Episode 103 – The Cycles of All Phenomena Are the Same
>> [He] enabled those who have not planted roots of goodness to plant them, enabled those who have already planted roots of goodness to make them grow, enabled those whose roots have matured to attain liberation – “An Introduction to the Wondrous Lotus Sutra.”
>> What [I] see today is the same as the past. Though it was the past, it is the same as today. For living beings and Buddhas, all phenomena are always the same. Now, one knows that when the Buddha radiates light. He wants to expound great Dharma.
>> So, “Now, one knows that when the Buddha radiates light, He wants to expound great Dharma.”
>> “‘World’ refers not only to the world of unenlightened beings.”
>> The Five Destinies: heaven, human, hell hungry ghost, animal. In this universe, The Four Noble Beings: Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas
>> Only Buddhas can realize the ultimate Buddha-Dharma. Only Buddhas can realize the true principles in the universe. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas heard the Buddha’s teachings and attained Nirvana. They claimed to have realized a state of no-birth so they did not believe that there was an unsurpassed Bodhi-path.
I often say there are two things that cannot be stopped, which are time and impermanence. Impermanence refers to how things constantly fade. Impermanence is constantly chasing us. With the constant passage of time, the impermanence of our lives becomes imminent. Thus, the Buddha said that the world is full of suffering because our lifespans are limited. This is something we all know. We know that we should make good use of this life and mindfully learn the Buddha-Dharma.
The Lotus Sutra states that those who could listen to the Lotus Sutra at this Dharma-assembly were those who had formed these karmic connections since Beginningless Time. Because each Buddha who came to this world eventually expounded the Lotus Sutra, when it was Sakyamuni Buddha’s turn, before He finished teaching the [Great Vehicle] Dharma, during the second half of His life, He also expounded the Lotus Sutra. Thus, all Buddhas share the same path.
Those who have heard the Lotus Sutra at Vulture Peak over countless past eons had these karmic connections. Who were those with such karmic connections? Those who absorbed, entered, realized and practiced the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. These people had the karmic connections. There were also those who formed connections. They just came to listen. They listened, liked and understood it, but they did not have thorough understanding. Even though they were not earnest, they still formed a karmic connection. There were many more people like this than people [with sharp capabilities] who could realize 1000 things from hearing one teaching.
Those who just listened and enjoyed without gaining a thorough understanding, were those who had formed karmic connections. For these people forming connections, their joy from listening also created merits. By hearing the Buddha-Dharma life after life, they also encountered the Dharma-assembly for the Lotus Sutra. However, at this Dharma-assembly, would those who casually formed connections be able to gain a more thorough understanding this time? So when the Buddha taught at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, He hoped they would be present. They had planted roots of goodness, so He hoped this time their roots would mature so they could make great aspirations and make great vows.
The Buddha was also waiting for another group, those who had not yet planted roots of goodness those who had not encountered the teachings of the Lotus Sutra in the past and definitely did not know about them now. He hoped those who had not yet planted roots of goodness would come to plant them now.
[He] enabled those who have not planted roots of goodness to plant them, enabled those who have already planted roots of goodness to make them grow, enabled those whose roots have matured to attain liberation – “An Introduction to the Wondrous Lotus Sutra.”
This means that when the Buddha was teaching, there were these three kinds of people. Some already had a deep connection with the. Lotus Sutra, they were just waiting to fully realize it and achieve liberation. Some already planted [these roots], which were beginning to mature. For those who had casually formed connections, He hoped the roots they planted could mature. So, when the Buddha gave these teachings, after He taught for a while, He suddenly paused and radiated light. Everyone was already present so they watched the Buddha and wondered why He remained in Samadhi.
Of course, the Lotus Sutra also states that when the Buddha was in Samadhi, He “expounded the Lotus Sutra without speech,” which was another way He taught Dharma. “Without speech” means not talking. “Expounding the Lotus Sutra without speech” is entering the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings.
During that time, as He was in Samadhi, those who had not planted roots of goodness, or those who had already planted those roots, but particularly those who had not planted them, whispered to each other and wondered why the Buddha paused for so long. During this time, everyone had questions. Some people wondered if this was necessary. Therefore, some of them left. These people completely did not understand and were impatient. So, over a period of time, 5000 people left. That happened!
The Buddha was waiting for the right time because He had already attained enlightenment countless eons ago. Life after life, He comes for this great cause. Every time, He reveals and manifests teachings, but how many sentient beings can realize and accept them? If all sentient beings could do so, they would have all returned to their pure intrinsic nature, which is the Buddha-nature. Then would they still need to listen? They would not.
But when we look around, things are the same. Many sentient beings are still lost. Many of them have immature roots of goodness and many have not yet planted any. Those who have planted roots of goodness are still cycling through the Six Realms. They still give rise to thoughts and emotions; So, the Buddha has been waiting for them to realize and enter [His teachings].
Because we sentient beings have not awakened, we still struggle with the influences of good and evil. If good [views] weaken a bit, then evil [views] grow. This shows the Buddha’s compassion for all beings. With compassion, the Buddha returns to this world, life after life. The sentient beings He wants to transform are still in a state of delusion. So, He has to wait patiently.
He has already revealed the teachings, is constantly revealing them. Although we think that the Buddha passed into Parinirvana over 2000 years ago, is He still here? He is. He constantly returns on the ship of compassion. After reaching the other shore, He still returns and comes back to this classroom. The class is not over yet, so He returns to refresh everyone on these lessons.
But now there are more difficulties. The people who lived during the Buddha’s lifetime were pure and simple in heart. Compared to the way of life back then, our present time, over 2000 years later, is filled with distractions. All minds are getting more complicated. Afflictions multiply and replicate unceasingly. A thick layer of afflictions prevents people from accepting the sincere teachings of the Buddha. There are fewer people who accept it reverently. The Buddha laments this and feels compassion for sentient beings.
So, previously we have said that. [After] expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, He continued to sit there and radiate light. The light is the Buddha’s virtue, which also proves that He has retained the Sutra of Infinite Meanings in His heart. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the essence of the Lotus Sutra, which He wanted to teach to all sentient beings. Once He firmly established the essence of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha was very joyful. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings was complete, and it was the essence of the Lotus Sutra, so He radiated light out of joy.
The light also represented compassion and wisdom. Wisdom can break through and illuminate the darkness in everyone’s mind. This is wisdom. The Buddha does not want to see sentient beings suffer, so He taught everyone that they cannot wait, for life is impermanent. Even though He has attained Buddhahood, He still experiences aging, illness and death. This is how He manifests to teach and demonstrate Parinirvana. However, this is just a phenomenon. The truth is that He keeps returning to this world. This is an everlasting principle that does not arise or cease. Thus, by returning on the ship of compassion, the Buddha demonstrates compassion.
What [I] see today is the same as the past. Though it was the past, it is the same as today. For living beings and Buddhas, all phenomena are always the same. Now, one knows that when the Buddha radiates light. He wants to expound great Dharma.
At this Lotus Dharma-assembly, “What [I] see today is the same as the past. Though it was the past, it is the same as today.” Now, at this Lotus Dharma-assembly, many people kept arriving. The Buddha entered Samadhi and silently “expounded the Lotus Sutra without speech.” It was like this now and was the same in the past. This place, these grand conditions were completely the same as the conditions in the past. “For living beings and Buddhas, all phenomena are always the same.”
Sentient beings are confused and deluded, whereas the Buddha is enlightened. Actually the Buddha is the same as sentient beings. But those who are confused and deluded need an enlightened being to guide them. The enlightened being has methods to teach and transform. These methods from both the past and present are the same, thus, “the cycles of all phenomena are always the same.” The Lotus Dharma-assembly was about to begin. Among the Six Fulfillments, fulfillment of the assembly was clearly explained.
So, “Now, one knows that when the Buddha radiates light, He wants to expound great Dharma.” The Buddha radiated light solely because. He was about to expound the great Dharma.
“The Buddha came to the world to expound Dharma.”
“‘World’ refers not only to the world of unenlightened beings.”
In the world we live in right now, there are noble beings and unenlightened beings, and people with different capabilities. So, this is where the Five Destinies are intermixed.
The Five Destinies: heaven, human, hell hungry ghost, animal. In this universe, The Four Noble Beings: Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas
are those who have entered the Noble Path. There are also noble beings in this world. Here, where the Five Destinies are intermixed, there are noble beings.
They have already encountered the Buddha-Dharma. They are Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas. Hearers listen to the Buddha’s voice and. His teachings. Through that voice, they faithfully accept and practice His teachings. These are Hearers. Pratyekabuddhas come in contact with phenomena. By observing the four seasons, they understand that life is impermanent. Through this, they can attain realizations.
How about Bodhisattvas? They have reached the state of noble beings. They can listen to the Buddha-Dharma, whether it is the Dharma spoken by the Buddha, the changing states of this universe, or even something more transcendent, to realize the sufferings and hardships in life. These are Bodhisattvas.
They are enlightened beings who have already attained awakening but still feel for the multitudes of sentient beings. They can believe, understand and accept the Buddha’s teachings. However, there are more beings in the heaven, human, hell, hungry ghost and animal destinies. It is harder for those kinds [of beings]. So “unenlightened beings do not easily believe in this great teaching.” Outside of Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, it is truly not easy for ordinary beings to completely accept it.
The Lotus Sutra is a Great Vehicle teaching, so only enlightened beings with great capabilities can accept it. It is truly difficult for ordinary people because in the Lotus Sutra, what He taught was the ultimate Buddha-Dharma. He set aside all skillful means from the past to let us know that we can all attain Buddhahood and we are all equal to the Buddha. For ordinary people, this is indeed difficult to accept. “Only Buddhas can realize the ultimate.” This means [only by becoming a Buddha] can we realize the ultimate Dharma.
So, this tells everyone that the Buddha is the Great Enlightened One of the Universe. We, as ordinary people, exist in a macrocosm. A macrocosm is different from the universe. The universe consists of the 3000 great chiliocosms. The macrocosm is the solar system. We are just on Earth, a single planet within a chiliocosm. The land we step on and the sky above our heads are all part of the macrocosm.
In short, what the Buddha realized and what we know about the world are different. If we want to fully understand people, matters and objects, that is not easy. Therefore,
Only Buddhas can realize the ultimate Buddha-Dharma. Only Buddhas can realize the true principles in the universe. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas heard the Buddha’s teachings and attained Nirvana. They claimed to have realized a state of no-birth so they did not believe that there was an unsurpassed Bodhi-path.
Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas heard the Buddha’s teachings and learned to eliminate afflictions. They knew that ignorance and afflictions are illusory. As their minds were able to be tranquil, they claimed to have realized a state of no-birth. Therefore, they did not believe that there was an unsurpassed Bodhi-path. These Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas thought that they already knew everything the Buddha had said and that they already eliminated their afflictions. They knew a lot, [so they felt that] the Buddha did not need to speak anymore, for they already knew everything. [Believing] they had reached [full realization], they were egotistical and conceited. “Claiming an unattained achievement is a lie.” If we continue to study the sutras, we will realize how many mistakes we have made in our lives.
So each of us should shrink our egos, especially when in the face of the Great Enlightened One of the Universe and the boundless Buddha-Dharma. Can we attain [these achievements] so quickly? We must have a broad mind and shrink our egos. We need to humbly ask for teachings. We need to thoroughly and meticulously contemplate the teachings we learn and ask questions about what we do not understand. Moreover, we need to comprehend it mindfully. So, everyone, please always be mindful.