Episode 236 – Contemplate the Four Truths, Attain Nirvana-joy
>>”To contemplate the Four Noble Truths,
and thus transcend cyclic existence to attain Nirvana-joy, this is the
Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.”
>>”At that time in the assembly, there were Hearers, Arhats, who
ended all Leaks, 1200 in all.”
>> The Hearer Vehicle: The Four Noble Truths is their vehicle, which
allows them to attain the fruit of Arhatship. The Solitary Realizer Vehicle:
The 12 Links of Cyclic Existence is their vehicle, which allows them to attain
the fruit of Pratyekabuddhas.
>>”With sincerity and diligence, they seek wisdom in nature,
joyfully awaken themselves to attain Nirvana and penetrate causes and
conditions of all things. This is the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.”
“To contemplate the Four Noble Truths,
and thus transcend cyclic existence
to attain Nirvana-joy,
this is the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.”
We are constantly discussing the principles behind [the practices of]. Hearers and Solitary Realizers. We should also know that when it came to spiritual practice, the Buddha guided them in an attentive and patient manner. He taught all sentient beings according to their capabilities. To spiritual practitioners, He emphasized that they must all contemplate the Four Noble Truths,
which are the fundamentals of Buddhism and the foundation for the Bodhi-path we want to pave. So, the Buddha’s opening teachings were on the truth of suffering, its causation, cessation, and the path to cessation. He taught us to understand them and helped us heighten our vigilance. Every word we say, every action we take, is subject to the law of karma.
We amass various karmic conditions as [we interact with] people, matters and things, and this will affect us, lifetime after lifetime. Both positive and negative [conditions] are continuously being accumulated. Thus, we create our own suffering and joy. If we have created suffering, this was because we planted negative causes and formed many negative conditions. That is why we face so many negative retributions. This principle is correct.
If we planted seeds of bad karmic causes and form bad karmic conditions, we reap bitter fruits. Of course, the Buddha then taught us how to create good causes and form good conditions that will naturally yield blessed retributions. This is why, when the Buddha first gave teachings to sentient beings, He began with the Four Noble Truths.
Ordinary lay practitioners must also really understand the principles of the truth of suffering, causation, cessation and the path. Moreover, as we begin our spiritual practice, we must [choose] the correct starting point and the right course to follow. We must be even clearer, so we can understand the Buddha’s teachings, only then can we pass them on to all people in the world. Therefore, we spiritual practitioners must really value and be mindful of the Four Noble Truths. So, I keep reinforcing this perspective for you, as the Buddha did in His lifetime.
After the previous section of verses, this section of prose begins with,
“At that time in the assembly, there were Hearers, Arhats, who ended all Leaks, 1200 in all.”
This represented the many people [at the assembly]. Among them, the Buddha sought suitable people to turn from the small to the great. The suitable people were. Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas and so on. They had worked hard on their spiritual practice, but they also needed a shift in their perspective. So, I hope you can all earnestly understand the teachings and principles the Buddha used to directly appeal to people with limited and average capabilities.
Both Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas had to begin [their practice] by diligently learning the Four Noble Truths. Then naturally, they transcended cyclic existence. They thought, “I understand how cyclic existence works.” Aside from the Four Noble Truths, these Realizers of Conditions also [knew] the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. We have also previously discussed the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, how each stage leads to the next until we are born to this world and then experience aging, illness and death. The beginning of our life is beyond our control. Our affinities with our parents were formed in a past life. After going through the stages of “feeling, craving, grasping” and so on, we will keep coming back to be born in this world and encounter people. This causes us to continually replicate our ignorance and afflictions, which leads us to our next rebirth.
How many people are actually fortunate enough to receive the Buddha’s principles? How many people get to listen to His teachings? After listening to the Buddha-Dharma, how many can actually take it into their hearts? Then, out of the very few people who can take the Dharma into their hearts, how many people can truly put the Dharma into practice, plant good causes, form good conditions and continue to walk the Bodhisattva-path? Therefore, it is rare for people to encounter the Dharma, not to mention put it into practice. However, in the Buddha’s time, His monastic retinue numbered some 1200 people. Some of them were Hearers who had attained the fruit of Arhatship. There were also others who had attained the fruit of Pratyekabuddhas.
The Hearer Vehicle: The Four Noble Truths is their vehicle, which allows them to attain the fruit of Arhatship. The Solitary Realizer Vehicle: The 12 Links of Cyclic Existence is their vehicle, which allows them to attain the fruit of Pratyekabuddhas.
The Hearers’ fruit of Arhatship came from earnestly practicing according to the Four Noble Truths. They were very vigilant of not accumulating more worldly connections that would entangle them in subsequent lifetimes. This kind of Hearer, an Arhat, constantly heightened his vigilance. As for Solitary Realizers, they delved even deeper into the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. They used this framework to always contemplate how life began and proceeded. This was what Solitary Realizers did. They believed that if they could constantly contemplate and work to understand the Four Noble Truths and. Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, they would naturally transcend cyclic existence. Then they could stop transmigrating and
achieve a tranquil state of mind, which is Nirvana-joy. “When the mind is without hindrances, there is no fear.” If they can reach this mental state where their minds are no longer influenced by the environment, that is Nirvana-joy.
I often mention “non-arising and non-ceasing.” What is non-arising? It means not to give rise to cravings, desires and greed. Naturally, if we experience no arising, there will be no ceasing. If we had no greed and desires, why would we even need to practice? This is what “non-arising and non-ceasing” means. If we have no greed and desires, we will not come to this world to create conflicts and afflictions with other people.
If we do not contend with people, they will not harm us. If we do not want to seize other people’s good fortune, we will not create enmity or resentment. So, if we can live this way, we will have no afflictions. Isn’t this how monastics live? They have no conflicts with people, over matters or with the world. So, by transcending confusion and delusions, naturally, they can attain Nirvana-joy and be in the land of calm illumination.
A state of mind that is always pure and luminous is Nirvana. Nirvana is not what comes after people die. No, [Nirvana is when] our minds can transcend the cycle of arising and ceasing at all times and avoid things that cause us to waver or be uneasy. [Achieving this practice] is the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.
As we discussed before, “[There were] those who aspired to be Hearers.” The Buddha had a retinue of 1200, including those who aspired to be. Hearers and Solitary Realizers.
The 1200 that we just spoke of were the five bhiksus to whom the Buddha first taught, plus the 50 friends of Yasas, the 1000 disciples of the three Kasyapa [brothers] and 200 disciples of Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. Altogether, there were 1255 people. These people, over five years, were transformed by the Buddha, and then they followed Him. So, we speak of the “1250 people.”
“[There were also] those who aspired to become. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.” Besides these 1250 people, there were countless, innumerable Hearers, who had already formed aspirations and mindfully listened to the Dharma. In addition, after hearing the Dharma, they would listen, contemplate and practice it. Those who would also connect it with phenomena in the world to penetrate the Buddha’s teachings more deeply were called Pratyekabuddhas. There were countless people with such resolve.
We mentioned previously that the Four Noble Truths are truly very important. [They are principles that]. Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, and even Bodhisattvas, must understand.
In Kasyapa Buddha’s time, there was a novice monk who followed a bhiksu in spiritual practice. One day, the young novice heard a commotion in the market outside and told his master, “Out in the market, things are bustling about. We should go out right now and ask for alms. Most likely it will not take long for us to fill our alms bowls. [Then we can] return fully laden.” His master told him, “It is still early, the time has not yet come. Wait a while and remain mindful.”
He could not bear it, so he ran outside again. Seeing so many people, he quickly ran back in and told his master, “Master, we can go out now.” His master, the bhiksu, told the novice, “Wait a moment, it is still too early.” But the novice could not bear it any longer, so he became angry and resentful and cursed his master, saying, “How can you be so stubborn? Just die!” Then he grabbed his alms bowl and rushed outside to beg for alms.
But as he walked, he felt troubled and very unhappy. He became very repentant, so he turned around and made his way home on his knees. Thus, he knelt in front of his master and expressed his remorse. His master did not reproach him and just let it pass.
Because of this incident, the novice fell into the evil destinies for 500 lifetimes, during which he experienced all kinds of suffering. Although he suffered extensively, he did not create more karma. He constantly reminded himself to be vigilant. After those 500 lifetimes, he was born into the family of a Sravasti elder. Within his consciousness, the idea remained that samsara, cyclic existence, is immense suffering. Therefore, soon after he was born, he said, “Samsara is immense suffering.” Yet he did not know how suffering came about. Later, he had the chance to become a monastic [with Sakyamuni Buddha]. His mind was inherently pure, so he could quickly take the Dharma to heart. Thus, he quickly attained the fruit of Arhatship.
Pratyekabuddhas [practice] the Middle Vehicle, one level above the Small Vehicle. Upon hearing all sounds and seeing all phenomena, they could analyze them and attain realizations. This is what Pratyekabuddhas do. So, the Chapter on Parables contains the following section of text,
“With sincerity and diligence, they seek wisdom in nature, joyfully awaken themselves to attain Nirvana and penetrate causes and conditions of all things. This is the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle.”
This tells us that those who deserve to be called Pratyekabuddhas must be “sincere and diligent” and strive to seek wisdom in nature. They mindfully analyze all natural phenomena they encounter. From the Buddha’s words, they learn the teachings for Hearers and understand them. Then by analyzing natural phenomena, they realize many principles. So, they “joyfully awaken themselves to attain Nirvana.” They seek to awaken only themselves. The more they understand the law of karma, the more they heighten their vigilance. They dare not create affinities with others, so they are called Solitary Realizers, Realizers of Conditions or Pratyekabuddhas.
They engage in their own practices and avoid creating any further karmic affinities. They can penetrate the causes and conditions of all things. This “reveals the meaning of solitary realization.” They already have a thorough understanding of the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, so they are very vigilant. So, Realizers of Conditions already understand the principles of causes and conditions, the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. They are Pratyekabuddhas,
those who are replete with the wisdom of both Hearers and Solitary Realizers. Thus, they are called Pratyekabuddhas. They listened to the Buddha teach and understood the law of karma. So, all these factors combined make them Pratyekabuddhas.
Fellow Bodhisattvas, indeed there is Dharma in all places. No matter what kind of sound we hear, when we listen mindfully, everything is a teaching. Therefore, we must be mindful. Every word we speak creates karma. Because of the law of karma, we must indeed always heighten our vigilance and always be mindful.