Episode 254 – Perfecting Ultimate Enlightenment
>>”With palms together, they sincerely desired to learn about the path to [enlightenment]. With a heart that sought the path, the Dharma entered their actions. They helped others attain the path by practicing what they preached. From this, it could be seen that they had been practicing for a long time.”
>>”For the sake of the ultimate Dharma and for the sake of this path, the Dharma-children of the Buddha, with palms together, look up expectantly.”
>> For the sake of the ultimate Dharma: Bodhisattvas engage in great practices to perfect the ultimate enlightenment, which is supreme, perfect and universal. This is the highest state of enlightenment in the universe.
>> When we reach the final Bodhisattva-ground, “Skillful means have been fulfilled. The mind resonates with everything, and the awakened mind first arises. The nature of the mind can be seen. This is ultimate awakening.”
“With palms together, they sincerely desired to learn about the path to [enlightenment]. With a heart that sought the path, the Dharma entered their actions. They helped others attain the path by practicing what they preached. From this, it could be seen that they had been practicing for a long time.”
What we must understand is that when they very respectfully put their palms together, they had only one hope, for the Buddha to begin opening up the True Dharma that He had been guarding in. His mind. This was what they hoped for and what Sariputra had requested. So at the assembly, people could be seen earnestly seeking the Dharma. Thus, “with palms together, they sincerely” waited respectfully [for teachings]. Putting their palms together showed their respect and sincerity. They sincerely pleaded with the Buddha to speak the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle Dharma. This was the mindset they used to seek the path. They hoped to take the Dharma to heart and to physically walk the path. This is what it means when “the Dharma enters their actions.”
In the process of doing good deeds, we will give rise to joy. We will continuously push ourselves to do good deeds because when we do so, we will feel at peace. When we feel very peaceful, naturally principles can enter our minds.
Indeed, in terms of being at peace, we all constantly discuss whether or not we have achieved a state of complete peace. And when our minds are at peace, do we internalize principles? If we want to be at peace, we must carefully listen to the teachings and take the Dharma into our minds. Then our words and actions will be in line with the Dharma. When we act in line with the Dharma, we will do good deeds and eliminate evils. If we live in line with the Buddha’s teachings, we live “in line with the Dharma.”
If our minds can take in the Dharma, naturally what we do will be “in line with the path of the Dharma.” Over 2000 years ago, the Buddha gave teachings. Now, over 2000 years later, we must take in the Dharma and walk the path. “They helped others attain the path by practicing what they preached.” We must really walk properly on our own path. We constantly say we must recruit Living Bodhisattvas. If we do not first become Bodhisattvas, how can we recruit others?
Take a school for example. If a school wants to recruit students, there must be teachers to provide the education. One way teachers teach is by being role models for students. What the teachers teach is what the students learn. Is the teachers’ behavior in harmony with what they are teaching? If what teachers say and do are in harmony, what the students practice and learn is consistent. When we teach, the words we say and the actions of our bodies must be in harmony. Then those who want to learn can put their hearts into learning. So, teaching and learning must be in harmony. “They helped others attain the path.” This road was used to teach and guide us. If we walk this path together, I will get there and so will you.
This is a road. “The path is meant to be walked.” The sutras are a path; this path is a road [to walk on]. Those of us who expound sutras are guiding others on the road. When others arrive at their goal, so have we. So, the sutras are a path and the path is a road. This path can help everyone complete their spiritual cultivation. Similarly, if we want to lead people to enter this path, then we must walk this road as well. This is how we “recruit Living Bodhisattvas.” If we want to invite others to walk with us, we must “practice what we preach.” What we say and do must be the same.
[I often discuss] how to engage in spiritual practice. Each person around you has his own way of engaging in spiritual practice. By seeing the way they practice, we can understand their method of spiritual cultivation. As I have said before, Sakyamuni Buddha, in the past, drew near countless Buddhas. Actually, when we go among people, they become part of our spiritual practice. Thus, we have also drawn near many spiritual practitioners.
We come in contact with them and listen to their experiences and aspirations, how they used to live misguided lives and how they have now repented and put the teachings into practice. Others started out with kind hearts; from the beginning, they formed great aspirations and vows. This is what we all need to learn.
How did the Buddha begin talking about the One Vehicle Dharma? Sariputra said,
“For the sake of the ultimate Dharma and for the sake of this path, the Dharma-children of the Buddha, with palms together, look up expectantly.”
“Now we all have doubts in our minds because we thought that what You taught us before was already enough. We did not realize that You had wanted us to rise to the next level and enter the True Path of the One Vehicle.”
“Now we are inspired [to look at] the past as well as the future. In the past, did we engage in the correct practices? In the future, can we walk this road?” This was everyone’s state of mind. “Venerable Buddha, please quickly share the teachings You have praised and been guarding in Your mind. Please teach them now openly and in great detail.” This is what Sariputra requested. So he said, “For the sake of the ultimate Dharma,” as he wanted to understand the ultimate Dharma. “For the sake of this path,” This was the path he wanted to walk in the future.
“The Dharma-children of the Buddha, with palms together, look up expectantly.” They waited for the Buddha to teach the Dharma. They were all very respectful in accepting the Buddha’s teachings, so they could develop their wisdom-life. That is the meaning of this passage.
Now let us talk about what “for the sake of the ultimate Dharma” means. What is this “ultimate” Dharma? It is “a Bodhisattva’s great practice to perfect the ultimate enlightenment.” Bodhisattvas have great practices. The One Vehicle that the Buddha wanted to teach is the Bodhisattva-path that we want to walk. The Bodhisattva-path consists of great practices, so “the great Bodhi-path is straight.” We must always remember this saying. The great Bodhi-path comes after we awaken and is a really smooth and broad road. On this road, we must put the teachings into practice. So, we must engage in great practices. Bodhisattvas are awakened sentient beings who walk the great Bodhi-path. They must perfect the ultimate and attain awakening.
We sentient beings can call each other Bodhisattvas. Those we currently call Bodhisattvas are newly-inspired Bodhisattvas, as we have now aspired to walk this road. We are just starting and have not yet perfected the ultimate.
To perfect the ultimate, we must attain Buddhahood. The Buddha enlightened Himself and others, and He fully understands the principles of all things in the universe, missing nothing. He is complete and perfect. This is a state of perfect enlightenment. This is the ultimate Dharma.
For the sake of the ultimate Dharma: Bodhisattvas engage in great practices to perfect the ultimate enlightenment, which is supreme, perfect and universal. This is the highest state of enlightenment in the universe.
To do this, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path. Not only that, we must also perfect the ultimate. If we can attain this awakening, it is supreme, perfect, universal enlightenment, the highest state of enlightenment in the universe. This state is unsurpassed, so it is the supreme, perfect and universal enlightenment. This enlightenment is the boundless ultimate fruit. It is the ultimate Dharma.
Let us talk about Bodhisattvas again. If we reach the state of Bodhisattvas, we go through the Bodhisattva-grounds. In the past I have mentioned the Ten Grounds, which end with the ground of Dharma-cloud. Is that the [final state]? Not yet. Yet, to go through the Ten Grounds, we must be replete with skillful means. When we practice the Bodhisattva-path, we start with the ground of joy, then go all the way to the tenth ground. This is all accomplished through skillful means. This is a form of perfection. When we are replete with skillful means, we have understood them all.
For example, we know that all is empty by nature. Since everything is truly empty, how can we be attached to anything in this world? Clearly, there are still many things in this world that we worry about and want to accomplish. Day in, day out, there is morning and night. We still have to face them; this is the reality of things. So, how can we just say there is “true emptiness”?
Therefore, the Buddha told us that we must know there is “wondrous existence.” As we live in this world and do worldly things, how do we be a good person in the world and do things in a very complete manner? How do we fully accomplish things in this world? When we fully accomplish things, we perfect them.
In this world, we must fully develop our character so that we are not flawed. This teaches us that we must practice.
We can eliminate our flaws by not taking issues with others, and when it comes to worldly matters, by doing our best to help others. We do not need to own many things. We do not need to have a certain amount of property to our names or many fine things in an opulent home. Those are all extraneous. We only need enough to get by. As for clothes? Simple, patched and mended clothing is fine. As long as the external layer is not patched up, that is good enough. Then we can give everything as much as we can. This state is known as “true emptiness,”
a lack of attachment to how much we own. Without the mindset of seeking “gains,” we would not feel the regret of “loss.” So, not being attached to gains and losses is a state of “true emptiness.” What about “wondrous existence”? That is the state of helping fulfill the lives of people who are lacking, who experience much suffering. Giving as much as we can is a form of worldly skillful means, but it is also the path of spiritual cultivation.
Regardless, though the Buddha-Dharma teaches “true emptiness,” words are still needed to express [the teachings]. To be able to speak [about this], He needed worldly phenomena [as examples]. Without worldly phenomena, He could not teach world-transcending principles. So, worldly phenomena are skillful means. To transcend this world, we must train our minds to be at peace and free of a sense of gains and losses. A mind free of gains and losses is in a state of non-arising and non-ceasing. After talking for so long, I am now finally telling you that a mind free of gains and losses is in a state of non-arising and non-ceasing.
When our practice takes us to the state of “universal enlightenment,” the highest state, we will have eliminated transformational samsara, the arising and ceasing [of thoughts]. In this world, our minds continuously go through transformational samsara. If we can eliminate these constant changes, then our hearts will be at peace. We ordinary people experience changes because our minds are restless and uneasy, because we feel gains and losses and have many afflictions.
This is the way things are in the world. There are just so many things that lead us to give rise to afflictions. We cannot avoid worrying. However, we can be free of afflictions.
Worries and afflictions are not the same. Afflictions come from our minds, from thoughts that continuously arise and cease, rise and fall. When gains and losses fill the mind along with greed, anger and ignorance, we have afflictions. What about worries? Even without afflictions, without greed, anger and ignorance, who in this world is at peace? There are always big and small things that cause us worry.
This is to say, with skillful means, we go through the Bodhisattva-grounds. We must go through all the Bodhisattva-grounds in order to go to the next level, the state of Buddhahood. So, we must go through all the grounds.
When we reach the final Bodhisattva-ground, “Skillful means have been fulfilled. The mind resonates with everything, and the awakened mind first arises. The nature of the mind can be seen. This is ultimate awakening.”
If we reach the final Bodhisattva-ground, we have perfected skillful means. “The mind resonates with everything” when we can deal with people and matters perfectly. This resonance means that our principles are perfected. With perfect principles, “the mind resonates with everything and the awakened mind first arises.” This way, that awakened thought comes together; enlightenment begins to come together.
The Buddha engaged in spiritual practice in five years of travels and six of ascetic practices. He could not have skipped those five years, in which He saw all kinds of worldly matters and 96 other means of spiritual cultivation. Finally, He engaged in still contemplation and meditated until that last second, when His mind connected with the star outside. “The mind resonates with everything and the awakened mind first arises.” When He suddenly became enlightened, “the nature of the mind could be seen.” At that moment, He was able to illuminate Himself and could see the One Vehicle’s ultimate reality; our Tathagata-nature appeared. This was “ultimate awakening.” In that moment, He finally reached that state. Before we can reach “ultimate awakening,” we must walk the Bodhisattva-path.
Fellow Bodhisattvas, as Buddhist practitioners, our every step must be firm as we steadily move forward. We cannot neglect the actual people, matters and objects of the present to seek the Buddha’s words of over 2000 years ago. We must recognize that the sutras do not change through the ages, and so, in this era, we must look to contemporary Bodhisattvas who are engaging in spiritual practice. So, we must always be mindful.