Episode 19 – Value the Convergence of Causes and Conditions
>> Out of the six types of fulfillments, if one is missing, conditions will not come together and then nothing can be accomplished perfectly. Now we are obeying the Buddha’s teachings,
>> gathering the assembly to compile His teachings, destroying doubts, establishing faith and differing from non-Buddhists. The Six Fulfillments are: fulfillment of faith, fulfillment of hearing, fulfillment of time, fulfillment of host, fulfillment of place and fulfillment of assembly.
>> “Thus” refers to the Dharma-embodiment of what we hear. Conditioned or unconditioned refer to the nature of the embodiment of Dharma. When something is contrived, it is conditioned, and it is impermanent. When something is uncontrived, it is unconditioned, and it is permanent.
>> “Have I heard” refers to those who can uphold the teachings. “At one time” refers to how teachings are heard and upheld at the same time.
Be grateful at every moment! Time allows us to accomplish things. When we want to speak, we need someone to listen. This is the best time for us to speak and listen. Everything requires karmic conditions. Without karmic conditions, we would not find the use of this time acceptable, nor would we be willing to gather here with others. This all relies on karmic conditions. Without conditions, we cannot be transformed. If the conditions for transformation are weak, the effect will not deeply enter our hearts.
We need to be able to let go of past afflictions. When some listen to the sutras, they merely listen; their habitual tendencies remain and they still cannot let go of afflictions. So karmic conditions are necessary; without karmic conditions we cannot be transformed. Moreover, if the conditions are weak the words spoken will not enter our minds deeply.
So weak karmic conditions for transformation will not change our minds or enter our hearts. Everyone, we need to seize opportunities when causes and conditions come together. Therefore, earlier we said that to complete a sutra, one needs to compile the Dharma expounded by the Buddha throughout His lifetime. One also needs to obey His teachings, eliminate all doubts and differ from non-Buddhists. I have spent many days sharing with everyone that to create the karmic conditions for “thus have I heard, at one time…” etc., a total of Six Fulfillments were required. Out of the six types of fulfillments, if one is missing, the conditions will not converge.
This means that if one condition is missing, things cannot be accomplished perfectly. If we lack even one, there is no way to accomplish them. Because people have followed the teachings bequeathed by the Buddha to compile this sutra, we can listen to the Buddha-Dharma now. The process of compiling a sutra is very hard; we need to destroy doubts, establish faith etc.
Out of the six types of fulfillments, if one is missing, conditions will not come together and then nothing can be accomplished perfectly. Now we are obeying the Buddha’s teachings, gathering the assembly to compile His teachings, destroying doubts, establishing faith and differing from non-Buddhists. The Six Fulfillments are: fulfillment of faith, fulfillment of hearing, fulfillment of time, fulfillment of host, fulfillment of place and fulfillment of assembly.
Not one can be missing from the Six Fulfillments, so we need to seize the karmic conditions.
I remember the earlier stage of my spiritual practice when. I first had disciples at Pu Ming Temple. I also wanted to expound the Lotus Sutra, but the causes and conditions were not ready. I did talk about “thus have I heard,” but just the explanation of “thus” took a very long time. Indeed, it is very profound. But now I explain it in a simpler way, as the belief in the existence of Dharma-embodiment. What is Dharma-embodiment? Those who speak and those who listen are types of Dharma-embodiment. Conditioned or unconditioned, the nature of all things is called Dharma-embodiment. When you hear this, you may feel that this is also very profound. Indeed! It is very profound. Thus it takes a very long time to explain it, and the more we explain the more there is to say.
Now we use a simpler way to help everyone understand. When something is contrived, it is conditioned. Things that are contrived did not originally exist. We created and made an effort to design them, so they came into existence. They did not originally exist, but their [basic elements] did. Consider cooking as an example of contrivance. Has rice existed from the very beginning? Whether we eat congee or cooked rice, congee is made of grains of rice, cooked rice is also made of grains of rice. How do you prepare them? When there is more water, it is congee. When there is less water, it is cooked rice. This is Dharma.
The cooked rice comes from grains of rice. Have these grains of rice always existed? Not at all! But whether we look at worldly things or uncontrived things, their Dharma-nature is everlasting. This Dharma has always existed. As for seeds, the “cause” in it inherently existed. But we cannot see that “cause,” so we give it a name, a label. This label gives it an appearance, and something with an appearance has been contrived, so we also say it is conditioned.
As I mentioned, if something is unconditioned, it is uncontrived. It already existed, so why would it need to be contrived? It does not. Without the [right] conditions, causes will not come to fruition. The grains of rice did not originally exist, but the cause was there. To have rice, we need soil, water, air etc. for seedlings to grow. This is the beginning, then rice plants become rice grains, then rice. These did not exist at first. If cause did not converge with condition, there would be no contrivance. When cause converges with condition, it becomes Dharma-embodiment, which means it has a physical appearance. The Dharma has always existed, but its embodiment is contrived. This is called Dharma-embodiment.
Because of Dharma-embodiment, we have the six types of fulfillments. So the workings of karma are inconceivable. The Buddha teaches the law of cause and effect. We must accept faithfully, practice accordingly, and value these causes and conditions. When causes and conditions converge, when the Six Fulfillments have converged,
this means that the conditioned and unconditioned have converged. The Dharma is unconditioned, But hearing and speaking it is conditioned. Sentient beings have the same nature as Buddha, but because one thought went astray, they continuously give rise to Three Subtleties. Ignorance and afflictions led us to continuously create karma so that we now live in a haze. Therefore the Buddha had to return to this world to teach. He also hoped we could become enlightened and return to our original nature. This all depends on karmic conditions.
The first of the Six Fulfillments is “thus.”
“Thus” refers to the Dharma-embodiment of what we hear. Conditioned or unconditioned refer to the nature of the embodiment of Dharma. When something is contrived, it is conditioned, and it is impermanent. When something is uncontrived, it is unconditioned, and it is permanent.
We just discussed the Ultimate Truth. We need to believe that this Dharma is inherent to all things in the world. This is the Truth; it is the Dharma. I had just mentioned that a few decades ago, I wanted to expound this sutra. I began with “thus.” I discussed this word for a very long time and could not finish explaining it because very profound truths continued to emerge for us to analyze. We could not finish dissecting all those layers. This profound, subtle wondrous Dharma is truly very deep. Indeed, it is very profound.
So everyone, please remember that the word “thus” is genuine, wondrous Dharma that we must believe. This is the fulfillment of faith. When you believe, you are able to stay seated here. When you believe, you are willing to leave home and become monastics, and willing to gather with Tzu Chi volunteers. Has the Jing Si [Dharma-lineage] always existed? No! Because of the workings of karma, we have this Jing Si Dharma-lineage. The Jing Si Dharma-lineage is a diligent path. Our group exists because we all share the same mission, and we are all willing to practice at the same place. When we practice, we need to take the Dharma to heart. To do so, we must silently contemplate and constantly self-reflect.
So in every moment, we need to be in “Jing Si.” When our minds are contemplative, then our minds can be tranquil and clear and our vows can encompass the universe. These vows are as vast as the endless void. If our minds are not tranquil, not very clean and clear, our minds will be filled with afflictions, and our spiritual state cannot return to the Buddha’s intrinsic nature. But to truly return to our Buddha-nature, to be tranquil and clear, we need a diligent path. We must remain on this broad, straight path and diligently practice this path. This is the Jing Si Dharma-lineage.
We are all karmically connected, so we are all at this place of spiritual practice, practicing in this state of “Jing Si.” This did not exist in the past, but when causes and conditions came to fruition, this Jing Si training ground came to be. We had a common aspiration, so we gathered in one place. This is Dharma. In terms of Dharma, once we have created this group, then this is also a Dharma-embodiment. Thus we all need to believe that inconceivable causes and conditions have converged so this group of spiritual practitioners could be formed. Besides forming this group,
we must also work with other people. The Tzu Chi School of Buddhism has opened, so our hearts must focus on transforming others. So, aside from ourselves, we need a group of people who share the same mission and path. Tzu Chi’s Bodhisattva-path leads us to people, to relieve the suffering of sentient beings. This is why we practice the Bodhisattva-path. This did not originally exist. Now that we have formed such a group, we should all have faith in it. This is subtle and wondrous Dharma; it is the fulfillment of causes and conditions, so we should believe in it.
So, the word “thus” is used to show us that all things in this world contain many principles related to the convergence of causes, conditions. The conditioned and unconditioned converge in this way so we must believe in this Dharma. “Thus” is true doctrine; it is also the Dharma created when conditions converged. It encapsulates very profound principles. So, “have I heard” refers to those who can uphold [the teachings]. “At one time” refers to [the time when] they would hear and uphold. At that time, why did the Buddha say “at one time”? In fact, the Buddha’s wisdom encompasses the sciences, including astronomy and geology. He is truly wise!
In this universe, among stars and galaxies, Earth, Moon and Sun revolve and rotate. They are constantly in motion, so the passage of time differs [in all places]. Therefore He used the term “at one time.” Even on Earth, there are different time zones. When our relief teams go to a certain country and call me, I ask, “What time is it over there?” So which time zone should we go by? The Buddha’s teachings do not only exist in the human realm, but in the Six Realms, and not only in the Six Realms, but in the boundless space of the universe. So, He used “one time” to generalize. Thus, regardless of location, it is all the same time.
This is like how right now, we are over 2000 years from Buddha’s lifetime, but we still say “at one time.” That can also be used to refer to this time, right now. As I am speaking to you, I do so on a specific month and day because we are ordinary beings. The Buddha has surpassed time. In the Buddha’s time He said “at one time.” In this current era, we can identify this moment by its date and time. Because we are in the world of ordinary people, we are in a specific year, month and day. But this is not so for the Buddha, to Him this is all just “at one time.” That means there is that one time, and no other time. So it is generally called “at one time.”
“Have I heard” refers to those who can uphold the teachings. “At one time” refers to how teachings are heard and upheld at the same time.
The Buddha is the Great Enlightened One. One who speaks Dharma is the fulfillment of host. Vulture Peak near the City of the House of Kings is the fulfillment of place because the speaker, the listener, and the expounding of Dharma were all there. The City of the House of Kings was where the Lotus Sutra was taught. The Buddha expounded sutras in different places, so the place and people are different,
but the time is always called “one time.” Even though at this time, in this place, there is I, the speaker, if there is no audience I would not speak either. As I just said, we cannot lack a single condition. If we lack one condition, nothing can be achieved.
Everyone, please be mindful. The word “thus” encompasses all truths. We need to believe this. When we believe, that is the fulfillment of faith. Therefore, please use open-hearted wisdom to understand the word “thus.” Everyone, please always be mindful!