Episode 42 – Beginning of the Sangha
>> We must contemplate our initial intentions. We must form great aspirations and great vows and accept and practice the Buddha’s teachings. They had many hidden abilities but were known for a particular virtue. They diligently cultivated their specialties. They were mentioned to illustrate that virtue.
>> 1. When bhiksus became monastics, they emulated the Buddha’s demeanor 2. Those who followed the Buddha abided where the Buddha did 3. They helped [lay] Bodhisattvas and. Hearers shed their ego and pride.
>> The leaders’ names were listed in such a sequence for a special reason. Take AjnataKaundinya for example. He was the first in the Sangha, the first among the Buddha’s first five disciples, “AjnataKaundinya” means “to understand.” He was the first to realize the Buddha-Dharma.
>> AjnataKaundinya was the younger brother of Lady Maya. He and Dasabala-Kasyapa were his maternal relatives. The other three were his paternal relatives. Asvajit, Bhadrika, MahanamaKulika. Five people were commanded to follow the prince. When they thought he could not bear suffering, they left for Deer Park to practice another path. When the Buddha attained enlightenment, He went to transform them first. One was awakened with the first turn.
We should all contemplate our initial intentions and form great aspirations and great vows. It is often said, “Maintain your initial spiritual practice; that is sufficient to attain Buddhahood.” Are we all constantly reflecting on our initial aspiration for spiritual practice? At that time, we formed great aspirations and vows. We were determined not to engage in spiritual practice just for ourselves; we wanted to eliminate afflictions and transform all sentient beings. We should maintain this resolve and practice according to the Buddha’s teachings.
In the Buddha’s lifetime, many resolved to be monastic practitioners. How many? 12,000 people. They gathered at the Lotus Sutra Assembly, and [some of] their names were listed. Indeed, in every sutra that we recite, oftentimes we will see these same names. Think about it, out of over 10,000 people, these few people were known and recognized. So, they each had a specialty. They had hidden abilities but were known for a particular virtue. These people were not merely “foremost in hearing all” or “foremost in wisdom.” They had many abilities, but they hid them in order to highlight their special talent.
For example, if we were to create a book, the first thing is to get someone who has a talent in writing. His talent is in writing and editing. But someone who can write and edit may not be capable of artistic design. Someone who can do artistic designs may not be capable of doing layouts. The layout person may not know about printing. So, no one can do everything, but everyone knows that it takes such a process to publish a book. Each person only has one true specialty. So, they each had a particular virtue. This means that each of them is great in all aspects of spiritual practice, but each is outstanding in one specialty. So, the Buddha specifically mentioned, “So-and-so is foremost in something.”
In the following passages, we can start to understand which virtues they cultivated and attained and what their special talents were. So, “they diligently cultivated their specialties” depending on their interests. They each manifested a specialty according to their interests and talents and were mentioned to illustrate that virtue.
We must contemplate our initial intentions. We must form great aspirations and great vows and accept and practice the Buddha’s teachings. They had many hidden abilities but were known for a particular virtue. They diligently cultivated their specialties. They were mentioned to illustrate that virtue.
There are also other reasons for which we know and recognize specific. Hearers and bhiksus. For example, the first is how bhiksus emulate the Buddha’s demeanor. When they are ordained as monastics, they wear monastic clothing; [they receive] three garments and one alms bowl. Back when the Buddha was alive, after the monastics shaved their heads, they put on monastic garb. They receive three garments and one alms bowl. The Buddha had the same things. Every day the Sangha went out to beg for alms and form connections with people so they would know that this was the awakened monastic community of the Enlightened One. The disciples looked similar to the Buddha. Whether in the clothes they wore, the way they walked, stood, sat or slept, they practiced to be like the Buddha. So, they lived like the Buddha and their demeanor was like the Buddha’s. To learn His teachings is to emulate His demeanor.
Second is to follow the Buddha and abide wherever He stayed. The disciples who often accompanied the Buddha were called “the Buddha’s retinue.” They always stayed where the Buddha did. These people followed the Buddha wherever He went. So, they abided where the Buddha did.
Third is to help [lay] Bodhisattvas, and Hearers shed their ego and pride. The Buddha’s disciples can fall into four or seven categories. Basically, there were two kinds of monastics and two kinds of lay practitioners. Hearers or bhiksus were considered monastics. A Hearer made the initial aspiration to seek enlightenment by listening to the teachings. After they became monastics, bhiksus attained realization by practicing the Buddha’s teachings. Whether they were Hearers or bhiksus, as long as they attained understanding, they achieved the fruit of Arhatship. So, no matter which of the Four Fruits they had attained, they had to cultivate and discipline themselves. They had to constantly cultivate their minds and virtues and keep taking good care of their hearts. This is called self-discipline and is the reason monastics abide by the precepts.
But for Bodhisattvas, besides monastics, there are also lay Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are those who form great aspirations. Aside from being pure of mind, they made great vows and went among people to transform them. However, when lay Bodhisattvas interacted with others, some were prone to arrogance whereas monastic Bodhisattvas were not because of the great aspirations they made. They tamed the afflictions, ego and pride in their minds at all times. They severed all bonds of existence and their minds had attained freedom and remained pure whether they were alone or among others. So, the assembly knew and recognized that these great Arhats could help these lay Bodhisattvas shed their ego and pride. Because both Hearers and bhiksus manifested the appearance of monastics, they were pure in mind and exercised great vows. Even lay people who aspired to be Bodhisattvas, still needed to respect monastics. This helped to tame the ego and pride of lay Bodhisattvas.
So, in the beginning of the Lotus Sutra, before the Buddha began expounding His teachings, He listed these names from among those who followed Him. They were virtuous practitioners who had already cultivated their minds and actions. They had already purified their minds and made great vows, so they could tame lay practitioners’ egos and pride.
1. When bhiksus became monastics, they emulated the Buddha’s demeanor 2. Those who followed the Buddha abided where the Buddha did 3. They helped [lay] Bodhisattvas and. Hearers shed their ego and pride.
So, those who were listed were the seniors. Just like now, every class has a class president; in the same way, a Sangha needed leaders. So, the seniors’ names were listed according to rank.
For example, AjnataKaundinya was listed in the beginning for others to know and recognize. Among the Arhats who were named, AjnataKaundinya was the first one. In the Lotus Sutra, why was AjnataKaundinya listed first? Because he was the start of the treasure of Sangha.
After the Buddha attained enlightenment, He wanted to expounded His teachings for all to understand. Where did He start? He thought about the five people who followed Him when He became a monastic and engaged in spiritual practice with Him but left Him after a period of time. “These five people should be the first ones I transform.” When the Buddha first turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths, He had to explain it three times for these five people.
After the first time, [only] one person said, “I understand. This teaching begins with the body. Life is suffering. Because we suffer, we must investigate the cause of suffering to understand the truth of suffering.” He completely understood how to realize the truth of suffering. He knew that out of the Four Noble Truths, the most important was to practice the Path [to the cessation of suffering]. AjnataKaundinya was the first to understand.
What about the rest of them? The rest of them did not really understand. Then the Buddha explained it a second time, the same Four Noble Truths. Do they understand this time? Two more understood and so two were left. “Do you understand? A little bit, but not completely.” Then the Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths for a third time. So, on the Four Noble Truths alone, He taught it three times for five people. This was the Three Turnings of the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths. In Deer Park, He taught these five people.
So, when they accepted the Buddha’s teachings and became awakened, the treasures of Sangha and Dharma came into being. The Great Enlightened One had already come to be. These were the Three Treasures. In Deer Park, the Buddha expounded the Dharma to five bhiksus. The first person who accepted the Buddha-Dharma and thoroughly understood it was AjnataKaundinya. AjnataKaundinya means “to understand.”
The leaders’ names were listed in such a sequence for a special reason. Take AjnataKaundinya for example. He was the first in the Sangha, the first among the Buddha’s first five disciples, “AjnataKaundinya” means “to understand.” He was the first to realize the Buddha-Dharma.
So, in the Lotus Sutra, he was listed first. The most important purpose of the Lotus Sutra was to allow everyone to have a deep and complete understanding [of the Dharma]. Only then can we purify our minds and make a great vow to return to the Saha World to transform others. So, hopefully everyone can attain this understanding through this sutra. AjnataKaundinya’s name was given as the first example.
Actually, AjnataKaundinya was Queen Maya’s younger brother. He was the Buddha’s maternal relative. When Prince Siddhartha left the palace, his father, the king, was worried, so he sent people to follow him. He hoped they could convince him to come home. He sent some older relatives such as his uncles, two of Queen Maya’s younger brothers, AjnataKaundinya and Dasabala-Kasyapa. There were also three from his father’s side, Asvajit, Bhadrika, and Mahanama-Kulika. These three were his paternal relatives. So, these five elders were all close relatives of Prince Siddhartha.
Although they pursued the prince in the hopes that he would return, nothing they said convinced him. His resolve to be a monastic was firm. All these five people could do was follow him. On one hand, they protected him. On the other, they engaged in spiritual practice with him.
AjnataKaundinya was the younger brother of Lady Maya. He and Dasabala-Kasyapa were his maternal relatives. The other three were his paternal relatives. Asvajit, Bhadrika, MahanamaKulika. Five people were commanded to follow the prince. When they thought he could not bear suffering, they left for Deer Park to practice another path. When the Buddha attained enlightenment, He went to transform them first. One was awakened with the first turn.
For a period of time, the five engaged in ascetic practices with the prince. When they saw him accept the shepherdess’ offering [of food], they misunderstood and thought his will to practice had wavered. So, these five abandoned the prince and went to Deer Park to engage in other spiritual practices. Meanwhile the prince felt the teachings he had found were still not complete. Once these five people left, he felt free in body and mind. So, he stayed in the Uruvilva Forest to engage in spiritual practice beneath the Bodhi tree.
During three weeks of contemplation, he subdued maras, engaged in spiritual reflection, reflected on his past lives and contemplated the direction of his spiritual practice. His mind was exceptionally, thoroughly serene. So, he subdued all kinds of maras which surged through his mind. After he subdued all these afflictions, he suddenly saw a morning star in the night. He let go of all his afflictions, and his mind was completely illuminated. This happened when the Buddha was away from these five others and truly applied His mind to spiritual practice and self-discipline. He destroyed all the armies of Mara, which were afflictions.
So, at the beginning, we discussed about destroying thieves and maras and so on. This refers to the afflictions in our minds. The calmer we are, the more apparent afflictions become. They are like great waves surging in our minds, constantly gushing forth. All the concerns and thoughts of the mind burst forth, one after another, and [the Buddha] subdued them one by one. This is called destroying maras. So, when maras are destroyed, Bodhi arises. This is why we often say that afflictions are Bodhi. Without many afflictions, without experience, how would we grow in wisdom? So, we must know that when afflictions appear, we need to rely on our wisdom and perseverance and earnestly reflect upon ourselves. Therefore, I hope that everyone will always be mindful.