Episode 305 – Let Go of Deeply Rooted Attachments
>> “[The Buddha] understands ultimate reality and the source and origin of all things. There is nothing He does not understand and see, like the sun illuminating the world, like a mirror reflecting appearances, which reflects everything wherever it is.”
>> “They wish for sentient beings to realize all Buddhas’ understanding and views.”
>> “They wish to enable sentient beings to enter all Buddhas’ understanding and views.”
>> “Sariputra, I am now doing the same. I know that sentient beings have various desires and attachments deep in their minds.”
>> Deeply rooted in their minds: 1. The vow to seek the Dharma is extremely deep and respectful 2. The will to seek great and profound Dharma is extremely deep and intentional 3. The original vow to have deep faith in the Buddha and have no doubts is a firm and unwavering choice to act benevolently.
>> “According to their original nature, with various causes and conditions, analogies and expressions and the power of skillful means, gives teachings.”
>> This means that “the Buddha’s intrinsic great wisdom can illuminate our natures so we can see that we are no different from the Buddha and replete with wondrous virtues as many as the sands of the Ganges.”
>> Original nature can be general and particular 1. General nature refers to the original nature of all things, which is empty and tranquil, non-arising and non-ceasing. It has always been thus. True Suchness and Buddha-nature are the same 2. Particular nature refers to how people who enjoy committing evils become evil in nature and how people who do many good deeds become good in nature, just as fires are hot in nature and water is wet in nature.
“[The Buddha] understands ultimate reality
and the source and origin of all things.
There is nothing He does not understand and see,
like the sun illuminating the world,
like a mirror reflecting appearances,
which reflects everything wherever it is.”
When the Buddha was in the world. He had thoroughly understood the truths of all things in the universe and the natures and appearances of all principles. He completely understood every object, every appearance and every nature. [He knows] “the source and origin of all things,” which is infinite and countless. He fully penetrates the natures and phenomena of principles; there is nothing He does not understand or see; He understands everything. Everything, from the sky to the universe, to the Three Realms, the desire, form and formless realms and so on, and all the underlying principles are, as the Buddha says, as apparent to Him as if they are right in front of Him. He completely comprehends their appearances.
This is like the way the sun in the sky can illuminate all things on Earth. When the sun is out, sunlight can reach everything unless it is blocked by clouds. Regardless, the sun is still there. If we attain the state of Buddhahood, we have already brushed aside all the clouds, so the sky is clear, and the sun shines brightly. With a clear sky and a bright sun, the entire land is illuminated by the sunlight.
Therefore, the Buddha’s understanding and views are like sunlight illuminating the world, everything from high mountains to great oceans. As long as the sun is out, nothing can block its light. This is an analogy for the Buddha’s wisdom. In fact, I always say that all of us have Buddha-wisdom, but it has been covered. Like a mirror reflecting appearances, it reflects everything wherever it is. So, wherever the mirror is, naturally it can reflect the world around it. When we pick up a mirror, we can see our expansive surrounding in the face of the small mirror. This mirror can contain the wider world.
So, the mind is a mirror. I always tell you that the mirror is an analogy for the nature of the Tathagata’s mind. Our external conditions will be reflected in this mirror, but once these conditions pass, the mirror will not retain any trace of them. We hope our minds can work in the same way, mirroring and reflecting appearances. How do we attain clear wisdom and not retain defilements in our minds? This is very important.
If we understand the origin of all things, “there is nothing we will not understand and see, like the sun illuminating the world.” We can understand everything we want to. Take a mirror for example. As long as we mindfully wipe it clean, the function of the mirror can be restored. The issue is that we may have covered this mirror, tainted it with filth and dust. Otherwise this mirror would always be clean. We all have this pure and clear mirror in us, but it has been tainted by the dust around us. As we now engage in spiritual practice, we must work hard to clear off this dust and protect this mirror. Once we clean it, we cannot allow it to be dirtied again. These are the teachings that the Buddha took great care to give us sentient beings. So, we must take the Dharma to heart.
The Buddha’s desire, His hope, is for His understanding and views to awaken sentient beings. He wants to awaken sentient beings with all Buddhas’ understanding and views. The sutra passage we have been discussing keep stating,
“They wish for sentient beings to realize all Buddhas’ understanding and views.”
The Buddha comes to the world solely for this.
“They wish to enable sentient beings to enter all Buddhas’ understanding and views.”
Next, [the sutra passage] states,
“Sariputra, I am now doing the same. I know that sentient beings have various desires and attachments deep in their minds.”
The Buddha said to Sariputra again, “Sariputra, I am now also doing this. All past Buddhas did this, and now I, Sakyamuni Buddha, am also doing this. I can better understand sentient beings and their various desires.” Because all Buddhas understand that sentient beings’ capabilities vary, They use skillful means to teach them. In order to utilize various means, They have to first understand what sentient beings are thinking deep in their minds. The sentient beings He is speaking of here are those who have deep faith and have already accepted His teachings. But even people with deep faith and no doubts still have “attachments deep in their minds.”
The Buddha works very hard. Though sentient beings are foolish and ignorant, the Buddha will gently coax them like children. These children are in a state of confusion, so how can He get them to not fuss and cry? “Come, I will give you a piece of candy. Come, how can I get you to calm down? I will take care of you.” To deal with these young and ignorant “children,” He had to teach according to their desires.
When the Buddha was in this world, He taught according to Buddhist practitioners’ capabilities. For those with basic and average capabilities, He gradually guided them toward developing great capabilities. With great capabilities, they would have deep faith. But even people with deep faith have attachments. Even if they really want to understand something, they still have attachments. They are like professors who keep researching a very specific subject area; that is their attachment. The deeper they go, the more attachments they form because they think only their results are right.
This also applies to we who learn the Buddha’s teachings. In Buddhism, each school has its own attachments. But the Buddha did not want people to form attachments. Still, having them deeply rooted is good; by being mindful, having teachings deeply rooted, they can expand their minds. Doing these things are good because it shows that they accepted and have respect for the Dharma.
Deeply rooted in their minds: 1. The vow to seek the Dharma is extremely deep and respectful 2. The will to seek great and profound Dharma is extremely deep and intentional 3. The original vow to have deep faith in the Buddha and have no doubts is a firm and unwavering choice to act benevolently.
First, “The vow to seek the Dharma is extremely deep and respectful.” Second is “the will to seek great and profound. Buddha-Dharma.” Their will is to seek great and profound Buddha-Dharma. We know that the Dharma is endlessly expansive and boundless, So, the will to seek great and profound Buddha-Dharma must be “extremely deep and intentional.” This kind of will has to be extremely deep. A mind that seeks the Dharma must have this kind of strong will. The third part is “the original vow to have deep faith in the Buddha and have no doubts.” This is also deep in the mind. As for those attachments deep in the mind, how do we describe them? As convictions.
Some people hold that their beliefs are correct. That is their attachment. But the Buddha understands sentient beings’ capabilities and would rather they become attached to “a firm and unwavering choice to act benevolently” instead of to their own state of mind. If they are attached to their own state of mind, it would be impossible to spread the Dharma far and wide. If people become attached to extremes, the teachings would not be good. So, the Buddha hopes people could take His teachings deep into their minds. But sentient beings still have attachments and are attached to extremes; this was not what He wanted.
So, the Buddha still teaches “according to their original nature.” He still has to teach in accord with people’s natures. Although we seek the Buddha-Dharma, we still need to eliminate attachments. So, for these sentient beings, the Buddha,
“According to their original nature, with various causes and conditions, analogies and expressions and the power of skillful means, gives teachings.”
Those with deep understanding will have faith. However, though they have faith, they still have attachments. So, the Buddha still has to find a way for the Dharma they have deep faith in to grow roots that are not only deep, but very broad and extensive. This is the Root of Faith.
The Buddha works very hard. For a person with limited capabilities, the Buddha must give basic teachings. For a person with average roots and capabilities, He gives average teachings. For a person with great roots and capabilities, He must take even greater care to help those with great capabilities to attain a more thorough understanding. If they can attain [realizations], it will greatly benefit sentient beings. Aside from eliminating their own attachments, they can also widely help all sentient beings. Since the Buddha teaches the. Bodhisattva-path for the sake of sentient beings, When teaching those with great capabilities, He took great care.
So, we should understand that He taught “according to their original nature.”
This means that “the Buddha’s intrinsic great wisdom can illuminate our natures so we can see that we are no different from the Buddha and replete with wondrous virtues as many as the sands of the Ganges.”
This is describing the Buddha’s understanding, because the Buddha’s nature is already replete with wondrous virtues as many as the sands of the Ganges. The Buddha has already attained infinite and countless virtues. But the Buddha also knows that every sentient being intrinsically has great wisdom and is inherently a Buddha. I have already spent time explaining how all Buddhas were once sentient beings who took joy in the Buddha-Dharma. They sought it and then diligently learned it, so They attained Buddhahood. Sakyamuni Buddha did this. Other Buddhas also began as sentient beings. All beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature,
so the original nature we are talking about is clearly understood by the Buddha. He also understands that all sentient beings intrinsically have this radiant wisdom, so we can illuminate ourselves and contemplate our own nature.
When we listen to teachings, we also need to reflect on our own nature. External causes and conditions are analogies that we can use to understand ourselves. Thus, Tzu Chi volunteers often say, “Witness suffering to recognize blessings.” We look around and promptly reflect on ourselves. What do we have to complain about? Look at all the suffering around us. What is there for us to cling to or pursue?
Therefore, the Buddha is telling us something more profound. We must reflect on our own nature, not just compare ourselves to other people. We think we are suffering, but others are experiencing even more suffering. Such is life. We should [focus on] our self-nature. The Buddha says that we must compare ourselves with Him. He says He has an original nature, which all sentient beings intrinsically have. We must believe this. Deep in our hearts, we must believe that our original nature is equal to Buddha’s nature. So, we must promptly reflect on ourselves.
This self-reflection is wisdom, which is also intrinsic. We are intrinsically Buddhas, with Buddha-nature and have wondrous virtues, numbering as many as the sands of the Ganges. We do not just have a hint of Buddha-nature, it is very extensive and has as many merits as the sands of the Ganges. This is our original nature, our Buddha-nature. It is our “intrinsic Buddha.” Every one of us has an intrinsic Buddha. There are two kinds of original nature.
Original nature can be general and particular 1. General nature refers to the original nature of all things, which is empty and tranquil, non-arising and non-ceasing. It has always been thus. True Suchness and Buddha-nature are the same 2. Particular nature refers to how people who enjoy committing evils become evil in nature and how people who do many good deeds become good in nature, just as fires are hot in nature and water is wet in nature.
First is general nature, referring to “the original nature of all things, which is empty and tranquil.” The nature of all things is inherently empty. Only when we look at them as a whole can we apply this label to their nature. Indeed, we often say that in our world there are so many things. Each thing is not simply [made of] one thing. Many causes and conditions must converge for it to become this thing. A grain of sand, a tiny particle, has not always existed as a grain of sand. It is also shaped by the mountains and rivers, the universe and climate, to be what it is now. Therefore, the nature of all things is empty and tranquil. Nothing can simply arise on its own.
The same applies to us coming to the world; our mother and father had to come together, etc. All things in the world work in the same way. Once causes and conditions disperse, nothing will be left. Thus, “original nature is empty and tranquil, non-arising and non-ceasing. It has always been thus,” always been in this state of true emptiness. “True Suchness and Buddha-nature are the same.” Our True Suchness and the Buddha’s nature are the same, so our nature is actually empty and tranquil. Haven’t we always said that the Buddha’s wondrous nature of True Suchness is non-arising and non-ceasing, tranquil and clear?
Second is particular nature. Earlier we talked about general nature, now we will speak of particular nature. So, “people who enjoy committing evils” become evil in nature. [Some people] do many good deeds. If we are inclined to goodness, we do good deeds. If we are inclined to evil, we do evil deeds. With good and evil, if someone does evil deeds, we know this person has a very evil nature. If someone always does good deeds, then this person has a very good nature, then this person is intrinsically kind. But actually, according to the Buddha’s teachings, good, evil and indeterminate [karma] are simply habitual tendencies formed by the convergence of causes and conditions.
[This is their nature,] “just as fires are hot in nature.” Fire needs to be produced; it does not exist [permanently] and requires the convergence of causes and conditions. Trees also arise from the union of the four elements. These elements come together to create things. The growing and wilting of things depend on them. Water can help trees grow, while trees can help create fire. They all help each other.
When we analyze an element specifically, we examine its conditioned nature. If we touch something hot, we think of that as the nature of fire. Everything we see in the world is conditioned and has a particular nature. So, “just as fires are hot in nature” and “water is wet in nature, we call this particular nature.” These things are distinguishable; their appearances reflect their natures.
An appearance requires the convergence of many elements. Each kind of appearance has its own label and each label refers to a different kind of nature. Water has the nature of water, which is wet. Fire has the nature of fire, which is hot. Everything that is conditioned and created has a particular nature.
To know if something is good or evil, we look at what it leads to, its appearance, and analyze it based on that. But actually, the true nature of things is empty. Even when things converge, there is only one nature of True Suchness. That is the most real.
Everyone, this seems to be very profound, but we are still using external conditions to reflect on our nature. From the shallow we can see the profound; from matters, we can realize our original nature. This depends on how mindful we are.