Episode 194 – Strengthen the Path with the Roots and Powers
>> The Five Spiritual Roots grow with the [Five] Powers as assisting conditions. Make vows and aspire to uphold good thoughts. Plant roots of goodness with unlimited power. Destroy evil and give rise to goodness to strengthen spiritual aspirations.
>> The Five Powers share the same categories as the Five Spiritual Roots. Even though roots of goodness arise, evil has not been destroyed. So, we must cultivate practices that enable these roots to grow. When roots are grown, evil is destroyed. Thus, they are called powers.
>> Power of Faith: If the Root of Faith grows, it can overshadow all afflictions. Power of Diligence: If the Root of Diligence grows, it can eliminate indolence of the body and mind.
>> Power of Thought: If the Root of Thought grows, it can destroy all deviant thinking. Power of Samadhi: If the Root of Samadhi grows, it can destroy all discursive thinking.
>> Power of Wisdom: The wisdom of the Fourfold Mindfulness can illuminate all things. If the Root of Wisdom grows, it can eliminate all deviant, false attachments and destroy all bias toward limited wisdom.
>> The Seven Factors of Bodhi, or. Seven Factors or Branches of Enlightenment 1. Factor of Discernment 2. Factor of Diligence 3. Factor of Joy 4. Factor of Elimination 5. Factor of Renunciation 6. Factor of Samadhi 7. Factor of Thought. Factor of Discernment: With wisdom, choose between true and false teachings. Factor of Diligence: With courage and vigor, leave behind evil actions to practice true Dharma. Factor of Joy: The mind attains virtuous Dharma, then feels joy.
>> Factor of Elimination: Also called Factor of Peace. Eliminate coarse burdens of body and mind to be mentally and physically at ease and comfortable.
>> Factor of Renunciation: Let go of attachments to views and thinking. Factor of Samadhi: A meditative state we enter after we awaken. Factor of Thought: To contemplate the teachings of the Path.
The Five Spiritual Roots grow with the [Five] Powers as assisting conditions.
Make vows and aspire to uphold good thoughts.
Plant roots of goodness with unlimited power.
Destroy evil and give rise to goodness to strengthen spiritual aspirations.
The 37 Practices to Enlightenment, the three Fours, two Fives, Seven and Eight, are what we must bear in mind and apply in our daily living. Earlier I discussed the three Fours and the Five Spiritual Roots. Now, I will start talking about the Five Powers. For the Five Spiritual Roots to grow, they need “powers” as assisting conditions.
We ordinary people always find it easier to form aspirations than to persevere in them. This shows that our will is insufficient. We have already formed aspirations but do not yet have enough strength to persevere. Therefore, after putting out our spiritual roots, we must develop powers as assisting conditions. So, we must make vows as we form aspirations and simultaneously develop roots and powers to [help] each other maintain this good thought. We must “plant roots of goodness with unlimited power.” When power is added to all roots of goodness, they become unlimited.
The most important aspect of the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers is destroying evil. When roots of goodness arise, we must properly guard our minds. If desires arise, evil thoughts will grow. Therefore, we must exercise the Five Powers to safeguard our minds. Thus, after giving rise to roots of goodness we must destroy evil. To “do all good deeds, refrain from all evil,” we need the strength of the Five Spiritual Roots and the Five Powers. To do all good deeds requires roots of goodness. To refrain from all evil takes the [Five] Powers. So, only with the Five Spiritual Roots and. Five Powers can we solidify our spiritual aspirations. Therefore, we must mindfully remember this.
The Five Powers share the same categories as the Five Spiritual Roots. Even though roots of goodness arise, evil has not been destroyed. So, we must cultivate practices that enable these roots to grow. When roots are grown, evil is destroyed. Thus, they are called powers.
Therefore, we must cultivate practices that enable these roots to grow. This “power” must be strengthened for the roots of goodness to grow. Once we grow roots of goodness, we still need to strengthen our powers, so we can eliminate our bad habitual tendencies. We must really put our hearts into strengthening this “power.”
So then, what are the Five Powers? As I said, they are the same as the Five Spiritual Roots. If we have the Root of Faith, we must have the Power of Faith. This power enables the Root of Faith, this root of goodness, to develop. Only with power can the root grow. So, with this power, we will not allow afflictions to cover us. For the Root of Faith to grow, we must push aside our afflictions. To grow the Root of Faith, we must apply power to push aside afflictions. This is why root and power must accompany each other.
Power of Faith: If the Root of Faith grows, it can overshadow all afflictions. Power of Diligence: If the Root of Diligence grows, it can eliminate indolence of the body and mind.
The second is Power of Diligence. If we have the Root of Diligence, we also need the Power of Diligence. When the Root of Diligence is developed, it eliminates indolence of the body and mind.
The third is the Power of Thought. Since we have the Root of Thought, of course we also need the Power of Thought. If our Power of Thought is insufficient, we will easily be overcome by deviant views and thinking, which are afflictions. If our mindset is incorrect, we will have many discursive thoughts and will be unable to focus. This comes from lacking strength in our thoughts. So, now we must develop this power. We must have Right Views and Thinking and not be overcome by deviant thoughts. To have the strength to break through them, we need the Power of Thought.
Power of Thought: If the Root of Thought grows, it can destroy all deviant thinking. Power of Samadhi: If the Root of Samadhi grows, it can destroy all discursive thinking.
Next is the Power of Samadhi. We need to achieve Samadhi, but that is not easy. In our daily living, we deal with many things. In our daily living, we deal with many people, matters and things that often disturb our minds. Therefore, we must have unwavering strength, so external challenges will not disturb us or confuse our thinking. So, we must apply “power” to eliminate afflictions and discursive thinking. We must likewise exercise the Power of Samadhi.
Fifth is the Power of Wisdom. Since we have the Root of Wisdom, we need the Power of Wisdom to sustain it.
Power of Wisdom: The wisdom of the Fourfold Mindfulness can illuminate all things. If the Root of Wisdom grows, it can eliminate all deviant, false attachments and destroy all bias toward limited wisdom.
Thus, having the Fourfold Mindfulness requires wisdom. Only with wisdom can we illuminate all things. Whether we contemplate the body as impure, contemplate all feelings as suffering, contemplate the mind as impermanent or contemplate all things as having no self, we need to exercise wisdom.
If we are without wisdom, we may think, “This is natural, the body is what it is.” If we contemplate with wisdom, we will think, “Why are so many wrongs committed for the sake of this body?” It is because of our feelings. “Why do I not have what others have?” [With such thoughts], the mind cannot settle down. So thoughts arise and stir, and thus we create [much karma].
If we have wisdom, we will contemplate that there is no self in all things. All conditioned phenomena were created by people over time. As time passes, [they go through] formation, existence, decay and disappearance. Things created by people will not last forever. Therefore, all things have “no self.” But we ordinary people are continuously tempted by external conditions. So, we are constantly entangled by them.
I often say, though we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature, we are Tathagatas in Bonds. This is because our. Root and Power of Wisdom are not strong enough. So, we must exercise the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers to develop our Fourfold Mindfulness.
So, the Wisdom of the Fourfold Mindfulness can illuminate all things. “If the Root of Wisdom grows it can eliminate all deviant, false attachments.” We all have deviant thoughts, views and attachments. Because of this, we ordinary people will continuously pursue things in external conditions. Even spiritual practitioners do the same. We also have biases and attachments toward a certain type of spiritual practice. These are all “biases toward the limited.” Though we wish to engage in spiritual practice, we still do not know how to broaden our minds. We only see a ray of light through a crack in the door, and then we want to squeeze ourselves through it. This is really a pity,
for this door can be opened wide. As we open it, we can also pave the great path. Therefore, we must develop a very broad mind and make use of the strength of wisdom to help us understand the purpose of this human existence and what we are here for. Do we only do things according to the needs of our bodies? No. Having been born, [we must treat] “the body [as] a vessel for spiritual practice.” Only with this body can we engage in spiritual practice. We should take advantage of this lifetime, of this body. “If we do not transform ourselves in this life, when will we do it?” Is it enough to transform only ourselves? We also need to benefit others. So, when we study the Buddha’s Way, we must truly learn to “exhaustively practice all Buddhas’ infinite paths to enlightenment.”
The Fourfold Mindfulness, the three Fours and the two Fives are so important. So, we must be very mindful.
Next, we have the Seven Factors of Bodhi. Bodhi is enlightenment, so these are seven ways of attaining enlightenment.
The Seven Factors of Bodhi, or. Seven Factors or Branches of Enlightenment 1. Factor of Discernment 2. Factor of Diligence 3. Factor of Joy 4. Factor of Elimination 5. Factor of Renunciation 6. Factor of Samadhi 7. Factor of Thought. Factor of Discernment: With wisdom, choose between true and false teachings. Factor of Diligence: With courage and vigor, leave behind evil actions to practice true Dharma. Factor of Joy: The mind attains virtuous Dharma, then feels joy.
Of the Seven Factors of Bodhi, the first is the Factor of Discernment, by which we make decisions using wisdom. Decisions require us to make distinctions. We [must] choose which roads to take and what kind of awakening to achieve. If we lack this factor of enlightenment, we will not know how to choose. Therefore, we will end up on a dangerous path. To truly walk freely and peacefully to reach the stage of the Buddha, we must make choices,
Second is the Factor of Diligence, which is to courageously distance ourselves from evil actions to practice the true Dharma. First, we learn to make choices. Then, we must be very courageous and diligent, so we can transcend deviant thinking and biased paths. Thus we can walk on the path of True Dharma, of One Reality. So, we must learn to choose.
The third is the Factor of Joy. After we receive the teachings, if they are correct, we must earnestly take advantage of them to really practice and always be joyful. If we are joyful, then we “willingly do and are happy to bear.” Is engaging in spiritual practice hard work? [In fact[, it makes us joyful. When we listen to the Dharma we are joyful; when we practice the Dharma we are joyful. When we give to others, we feel very joyful. As long we make correct aspirations and then follow up on those intentions, we can attain the Dharma. “The mind attains virtuous Dharma, then feels joy.” Our minds have already attained virtuous Dharma, so we are constantly filled with Dharma-joy.
The fourth is the Factor of Renunciation, also called the Factor of Peace, which is eliminating the body and mind’s very obvious and heavy afflictions.
Factor of Elimination: Also called Factor of Peace. Eliminate coarse burdens of body and mind to be mentally and physically at ease and comfortable.
In summary, afflictions of the body and mind may be coarse. With this Factor of Elimination, also called the Factor of Peace, [we may think]. “Since we are already here, let us be at peace.” When we put our hearts into the teaching of the Path, naturally we can eliminate the afflictions of the body and mind. This is how we eliminate coarse afflictions of the body and mind and be mentally and physically at ease and comfortable. This is the Factor of Elimination.
Fifth is the Factor of Renunciation. We need to recognize that many afflictions originate from [thinking], “I have done good deeds, but after doing them, I still feel that, since I helped you, you should be grateful toward me.” Feeling this way is taxing. No matter what we do every day, doing good deeds is our fundamental duty. After we do it, we must not dwell on it. So, we must let go.
We must cultivate “impartial compassion.” Only by doing so can we practice renunciation and “let go of attachments to views and thinking.” We must let go of our views, our perspectives and understandings. We must renounce them. Sixth is the Factor of Samadhi, Samadhi is “a meditative state we enter after we awaken.” Once we have awakened, our minds will naturally always be on this Bodhi-path and in a state of. Right Thinking and Right Mindfulness. Therefore, this “meditative state we enter after we awaken” is the Factor of Samadhi. “Carrying firewood and water is also meditation.” Our minds can constantly be in a state of Samadhi.
The seventh is the Factor of Thought, which is to “contemplate the teachings of the Path.” We should all clearly understand this. So we must constantly be mindful, and not allow external conditions to trouble us.
Factor of Renunciation: Let go of attachments to views and thinking. Factor of Samadhi: A meditative state we enter after we awaken. Factor of Thought: To contemplate the teachings of the Path.
So, we must walk this broad path, not squeeze through a small crack in the door. Rushing outside through a small crack in the door is not the ultimate [way]. To truly learn the Buddha’s Way, we must practice the Dharma. To practice the Dharma, we must physically manifest the teachings. So, the Dharma is paving the way for us, and we must walk on this path correctly. Earlier I mentioned, “three Fours, two Fives, Seven and Eight,” and now [we have covered] the Seven Factors of Bodhi. We should still mindfully and properly walk this path at all times, without the slightest divergence. Therefore, we must always be mindful.