Episode 215 – Transform Worldly Consciousness into Wisdom
>> “The Dharma is unsurpassed, extremely
profound, subtle and wondrous. The teachings of the Path are a
difficult-to-measure ocean of wisdom. Worldly matters in this time, space and
Dharma-realm can become worldly Dharma when consciousness is turned into
wisdom.”
>> “Even if the world was filled with those like Sariputra, who
thought exhaustively and pooled their abilities, they still could not fathom
the Buddha’s wisdom.”
>> The Buddha’s wisdom: It is His true nature that always understands
everything and can penetrate infinite states and conditions. So, it is said
that the Buddha’s wisdom can penetrate infinite states and conditions.
>> “Even if the ten directions were filled with people like
Sariputra, and if the remaining disciples filled all the lands in the ten
directions, and if they thought exhaustively and pooled their abilities, they
still could not understand it.”
>> Even if the ten directions were filled: The lands in the ten
directions are also called the ksetra of the ten directions. Even if people in
the ksetra of the ten directions had sharp capabilities like Sariputra, they
would still find it difficult to fathom the Buddha’s wisdom.
>> “If Pratyekabuddhas, of sharp wisdom and without Leaks, in their
final bodies, also filled the ten directions, as numerous as bamboos in bamboo
groves….”
“The Dharma is unsurpassed, extremely profound, subtle and wondrous.
The teachings of the Path are a difficult-to-measure ocean of wisdom.
Worldly matters in this time, space and Dharma-realm
can become worldly Dharma when consciousness is turned into wisdom.”
This is indeed unsurpassed, extremely profound, subtle and wondrous Dharma. Every day, we discuss the Dharma. How can we actually find the most subtle and wondrous Dharma? What does the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle actually look like? How can we comprehend it? This is the teachings of the Path: “The teachings of the Path are a difficult-to-measure ocean of wisdom.”
As we have discussed earlier, the Avatamsaka assembly, the state of Avatamsaka, was very magnificent. It was tranquil and clear, like a boundless universe. Similarly, the Dharma is as vast as the ocean. This is what the Buddha’s wisdom is like. How can you measure it? It is as extensive as the Dharma-realm in terms of space and time. Time has existed since Beginningless Time throughout the present and extends long into the future. Although the realm of time and space is so vast, it is intimately connected to worldly matters. As we are amongst people, as long as we can put our hearts into comprehending the principles behind everything, indeed, this subtle, wondrous, unsurpassed and extremely profound Dharma will be found in this world. If we can transform consciousness into wisdom, we can [realize] worldly Dharma.
This is as if the Dharma is already in our minds and is then pulled out to be [used] in the world. This really vast world is inseparable from people. The Dharma is just like this. We can thoroughly understand it. After we thoroughly understand worldly and world-transcending Dharma, our realizations must be applied in this world. Worldly wisdom can help us realize our intrinsic nature of True Suchness and the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle, which is the Dharma. Thus, we must be mindful.
Earlier we said the Dharma is profound and subtle. Indeed,
“Even if the world was filled with those like Sariputra, who thought exhaustively and pooled their abilities, they still could not fathom the Buddha’s wisdom.”
Sariputra’s wisdom was foremost among the Buddha’s disciples. If the world was filled with people like Sariputra, they could focus their wisdom, “think exhaustively and pool their abilities.” Using this kind of strength and wisdom, they can try to fathom the Buddha’s state of mind, but they still cannot fathom it. Could it be that difficult? “Only the person who drinks the water knows if it is hot or cold.”
Everyone, each of us has our own state of mind. No one else can fathom it. No one else can fully understand the consciousness within our minds. There is a common saying, “We keep our minds to ourselves.” We each have our own perspective. We each have our own state of mind. For us ordinary beings to fathom each other is already not very easy. So, for us to fathom the Buddha’s wisdom is even more difficult. The Buddha’s wisdom, His understanding and views, is truly difficult to fathom.
What is the Buddha’s wisdom?
The Buddha’s wisdom: It is His true nature that always understands everything and can penetrate infinite states and conditions. So, it is said that the Buddha’s wisdom can penetrate infinite states and conditions.
The Buddha’s wisdom is His true nature, the True Suchness of His intrinsic nature. This has already been awakened, so He “always understands everything.” He knows about everything.
The Buddha completely understands the nature and appearance of all things in the world. Is there anything He does not know? Therefore, He can “penetrate infinite states and conditions.” The Buddha’s wisdom is like this; how could ordinary beings fathom it? It seems that even Sariputra’s wisdom cannot fathom it, either. Thus,
“Even if the ten directions were filled with people like Sariputra, and if the remaining disciples filled all the lands in the ten directions, and if they thought exhaustively and pooled their abilities, they still could not understand it.”
The “ten directions” refer to north, south, east, west, southeast, northwest and so forth. These are the lands of the “ten directions,” all of time and space put together.
If people, over such a long time and across such a vast space, get together to understand the Buddha’s wisdom, they still will not be able to understand it.
Even if the ten directions were filled: The lands in the ten directions are also called the ksetra of the ten directions. Even if people in the ksetra of the ten directions had sharp capabilities like Sariputra, they would still find it difficult to fathom the Buddha’s wisdom.
In “the ksetra of ten directions, ksetra” means “caturdisa,” or “land.” This word “caturdisa” means a temple. Thus, “even if people in ksetra of ten directions” means even if the wisdom of all the practitioners from all the monasteries in all the lands are combined, they are still incapable of understanding. Even if these people had sharp capabilities, with wisdom like Sariputra, they will still find it hard to fathom the Buddha’s wisdom.
This section of the sutra goes on to say, “and if the remaining disciples filled all the lands in the ten directions, and if they thought exhaustively and pooled their abilities, they still could not understand it.” All the spiritual practitioners in the world could collectively put their wisdom together, and think exhaustively to try to understand [the Buddha’s wisdom]. To “think exhaustively” is to try to fathom. Even if the wisdom of all these wise people is combined to try to fathom it, “they still could not understand it.” It is not possible.
This is because we are ordinary beings. Ordinary beings are still a long way from the [state of] the Buddha. Thus, we need to be more mindful and diligent to really return to our intrinsic nature. We have to work hard to follow the Buddha’s teachings and faithfully accept and practice them. Thus, we must have faith. This “faith” must fill our minds, so we trust what the Buddha taught us.
In the past few days, we have been discussing how the Buddha’s wisdom is profound and vast. If the wisdom and knowledge of everyone across time and space was pooled, they still could not fathom it. Take Sariputra for example. He was foremost in wisdom among all disciples and was constantly praised by the Buddha. Unexpectedly, at this time when the Buddha was “opening the provisional to reveal the true,” the Buddha kept using. Sariputra’s wisdom to make an analogy. When He said that even if everyone had wisdom like Sariputra’s and their wisdom were to be pooled together, He was not just referring to those at Vulture Peak. If, from all worlds of ten directions, the wisdom of all spiritual practitioners was pooled together, they still could not understand it.
We only constantly think to pool [wisdom] and keep looking for external sources to fathom something outside of ourselves. Why do we not return to our intrinsic nature and try to fathom ourselves? As the next section of the sutra states,
“If Pratyekabuddhas, of sharp wisdom and without Leaks, in their final bodies, also filled the ten directions, as numerous as bamboos in bamboo groves….”
Pratyekabuddhas’ wisdom [reflected] very sharp capabilities. Pratyekabuddhas’ wisdom was developed in an era without Buddhas. They were called Solitary Realizers. They naturally attained realizations, but what they realized was limited to this world. They were aware of the four seasons and how day and night [cycled,] how time passes. As the sun and moon rotate, hours become days, days become months. This is how time passes. What are the causes and conditions of this cycle?
They contemplated and realized that nothing really stays the same; time just passes continuously. As time passes, nothing abides forever. Nothing in the world with a physical appearance can last forever. Indeed, the nature and appearance of all things cannot be ever-abiding. For example, we humans all have an intrinsic Buddha-nature. This intrinsic nature is always with us, in the past, present and future.
But our appearances are not this way. The appearance of a newborn baby gradually matures. Actually, our nature is also maturing along with our appearance. Our nature, like our appearance, is continuously influenced throughout different eras. Our intrinsic nature has been with us from ancient times until now and has changed under the culture of every era. Our intrinsic nature has constantly been influenced during these eras.
While our intrinsic nature remains the same, as time passes, it also has no fixed appearance as time passes it, also has no fixed appearance. It is ever-changing. This was why. Pratyekabuddhas could only realize impermanence and recognize that nothing is ever-abiding. So, Pratyekabuddhas’ wisdom was very sharp. Without listening to the Buddha-Dharma, they could understand impermanence.
Why is it that impermanence makes us feel that our lives are beyond our control? In our lives, we still have to go through birth, aging, illness and death and deal with the way sentient beings in the world continuously accumulate collective karma. How can we realize how this actually came about? The collective karmic retribution of all beings could not be understood by Pratyekabuddhas. Therefore, though they had sharp wisdom, they were still very limited.
So, [the sutra passage] speaks of, “Pratyekabuddhas, of sharp wisdom and without Leaks, in their final bodies,” They recognized the suffering that comes from impermanence. They knew to seek their own liberation, so they could attain a state free of Leaks and not be defiled by impurities of this world. They could purify their own minds. “Without Leaks, in their final bodies,” was only [the end of] fragmentary samsara. They could only reach this state. They still could not attain the ultimate, Parinirvana, a state without arising and ceasing. Because they feared cyclic existence,
Pratyekabuddhas were still. Small Vehicle practitioners. They focused on protecting themselves because they feared cyclic existence. Yet, the Buddha wants us to take the next step and go among people and return on the ship of compassion. But Pratyekabuddhas are stuck in a state of ending fragmentary samsara and purifying their minds. They purified only themselves and did not care about other people. They want to eliminate fragmentary samsara, so they attained their “final body.”
“Also filling the ten directions,” [they are] “as numerous as bamboos in a bamboo grove.” Their wisdom was already at this level. If people with wisdom as sharp as Pratyekabuddhas were all gathered, so many of them, “as numerous as bamboos in a bamboo grove,” they still could not fathom Buddha’s wisdom.
Being “without Leaks, in their final bodies” means they were in their “final existence.” Here, “existence” means afflictions. By eliminating their afflictions, they purified their minds. This was what Pratyekabuddhas did. They could also be called Bodhisattvas. Similarly, when we see people who have just resolved to learn the Buddha’s teachings, we call them “Bodhisattvas.”
So, a “final-body Bodhisattva” is not a Bodhisattva in name only. They are also engaging in spiritual practice, and “in their cyclic existence, they are in their very last incarnation.” These Bodhisattvas in their last incarnation are very mindful like Pratyekabuddhas. Yet, they still have not eliminated the state of arising and ceasing, the state of true emptiness. Because they have not attained true emptiness, how can they attain or realize wondrous existence? We need to engage in spiritual practice until we realize true emptiness; then we can converge with wondrous existence.
Although ordinary beings may form aspirations to have wisdom like Sariputra and sharp wisdom like Pratyekabuddhas and may constantly engage in spiritual practice, they still come up a little short. Although they are in their final bodies of fragmentary samsara, if they can take the next step and understand the law of arising and ceasing, then they will realize true emptiness and will truly discover wondrous existence, their Buddha-nature. Thus, after we form aspirations, we must always be mindful.