Episode 292 – Skillful Means Given According to Capabilities
>> The Dharma-nature of all Buddhas is intrinsically perfect and harmonious. In the instant our minds open, we awaken. By entering the Buddha’s understanding and views, we can use all Dharma in wondrous ways.
>> “Sariputra, the Dharma of all Buddhas of the ten directions is also like this.”
>> “Sariputra, all Buddhas of the past, with infinite, countless skillful means, with various causes and conditions, with analogies and expressions, have proclaimed all Dharma to sentient beings.”
>> Infinite, countless skillful means: The Great, Middle and Small Vehicles, all forms of the Buddha-Dharma, are countless in number. They are all considered skillful means.
>> “Means” are appropriate methods, and their “usage resonates with the capabilities of all sentient beings.”
>> “Skillful” can also mean convenient. [Buddhas] “use skillful expressions and analogies to suit all kinds of capabilities.” They utilize many proper principles,
>> “Skillful is another way of saying suitable. Suitable principles are applied with ultimate wisdom; they take the shape of their container to conveniently benefit and guide people.”
Indeed, we all intrinsically have a Buddha-nature that is equivalent to that of all Buddhas. “The Dharma-nature of all Buddhas is intrinsically perfect and harmonious.” The Buddha comes to the world to point out that we have the same intrinsic nature as the Buddha, the pure Tathagata-nature. The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in their nature] so our Dharma-nature is intrinsically perfect and harmonious.
The Dharma-nature of all Buddhas is intrinsically perfect and harmonious. In the instant our minds open, we awaken. By entering the Buddha’s understanding and views, we can use all Dharma in wondrous ways.
All of us are the same, equal to the Buddha, but many discursive thoughts cover our minds. We must eliminate these discursive thoughts, one at a time. What exactly is the use of having these thoughts? If these afflictions remain in our minds, will they benefit us in any way? They are of absolutely no benefit. They are of absolutely no use. So, why do we need to retain these discursive thoughts in our minds? We can let go of them. If we can, in our daily living, find ways to eliminate these discursive thoughts as they arise, with the afflictions we eliminate, bit by bit, our Dharma-nature will grow, bit by bit.
Our Dharma-nature is intrinsically perfect and harmonious. “In the instant our minds open, we awaken.” Once we brush aside our afflictions, we can attain an awakening. “By entering the Buddha’s understanding and views we can use all Dharma in wondrous ways.” If we can take the Buddha’s teachings to heart, if our understanding and views match the Buddha’s, will there be any difficulty in this world that can hinder us? There will be none.
In the previous passage, the Buddha states,
“Sariputra, the Dharma of all Buddhas of the ten directions is also like this.”
Sakyamuni Buddha is not the only one who comes to the world to “open and reveal” His understanding and views so sentient beings can “realize and enter” them. He comes to the world for this one great cause. He is not the only one; all past Buddhas of the ten directions likewise came to the world for this one great cause. This one great cause, as I keep saying every day, is His hope that we will return to our pure, intrinsic Tathagata-nature. This is the expectation He has for us. Because of His compassion, He hopes that we can reach [such a state]. Therefore, He worked very hard, as all Buddhas did.
The next passage states,
“Sariputra, all Buddhas of the past, with infinite, countless skillful means, with various causes and conditions, with analogies and expressions, have proclaimed all Dharma to sentient beings.”
This passage also [mentions that] all Buddhas of the past taught by utilizing infinite, countless skillful means. “Skillful means” are provisional teachings. Provisional skillful means were given through various analogies and expressions as teachings for sentient beings. For young children, we use more basic words. For teens, we use words that appeal to them. For more mature young adults, we need to teach them in a more mature manner. For elders, we bring up stories of the past so that they can draw on their memories of those events. So, [as we talk with people,] we must teach them with skillful, virtuous Dharma.
Remember the kindergarten teacher in Malaysia who taught her students about conserving water? She taught them how important water is for life and how they should cherish water because without it, we will all suffer greatly. How did such young children understand the concept of conservation? The teacher exercised her wisdom. “Ok children, there is no water today.” She turned off the water that day. When the children used the restroom and tried to wash their hands, there was no water. “Now what? If you don’t wash your hands, you can’t eat. But I want to eat; I’m hungry. Then you have to fetch some water yourself.”
Where do they go to fetch water? To a faraway place. How will they bring it back? In buckets. One of the children, who was very small, carried two buckets of water using a shoulder pole. His shoulders hurt, and he could not walk straight. The teacher attentively watched the child to make sure he did not fall or bruise his shoulder. Once he carried the water back, he carefully poured it out. [She said,] “This water is not for you alone. You need to care for those younger than you; share it with everyone.” So, then this child understood how hard water is to come by and learned to happily share it with others.
After everyone washed hands, the teacher said, “The grass and the flowers are also thirsty. Without water, they can’t grow; so what will you do? Give them the water you used to wash.” The same water was used to meet multiple needs. In this way, she taught them to cherish water and other resources as well. The teacher took great care to help them learn to [cherish all resources]. As for living things, she meticulously taught them, “Living beings bleed. If you harm them, pierce their skin, they will bleed. Do you think that hurts? Yes, it does. Do you want to hurt them? No.” This is how she taught them to adopt a vegetarian diet, to not eat the flesh of living beings.
Once these young children learned this, they would go home and teach their parents. “We must conserve water. Without water, we will be in trouble.” The children taught their parents in the same meticulous way. They also taught them to cherish everything and how to adopt a vegetarian diet. This is an example of how a teacher used many suitable analogies and words to teach children the virtuous Dharma in a way they can understand. This principle is the same. The Buddha, all Buddhas, taught in the same way. All past Buddhas also taught with countless skillful means. These skillful means can be applied in our daily living; we must choose to apply the suitable ones.
This is like how we are holding short-term spiritual retreats. For seven or eight days, [people] come to the Abode to live the same way as the monastics here. They wake up and start their day at the same time and then do their assigned chores together. As they do these chores, they learn that monastic practice is not easy. Every day begins before four in the morning. From then on, their day is packed; not a second is wasted. As they pull weeds outdoors, the teachings they each learn fill their hearts.
A Faith Corps member said that he saw a tall plastic pipe. This tall pipe was stuck in the ground like this. Amazingly, a weed happened to find its way into this pipe and grew so tall that it was taller than the pipe and came out the top. He said, “Because this weed found its way into the pipe, it has not been removed.” Even weeds are subject to causes and conditions. This one developed incredible resilience by finding its way into the pipe. He then said that this reminded him of my teaching about the piece of wood with a hole in it floating on the sea and the odds of a turtle swimming in the sea suddenly lifting its head and coincidentally sticking his head into that hole. He said, “When I saw this pipe with the weed growing out of it, I thought of what you said about how rare it is to encounter [the Dharma] in billions of kalpas. That I am able to join Tzu Chi and return to the Abode for this retreat is a [precious] affinity.”
Everyone, these incredible causes and conditions are also “skillful means” and can also be wisdom. As long as we are mindful, everything from sand to dirt to flowers to grass is speaking the Dharma to us. So, if we are always mindful in our daily living, is there any moment that we are not living according to the Dharma? Thus, it is said that in. ․the instant our minds open, we awaken. We can converse with the earth. As we weed, our heart is conversing with the grass and trees.
If we enter the Buddha’s understanding and views, we can use all Dharma in wondrous ways. There are many teachings we can realize in our daily living that can help us comprehend the Buddha-Dharma. This is why we must be mindful. Sometimes the Buddha has to teach the Dharma with various causes and conditions and analogies before we can understand how to use these methods to interact with nature.
So all Buddhas, “with analogies and expressions, have proclaimed all Dharma to sentient beings.” All Buddhas in the past and. Sakyamuni Buddha in the present all teach in this way. Even future Buddhas are also the same, present at all times and in all places. So, the Buddha-Dharma pervades the universe and [all] Dharma-realms because of past, present and future Buddhas. Future Buddhas are creating good affinities now. The teachings we faithfully accept and practice come from past Buddhas. We must cherish all teachings, respect the world and collectively amass good karma. If so, the Dharma is everywhere.
Next, we will talk about “infinite, countless skillful means.”
Infinite, countless skillful means: The Great, Middle and Small Vehicles, all forms of the Buddha-Dharma, are countless in number. They are all considered skillful means.
What are “infinite, countless skillful means”? When we review the Buddha’s teachings, the Great, Middle and Small Vehicles, “all forms of the Buddha-Dharma, are countless in number.” There are so many of them. All things in the world are teaching us the Dharma. [What we receive] depends on whether we have great, average or small capabilities. Those with great capabilities of the One Vehicle can immediately see the perfect and harmonious. Dharma-nature of all things in the world. A small seed will grow into a great tree. When Great Vehicle practitioners see a seed, they recognize that it will grow into a great tree in the future.
A mung bean soaked in water will germinate the next day. Those who have limited capabilities only have a limited view of the teachings. The greater their capabilities, the farther they can extrapolate the teachings. They can even think back to how this seed originated from the fruits of another great tree. This is the wisdom of Great Vehicle practitioners. Small and Middle Vehicle practitioners must use limited teachings to help them quickly learn.
The Buddha’s teachings are countless. There are many teachings encompassed in the One Vehicle Dharma, and those are all called “skillful means.” For the sake of the One Vehicle Dharma, the Buddha established skillful means. For the sake of the One Vehicle, He revealed the Three Vehicles.
“Means” are appropriate methods, and their “usage resonates with the capabilities of all sentient beings.”
[The Buddha] observes the [capabilities] of sentient beings and then gives them great or limited teachings.
“Means” are appropriate methods. Whichever skillful means [Buddhas] use must be suitable. For example, we must not trick kindergarteners; we must teach them in a way that helps them clearly understand consequences. Therefore, skillful means are still proper principles.
“Skillful” can also mean convenient. [Buddhas] “use skillful expressions and analogies to suit all kinds of capabilities.” They utilize many proper principles,
many correct principles. Even if the students are very young, we must still teach them with proper principles. Teaching with suitable expressions and analogies is using skillful means.
“Skillful is another way of saying suitable. Suitable principles are applied with ultimate wisdom; they take the shape of their container to conveniently benefit and guide people.”
Skillful means are convenient and proper principles for benefiting and guiding others. This is why we must be very grateful that the Buddha came to the world and utilized many expressions and analogies to guide us sentient beings. This helps all of us understand the principles and mindfully apply them in our daily living. Thus we can return to our intrinsic, pure Buddha-nature. So, we must always be mindful.