Episode 247 – Practice Right Dharma for Blessings and Wisdom
>>”Those who vow to cultivate Bodhisattva-practices can gradually eliminate the source of ignorance, achieve perfection of blessings and wisdom and diligently practice Right Dharma.”
>> The Buddha, “Great Sage, Sun of Wisdom. You have long given these teachings, speaking of Your attainment of Suchness, the Samadhi of power and fearlessness.”
>>”Dhyana, Samadhi, liberation and other inconceivable teachings. Of the Dharma attained at the place of enlightenment, no one was able to raise questions. I find its meaning difficult to fathom, and no one was able to ask about it. Without being asked, You explained it, praising the path You have walked.”
>> Dhyana: calm contemplation, tranquility. Calm contemplation means to analyze and study phenomena we face. Tranquility refers to the mind remaining still for thorough contemplation. This is the meaning of tranquility.
“Those who vow to cultivate Bodhisattva-practices
can gradually eliminate the source of ignorance,
achieve perfection of blessings and wisdom
and diligently practice Right Dharma.”
This is telling us that we must form aspirations and make vows. If we want to practice the Bodhisattva-path, we must have firm resolve. To strengthen this resolve, we must diligently learn and engage in spiritual practice. How do we learn? How do we practice?
We begin by forming an aspiration, to do a good deed or to choose good friends. How do we make these choices? We must believe that a good friend will help lead us in the right direction, to do the right thing. We must believe that they will teach us to do so. Then, we will gradually draw near to the teachings of virtuous friends.
What our virtuous friends can teach us is that we all have habitual tendencies. The things we see may cause us to give rise to thoughts like, “He has that; why don’t I have that? He has so much; why do I have so little?” If we have these thoughts, we must immediately heighten our vigilance. When we do not have something, we need to practice understanding. If we are free of these material desires, our minds will be pure. When we have fewer things, [we should think], “I am very grateful to have fewer burdens.”
This makes a lot of sense. If we really do not have anything, we can practice understanding. If we only have a little, we can practice gratitude. This way, these habitual tendencies will gradually help us understand that all things are helpful for our living but [not essential]. We do not need to desire what we do not have. Then, our habitual tendency of being greedy will gradually lessen.
As our habitual tendencies gradually weaken, our wisdom will help our minds become more clear and bright. This is like the mirror in our minds. If it is not tainted by defilements, the mirror will be clear. If it has traces of dirt, we clean it immediately. Then the mirror will be very clear. So, [we must] “gradually eliminate the source of ignorance.”
This needs to happen in our daily living. Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, pride, doubt and so on are all part of our habitual tendencies. If we can gradually eliminate them and always remain vigilant, naturally, these sources of ignorance will gradually disappear. If so, we will be able to “achieve perfection of blessings and wisdom.” This requires us to make gradual progress.
This principle is often [taught], and we often hear it. We already understand quite a few things. After we understand something, we must put it into practice. This is how we can make gradual progress. When we do so, we can really put the teachings into practice. We must truly step onto [this path] to see the beauty of a Bodhisattva’s state of mind. If we do not take action, we will not be able to experience the warmth that comes from authentic and caring relationships. This is why we must give. Then we will receive others’ gratitude. This [interaction] of gratitude and giving [will give rise to] affection. Of course, if our affections lead us to give unconditionally, then it is considered pure. Enlightened sentient beings with pure [affections] are those who practice the Bodhisattva-path.
When we practice the Bodhisattva-path, we must gradually make progress by interacting with people. If we can do so, we are “diligently practicing Right Dharma.” This is being diligent. This is how we engage in spiritual practice and uphold [teachings]. We must keep drawing near to virtuous friends; by accepting their teachings, we move in the direction they point us and eliminate our ignorance. As we come into contact with others, we gradually eliminate our resentment and hatred, bit by bit. By being understanding, we will always be grateful and content. This is all part of our spiritual practice; this is how we can achieve blessings and wisdom. When we are free of resentment and hatred, when we can be understanding and content and give continuously, we are [cultivating] blessings and wisdom.
So, if we can clearly comprehend how the Buddha’s knowledge and views teach us how to be good people and how to do good deeds, then we can draw near to the principles. This is the source of the Buddha’s principles. From the bottom of our hearts, we must put the principles into practice to gradually move in the correct direction. This is how we can get closer to the Buddha’s knowledge and views.
The Buddha, “Great Sage, Sun of Wisdom. You have long given these teachings, speaking of Your attainment of Suchness, the Samadhi of power and fearlessness.”
These are all verses we have discussed.
Samadhi is a state of concentration, and it is also “taming, straightening and settling.” Our minds must be very settled, and we must constantly adjust them so they are facing in the correct direction. This straightforward direction will settle our minds. Then we will be in Samadhi, which is a state of. Right Knowledge, Right Views, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. These are all part of being in Samadhi.
It is having the right mind and actions; when we have the correct mindset and right direction, we must keep moving forward. Having a settled mind does not mean we do not move forward. It means our minds will not be disturbed by external conditions. But when our direction is correct, we must quickly and diligently move forward. This is how we “tame, straighten and settle.” We must constantly control our minds and turn them in the right direction, to this great, broad path. I often say, “The great Bodhi-path is direct. Bodhi” means perfect enlightenment, so this path is very direct. So, we must be determined to attain perfect enlightenment in order to walk this path.
In summary, we need to “tame and straighten” our minds so we can be settled. These terms do not just apply to practitioners. Indeed, anyone can find it useful. So, Tzu Chi volunteers always use the mantra, “Be understanding, grateful, content and accommodating.” This helps us develop a straightforward mindset, as well as a straightforward practice. Indeed, [Tzu Chi’s] Fourfold Spiritual Soup is a recipe for adjusting our actions. If we can all consume it constantly, there will be no irritability in our minds. We will not be irritated or bent out of shape. Naturally, our minds will be very settled.
So, Sariputra told the Buddha that He was the. “Great Sage, Sun of Wisdom.” He was like the sunlight that brightly illuminated the world. The light of His wisdom illuminated the darkness in ordinary people’s minds and found ways to open the door to our minds.
So, the Buddha has “long been giving these teachings.” He often taught according to sentient beings’ capabilities to open the door to their minds. [He] helped them transform evil into goodness, eliminate negative habitual tendencies and bad perspectives, guiding them on the path to goodness. Based on sentient beings’ capabilities, He gave teachings like this. These are skillful means that suited them.
“You have long given these teachings.” These teachings that He gave, were they the wondrous Dharma? They were wondrous provisional wisdom. In response to sentient beings’ capabilities, He gave these teachings. Moreover, now He was telling everyone, “My knowledge and views and the Dharma I attained are profound and wondrous.” Although we do good deeds and have changed our old habitual tendencies, we still cannot truly understand the Buddha’s mind and wisdom. This is very natural.
Next it speaks of “[His] attainment of Suchness, the Samadhi of power and fearlessness.” So, Samadhi means taming, straightening and settling our minds. This is what the Buddha always talked about. He had already attained.
“Dhyana, Samadhi, liberation and other inconceivable teachings. Of the Dharma attained at the place of enlightenment, no one was able to raise questions. I find its meaning difficult to fathom, and no one was able to ask about it. Without being asked, You explained it, praising the path You have walked.”
This section of sutra is probably understandable. Here, Sariputra was saying that the Buddha often talked about “the Samadhi of power and fearlessness.” The Buddha often praised. Himself and all past Buddhas for attaining dhyana, Samadhi and liberation.
Of course, all Buddhas were already in a state of dhyana and Samadhi every day. Because He had attained dhyana, Samadhi and liberation, He was considered to have perfect enlightenment.
We ordinary people think we can only be in dhyana as we sit in meditation, but is that right? The Buddha lived every second of His life in meditation. This is why the Zen Masters said, “Even carrying wood and fetching water, drinking and eating, are all meditation.” Thus, everything we do is meditation when we are always in a state of dhyana and Samadhi. So, the state of the Buddhahood is one of dhyana, Samadhi and liberation.. Dhyana means calm contemplation and tranquility.
Dhyana: calm contemplation, tranquility. Calm contemplation means to analyze and study phenomena we face. Tranquility refers to the mind remaining still for thorough contemplation. This is the meaning of tranquility.
When it comes to the Buddha’s state of mind, no matter what He saw or what He heard, when He came in contact with any things or images in the world, His mind was still. In a state of stillness and contemplation, He knew what these phenomena were and the thinking behind the words people said. When He listened to sentient beings’ words and tone, He was in a state of meditation. Only then could He guide them in the correct direction. Therefore, the Buddha’s mindset is one of calm contemplation and tranquility.
“Calm contemplation means to analyze and study phenomena we face.” This teaches us to really engage in calm contemplation and to be mindful.
We spiritual practitioners must be very mindful and contemplative to analyze all matters and affairs. We are still engaging in spiritual practice, so we must continuously study, learn and diligently practice. As we engage in spiritual practice, we must learn and continue to move forward.
Thus, tranquility means the mind and body must remain still. This state in our minds cannot be seen, but we can see it in our bodies. So, both what we can and cannot see appear very tranquil and still. Sometimes when we meet a person, [we think], “This person is very calm.” They do not get irritated or lose their temper when someone says something to them. So, our minds must remain tranquil and still. “For thorough contemplation,” we must really analyze the principles around us and figure out what is really happening and we must remain calm. This is a method of spiritual practice that we cannot lack in our daily living.
So, the meaning of “tranquility” is to be calm. “Calm contemplation” is to think deeply, examine our surroundings and calmly listen to what people say. Have we achieved this state in our daily living? This is something we must learn. This is dhyana and Samadhi. Sitting in meditation is not the only time we are in a state of dhyana, not at all. We must practice “meditation-in-action.” As we take action, we must still be in dhyana.
So, dhyana and Samadhi mean the same thing. “Samadhi” is taming, straightening and settling. Now, dhyana means we must be very calm. So, we must calmly contemplate all things in the world. This enables us to exercise our settled minds to remain unchanging in the midst of many changes. Life is inherently impermanent; in every moment, it is changing in subtle and intricate ways. We ordinary people do not realize this. Those in dhyana and Samadhi do realize it. So, the Buddha taught us the aggregate of action is very subtle and continuously passing. The past becomes the present. The present becomes the future. All this happens within tiny increments of time, in the blink of an eye. We must face it with a mind that is settled.
Fellow Bodhisattvas, we must really learn the Bodhisattva-path. This requires us to make vows to gradually eliminate our ignorance and afflictions, gradually change our bad habitual tendencies. Only then can we achieve perfect blessings and wisdom. Otherwise, we will always be lacking or literally “missing a corner.” In Taiwanese, that phrase [means something like] “loser.” Can we remain a “loser”? No, we cannot. We hope to achieve perfection, which is only possible by cultivating blessings and wisdom. So, we must diligently practice and uphold the Right Dharma to fulfill this goal. Both Samadhi and dhyana are things we must really make an effort to learn. Therefore, we must always be mindful.