Episode 56 – Remain in Realization, Never Retreat
>> There is no end to learning. There is never a moment when we are not learning. We learn whenever we encounter matters. After understanding comes realization. Remain in the state of realization, never regress.
>> There are 80,000 Bodhisattvas, also called Bodhisattva Mahasattvas. Bodhi means enlightenment. Sattva means being. Maha means great. Together this means enlightened-being-great, or a being with the mind of great enlightenment.
>> They have great capabilities and great wisdom, believe in the great Dharma, understand great principles, engage in great practices. By establishing great causes, they attain great fruits.
>> They are also called enlightened sentient beings. Regarding their own practice, Bodhisattvas are sentient beings who can attain realization and become enlightened.
>> “I vow to deliver countless sentient beings. I vow to eliminate endless afflictions. I vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors. I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.”
There is no end to learning. There is never a moment when we are not learning. We learn whenever we encounter matters. After understanding comes realization. Remain in the state of realization, never regress.
This is to remind everyone that as Buddhist practitioners, learning is something that never ends. We must seize each moment; there is never a moment when we are not learning.
I have often told everyone that in our daily living, every person, matter or thing [we encounter] is an object for study and learning. If we are always mindful, we will know that every person has his strengths and flaws. We all have flaws; other people’s flaws can alert us to whether or not we have those same flaws, and remind us to self-reflect. Those with strengths deserve to be praised and admired by us. Aren’t they people we should learn from? Our experiences with others can serve as reminders or lessons to learn. Thus, “There is no end to learning.” This also applies to handling matters. “Wisdom comes from experience.” Our knowledge is also gained from understanding various matters and matching them to principles. People, matters and objects constantly surround us in our daily living. Is there any time when we are not learning? There is never a moment we are not learning. Each moment is [a chance] for us to learn.
“We learn whenever we encounter matters. After understanding comes realization.” However difficult the people and matters we encounter, we must be patient and persevere. We must be compassionate and wise as we constantly communicate with others. Then they will understand us and we, them. When we understand and they understand, we have mutual understanding. Everyone understands. When principles are communicated, then we can be open-minded toward people, matters and objects. So, “remain in the state of realization and never regress.” If we are able to forever maintain this kind of awakened nature, then in our interactions with others, we can awaken ourselves and others. This nurtures our will to practice.
Earlier I explained that at the Vulture Peak Assembly, many there had already attained Arhatship. Those at or beyond the stage of learning numbered over 10,000. Besides the representatives of the monastics, there were also representatives of bhiksunis. Nearly 20,000 monastics gathered to hear the Buddha turn the Great Dharma Wheel. In addition to Arhats, bhiksus and bhiksunis, there were 80,000 Bodhisattvas. The Buddha was to expound the Bodhisattva-path, so Bodhisattvas certainly had to gather there. We can imagine how grand that occasion was.
To understand Bodhisattvas, we should say the complete Sanskrit name, “Bodhisattva Mahasattva.” It is very long [to say] “Bodhisattva” and “Mahasattva.” Because these Sanskrit words contain many significant meanings, we transliterated the sound in Chinese. Thus, “Bodhisattva” was simplified to “Pusa.” If we are to translate its meaning, “Bodhi” means “enlightenment, sattva” means “being,” and “maha” means “great,” the word means “enlightened-being-great.” A more fluid translation would be “a being with the mind of great enlightenment.” Everyone should understand this explanation.
There are 80,000 Bodhisattvas, also called Bodhisattva Mahasattvas. Bodhi means enlightenment. Sattva means being. Maha means great. Together this means enlightened-being-great, or a being with the mind of great enlightenment.
We should strive to comprehend this mind of great enlightenment. This is someone with great capability. Our capabilities may be small, average or great. Those with small capabilities are those who only benefit themselves and only seek to understand their own life and death. Those with average capabilities are those who want to understand more besides life and death. As for those with great capabilities, they not only deeply understand life and death, they want to help everyone else understand. Such are people with great capabilities. Those with great capabilities must be endowed with great wisdom. Thus, they can awaken themselves, seek and follow the Buddha’s teachings, and then teach and transform others. If they do not have great wisdom, then they cannot realize the Buddha’s teachings are fundamentally about benefiting and awakening the self and others. Only people of great capabilities and wisdom can realize this.
When those of great capabilities and wisdom form their aspirations, they resolve to have faith in the great Dharma and understand great principles. What they believe in and experience is the broad and profound truth, which does not merely teach them to free themselves. Indeed, they do not seek to understand only for their own sakes, but also for the sake of conveying the principles to others. They not only care about what happens to them, they care about the entire world. This is how they “believe in the great Dharma, understand great principles” and “form great aspirations, engage in great practice.” In this way, their capabilities, wisdom, or faith in the Buddha-Dharma all come from their broad and open heart.
Reaching this level of greatness means having a heart that encompasses the universe. That level of greatness should extend to our mind, faith and practice. So, we need to know and understand that true Buddha-Dharma encompasses the great principles of the universe. Not only do we need to understand, we also need to put the teachings into action. So, we should “engage in great practices and establish great causes.”
I often speak of the law of cause and effect. “Causes” refer to the seeds we need to nurture. We cannot only nurture a grass or flower seed. What we want is a large Bodhi tree. It is also a small seed, but it can grow into a huge tree in 1000 to 10,000 years. [We do not want] a seed that will just sprout and grow into some vegetable after a few days. Not at all. Nor a seed that only grows a blossom, a blade of grass or a single vegetable. No, we want one that yields a large Bodhi tree.
In other words, “By establishing great causes, we attain great fruits.” I often use analogies of grass, flowers and trees so that everyone understands that every kind of fruit tree must grow from a seed. It constantly grows and yields fruits every year. Therefore, only from “great causes” can we attain “great fruits.” This requires something “great.”
They have great capabilities and great wisdom, believe in the great Dharma, understand great principles, engage in great practices. By establishing great causes, they attain great fruits.
So when we practice the Buddha’s teachings, we must aspire to have a great enlightened mind. That is what the words. “Bodhisattva Mahasattva” mean. They are also called enlightened sentient beings because they have attained realization. If we have broadened our spiritual aspirations and physically practiced the teachings, then we have already awakened. Thus we are enlightened sentient beings.
As for themselves, Bodhisattvas know that they are enlightened sentient beings and that all of us can become enlightened. The Buddha once said, “Enlightenment is intrinsic to our minds. Everyone has an enlightened nature.” But because we are sentient beings, we are deluded. Thus, enlightened sentient beings differ from other sentient beings. Sentient beings are living beings. They are deluded and endure great suffering. Once they are enlightened, they are liberated from suffering. Yet they stay amidst other people, because it is only among other people that they can relieve the suffering of living beings. Thus, they are called enlightened sentient beings.
They are also called enlightened sentient beings. Regarding their own practice, Bodhisattvas are sentient beings who can attain realization and become enlightened.
These Bodhisattvas numbered 80,000 at the Lotus Dharma-Assembly. This shows the great number of people at Vulture Peak. Besides the two groups of monastics, those who made Bodhisattva-aspirations numbered 80,000 at this assembly. This showed the grandeur of the assembly. Many people went to hear the Buddha’s teachings. It was a grand assembly.
These Bodhisattvas made great aspirations and established great vows. They had already made the Four Universal Vows, which are very firm vows. What were those vows? When you attend the evening recitation, you chant the Repentance of the 88 Buddhas:
“I vow to deliver countless sentient beings. I vow to eliminate endless afflictions. I vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors. I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.”
In learning the Buddha’s teachings, we want to reach the state of making these universal vows. The Four Great Vows are very powerful and firm vows in the Bodhisattva-practice. Just imagine, how many living beings are there? A countless number. Look at us today; humans alone already have a population of over 7 billion. Within such a big population, everyone has a different living situation. Are rich people always happy? Not necessarily. Rich families also have many afflictions in their relationships. There is conflict between family members. Brothers become rivals, fathers oppose sons. These family members fight for the sake of property, reputation, wealth, etc. They cause afflictions for each other. Poor people tend to have even more stories of familial suffering. Some who are poor get sick. Some who are sick become disabled. Indeed, every family has its own difficulties.
Among myriads of sentient beings, there is much suffering, especially in poor countries. The four elements are constantly imbalanced, leading to storms, floods and earthquakes, etc. These disasters occur constantly. Let us take Haiti for example. On January 12, 2010, a quake lasting only a few seconds shook the earth at a magnitude of 7.0 and turned Haiti into a wreckage of crushed ruins. The people there suffered terribly and were left homeless. The country was already very poor. Then they lost electricity, and had no oil. Without power, they had no water. Their drinking water came from underground. Without electricity and oil, the groundwater could not be pumped up. This is a kind of vicious cycle. People need food to eat; their bodies also need to excrete waste. When everything fell, there were no houses. Imagine urine and feces everywhere.
Even worse, the bodies of the deceased could not be removed. They were all buried under the ruins. The corpses that could be dug out were cremated on the spot or buried in graves dug nearby. Tens of thousands were buried in mass graves. There were no more places to dig and no more places for burial. So, the corpses that could be removed were burned at the side of the road. When I really think about that period of time, for nearly two months, that place was probably like hell on earth. It was truly heartbreaking!
Just think, who will help these sentient beings? We need Bodhisattvas who are unafraid of hardship. So, “I vow to deliver countless sentient beings” means we will still go among these people. “I vow to eliminate endless afflictions.” Many people were living in [those terrible] conditions. Predictably, ordinary people dared not go there. Only Bodhisattvas [dared]. They had eliminated all afflictions and were not attached to suffering. Having escaped these bonds, they dedicated themselves to helping people. They also vowed to learn the infinite Dharma-doors. They had already understood these teachings. Because they learned the great Dharma and established great practices, they were willing to go [help]. On this path to Buddhahood, they have seen suffering and recognized blessings, so they know the horrors of karmic retributions. Naturally, seeing that state further strengthened their faith and made them steadfast in their practice.
Everyone, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, it is very important to make great aspirations, establish great vows and engage in great practices. These are the priorities. So, there is no end to learning. We are learning in all moments. Through experience we learn, and gain realization. We sustain our realization without regress. Then we are truly great Bodhisattvas. So, all of us should always be mindful.