Episode 297 – Sentient Beings Will Ultimately Attain Wisdom
>> “These myriad living beings listen to the teachings from all Buddhas and will ultimately attain all-encompassing wisdom.”
>> These myriad living beings: All living beings are sentient. So, all animals have sentience and consciousness and arise out of a myriad of conditions. Thus we use myriad to describe living beings. Also, as they undergo myriad cycles of samsara, we use myriad to describe living beings. In the Ten Dharma-realms, aside from the Buddha [realm], beings in the other nine are sentient beings.
>> They also listen to “teachings from all Buddhas.” It is said, “The complete and immediate One Vehicle is subtle, wondrous, extremely profound and difficult to understand and enter.” People without sharp capabilities or superior wisdom listen to teachings and cannot comprehend them, listen to teachings and do not give rise to faith. They listen to teachings but do not believe them. Instead, they give rise to doubt and slander.
>> For example, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, though the ears of 5000 people rang with the Brahma-voice, they still withdrew and left.
>> “Even in infinite, limitless kalpas, hearing this Dharma is still difficult.”
>> [They] will ultimately attain: With perfect teachings and the ultimate fruit, in the stage of wondrous enlightenment, the delusions of ignorance will be eliminated and the embodiment of fundamental enlightenment will completely manifest. At that time, the mind sees its own nature and will always abide in it. This is the state of ultimate enlightenment.
All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have unsurpassed wisdom. All phenomena are in a tranquil and clear state. This tranquil and clear state is the Bodhisattva Way taught by the Buddha. The wisdom of all Bodhisattvas is close to the Buddha’s wisdom. Thus, the wisdom and mindset of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are in a very tranquil and clear state. So, every Bodhisattva has already entered the Tathagata’s pure and wondrous land, surpassing the wisdom of. Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.
So, the Lotus Sutra repeatedly states that the Buddha’s understanding and views cannot be realized by ordinary people. Even Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas cannot realize the Buddha’s understanding and views because He has all-encompassing wisdom. This all-encompassing wisdom, is the pure wisdom of the Tathagata. “It is called world-transcending supreme wisdom.” Supreme wisdom is all-encompassing wisdom, the wisdom of one who has attained supreme, perfect, universal enlightenment. It is the wisdom of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
This is how the Buddha helps all sentient beings realize the truths of the Buddhas. He did this not only for humans, but for all sentient beings. In the Agama teachings, there are so many stories. They take place not only in the human realm but also in the animal realm. The Buddha had also lived in the animal realm, not due to karmic retributions but due to His pure and unsurpassed wisdom. He lived as different animals to transform similar beings or to transform human beings. Even as an animal, He could transform humans. Even as the smallest creature, He could transform others.
The Buddha told a story from infinite kalpas ago. There was a Buddha named All-Transforming King. Among His disciples, there were two who stood out. One was Diligent-Rhetoric. One was Joyous-Virtue. Of these two disciples, one was very diligent and the other was very lazy. They were good spiritual friends. Diligent-Rhetoric knew that Joyous-Virtue sincerely wanted to hear the Buddha’s teachings. But when it came time to listen, once he sat down, he nodded off quickly. [Diligent-Rhetoric] could not bear to see this.
One day, he walked by Joyous-Virtue and saw him sleeping again. Diligent-Rhetoric called to him, “Joyous-Virtue, we must be energized and focused. We can no longer be lethargic. We must not allow momentary drowsiness or physical pleasures to make us forget such precious, wondrous Dharma. If we do not [learn it] in this lifetime, when will we encounter it again? If we lose our human form and grow distant from the Buddha-Dharma, where will we end up? We have no way of knowing.” With great sincerity, he gave this advice and encouragement.
Joyous-Virtue felt deeply remorseful and became more vigilant of himself. He began to practice earnestly. But after a few days, his mind slowly became drowsy and foggy again. Yet he constantly heard a voice in his head, “Be diligent, be diligent. Once our human form is lost, it may take countless kalpas to regain.” So, he found a spot by the water with a rock and sat on top of it [to meditate]. He reminded himself, “If I fall asleep, the slightest movement from nodding off, will cause me to fall into the water.” Thus, he reminded himself to be vigilant. But after sitting there for a while, he dozed off again.
Diligent-Rhetoric saw this from afar. So, [Diligent-Rhetoric] transformed into a bee and intentionally buzzed in front of. Joyous-Virtue’s face. Every time Joyous-Virtue closed his eyes, the bee would fly and buzz in front of his eyes. Then he would quickly open his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he would see this bee flying back and forth. Then he noticed it would fly to a lotus flower on the pond. [When it flew] above the lotus flower, it opened and the bee landed on the lotus blossom.
Suddenly, a gust of wind shook the flower and caused it to bend over so the bee fell into the pond. The pond was muddy and the bee struggled mightily to get out. It kept struggling vigorously until it finally freed itself from the mud. Then it flew over the surface of the clear water, seemingly to wash off the mud from its wings by beating them against the water. This completely washed off the mud. Then it returned to the lotus pod and, at ease once again, looked up into the sky.
The bhiksu observed this entire process and attained a great realization. Wasn’t this kind of scene a reminder for himself to be vigilant? “If we are enamored with the taste of nectar, we will easily become too comfortable and will easily fall into the mud. As we engage in spiritual practice, we need to be vigilant under all conditions and make use of this lifetime to transform ourselves.”
It is very easy to become inspired, but if we do not sustain our [aspirations], we may not be [born human] again for eons. He felt as if the bee was speaking to him, so he reminded himself to be vigilant. He felt very motivated to work hard.
After finishing this story, Sakyamuni Buddha then said, “Do you know that. Diligent-Rhetoric was me, Sakyamuni Buddha, in a past life? Joyous-Virtue is now Maitreya Bodhisattva, who will be the next Buddha. In our past lives, we were companions in seeking the Dharma. I have constantly reminded Maitreya through various means.”
As it turns out, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have been each other’s companions, life after life. They taught and supported each other on the path. This helps us realize how wondrous the Dharma is. “All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have supreme wisdom.” Who is transforming whom? In the future, when Maitreya manifests as a Buddha, I believe that Sakyamuni will become a Bodhisattva and assist at [Maitreya’s] Dharma-assembly.
Based on this understanding, we can realize that we all come to the world due to karmic conditions. So, some people manifest as. Hearers and Solitary Realizers. Without Hearers and Solitary Realizers, how would the Buddha continue to teach the Dharma He safeguarded in His heart? So, this passage in the sutra keeps describing “various causes and conditions.” These “various causes and conditions” encompass many karmic conditions, which are all teachings.
Now we know,
“These myriad living beings listen to the teachings from all Buddhas and will ultimately attain all-encompassing wisdom.”
By utilizing various causes and conditions, the Buddha hopes all sentient beings can listen to the Dharma and ultimately attain all-encompassing wisdom. He hopes that everyone will not only realize the teachings for Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas, not just the Four Noble Truths and. Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, but also actualize the Six Perfections in all actions. This shows the Buddha’s care and effort.
Here, “these myriad living beings” is explained as meaning sentient beings.
These myriad living beings: All living beings are sentient. So, all animals have sentience and consciousness and arise out of a myriad of conditions. Thus we use myriad to describe living beings. Also, as they undergo myriad cycles of samsara, we use myriad to describe living beings. In the Ten Dharma-realms, aside from the Buddha [realm], beings in the other nine are sentient beings.
So, all animals have sentience and consciousness. We all have the Eight Consciousnesses. Not only do humans have them, all animals also have “consciousnesses,” so all are considered “sentient.” All animals can be considered “sentient.”
“They arise out of a myriad of conditions. Thus we use myriad to describe living beings.” Those with sentience and consciousness are considered “sentient.” Because we have accumulated a myriad of causes and conditions, we are part of the myriads of sentient beings. Animals had karmic conditions to become animals. Those with the blessed conditions to be born in heaven are heavenly beings. Those who accumulate evil causes and conditions will become sentient beings who suffer in hell. In conclusion, sentient beings are conscious beings who amass various conditions. Those with sentience and consciousness in the Six Realms are all sentient beings.
Also, “as they undergo myriad cycles of samsara, we use myriad to describe living beings.” We do not know how long we have been transmigrating within the Six Realms. We have experienced birth and death many times, for many lifetimes and in many realms. This happens myriads of times to all sentient beings.
“[They exist] in the Ten Dharma-realms.” The Ten Dharma-realms are the Four Noble and Six Unenlightened Realms. I have explained this before. In the Ten Dharma-realms, aside from the Buddha [realm], beings in the other nine are all sentient beings. Bodhisattvas are “awakened sentient beings,” some are even “great awakened sentient beings.” An awakened person can be called “an awakened sentient being.”
They also listen to “teachings from all Buddhas.” It is said, “The complete and immediate One Vehicle is subtle, wondrous, extremely profound and difficult to understand and enter.” People without sharp capabilities or superior wisdom listen to teachings and cannot comprehend them, listen to teachings and do not give rise to faith. They listen to teachings but do not believe them. Instead, they give rise to doubt and slander.
There are many such people right now, people without sharp capabilities.
For example, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, though the ears of 5000 people rang with the Brahma-voice, they still withdrew and left.
For example, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly 5000 people withdrew and walked out. Remember this? When the Buddha was in the world, He put in great effort to guide people to cherish the Dharma, to seize the moment and to mindfully accept [teachings]. Still, as He began to speak, many people at the assembly paid their respects and then left. This happened even during His time in this world. For those without sharp capabilities, accepting the ultimate reality of the One Vehicle is truly not easy.
So, the sutra states,
“Even in infinite, limitless kalpas, hearing this Dharma is still difficult.”
For a long time, we have been listening to teachings. But to truly hear the essence of the Dharma is very difficult. Moreover, there are many who do not yet have the karmic conditions to accept teachings. There are also those who accepted the Dharma but do not have sufficient capabilities. To hear the true principles of the One Vehicle is not easy. This shows how hard it is to listen to teachings.
[They] will ultimately attain: With perfect teachings and the ultimate fruit, in the stage of wondrous enlightenment, the delusions of ignorance will be eliminated and the embodiment of fundamental enlightenment will completely manifest. At that time, the mind sees its own nature and will always abide in it. This is the state of ultimate enlightenment.
“[They] ultimately attain all-encompassing wisdom” which is perfect teachings and the ultimate fruit, the stage of wondrous enlightenment. The Buddha hopes that we can all attain perfect and wondrous enlightenment and return to our intrinsic nature. He hopes that once we fully eliminate the delusions of ignorance, the embodiment of fundamental enlightenment will manifest.
In listening to the teachings, we must be mindful. After listening, we must contemplate and practice to really penetrate their principles. When the embodiment of enlightenment has completely manifested, “the mind sees its own nature.” When the mind can see its intrinsic nature, “it will always abide in it. This is the state of ultimate enlightenment.” If our minds can always abide in our pure intrinsic nature, we have attained ultimate enlightenment, which is perfect, wondrous enlightenment and the pure intrinsic nature of True Suchness.
So, learning the Buddha’s teachings really requires constant self-vigilance. When practicing the Bodhisattva-path, even the slightest bit of carelessness can lead us to be confused, drowsy and indolent again. So, we must constantly raise our awareness and always be mindful.