Episode 287 – Ultimate Wisdom and Relative Wisdom
>> “Realize and enter Buddha-understanding and views to understand and illuminate all things. The ultimate reality of the Buddha’s wisdom is the path to all-encompassing wisdom.”
>> “A path leads somewhere. This is a path through samsara.”
>> There are two paths through samsara: Good karma leads us toward good places. Bad karma leads us toward bad places. Therefore, good and bad karma are paths. These paths lead to different destinies, such as hell and the rest of the Six Realms.
>> Ultimate wisdom: This refers to how all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, with their true wisdom, can thoroughly see the principles of reality. It is wondrous, extremely tranquil and still, neither increasing nor diminishing.
>> Relative wisdom: All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas thoroughly understand all phenomena. They see that if sentient beings go against their ultimate wisdom, they will be [trapped] in samsara. They see that if sentient beings go along with their ultimate wisdom, they will reach the ultimate pure land of calm illumination.
“Realize and enter Buddha-understanding and views
to understand and illuminate all things.
The ultimate reality of the Buddha’s wisdom
is the path to all-encompassing wisdom.”
For the past few days, we have been delving into a very important Dharma, the karmic conditions of the one great cause for which the Buddha comes to the world. [He comes to] “open, reveal, realize and enter.” He is responding to sentient beings’ conditions. Out of compassion, He does not abandon them. So by exercising both compassion and wisdom, He “opens and reveals” according to capabilities. However, our capability to “realize and enter the Buddha’s understanding and views” depends on whether we are mindful, whether we are using a pure heart to develop respect and faith in the Buddha-Dharma so that we will accept and practice it.
Recently, I have been telling everyone that we must better understand the Buddha’s mind and intentions. This is the direction of our spiritual practice. Whichever way the Buddha guides us is the direction we must move toward. This is the right thing to do. If we can do this, we will “realize and enter the Buddha’s understanding and views” and be able to “understand and illuminate all things,”
Then we can clearly understand and penetrate the Buddha’s teachings, and even enable our minds to be open and understanding so naturally, the light of wisdom can shine in. So, once we “understand,” we know we must open the door of our minds. Then we can see the radiant world outside and bring the light into our minds. This is how we “understand and illuminate.” This light, the light of the Buddha’s wisdom, is naturally illuminating [and allows] us to understand all things. The ultimate reality of all things is the Buddha’s wisdom, which is actually intrinsic to all of us. We must believe this, as the Buddha told us this is so.
The Buddha’s wisdom, in fact, is also called “all-encompassing wisdom.” [There is] Bodhisattva-wisdom, Hearer-wisdom, followed by all-encompassing wisdom, and finally complete wisdom. All of these are contained within pure and undefiled wisdom, which is the Buddha’s wisdom.
Indeed, the Buddha had to work hard in this world. His compassion is such that. He will never abandon sentient beings, so He continuously comes to this world. “[He] wants to help all beings enter the path of the Buddha’s understanding and views. Thus, [He] manifests in this world.” This is the Buddha’s goal; [it is to help all of us] enter the path of His understanding and views.
What is a path?
“A path leads somewhere. This is a path through samsara.”
This path allows us to arrive somewhere. Thus, an unobstructed road we can walk on is called a “path.”
However, for unenlightened beings, there are two paths through samsara.
There are two paths through samsara: Good karma leads us toward good places. Bad karma leads us toward bad places. Therefore, good and bad karma are paths. These paths lead to different destinies, such as hell and the rest of the Six Realms.
One kind of path is good karma. If the path of good karma is unobstructed, it will lead everyone to a better [destiny]. A good path leads to a good [destiny]. This is like when we understand the principles, we will “refrain from all evil and do all good deeds.” We know we must walk on this good path.
The Tzu Chi School of Buddhism, a road in this world, has certainly been paved, inch by inch, with everyone’s love as they walked it. This is a good path. When the good path is unobstructed, we create good karma, which will lead us to very good places.
There is [the other path], which is bad. Bad karma leads us toward bad destinies. Once we open the door to bad karma, we will not be able to extricate ourselves. If our negative karmic affinities are strong, although we clearly should walk a good path, we are pulled away by negative friends and will easily end up on an evil path.
For example, there was an abandoned child who was adopted by a couple. They raised him with love and always cherished him. But this child never repaid their kindness and did whatever he pleased. [As an adult], he began to visit prostitutes, gamble and drink, and eventually he racked up a debt of several million NTD, so creditors tried to collect from his parents. If [he asked for money] and they would not give, if his parents were eating, he would take the food on the table and feed it to dogs. He was really disobedient to his parents;
he would even beat them and so on. Eventually, his parents became afraid whenever they heard him coming. They would shut their door, but he would pound on it till it broke, saying, “If you don’t open up, we can all die together.” He was going to use gas to kill them all. This is what people are like nowadays. His parents were scared and called the police. When the police came, he was still the same; he had no remorse. This is bad karma. If this [path of] bad karma is unimpeded, he will continue down this road and persist in his delusions, never awakening. He will become more immersed [in ignorance]. This is also a road, an evil path. If the path of bad karma is unimpeded, he will continue to degenerate.
So, the two kinds of karma, good and bad, are both “paths,” which are roads. If we choose to walk on a good road, we will create blessings for everyone. If we [choose] an evil path, we will sink ever lower, lash out at everyone and repay kindness with hatred. This creates more bad karma. Good and bad karma are both “paths.”
The places they lead to are called “destinies.” So, we talk about the Six Destinies. The heaven realm, human realm, asura realm, hell realm, hungry ghost realm and animal realm are sometimes referred to as destinies.
So, the Buddha comes to this world to guide sentient beings to “enter the path of His understanding and views,” so we can “realize and enter” the Buddha’s truth. This is the road that we must walk; it is the path to Buddhahood.
Previously, we mentioned “complete wisdom.” This “complete wisdom,” or “the path to all-encompassing wisdom,” is the direction the Buddha wanted to guide us in. Therefore, we must be mindful of the Buddha’s principles, understanding and views. What are “the Buddha’s understanding and views”? [His] understanding and views are the principles of “all-encompassing wisdom.” This is divided into two categories; the first is called “ultimate wisdom.”
Ultimate wisdom: This refers to how all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, with their true wisdom, can thoroughly see the principles of reality. It is wondrous, extremely tranquil and still, neither increasing nor diminishing.
This is telling everyone, “All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, [with] their true wisdom, can thoroughly see the principles of reality.” The teachings [the Buddha] gave us are all verified principles. By teaching sentient beings, He hopes everyone can thoroughly see the principles of reality. This is ultimate wisdom, the principles of True Suchness. “It is wondrous, extremely tranquil and still, neither increasing nor diminishing. This is ultimate wisdom.” It helps us learn how we can truly return to our Tathagata-nature. That state is “wondrous, extremely tranquil and still.” When we return to our nature, [our minds will] be “wondrous, extremely tranquil and still” and naturally, non-increasing and non-decreasing. “[This nature] does not decrease in sentient beings, nor increase in Buddhas.” It is called ultimate wisdom. Sentient beings are all equal; everyone must understand there are no distinctions between us.
The other kind of wisdom is “relative wisdom.”
Relative wisdom: All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas thoroughly understand all phenomena. They see that if sentient beings go against their ultimate wisdom, they will be [trapped] in samsara. They see that if sentient beings go along with their ultimate wisdom, they will reach the ultimate pure land of calm illumination.
Though [wisdom] is no less and no greater, non-increasing and non-decreasing, though it is a tranquil and still state, since the Buddha wanted to transform sentient beings in the world, He had to also exercise “relative wisdom.” After all, sentient beings’ capabilities vary, so He must teach according to them.
“All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas thoroughly understand all phenomena.” In seeing various phenomena, they see that if “sentient beings go against their ultimate wisdom, they will be [trapped] in samsara.” We have already gone against [ultimate wisdom]. To “go against” is to turn away from. If we turn our backs on ultimate wisdom, we experience arising and ceasing, or samsara. Good and bad in samsara depends on the causes and conditions, and the good and bad karma that we create.
The disobedient son I just mentioned has gone against his ultimate wisdom. Though his parents loved him very much, he felt no gratitude toward them and instead ruined the family by using up all their assets. He was incredibly disobedient to his parents. This is an example of going against ultimate wisdom. This is why we cannot control our transmigration in the Six Realms. This is why all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas observe the way sentient beings live.
“They see that when sentient beings follow their ultimate wisdom, they can reach the ultimate, pure, land of calm illumination.” If sentient beings can live according to truths, earnestly listen to the Dharma and engage in spiritual practice, then they will return to their intrinsic nature and also reach “the ultimate, pure, land of calm illumination.”
The Tathagata’s pure intrinsic nature is one of calm illumination, which is Nirvana. The state of Nirvana is a land of calm illumination, which means the mind is truly pure and radiant, in a state of tranquility and clarity. We all have this beautiful state of mind within us. But when a single thought goes astray, it leads us a thousand miles off course. Then the distance between sentient beings and the Buddha is so far; He is so removed [from us]. This is why the Buddha comes to this world to teach sentient beings.
All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas must be replete with relative wisdom to teach according to capabilities. If sentient beings have dull capabilities, They will use limited teachings to draw in and transform them. For those with sharp capabilities, They use immediate teachings to transform them. This is how the Buddha, to transform all beings, [awakens] their intrinsic ultimate wisdom. Based on their capabilities, He exercises relative wisdom to give suitable teachings. This is the wisdom of all Buddhas and all Bodhisattvas.
So, we sentient beings must understand [we have] “ultimate wisdom.” We ourselves must realize this state of mind. As we are interacting with people, we must also exercise “relative wisdom” to observe others’ habitual tendencies. So, if they have a bad temper, we can step back a little and let them be until their anger subsides. Then we can tirelessly persist in approaching and transforming them.
So, we must “expand and spread great love far and wide.” The Buddha never abandoned us, so how can we [abandon] our fellow humans, especially our fellow practitioners and our spiritual community? We must have broader minds. [Everyone] has habitual tendencies. We must often observe others’ habitual tendencies to constantly heighten our vigilance of our own. If someone has a certain habitual tendency, we must take a look at ourselves and ask, do we have this same habitual tendency? If we also have this habitual tendency, we must not allow this it to affect the way we treat others.
So, we must always be grateful to those with bad habitual tendencies because of what they are teaching us. If we are grateful and accept [the lesson], then we must avoid making the same mistakes. If someone is very open-minded, has a broad mind and pure thoughts and does not take issue with others no matter what, we should respect and admire him. We should also strive to be someone who is respected by others. So, we should learn from this person. As Confucius once said, “In a group of three, I will find my teacher.” This is [how we apply] ultimate wisdom and relative wisdom. We must all be mindful of this.
The “path” can be good or bad. Good and bad paths for ordinary people are called “paths of samsara.” If we are on the path of samsara, we are still in the state of ordinary people. Our minds are not yet settled, So, if the chance to create good karma appears, we must quickly seize [the opportunity] and create more blessed karma on this good path. As for the evil path, we must be vigilant of what we do and avoid degenerating. [Whether good or bad], both are called “paths.” What we now must learn is neither increasing nor diminishing, the state of the land of calm illumination. That state of mind is “tranquil and clear.” Then we can have “vows as vast as the universe,” and “remain unwavering for countless eons.” Isn’t this the Jing Si Dharma-lineage that all of us must practice and uphold? So, we must always be mindful.