Episode 262 – Faith and Joy Arise from Listening to the Dharma
>> “Stop, stop, there is no need to speak further. If this matter was spoken of, heavenly beings and humans in all worlds would be shocked and begin to doubt.” Sariputra again addressed the Buddha by saying, “World-Honored One, I only pray that You will speak it; I only pray that You will speak it. For what reason? In this assembly are countless, hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of asankya sentient beings who have, in the past, seen all Buddhas. Their capabilities are sharp and their wisdom is clear. As they listen to what the Buddha says, they are able to respect and believe it.”
Time passes very quickly. We must mindfully seize every moment. At all times, we must apply the Dharma to our daily living. If we are not mindful, time still passes while [our cultivation of] the Dharma stalls. So, we must always be vigilant and always be mindful.
Previously, through the sutra text, we have already realized that the Lotus Sutra contains the teachings the Buddha had guarded in His heart. The only teaching He really wanted to preach to sentient beings was the One Vehicle Dharma, not the Three Vehicle teachings. [He only taught them] because the capabilities of sentient beings varied. Most people could comprehend the principle of impermanence and recognize that cyclic existence in the Six Realms is suffering, but they were not fully confident that they could also attain Buddhahood. So, He taught the Small and Middle Vehicles when in fact, what He intended to teach and had been guarding was the great Dharma of the One Vehicle.
From beginning of the Lotus Dharma-assembly, not only were there the human disciples of the fourfold assembly, heavenly beings and. Bodhisattvas of the ten directions also gathered at Vulture Peak. The teaching the Buddha was about to give had not been taught in the past and was extremely profound, subtle and wondrous. So, they wanted to hear it. But then the Buddha said, “This Dharma is not something ordinary people can [faithfully] accept. So, this Dharma may be better left unsaid.”
However, Sariputra started to request the teaching on behalf of everyone. But the Buddha told Sariputra, “Stop, stop.” He wanted to stop there and not say anything else. Although this Dharma was truly profound, subtle and wondrous, He was afraid that these people were still not ready to accept it. So, He felt it was better to not speak.
In his wisdom, Sariputra relentlessly persisted. So, he strongly urged the Buddha to preach it. The Buddha kept saying,
“Stop, stop, there is no need to speak further. If this matter was spoken of, heavenly beings and humans in all worlds would be shocked and begin to doubt.” Sariputra again addressed the Buddha by saying, “World-Honored One, I only pray that You will speak it; I only pray that You will speak it. For what reason? In this assembly are countless, hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of asankya sentient beings who have, in the past, seen all Buddhas. Their capabilities are sharp and their wisdom is clear. As they listen to what the Buddha says, they are able to respect and believe it.”
Sariputra sincerely made this request on behalf of everyone, because the Buddha was worried that they would not accept it, and after hearing it, might give rise to suspicion and slander it out of shock and doubt.
But Sariputra then told the Buddha that most people there had respect and faith. Those who could not believe it were probably very few. Thus, Sariputra said, “I only pray that You will speak it; I only pray that You will speak it.” He continued to sincerely ask the Buddha to teach because at this assembly, there were still countless, “hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of asankya sentient beings” who had faith in His teachings.
When he said there were countless people, asankya sentient beings, Sariputra was not just referring to people at the Dharma-assembly. He was requesting the Dharma on our behalf, for the sake of sentient beings in the future.
The Buddha gave teachings over 2000 years ago that would last infinite kalpas into the future. Sentient beings will need them for a long time. So, Sariputra mentioned, “Countless, asankya sentient beings who have, in the past, seen all Buddhas.” These sentient beings, in their past lives, continuously drew near all Buddhas. Sometimes, they were born in an era when. Sakyamuni Buddha engaged in spiritual practice and practiced by His side. So, “in the past, [they had] seen all Buddhas.”
These people, in the past, had heard all Buddhas give teachings, and before Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, had formed deep karmic affinities with Him. So, they were likely to “have sharp capabilities” because they had been listening to the teachings. Although they had not attained. Buddhahood and were still unable to find their pure intrinsic nature, they had the karmic condition to continuously listen to teachings. Then, when the Buddha attained enlightenment, they all assembled at Vulture Peak. These people had “sharp capabilities” and very clear wisdom, so “their wisdom is clear.”
“As they listen to what the Buddha says,” refers to how they were now listening to the Buddha directly teach the extremely profound One Vehicle Dharma that. He had been guarding in His heart. [Sariputra] believed that when they listen to it, they will feel respect and faith. So, Sariputra made this sincere request on everyone’s behalf for the Buddha to teach. Sariputra knew the Buddha very well and
knew that when the Buddha said, “I do not need to speak further,” He did not intend to disperse the assembly. The Buddha came to this world for one great cause, to give the [Lotus] teachings, to teach the Bodhisattva-path. So, He established the provisional teachings and skillful means of the Three Vehicles. Now the karmic conditions had ripened, so the Buddha continuously praised the subtle and wondrous Dharma. After everyone said they wanted to listen, the Buddha said He wanted to stop instead. But if He stopped now, He would not have carried out His original intent.
The Buddha trusted Sariputra very much and. Sariputra understood the Buddha best. So, the Buddha said Sariputra was foremost in wisdom. This meant that Sariputra was best at comprehending the Buddha’s intent. Whether He really meant He would stop now or would continue to give the most important teaching that He had not yet freely expressed was something only Sariputra knew. Because he understood the Buddha, he then repeatedly requested teachings on people’s behalf. The Buddha also trusted that Sariputra would relentlessly persist in requesting teachings. That was why He said, “Stop, stop.” Three times Sariputra asked and three times He refused. The minds of teacher and student were in sync,
so Sariputra said, “Sunlight does not conceal itself because of those without sight. Buddha-Dharma certainly should not be silenced because of the ignorant.”
It cannot be this way. The Buddha’s one great cause was to transmit the One Vehicle Dharma to many people. The Buddha would never, because of a few people who did not believe in the One Vehicle Dharma, really stop without giving that teaching. That was not possible.
So Sariputra said, “Sunlight does not conceal itself because of those without sight.” The sun [always] comes out. It does not stop rising because of people who cannot see it, absolutely not. So, the Buddha would not, because a few people lacked understanding, faith and respect for the great Dharma, stop giving teachings. Thus, Sariputra said, “Buddha-Dharma certainly should not be silenced because of the ignorant.” The Buddha-Dharma also should not be left unsaid because a few people were foolish and could not comprehend what the Buddha intended to teach; that was not possible. So, the Buddha would continue to give teachings.
This was the dialogue between the Buddha and Sariputra. When I read this passage, I really admire that the Buddha had disciples who really understood Him, that Sariputra knew His intentions so well. Otherwise, truly speaking, in this complicated world, if He gave them whatever they asked for, wouldn’t they take things for granted? So, He wanted to help them realize that this Dharma is very valuable. If they wanted to listen to this teaching, they must be mentally prepared; they must foster faith. Having faith is very important.
During the Buddha’s lifetime, there was a woman named Pearl Garland. She was born into the family of a very rich elder. When she was born, she looked unusual because on her forehead, there appeared to be a radiant pearl. Even stranger, after this girl was born, jewels naturally appeared in her home.
Her parents loved her very much. She was intelligent, witty and well-behaved, and also very beautiful and kind-hearted. Whenever she saw poor people, she gave jewels to them.
When she was 17 or 18, [she was engaged] to the son of another elder. He was a very handsome young man. He was also very well-educated and kind-hearted. Thus, the two families became joined by marriage.
This young couple had a common wish, to follow the Buddha-Dharma, do good deeds and practice giving. They had a mutual agreement, to remain pure in body and mind and find an opportunity to become monastics.
These two families were devout Buddhists, so they joyfully gave their permission. The two of them took refuge with the Buddha and then took the vows to become monastics. When their heads were shaved, people around them were very envious. How could they be so fortunate? They were born to wealthy families, and their spiritual practice was smooth and progressed as they desired. They wondered about the karmic conditions behind this. The Buddha then explained their causes and conditions.
In the past, during the Bhadra-kalpa, there was a Buddha named Kasyapa. When Kasyapa went to the Kingdom of Varanasi, there was a young man who was not very wealthy but devoutly upheld the Buddha-Dharma. When he paid a visit to Kasyapa Buddha and saw His magnificent presence, and grasped the subtlety and wonder of His teachings. He thought that it would be a pity if only one or a few people heard such teachings. So, he aspired to hold “a Dharma-assembly that is open to all.” He wanted to do this to help more people encounter the Buddha-Dharma. So, he went to solicit donations to attract people and inspire their belief. At the same time, this gave everyone a chance to collectively fund and hold this grand “Dharma-assembly that is open to all.”
At a “Dharma-assembly that is open to all,” people would invite Buddha to receive offerings, and He would teach the Dharma to the masses. While he was asking people to help make this Dharma-assembly a reality, a woman heard about it and felt faith and joy. She really believed that Kasyapa Buddha’s teachings were subtle and wondrous and also took joy in them. Whenever she left the house, like other wealthy Indians, she would adorn her forehead with a pearl. So, she took this pearl off her forehead. This pearl was very highly valued, and she gave it to the young man, Asara. When he received the pearl, he quickly used it to fund the “Dharma-assembly that is open to all.”
When the woman returned home, her husband looked at her and asked, “Where is the pearl on your forehead?” She then told him what she saw and heard and how she joyfully donated her pearl. When her husband heard about this, he was very happy. Not only did he did not scold her, he praised her, took joy in her action and made his own vows. “If a Buddha like this has appeared in the world, I am very willing to listen to His teachings. I will even vow to listen to the Dharma lifetime after lifetime. When karmic conditions are mature, I want to follow Him and become a monastic.” Both of them already believed in the Dharma before they heard it, so they both made the same vow.
Therefore, their faith in the Dharma came from wonderful causes and conditions that extended from Kasyapa Buddha’s era to. Sakyamuni Buddha’s era, when their karmic conditions matured. This young couple now was the young couple from Kasyapa Buddha’s era.
In summary, taking joy can also create merits and virtues. Giving more people the chance to learn the Buddha-Dharma is also a rarely-attained merit for spiritual practitioners. So, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings and listen to the Dharma, we must always give rise to joy and faith and believe in His teachings. In all things, we must always be mindful.