking but their bodies still remained This is called “with remainder”.

As for “Nirvana with remainder,” it means they had “eliminated the delusions of views and thinking, but their bodies still remained.” Although their delusions of views and thinking were already eliminated, their bodies still remained. So, it is called “with remainder.” Their bodies still remained. They had bodies, so when it was cold, they felt cold, and when it was hot, they felt hot. They still had to eat food every day in order to keep on living. So, this is saying that they still had bodies, but they had eliminated their afflictions. This is called “Nirvana with remainder”

“The mind abiding in emptiness and stillness is called ‘Nirvana’.”

“The mind [is] abiding in emptiness and stillness.” In their minds, they thought everything was empty. So, they thought there was no need to seek further and went no further in their practice. They felt they had no need for the Bodhisattva Way taught by the Buddha.

With what the Buddha has taught us, we truly attained realizations: These limited teachings on the Dharma of arising and ceasing were what the Buddha taught. Engaging in spiritual practice accordingly, we already attained the noble path; this is true and not false.  

“Our minds ‘abide in emptiness and stillness,’ so we have already entered the state of Nirvana. Our minds are empty. All that remains of us is the body.” So, this was “Nirvana with remainder. With what the Buddha has taught us, we truly attained realizations. These limited teachings on the Dharma of arising and ceasing….” These limited teachings benefit only oneself. This is what they do. The Small Vehicle teachings were “what the Buddha taught us,” what He expounded. The Buddha taught this so we practiced accordingly. Sure enough, we attained [realizations], and after understanding the principles, our minds became free and at ease. We have truly attained the noble path. “This is true and not false.” This is true. Because of this, “With what they gained, they revealed what was lost”. In this way, they felt they had attained, so what was “lost” was truly revealed, which was the aspiration to seek the Great Dharma. So, “Though the fruit they attained was with remainder, the seed was still what the Buddha taught them.” What the Buddha taught, like the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, were realized one level after another. With what they experienced, “The cause and effect are both real.” The cause and effect, the principles taught to them by the Buddha and the effects they had gained from their efforts, these principles, were all real. “So they had truly attained realizations.” If we can truly attain realizations through these teachings, we can achieve peace and freedom in our minds. Thus, “They truly attained realizations.”

With what they gained, they revealed what was lost. Though the fruit they attained was with remainder, the seed was still what the Buddha taught them. The cause and effect are both real, so they truly attained realizations.

“We thought that our attainment had already repaid the Buddha’s grace.” They felt that they “had practiced so they attained. They obeyed all of the Buddha’s instructions.” This is what they had done. “Whatever the Buddha taught us, that is what we did.” So, “They faithfully put teachings into practice.” They had practiced obediently, and this made the Buddha joyful. This was repaying the Buddha’s grace, repaying Him for teaching and transforming them.

Of course, if the students are well-behaved, the teacher is happy. The Buddha was the same way. If His disciples earnestly practiced, this was the most joyful thing for the Buddha. The Buddha came for one great cause, which was none other than to teach sentient beings to realize and enter the true principles. So, when sentient beings, the disciples, realized and entered the true principles, the Buddha was of course joyful. They seriously engaged in spiritual practice in order to repay the Buddha’s grace “All of us thought that we had practiced accordingly to attain realizations and had transformed ourselves and others, thus we had already repaid His grace.”

All of us thought that we had practiced accordingly to attain realizations and had transformed ourselves and others, and thus we had already repaid His grace. Thus they had no wish to seek the Great Dharma. They did not accept the Buddha’s intention for them to turn from the Small toward the Great Vehicle.

So, “They had no wish to seek the Great Dharma” ․Thus they had no wish to seek the Great Dharma. They did not accept the Buddha’s intention for them to turn from the Small toward the Great Vehicle. They should have gone to transform others, but they stopped at only transforming themselves. They did not want to go and transform others, so they had no wish to seek further. They never accepted the Buddha’s intent for them to turn from the Small toward the Great Vehicle. They still did not really understand. The Buddha hoped His disciples would “turn from the Small toward the Great Vehicle. You understand the basic principles. Now you must transcend the basic principles and make great strides without delay; go among the people and form great aspirations.” This was what the Buddha had hoped for, but still they were unable to truly comprehend the Buddha’s original intent. Thus, “Subhuti and the others had thought if they could end fragmentary samsara,” they would have repaid the Buddha’s grace. They thought by eliminating fragmentary samsara and afflictions in the Three Realms, they would have repaid the Buddha’s grace. Thus, “They were only focused on self-awakening.”

Subhuti and others had thought if they could end fragmentary samsara, they would have repaid the grace of the Buddha. This is one who only liberates oneself.

This was not what the Buddha had in mind as He taught them. “I did not teach you to be selfish. Do not only seek your own awakening without seeking to benefit others.” When we accept the Dharma, we should then again bring out the principles of the Buddha-Dharma to go and teach them to others; only then will the Dharma-lineage be passed down. We should not assume that after this lifetime, all will be over and done with

They must learn His great compassion and wisdom to widely transform sentient beings. This is truly repaying the Buddha’s grace.

To learn the Buddha’s Way, we must do this. Since we have understood and thoroughly grasped the principles, after we are clear, we should put them into practice. By putting them into practice, we can become examples for others to follow and go among people to create blessings. Amongst them, we can absorb much wisdom, and this wisdom will wear away our afflictions. We completely eliminate them when among people, yet remain undefiled by others’ afflictions. This is the only way to truly eliminate samsara. Otherwise, we will continue to carry our karma into our next life.

We should form great aspirations, and after taking the Dharma to heart, we must, in this very lifetime, seize the time to practice according to the teachings, putting the Dharma into practice. Then, in the future, on our very last day, when we meet our end, we will bring the Dharma with us when we go. We should keep the Dharma and true principles in our aspirations and aspire to come again journeying on the Dharma, instead of bringing karma with us when we go. We must take the vehicle of the Dharma and our vows to come back [to the world]. Therefore, we must always be mindful.