Episode 346 – Walking the Path According to the Dharma
>> We are born with delusional thinking. Value can be seen in many different ways. Having many expectations, we are never satisfied. If we are content, we are always grateful. Those without greed feel the most well-off. Those with virtue feel they have more than enough.
>> [They,] under infinite Buddhas, have walked the profound and wondrous path. For these Buddha-children, I give the Great Vehicle teachings. I predict that people who practice such teachings, in a future life, will attain Buddhahood.
>> For these Buddha-children: This is also a reference to all sentient beings because they all have Buddha-nature. Sentient beings can be nourished by great teachings to develop their wisdom-life. Thus, they are like the children of all Buddhas.
>> “Today, indeed, I know that. I am a true child of the Buddha, born from the Buddha’s mouth and transformed by the Dharma; I have obtained a share of the Buddha-Dharma.”
>> I give the Great Vehicle teachings: The Buddha assesses great and limited capacities to give either Great or Small [Vehicle] teachings. For those with limited capabilities, He gave Hearer and Pratyekabuddha teachings. Those are considered Small Vehicle [Dharma]. For those with great capabilities, He taught the One Vehicle, the great, subtle, wondrous and true Dharma. This is called the Great Vehicle sutra treasury.
>> I predict that people who practice such teachings: Those who practice according to the Dharma solemnly practice the flawless studies of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, actualize the Six Paramitas and establish the Four Infinite Minds.
>> [They], in a future life, will attain Buddhahood: In future lifetimes, they will diligently engage in spiritual practice and will never go astray. By staying on the Middle Way, they will then attain supreme, perfect and universal wisdom.
We are born with delusional thinking.
Value can be seen in many different ways.
Having many expectations, we are never satisfied.
If we are content, we are always grateful.
Those without greed feel the most well-off.
Those with virtue feel they have more than enough.
I often think, “Indeed, we are born into this life with delusional thinking, which causes us to feel lost. Why exactly do we come to this world? What is the value of life? In our time here on Earth, what exactly is it that we seek?”
When we think about life’s value, “value can be seen in many different ways.” What kind of people do we want to be, what kind of things do we want out of life and what kind of environment do we want to be in? How many of our needs must be met before we will feel satisfied?
We all live on this same planet, but the poor and suffering are powerless and have nowhere to turn. As for those who are well off, they seek more and more. Can they be satisfied? No, they cannot. This is another way of life. They live a wealthy life, but are they happy? No, they are not. I often say, the more we gain, the more we worry about loss but in our hearts, we never feel content. So, “if we seek much, we are never satisfied.”
What exactly is the best way to live? With contentment. Aside from feeling content, we must always feel grateful. Those who are content will naturally feel a sense of gratitude. Those who are content and grateful enjoy life the most. They do not seek wealth or luxuries. The more we seek, the more we suffer.
What kind of people is content and not greedy? Virtuous people. We must engage in spiritual practice and realize that all conditioned phenomena in the world will arise and cease, so we must seek unconditioned Dharma, the true principles. True principles enable us to always be content and allow us to penetrate teachings so that we will be grateful for all people and all things. These principles help us to be content and seek nothing.
By penetrating principles, we can apply them in our daily living. They pave the road before us, which is the great, direct Bodhi-path. If we walk forward wholeheartedly, then this road will be wide, straight and level. Then, we will have more than enough. There is a very long road for us to walk, a very smooth road that feels very safe. The virtuous feel they have more than enough.
In life, we may pursue many things. But how much we attain depends on how we lived in our past lives. The causes and conditions we brought with us determine the retributions we face in this life. If we are born in a wealthy country, in a wealthy family, to very good parents, this means we created causes in a past life that bring us wealth.
Some created [good] causes and conditions in their past lives, but are not taking advantage of them in this life to seek truths and help other people. This is really a pity. They do not give, but just greedily seek more. When awakened beings see them, they feel sad that people are just relying on good karmic conditions from the past to live comfortably, and thus remain deluded. This is very sad! When awakened ones see these deluded people, they feel sad for them.
In contrast, consider those who are born into a land with many disadvantages. Their lives are impoverished. However, in such a poor environment, they can develop a sense of abundant love and willingness to give. The awakened ones see them as role models. There is much abundance in their lives, and they are living most virtuous lives. These Bodhisattvas are “virtuous [and] feel they have more than enough.” All this is because they have the karmic affinity to be born in that country and to be able to give to others and help people there.
In the country of South Africa, there is a group of people who look different but share the same mission as us and have developed the same aspiration to willingly give. Thus, for so many years, this large group of South African volunteers have worked with a sense of happiness and freedom. Though the road is difficult, they still traverse it happily. As they climb mountains and walk rough roads, they are constantly smiling and singing. These happy songs keep them company, so they happily keep walking forward. Where are they going? To help people with AIDS. They bathe them, help clean [their homes], comfort them and deliver material goods to them. [The volunteers] are poor, but they are wealthy.
In 2012 alone, Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture gave over 600 tons of rice to Tzu Chi for us to transport to countries in Africa, We divided the rice among three or four countries and [distributed them] based on need.
Consider our work in Swaziland. It took time to set the criteria, identify the families and create the distribution list. We were distributing 3000 bags of rice, which would be given to 3000 households. How many Bodhisattvas do we have in South Africa? At most five or six of them could go to Swaziland, so they started their preparations in March. Besides surveying the area, they began to share Tzu Chi’s ideals, little by little, in this way guiding the local people. Over time, their efforts yielded volunteers. By the time they distributed the rice in August, they had already recruited local volunteers.
So after the distribution at the end of August, the local volunteers started fundraising on the street. Why did they fundraise? They did it for those without families, for orphans and old people living by themselves and for those who had greater needs. The spirit of the bamboo banks became deeply rooted in their hearts, so they took action and started fundraising. Ultimately, their actions moved an Indian businessman in Swaziland, so he also started providing financial support.
They are already using the money they raised to support orphans on a monthly basis. Some of these orphans were children with AIDS, others were poor or abandoned. They were able to support these children, as well as those who are old and ill. These local volunteers had already formed groups to visit poor families to clean their homes, to wash and groom their bodies, and to comfort and care for them. If we think about it, aren’t they the most endearing role models? They are truly bringing happiness to Africa, so those who are poor can still be happy.
But we must also transform those living in places of abundance so the wealthy can also become courteous. Then they can also develop expansive hearts, humble themselves and truly give. Then they will be the wealthy among the wealthy. After seeking and attaining much, they must be very content. The more content they are, the more they can give. If they seek much but do not feel content, they will suffer, perhaps even more so than those in Africa.
So, how does being poor or rich affect us? Does it lead us to be very happy and to help others in the world? Does it cause us to be very worried about gains and losses? This is how the world is, so the Buddha comes to teach us to have a clear and expansive view of the world so we can benefit others. Among the poor, there are those who feel wealthy. Among the wealthy, there are those who feel poor. If we can see clearly, we realize that everything is created by the mind.
So the sutra passage states, “[They,] under infinite Buddhas, have walked the profound and wondrous path.” This is a profound and wondrous path. After we attain these principles, how do we use them to pave a road? How long or how far does it need to extend? How many people will join us on this road? When we walk the profound and wondrous path, if we can penetrate its principles, there is no goal we cannot attain. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
[They,] under infinite Buddhas, have walked the profound and wondrous path. For these Buddha-children, I give the Great Vehicle teachings. I predict that people who practice such teachings, in a future life, will attain Buddhahood.
So “for these Buddha-children, I give the Great Vehicle teachings. Buddha-children” is also a common way of referring to sentient beings.
For these Buddha-children: This is also a reference to all sentient beings because they all have Buddha-nature. Sentient beings can be nourished by great teachings to develop their wisdom-life. Thus, they are like the children of all Buddhas.
The mind, Buddhas and sentient beings are no different [in their nature]. Buddha-children began as ordinary people, as sentient beings. Because they are returning to and drawing near the state of Buddhas, they are Buddha-children. This means that when they were ordinary people, they already entered and began walking this path. All sentient beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature, so they are called Buddha-children.
This comes from accepting the Buddha’s teachings. We must accept the Buddha’s teachings and learn what we can do and cannot do. If we are able to, we should just do it. This is wisdom. If something should not be done, we should prevent ourselves from doing it. If we do those things, we are foolish. So, if we accept the Buddha’s teachings we “can be nourished by great teachings to develop our wisdom-life.” Accepting the teachings is like using Dharma-water to nourish the long-arid land in our hearts. Now that we have the Dharma-water, our wisdom-life can finally grow.
We all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. When a seed is planted in the field of our minds and is nourished and immersed by Dharma-water, our wisdom-life will grow. This makes us Buddha-children. In the Lotus Sutra, there is a passage that states,
“Today, indeed, I know that. I am a true child of the Buddha, born from the Buddha’s mouth and transformed by the Dharma; I have obtained a share of the Buddha-Dharma.”
This is in the Chapter on Parables. Sariputra and other disciples realized, “Today I have finally learned that. I am a true child of the Buddha; I am born from the Buddha’s mouth,” because the Dharma comes from His mouth, and we have taken the Dharma to heart. So, we are “born from the Buddha’s mouth and transformed by the Dharma.” Dharma can transform us ordinary people into sages and noble beings. This is being “transformed by the Dharma.”
We can “obtain a share of the Buddha-Dharma.” If we are mindful, we can gradually take the Dharma to heart. By taking it to heart we remember it. Thus we “obtain a share of the Buddha-Dharma.” The Buddha-Dharma, bit by bit, has entered our hearts. This is why the Buddha began to “give the Great Vehicle teachings.”
I give the Great Vehicle teachings: The Buddha assesses great and limited capacities to give either Great or Small [Vehicle] teachings. For those with limited capabilities, He gave Hearer and Pratyekabuddha teachings. Those are considered Small Vehicle [Dharma]. For those with great capabilities, He taught the One Vehicle, the great, subtle, wondrous and true Dharma. This is called the Great Vehicle sutra treasury.
The Great Vehicle teachings are the Lotus Sutra. For over 40 years, the Buddha gradually learned about us. So, He “assessed” and He made a plan. He comprehended and figured out what teachings we could accept, and then gave those teachings. These teachings are the foundation for the path to the Great Vehicle. So, “the Buddha assesses great and limited capacities to give either Great or Small [Vehicle] teachings.” The Small and Middle Vehicle teachings are teachings for Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas.
You likely still remember that. Hearers practice the Four Noble Truths and. Pratyekabuddhas or Solitary Realizers practice the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. These two types of teachings are for Hearers and Solitary Realizers, for those with limited capabilities. Both of these are Small Vehicle teachings and are provisional, skillful means. For those with great capabilities, the Buddha gave the subtle and wondrous true teaching of the One Vehicle. His goal is to teach the One Vehicle path, the subtle and wondrous true Dharma.
We feel that the Dharma has influenced many people. Tzu Chi was founded in Taiwan, and now we can see its presence around the world in so many countries, from the richest countries to the poorest ones. Though they are poor, they are very happy because they can do good deeds. When we see others freed from suffering, that makes us so happy. Indeed, these are all the subtle, wondrous, true Dharma of the One Vehicle. This teaches us to give to others. This “is called the Great Vehicle sutra treasury.”
“I predict that people who practice such teachings…. People who practice such teachings” are those who practice according to the Dharma.
I predict that people who practice such teachings: Those who practice according to the Dharma solemnly practice the flawless studies of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, actualize the Six Paramitas and establish the Four Infinite Minds.
“People who practice such teachings” are those who practice according to the Dharma. It means they are cautious and vigilant, so they can guard against wrongs and stop evils. Those who earnestly and diligently practice will “carefully cultivate the flawless studies of precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.”
Then when we are among sentient beings, our minds will not be tempted by desires and pleasures and will not be defiled by other afflictions. We do this by cautiously upholding precepts, by sincerely and vigilantly cultivating the flawless studies of precepts, Samadhi, wisdom, and “actualizing the Six Paramitas.” We must take good care of our minds and our behavior, and more earnestly practice the Six Paramitas. We must also [develop] the Four Infinite Minds. The Buddha predicts that these people, “in a future life, will attain Buddhahood.”
This will happen in the future, in a future life. How many future lifetimes will that take? Regardless, the most important thing right now is to aim ourselves in the right direction on this long road and walk it with determination to take good care of our minds. Then after this and future lifetimes, if we do not stray from this path, we will ultimately attain Buddhahood.
[They], in a future life, will attain Buddhahood: In future lifetimes, they will diligently engage in spiritual practice and will never go astray. By staying on the Middle Way, they will then attain supreme, perfect and universal wisdom.
“In future lifetimes,” we will eventually arrive at the end of our long road. As long as we practice the Six Paramitas, the Four Infinite Minds and the Three Flawless Studies, then we can continue on this path. So, “we can diligently engage in spiritual practice and never go astray. By staying on the Middle Way, we will then attain supreme, perfect and universal wisdom.”
We must stay on the Middle Way, between true emptiness and wondrous existence. In emptiness, there is wondrous existence. If we become attached to emptiness, we will deny the law of cause and effect. If we become attached to existence, our faith will be deluded and we will degenerate. We know that everything is empty in nature, but in emptiness there is wondrous existence. Everything is truly empty. But in true emptiness there is truly subtle and wondrous existence. If we can penetrate the principles of unconditioned Dharma, the conditioned phenomena we encounter become an opportunity for spiritual practice. If we understand these principles, we will understand all things. All principles lead to the Bodhi-path. So everyone, please always be mindful.