Episode 249 – The Dharma Attained at the Training Ground
>>”We cannot leave virtuous friends, even for a second. We must never draw near evil friends, even for a second. The mind and consciousness of unenlightened beings are like a plain thread that is changed by conditions and tainted by external phenomena.”
>>”Dhyana, Samadhi, liberation and other inconceivable teachings, the Dharma attained at the training ground.”
>> Is called the training ground. Where did the Buddha attain enlightenment? He reached Buddhahood in the Kingdom of Magadha in Central India, by the Niranjan River. There, under the Bodhi tree, on the Vajra throne, was where He attained Buddhahood.
>> A straightforward mind is a spiritual training ground. The 37 Practices to Enlightenment is a spiritual training ground. A place to learn and practice the Buddha-Dharma is also called a spiritual training ground.
“We cannot leave virtuous friends, even for a second.
We must never draw near evil friends, even for a second.
The mind and consciousness of unenlightened beings
are like a plain thread
that is changed by conditions
and tainted by external phenomena.”
We say beneficial friends are very important; [To know] how much we really understand, we must have beneficial friends, so we can listen to teachings together, contemplate them together and then discuss them with one another. This way, their realizations, your realizations, my realizations are all shared with one another. This mutually strengthens our knowledge and our [understanding] of the Buddha’s wisdom. Whatever the level of our understanding and views, however much of the Dharma we can understand, we can mutually benefit one another. Then we are virtuous friends.
“We cannot leave virtuous friends, even for a second.” We must not distance ourselves from virtuous friends. When it comes to evil friends, we must never draw near them. If we are in the company of evil friends, we will be easily tainted by them. So, we must be very careful to only make beneficial friends. Evil friends are not only unbeneficial, they will also [negatively] influence us.
As ordinary people, our mind-consciousness is like plain silk thread. When woven into cloth, the fabric will pretty much look white. If any color comes in contact with it, it will change into that color. So, plain thread [makes] white cloth. Strand by strand, these threads are woven into white cloth. This is then “changed by conditions” and “tainted by external phenomena.”
When we see any kind of phenomena, our unenlightened minds are easily influenced by those external conditions. If we follow and stay with virtuous friends, our thoughts and knowledge will also become good and benevolent; we will do good deeds. All we want to do is join them in doing good deeds together. If we encounter evil friends and negative conditions, we will follow these evil friends. Then objects of desire within these conditions will tempt our minds to stray from the path, causing all our subsequent steps to be in error. This happens because evil affinities, evil friends easily change our minds.
When external phenomena taint the mind, regardless of the type of phenomena they are, our minds will easily be influenced by them.
When the Buddha was living in the world, one day, He and Ananda were walking in the market. They saw people in an incense shop making incense. To make incense, wood powders must be mixed and stirred. Once they are mixed, incense production begins. The paper they were using to wrap the powder was tossed aside after they finished pouring, and was blown by the wind to the ground outside the shop’s door.
The Buddha happened to walk in that direction and saw the paper fly out of the incense shop. The Buddha told Ananda, “Ananda, pick up that piece of paper.” So, Ananda walked over to pick it up. The Buddha then said, “Place the paper on your hands, and hold it with your palms together.” After a short period of time, the Buddha told him, “Ananda, put the paper down.” So, Ananda put the paper down. The Buddha then said, “Bring your hands close to your nose.” Ananda brought his hands close to his nose and then sniffed.
The Buddha said, “How are your hands?” Ananda said, “My hands are very fragrant. Ananda, do you know why your hands are fragrant?” Ananda said, “The fragrance came from the paper.” The Buddha then said, “Do you know why the paper was fragrant?” Ananda said, “Because it flew out of the incense shop. Why did the paper fly out from the incense shop?” Ananda considered this, “It was probably packaging incense material. Then a gust of wind blew it out the door, and I picked it up and held it for some time. That is why my hands are now fragrant.”
Then the Buddha said, “Your analysis is correct. The paper did once contain incense material, and it was blown out here by the wind. Since the paper is fragrant, when your hands touched the paper, your hands became fragrant. The paper contained incense material, so it became fragrant. This is like having beneficial friends. When you are constantly with good people, you will always do good deeds to benefit others.” Once Ananda understood [this principle], he faithfully accepted and practiced it. From this analogy that the Buddha used to teach him, he knew he had to draw near to virtuous friends.
They continued on in the market. At a place not far from the incense shop, there were vendors for fish, meat and vegetables, as markets often had. The Buddha saw a fish vendor. To transport fish to the marketplace, woven straw mats were used to bundle up the fish. At the market, the straw mats were unraveled and thrown aside next to the door. The Buddha then told Ananda, “Ananda, retrieve some straw from the pile of straw [by the fish vendor].” So, Ananda went and picked up a straw.
The Buddha said, “Now, place it between your palms again.” Just as he did before, Ananda held the straw in his hands. The Buddha then said, “Hold it for a while.” After some time, the Buddha said, “Put [the straw] back. Now, smell your hands.” Ananda [complied] again, but even before putting [his hands] near his nose, he said, “Venerable Buddha, my hands stink! They are unfit to smell.” The Buddha said, “Indeed! Why do your hands stink? Because I was holding that straw.” The Buddha said, “Why does the straw smell bad?” Ananda said, “This straw was used by the vendor to bundle fish. That is why it has a fishy stench.”
The Buddha said, “Indeed, the stench [is very strong]. After you held the straw, even before you drew your hands to your nose, you complained they were not fit to be smelled. Ananda, when we make friends, drawing near evil friends is like touching foul smelling things. If you know this person is bad, by drawing near him, when other people see you, they will see you as they see the bad person. So, we must not draw near to evil friends.”
Ananda understood then that, in making friends, choosing good friends will be beneficial to us. Making bad and evil friends will be damaging to our character. Not only will we damage ourselves, we will also cultivate bad habits and cause harm to others. Ananda accepted these teachings and understood that the Buddha
taught according to capabilities and opportunities. Ananda was always at the Buddha’s side and was always taught according to present conditions. Whichever condition they encountered, the Buddha used corresponding means to quickly teach Ananda. So, because he stayed by the Buddha’s side, the education he received about people, matters and principles was very complete.
“We cannot leave virtuous friends, even for a second;” we must keep close to them. “We must never draw near evil friends.” We must not be around evil friends, even for a short period of time. If we cannot educate or influence them, then we must remove ourselves a bit. We have to admit we are ordinary people, with minds like plain, white cloth that can be easily dyed with color. We are like paper. When wrapped around incense, it smells fragrant. When wrapped around fish, it smells foul. As ordinary people, our minds are the same way; we can easily become tainted.
Previously, we have been discussing.
“Dhyana, Samadhi, liberation and other inconceivable teachings, the Dharma attained at the training ground.”
The state of mind attained by the Buddha is forever peaceful. Regardless of the situation, the Buddha’s understanding and views [can draw] deep and wondrously profound principles from it. So, we must really comprehend that the Buddha’s understanding and views are completely different from ours.
The Buddha always understands many things from His state of Samadhi and liberation. So, He is not entangled by these things. [His liberation] comes from His wisdom; this liberation is truly incredible.
“The Dharma attained at the training ground” is incredible wisdom, understanding and views. What is this thing called the training ground? The place where the Buddha was enlightened.
Is called the training ground. Where did the Buddha attain enlightenment? He reached Buddhahood in the Kingdom of Magadha in Central India, by the Niranjan River. There, under the Bodhi tree, on the Vajra throne, was where He attained Buddhahood.
That was considered a spiritual training ground.
Everyone knows that after the Buddha gave up on ascetic practice, He bathed in the Niranjan River and then fainted. A shepherdess offered milk to Him. From then on, He recovered the strength of His body and mind. He chose to sit under the Bodhi tree and began to engage in calm contemplation. Between heaven and earth, in a state of tranquility, He earnestly contemplated. When He saw the morning star in the night sky, He awakened His wisdom. He completely and thoroughly understood the true principles of all things in the universe. This was the spiritual training ground where the Buddha attained enlightenment.
So, the Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree, on the Vajra throne. In that moment, He saw the morning star in the night sky. At that place, He obtained the Dharma, so it was “the Dharma attained at the training ground.”
Actually, we sentient beings all have a spiritual training ground. What is our spiritual training ground? We cannot just go to Central India. Even if we went to the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment and even if we sat in that same spot, we still would not attain awakening. Yet, the Buddha has told us, “We all have a nature of True Suchness.” This nature of True Suchness is “straightforward.” The great Bodhi-path is straightforward. If we sentient beings can give rise to the great power of faith with reverence, we can accept the Buddha’s teachings with a straightforward mind. So we say, “A straightforward mind is a spiritual training ground.” For us ordinary people, a straightforward mind is our training ground. This means, whatever the Buddha says, however we receive His teachings, we must be focused on them. A straightforward mind is focused and does not deviate; it is straight.
When we first begin our spiritual practice, the 37 Practices are very important. The 37 Practices to Enlightenment are also our spiritual training ground. The place where we learn and practice the Buddha-Dharma is also our spiritual training ground. The place where we are sitting now is also our spiritual training ground. We are listening to teachings and engaging in spiritual practice here. After we have gained understanding here, the Dharma will enter our minds and be in our actions. This is what makes a spiritual training ground.
A straightforward mind is a spiritual training ground. The 37 Practices to Enlightenment is a spiritual training ground. A place to learn and practice the Buddha-Dharma is also called a spiritual training ground.
Fellow Bodhisattvas, the spiritual training ground resides in our minds. So, we must be mindful and not allow our minds to bend or turn. Most importantly, we must be around virtuous friends and not draw near evil friends. This is because our minds are undefiled, and can easily become tainted by other colors. Remember how Ananda picked up the paper and the smelly [straw]? These two things can be differentiated. The fragrant paper will make our hands fragrant. The smelly [straw] will make our hands stink. This same principle can be applied to making friends. So, our minds must draw near the Dharma, and we must draw near virtuous friends. We should really cherish the way our virtuous friends benefit us. So, we must always be mindful.