Episode 217 – Strengthen Resolve through the Four Noble Truths
>> “Thoroughly understand the meaning of
the Four Noble Truths.” This is the basis of learning the Buddha’s
teachings. “We must observe adverse and favorable conditions to resonate
with those principles. Penetrating the truth with sharp wisdom is a seeming
awakening. We must uphold our resolve and vow to practice the Six
Paramitas.”
>> “Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas, who have made offerings to
countless Buddhas, clearly understand the paths of truth and are able to
skillfully expound the Dharma, number as many as the rice, hemp, bamboo and
reed [plants], filling the ksetras in the ten-directions.”
>> Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas: Bodhisattvas at or before the first
ground, “joy.” They are recently inspired, but their Power of Faith
is not yet firm, solid and non-retreating.
>> The Bodhisattva’s Ten Grounds: The ground of joy, the ground of
freedom from defilement, the ground of radiating light, the ground of blazing
wisdom, the ground of overcoming difficulties, the ground of manifestation, the
ground of far-reaching practice, the ground of stillness, the ground of
excellent wisdom and the ground of Dharma-cloud.
The Buddha started teaching by turning the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths. We Buddhist practitioners should.
“Thoroughly understand the meaning of the Four Noble Truths.” This is the basis of learning the Buddha’s teachings. “We must observe adverse and favorable conditions to resonate with those principles. Penetrating the truth with sharp wisdom is a seeming awakening. We must uphold our resolve and vow to practice the Six Paramitas.”
If we can understand the Four Noble Truths, we will recognize the truth of suffering, its causation, its cessation and the Path to its cessation. The Four Noble Truths are found in our daily living. As we deal with people and matters, we can realize all kinds of principles. When we face adverse conditions, we must recognize that life is full of suffering. In this world, we suffer when we are parted from those we love and when we cannot attain what we desire. Under favorable conditions, we enjoy wealth, happiness, fame and status. These are all favorable conditions. However, we must recognize that within favorable conditions, there is still suffering.
Where there is love, there may be resentment. After we come together, inevitably we will suffer when we part. Basically, life is filled with so many conflicting emotions. As spiritual practitioners, we must understand that in our daily living, under both adverse and favorable conditions, we must reflect on the meaning of the Four Noble Truths. In doing so, our hearts will not waver. Then when we face adversities we will not be tormented, and when things are favorable, we will not be arrogant. This is why we must constantly, mindfully observe whether we are taking good care of our minds and whether the Four Noble Truths abide in our hearts.
So, previously, I kept talking about “the path of Infinite Meanings.” On this path of Infinite Meanings, we can thoroughly understand many teachings. When it comes to the various wondrous principles of the universe and the world, we can gradually understand, see through and penetrate them. To do this, we have to start from the foundation.
This is why I often mention the Four Noble Truths. [It helps us] deal with both favorable and adverse conditions. With this kind of understanding, we must work on comprehending our external conditions, so we can resonate with the principles. This means the principles can be internalized. When our minds are in line with the teachings, we have an unimpeded understanding. Once we fully understand a path, we will clearly know whether it is the path we should take, and whether the timing is right or not.
“Penetrating the truth with sharp wisdom is a seeming awakening.” Previously, we discussed having wisdom like Sariputra or or like the Pratyekabuddhas, the Solitary Realizers. By [observing] the world, they realized the principle of impermanence. These are people with sharp wisdom. They have penetrated the truth, which is the true principles. They already understand these principles,
and it seems like they have awakened, but this is not a full awakening. They still have slight bits of ignorance that have not been eliminated. So, their minds still constantly change because there are traces of ignorance. Therefore, as we engage in spiritual practice now, it is very important to “uphold our resolve and vow to practice the Six Paramitas.” We must practice the Six Paramitas.
In the Lotus Sutra, the Six Paramitas are the path the Buddha paved for us. First, He taught us about the path we have walked so far and how we have gradually drawn closer to arrive at our current state. To truly draw near to the Buddha’s state, we must walk the path of the Six Paramitas. They are the methods of the One Vehicle. The combination of the six is the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle, which can take us to the state of the Buddha.
So, earlier we talked about those who dwelled in their final bodies. These people of sharp wisdom, “put their minds together for billions of kalpas.” So many people with sharp wisdom gather, as numerous as bamboo in a bamboo grove. The ksetras (lands) in the ten directions are like bamboo groves. Each stalk of bamboo is like a Pratyekabuddha. Pratyekabuddhas have sharp wisdom. All of them may pool together to wholeheartedly comprehend the Buddha’s wisdom for a very long time, “for billions of kalpas.” [Even if they spend] a very long time, wishing to understand the Buddha’s true wisdom, “they would not understand the least bit of it.” Even if they do, they may only understand a very tiny bit of it. So, the Buddha’s wisdom is truly vast and boundless.
The Buddha’s wisdom is so wondrous, so we must learn the methods to comprehend it. This passage states,
“Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas, who have made offerings to countless Buddhas, clearly understand the paths of truth and are able to skillfully expound the Dharma, number as many as the rice, hemp, bamboo and reed [plants], filling the ksetras in the ten-directions.”
Even when many people with the sharp wisdom of. Pratyekabuddhas work together, they still cannot understand [His wisdom]. They can only know the least bit of it; they still cannot achieve complete understanding. So, Pratyekabuddhas still cannot do it. Next are those who formed Bodhisattva-aspirations. This verse is about [people who are] a step up from Pratyekabuddhas. They are newly-inspired Bodhisattvas.
Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas: Bodhisattvas at or before the first ground, “joy.” They are recently inspired, but their Power of Faith is not yet firm, solid and non-retreating.
Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas have resolved to diligently seek the Dharma, and have made offerings to countless Buddhas. “They clearly understand the paths of truth.” They already understand the Buddha’s meaning. The meaning behind His teachings is something they have begun to realize. Not only can they realize it, they can also “skillfully expound the Dharma.” People like this number as many as the rice, hemp, bamboo and reed [plants]. They are like stalks of rice in the rice paddy. They are also like the hemp that is planted in arid lands. In the past, people used hemp in their weaving, so they also grew it in large quantities. They are also like bamboo and reeds, which are even thinner and grow more densely.
Earlier a comparison was made to bamboo; now it is to reeds. So, now their numbers are even greater. There are so many Bodhisattvas, newly-inspired Bodhisattvas who are able to understand the Buddha’s intent and expound the Dharma. There are so many of them; they fill the ksetras of ten directions. So, we need to mindfully analyze these verses even more thoroughly.
Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas are those at or before the first ground, the ground of joy. Bodhisattvas [progress through] the Ten Grounds,
which we have discussed. When we begin to form aspirations, we must do so with joyful hearts.
The Bodhisattva’s Ten Grounds: The ground of joy, the ground of freedom from defilement, the ground of radiating light, the ground of blazing wisdom, the ground of overcoming difficulties, the ground of manifestation, the ground of far-reaching practice, the ground of stillness, the ground of excellent wisdom and the ground of Dharma-cloud.
If we want to be Bodhisattvas, we must happily and freely aspire to that state. Consider Tzu Chi volunteers. [People ask,] “Why are you working so hard? It’s not hard; it’s blessed work. Why are you doing those things? I do it willingly because it makes me happy.” So, they overcome all kinds of difficulties by doing the work joyfully.
We develop aspirations willingly. [The Chinese characters for willing] contain the character “sweet”, so when we give willingly, we do not feel the slightest bit of bitterness. We voluntarily formed these aspirations, so we willingly do this work. And because we do it willingly, we do not see it as hard work. When the work is done, we are very happy because we fulfilled our intentions by happily and willingly giving to others. We see others being influenced by the teachings. We can sense that they become happy because they are receptive to the teachings given, and those who give the teachings are also joyful. “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering beings.” When Bodhisattvas see sentient beings suffer, they cannot bear it, so they help them. No matter how difficult the situation is, they are willing to help others.
Let us continue talking about Bodhisattvas. We just talked about newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. They are just beginning to feel joyful and form aspirations. These Bodhisattvas are on “the ground of joy,” the first Bodhisattva ground. Next, true Bodhisattvas form great aspirations and seek the unsurpassed path for sentient beings. Thus, they are called Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas engage in spiritual practice not for their own sake, but for the sake of sentient beings; for them, they seek the unsurpassed path.
In the past I have also told all of you that, for the sake of sentient beings, the Buddha came to this world and manifested the attainment of enlightenment. He attained Buddhahood for sentient beings. Otherwise, since Beginningless Time, countless kalpas ago, the Buddha [had already attained liberation] with His Tathagata-nature and was beyond birth and death. Not only did He [eliminate fragmentary samsara] but transformational samsara as well. Why did He need to return to this world to engage in spiritual practice again?
Actually, this was not the work of one lifetime. Didn’t the beginning of the Lotus Sutra reference 20,000 Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas? This already tells us that. Buddha-nature has existed for a very long time, for countless kalpas. So, He comes to this world for one great cause, to transform sentient beings.
All Buddhas come for this purpose, as do all Bodhisattvas. Even Manjusri Bodhisattva, who had already attained Buddhahood, and Guanyin Bodhisattva, who had already attained Buddhahood, followed the Buddha to this world. All Bodhisattvas come to assist at Dharma-assemblies and have returned on the ship of compassion to help Sakyamuni Buddha transform sentient beings. They are Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas, so they aspire to manifest in this world to guide people. These guides are called Bodhisattvas. By guiding people on the path to Buddha-nature and assisting at the Dharma-assembly, they are true Bodhisattvas.
Therefore, for the sake of sentient beings they seek the unsurpassed path. Even newly-inspired Bodhisattvas have this intention. This is what makes them Bodhisattvas.
As I have often explained, Bodhisattvas are “enlightened sentient beings.” As we awaken ourselves, we must awaken others too. “Enlightened sentient beings” are. Bodhisattvas who work with a multitude of beings. The Buddha manifested Parinirvana, but the world is still filled with Bodhisattvas. They are all among us. So, when people form aspirations, we call them Bodhisattvas. Indeed, among these Bodhisattvas, there are newly-inspired Bodhisattvas as well as. Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas who are firm in their faith.
Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas may not yet be firm in their spiritual aspirations. They are joyful and willing to act, but when challenges arise, they may lose their resolve. Sariputra also once formed great aspirations. When a man said to him, “I want your eye,” he actually took one out and gave it to him. But giving his left eye was not enough. The man said, “I didn’t want your left eye; I wanted your right eye.” So, he removed his right eye too.
Now Sariputra no longer had eyes. Then the man who asked for them complained about the foul smell of the eyes. He threw them down and stomped on them to show his dissatisfaction. Although Sariputra formed great aspirations in the past, when he encountered this challenge he vowed, “I just want to be a spiritual practitioner; I don’t want to be a Bodhisattva.” Therefore, for lifetime after lifetime, he remained a Hearer. Though he was foremost in wisdom, he had no desire to be a Bodhisattva. So, the Buddha acknowledged that. Sariputra was foremost in wisdom but lacked the desire to seek the unsurpassed path for sentient beings; he only sought it for himself.
Among Hearers, the Buddha’s disciples, there were others who formed aspirations but also later lost their will to practice. So, forming aspirations is very easy. This is what newly-inspired Bodhisattvas are like. They can understand principles, and they willingly aspire to draw near the Buddha’s mind. But their spiritual aspirations are not firm, so they may still retreat from the path.
Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas are different. They seek the unsurpassed path for all beings. This is what makes them Bodhisattvas, “sentient beings with minds of great enlightenment.” They use the path of all Buddhas to help sentient beings achieve awakening. Those who expounded the Buddha-Dharma to help sentient beings awaken are called Bodhisattvas.
There are Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas, as well as newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. In contrast, Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas steer the ship of compassion [back to this world]. Many Bodhisattvas, such as Manjusri, Samantabhadra, Guanyin, have already attained Buddhahood but have come back to this world to guide sentient beings in the right direction. This is what we must learn to do.
But to reach this state, we must [ask ourselves] if we have understood the meaning of the Four Noble Truths. Once we fully understand this foundation, we must then learn the Six Paramitas and the Four Infinite Minds. The Ten Paramitas are the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle, which we use to cross from this shore of ordinary beings to the state of noble beings and Buddhas. Therefore, I hope all of you will be mindful. Though we may be newly inspired, we must have a strong resolve. Therefore, we must always be mindful.