Episode 342 – The Time to Teach the Great Vehicle
>> Seize every present instant and do not let any moment slip by, Our thoughts at each instant determine whether we are noble or ordinary beings, thus this present moment is the right time.
>> I have not yet said to you all that all of you will attain Buddhahood. I did not say that because the time to speak had not come. Now is the right time, so. I have decided to teach the Great Vehicle Dharma.
>> Now is the right time: This present moment is the right time. Time, conditions and capabilities have matured. Time waits for no one. Upon encountering this excellent assembly at this time, now is the right time.
>> [He] decided to teach the Great Vehicle Dharma: The Sanskrit word Mahayana means Great Vehicle. Great simply means that it is not small or limited. Vehicle means it is a mode of transport that takes us from this shore to the opposite one.
>> [The Great Vehicle] can be compared to a large ship that can carry many people from
>> Those attached to seeking emptiness and stillness through teachings of Nirvana are Small Vehicle practitioners.
Seize every present instant
and do not let any moment slip by,
Our thoughts at each instant determine whether we are noble or ordinary beings,
thus this present moment is the right time.
We must seize the moment and sustain it forever. Each moment is the present for that point in time. Across thousands or tens of thousands of years, or across minutes or seconds, we need to be present in every instant. We must really take advantage of every moment and every second. This is to “seize the present.”
So, we must be diligent and “not let any moment slip by.” Do not let even the smallest increment of time slip by. The ancients said, “Time cannot be purchased with gold.” If we try to trade an ounce of gold for a moment of time, it will not work; that is impossible. So, we must not let even the smallest increment of space or time go to waste. Whether we are speaking of time or space, we must take advantage of every bit of it.
Actually, this “instant, our thoughts at each instant,” happens in the blink of an eye. The brief moment our eyes close is an instant. It is the time it takes for us to blink or for a thought to arise. This is how quickly that moment passes; it happens in the blink of an eye. See, this is the way time passes. However, “our thoughts at each instant determine whether we are noble or ordinary beings.” If we are always present and mindful, and if our thoughts are correct, that determines “whether we are noble or ordinary beings.”
If we give rise to this thought, if we resolve, aspire and vow to take the Dharma to heart and to manifest the Dharma in our actions, that thought [determines that we are noble]. If we allow [that thought] to slip away, then we will always remain ordinary beings. So, if in that instant, in “our thoughts at each instant,” we establish a strong resolve, we will learn and advance on the noble path.
With our thoughts, “Forming an aspiration is easy, sustaining it is hard.” If we form an aspiration but immediately lose it, if we cannot seize our thought in that moment and hold on to it, then we will forever be ordinary and unenlightened. Our capabilities will still be dull, and we will never understand natural phenomena. So, we must put our hearts into “seizing every present moment.” We must hold on tight and not let them slip away.
As I have told everyone in the past, we must not let go of listening, contemplating and practicing, the Three Flawless Studies, After we take the Dharma to heart, if we are not careful we will lose it. So, true spiritual practitioners will treasure each moment. We must adhere to every teaching we obtain.
Every moment is very valuable. Each present moment is full of wondrous Dharma, as is every time, space, person, object and state. This is true in every moment. But the Buddha waited over 40 years [to teach]. What was the problem? It was not the Buddha, but we ordinary people. As much as the Buddha wanted to share His spiritual state at the moment of His awakening, sadly, ordinary people could not understand it. So, the Buddha had to wait for over 40 years.
“Now is the right time.” This was stated in the sutra. So, “This present moment is the right time.” This time was the “right time.” This time refers to the present. What does “the present” refer to? To every moment of every day; we are always living in the present. This is the exact moment we can attain teachings. Any time can be the present.
There was once a spiritual practitioner who worked very hard and always used his time well to try to enter a truly tranquil state of mind. His name was Chajali. Chajali was always diligently practicing, he never had time to cut his hair or to shave his beard. He was covered in hair; both the hair on his chin and head were very long. For convenience’s sake, he coiled his hair on top of his head. Who knows how long it was, but it was all coiled on the top of his head. Then he sat down and entered Samadhi.
At that moment, a bird was about to lay eggs. She saw something resembling a nest, so she landed on top of it and quickly began to lay eggs. She laid one egg after another. After the bird laid the eggs, she felt free to incubate them there. Once in a while, she flew away to find food. Eventually, the eggs hatched and the nestlings emerged. The mother bird looked after the nestlings and sometimes flew away to find food for them.
After being in a state of deep meditation for some time, this spiritual practitioner awoke and felt that there was more weight on the top of his head. Also, something seemed to be moving. He reached up and discovered a bird’s nest. The eggs had just hatched, so there were nestlings and egg shells. The mother bird was away, so he was afraid to move. He tried to hold his breath and did not dare breathe too heavily. So, he only took shallow breaths for fear of frightening the birds. This was how he sat. One day passed, then two, then seven, then one month, two months, three months. During that time, the mother bird taught the nestlings to fly. As the nestlings matured, they needed their mother to teach them how to spread their wings and fly. Once they flew away, they needed to learn how to find their way back to the nest. In this way, one month passed, then two, then three. Finally, the mother bird and her nestlings flew away. These birds flew far away because fall was turning into winter and it was growing cold. This spiritual practitioner saw that the birds had left the nest and was beginning to feel quite cold, so he stood up with his frail body. For three months, he lived as if hibernating; his body had not moved one bit and he had only taken shallow breaths. So, he had very little physical strength and when he stood up, his body was frail and skinny. He walked without weight, as if he could be blown away by the winds that blew as fall became winter.
For a period of time, this man had lived in such a peaceful state, with heaven and earth, human and animal. Human and animals had lived together in harmony. He was so loving that he was afraid of startling the animals. For three months, he was really in harmony with the world. The mental state of this spiritual practitioner was such that heaven, earth, human and animal were all one. They were truly in a state of union. This serene state in the world was truly beautiful. That period of three months felt like the “present moment” to him, and his practice led him to cherish all things and to be one with the world. I always feel that this story truly shows that at any time, “now is the right time.” His mind was in Samadhi and so filled with love that heaven, earth, human and animal were one. This was the best time.
I have not yet said to you all that all of you will attain Buddhahood. I did not say that because the time to speak had not come. Now is the right time, so. I have decided to teach the Great Vehicle Dharma.
“Now is the right time”; this is the time. So, “Now is the right time, so I have decided to teach the Great Vehicle Dharma.” The Buddha announced this to everyone. In the past, He had not told everyone that they could all become Buddhas “because the time to speak had not come.” The time to speak had not yet arrived, but now this was the right time, so He decided to tell everyone. So, “Now is the right time,” What “time” does this refer to? It refers to a moment that has already arrived.
Now is the right time: This present moment is the right time. Time, conditions and capabilities have matured. Time waits for no one. Upon encountering this excellent assembly at this time, now is the right time.
In the past, the Buddha always said that sentient beings must have great capabilities, develop aspirations, earnestly and diligently move forward and understand the past. The teachings He gave and established were subtle and wondrous, and were the foundation for His present [teachings]. This is just like building a house. After the foundation is firmly established, it is time for the house to take shape above ground. This was the time to expound the great Dharma. “Now is the right time.” This means that the time has arrived. What is the time that has arrived? The karmic conditions and timing are ripe.
We cannot lack the [proper] conditions, and now, causes and conditions have completely matured. As for timing, now, after over 40 years, the principles of people, matters and objects [the assembly] had heard about and seen had probably been verified. They had probably seen and understood it all since the Buddha always seized the opportunity to teach them.
For example, one time He was walking and saw a young cowherd driving cattle. The Buddha suddenly smiled and shook His head. Ananda was very bright, so he immediately asked the Buddha, “Venerable Buddha, there must be a reason behind your smile.” He said, “Yes, the causes and conditions of life. You see, because the cattle need to drink water and graze the cowherd cares for them by driving them out. After they finish, they come back. When I see each cow return with a full belly, I feel a sense of sorrow, so I shake my head out of sadness. I could only smile at the foolishness of sentient beings. Full from water and grass, they grow fat. Eventually, they will be sold and it will be time for them to go to the slaughterhouse. I am sad that humans are just as foolish. Each day, they do not know death is approaching. So, I think about how sad life is in the human realm.”
You see, just by observing a herd of cattle leaving and coming back, He was able to teach Ananda the foolish ways in which humans and animals live their daily lives, day after day. This is how the Buddha looks at the world and teaches the Dharma according to capabilities whenever opportunities arise. This is an example of causes and conditions and timing.
Based on this timing and causes and conditions, He drew analogies and connected daily living to the Dharma. Based on their way of living, the Buddha gave teachings about impermanence and the foolishness of sentient beings. At every moment, He seizes the opportunity. In every moment, for the Buddha, causes and conditions are ripe. Based on our capabilities and karmic conditions, the Buddha gives suitable teachings.
Now, this moment, this time is different. The Lotus Assembly was an excellent assembly because every person’s capabilities had matured. The Buddha was about to freely express the Dharma in His heart that. He had always wanted to teach. So, “Time waits for no one. Upon encountering this excellent assembly at this time, now is the right time.” Now, at the Vulture Peak assembly, He could not wait any longer because seconds and minutes were constantly passing. The Buddha had already entered old age, so He had to quickly seize the opportunity to expound the wondrous Dharma in His heart. Indeed, time truly waits for no one.
So, He “decided to teach the Great Vehicle Dharma.” The Buddha had made this decision. He estimated the time [He had left] to expound the Great Dharma. He knew He needed time to teach it. Thus, He decided to speak.
[He] decided to teach the Great Vehicle Dharma: The Sanskrit word Mahayana means Great Vehicle. Great simply means that it is not small or limited. Vehicle means it is a mode of transport that takes us from this shore to the opposite one.
In “the Sanskrit word Mahayana, Maha” means great. So, “Mahaprajna” means “great prajna. Prajna” is wisdom, So, “Mahaprajna” is great wisdom. Therefore, it is “great. Mahasattva” means great Bodhisattva. So, “maha” means “great” in Sanskrit. “Yana” means “vehicle.” So, “the Great Vehicle” is “Mahayana.” The Sanskrit word Mahayana, means “the Great Vehicle” when translated.
“Great” means “it is not small or limited.” This is not the Small Vehicle, and it is different from the provisional teachings of the past. Now He taught the Great Vehicle, not the Small Vehicle. Only people with great capabilities and great faith can accept it. So, it is called “great,” meaning that it is not small, but great. “Vehicle” means carrier, a means of transport.
[The Great Vehicle] can be compared to a large ship that can carry many people from
this shore to the other.
In the past we were stubborn and clung to emptiness and stillness. Some spiritual practitioners could only sit and be in a state of deep meditation. That was the state of mind they sought. So, they only sought emptiness and Nirvana. In the past, the Buddha taught the Small Vehicle Dharma to people like this. This was like taking a brief rest at a conjured city; it was a limited teaching.
Those attached to seeking emptiness and stillness through teachings of Nirvana are Small Vehicle practitioners.
Now, it is time to begin to turn from these limited teachings to the Great Vehicle. So, in the Lotus Sutra, there is a passage stating about how opening all-encompassing wisdom is teaching the Great Vehicle Dharma. This “all-encompassing wisdom” is our intrinsic nature of True Suchness, which is the Great Vehicle Dharma.
So now, the Buddha had “decided to teach the Great Vehicle Dharma.” He was starting to teach, so we must mindfully prepare. The Buddha-Dharma has lasted for over 2000 years up to the present. Now we must review what the conditions were like when the Buddha taught the Great Dharma. How well we accept the Dharma depends on whether we are always mindful.