Episode 4 – Inspiring Diligent Action
>> “Past, present and future are not different times. Great love is selfless and immersed in wisdom. When we listen to the Dharma, we must take it to heart and diligently practice. When the Buddha is in our heart, the Dharma is in our actions.”
>> “If people with scattered minds enter stupas or temples, once they recite, ‘Namo Buddha,’ they will have realized the path to Buddhahood.”
>> “For all Buddhas of the past, whether in this world or after entering Parinirvana, if people have heard Their teachings, they will have realized the path to Buddhahood.”
>> For all Buddhas of the past, whether in the world or after entering Parinirvana: In the past, those who had erected stupas, created images and made offerings of respect had created the causes for long-nurturing the roots of goodness and increasing blessings and wisdom. With all these extraordinary causes for internalizing teachings, we can give rise to flawless merits.
>> If people have heard Their teachings, they have realized the path to Buddhahood: If we form an aspiration when we first hear the Dharma and do not regress, we will ultimately attain Buddhahood. This shows that the skillful means of all past Buddhas are ways to the One Vehicle Dharma.
“Past, present and future are not different times.
Great love is selfless and immersed in wisdom.
When we listen to the Dharma, we must take it to heart and diligently practice.
When the Buddha is in our heart, the Dharma is in our actions.”
Do past, present and future refer to different periods of time? If our minds have returned to our pure intrinsic Tathagata-nature, no matter how much time has passed, in the past, present or future, our minds will always be the same. The universe is boundless, but no matter how vast that space is, time keeps passing all the same, and the planets keep rotating around the sun. These natural laws will always apply. Thus, it says, “past, present and future are not different times.”
We have had the karmic conditions within this time and space to be permeated by the selfless wisdom of great love and be nourished in this way. This is why, “when we listen to the Dharma, we must take it to heart and diligently practice.” At this moment, we have this karmic condition to be together. Therefore, we must really listen to the Dharma and diligently accept and practice it. Taking the Dharma to heart is like sowing seeds in the field of our minds. We need to put in the effort to be like farmers who diligently cultivate the field of our minds. To reap an abundant harvest, farmers must work diligently. After the Buddha-Dharma is in our hearts, we need to put the Dharma into action. Immersed in the Buddha-Dharma, we must quicken our steps and diligently advance in our practice. This is how we constantly encourage each other.
The text of the Lotus Sutra may appear simple and obvious, but the meanings it contains are very profound. The Buddha comes to this world to teach sentient beings with skillful means, with many different methods. He used examples from the lives of sentient beings to teach and transform other people. These are all ways of applying the Buddha-Dharma in daily living. In the Buddhist sutras, there are many stories that illustrate this. For example, the Samyuktavadana Sutra contains the following story.
In southern India, there was a very tiny kingdom by the sea. Thought it was small, war had broken out. The people of this kingdom suffered greatly. Many people fled and became refugees. In this wave of refugees, there was an old woman named A-long she lost track of her family and ended up wandering around by herself. She went to a neighboring kingdom, Simhaka, which was a very tiny kingdom. Once she arrived, she wondered how she was going to make a living. She had to beg for alms to sustain herself.
Yet as she went about her life, she felt herself growing old and wondered what would happen to her without anyone to rely on. As she went about her life as a beggar, one day causes and conditions [brought her] to the door of a certain household. In this household were an elder and his wife who were very kind people. After learning that she was from another country this couple kindly said to her, “Your country is in such turmoil, you don’t know what has happened to your home and you have been separated from your family. You don’t know how long it will be until you are reunited with them, so why don’t you stay with us for now?”
As an elderly woman, A-long felt that this was a good arrangement, so with gratitude, she said, “I can do any kind of work you need me to do.” She developed a very good relationship with the elder’s wife and
diligently helped however she could. One day, she saw a group of bhiksus holding alms bowls. She felt a sense of respect and approached [them]. Seeing that the bowls in their hands were empty, A-long felt sad. When she had lived in the kingdom to the south, her family was well-known, and as they were Buddhists, they often made offerings to the Buddha and the Sangha. However, now she was stranded in a foreign land. Without money, how could she make any offerings?
She beseeched the elder’s wife, “Can you lend me several thousand dollars? I am willing to sign a contract to indenture myself to you, to be your servant for the rest of my life. I want to sell my freedom in exchange for money.” The elder’s wife gave the money to A-long, telling her, “Spend it on whatever you need. There is no need for a contract or for you to become my servant.”
A-long was very grateful and quickly ran back to the city with the money. She went door to door, meeting with a total of 60 families. She distributed the money to these 60 families and asked of them, “Please take this money and use it to make an offering to these bhiksus.” Of course, she also told them the benefits of making offering to bhiksus. After receiving the money from her, these 60 families made careful preparations to make offerings to these bhiksus.
A-long hurried back to the bhiksus and said, “Revered monastic practitioners, you can go back into the city now. Every single family is ready to reverently make offerings to you.” Upon hearing her words, these bhiksus happily returned to the city. Just like that, their bowls were filled with delicious food.
Several days passed and every time these bhiksus went into the city their bowls were filled. They began to wonder, how was it that after she asked them to return to the city, over the next few days when they went to beg, every family happily made offerings to them? What was the reason behind this? They pressed her for answers, so she told them about how she fled her home and kingdom and lost her family in the process, and how she came to live with the elder’s family. She explained everything to the bhiksus and even told them that she was a very devout Buddhist and in the past, had often made offerings to the Buddha and the Sangha.
After hearing her story, these bhiksus were ashamed. The bhiksus wondered how they could repay this old lady. After some discussion, they said, “The only thing we can do to repay her is to practice more diligently so we can dedicate our merits to her.” From then on, in this tiny kingdom, people suddenly felt the atmosphere had changed completely. There were many auspicious signs and changes. Because so many people were making offerings to the Sangha, everyone felt an auspicious atmosphere inside the city. In particular, trees that used to stand straight now seem to bend forward as if they were bowing. Many people witnessed similar auspicious signs. This news reached the king. Hearing of this, the king thought, “Indeed! What has happened?” He quickly asked people to investigate.
They discovered a group of bhiksus who, aside from begging for alms every day, spent the rest of their time diligently engaging in spiritual practice. Therefore, many people listened to their teachings. With so many people listening to the Dharma, they changed the way they were living. The king was very happy after hearing this, and thus invited the bhiksus to the palace to accept his offering. The king also asked them, “Why do you practice so mindfully?” The bhiksus said, “Because of an old lady named A-long and the offering she made.” After learning the details, he sent people to invite A-long [to the palace]. A-long said to those people, “I did not do anything. Everything I have done has been made possible by the elder’s wife.” Therefore, those people also invited the elder’s wife to the palace.
After they entered the palace, the king observed the elderly A-long. Her wisdom qualified her to become a teacher in the palace. Thus the king hired A-long to work there and also expressed his gratitude to the elder’s wife. The king became a Buddhist and regularly invited the bhiksus to accept his offerings. He also invited the bhiksus to help him officially receive the precepts so he could become an upasaka. A-long led the female servants in the palace to take refuge and receive the precepts to become upasikas.
This sutra passage is very touching. Let us consider our world today. So many countries in the world are fighting with each other. Within countries, the government and people are also fighting each other. Isn’t this the case in Syria? Many refugees have fled the country. Many families have become displaced and many families have been separated. Tragedies like this not only happened in the past, they are also happening in the present. Those who are reverent have wisdom; regardless of their conditions, they display both compassion and wisdom. Though they give without expectations, they still obtain something; this is how the Buddha-Dharma works.
So, the previous sutra passage stated,
“If people with scattered minds enter stupas or temples, once they recite, ‘Namo Buddha,’ they will have realized the path to Buddhahood.”
We discussed this passage before. People, whoever they are, may become lax like those bhiksus in the pursuit of their spiritual practice. [However], they had the affinity to meet A-long, who was willing to sell her freedom to make an offering, [which caused] the bhiksus to heighten their vigilance and focus their minds. They practiced diligently to repay this person who made offerings to them.
Therefore, scattered minds are not exclusive to ordinary people. Actually, spiritual practitioners have them too. But these causes and conditions inspired them to practice diligently. This kind of spiritual cultivation influenced many people. Therefore, “If people with scattered minds enter stupas or temples,” they may, out of a sense of reverence, take refuge and say “Namo Buddha.” Whatever the Buddha teaches, we must quickly practice accordingly. If we dignify our inner spiritual training ground, naturally we can transform kingdoms, people and so on. This is what we can accomplish.
Next,
“For all Buddhas of the past, whether in this world or after entering Parinirvana, if people have heard Their teachings, they will have realized the path to Buddhahood.”
In the next sutra passage, “all Buddhas of the past” is all past Buddhas, not just Sakyamuni Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha was speaking of countless Buddhas of the past. Whether it was during Their lifetimes or after They entered Parinirvana, “if people] have heard Their teachings, they have realized the path to Buddhahood.” If people listened to the Dharma taught by past Buddhas while They were in this world, or after They entered Parinirvana, then each person is able to follow and practice the teachings They gave in the past. Thus, the Buddha-Dharma can still be transmitted. The principles are everlasting. This is what Sakyamuni Buddha told us. When causes and conditions converge, the Dharma and principles will manifest again.
For all Buddhas of the past, whether in the world or after entering Parinirvana: In the past, those who had erected stupas, created images and made offerings of respect had created the causes for long-nurturing the roots of goodness and increasing blessings and wisdom. With all these extraordinary causes for internalizing teachings, we can give rise to flawless merits.
For all Buddhas of the past, whether in the world or after entering Parinirvana, if we can still hear Their Dharma, we can attain the path to Buddhahood. This means that in the past we have built stupas, temples and statues so that the Buddha-Dharma may be transmitted. In the past, we have also made offerings to the Three Treasures and created good causes and conditions out of reverence. These causes and conditions still exist. Even after Buddhas enter Parinirvana, the good causes and conditions in our minds can still nourish our roots of goodness. As the roots receive endless nourishment, we can grow in blessings and wisdom. So, if we take the Dharma deep into our hearts, our roots of goodness will be deeply affixed and we will continue to be gradually influenced. With these exceptional causes and conditions, precepts, Samadhi and wisdom will be fixed as a part of our minds. Even if past Buddhas have entered Parinirvana, still, Their good cause and conditions and flawless merits remain.
If people have heard Their teachings, they have realized the path to Buddhahood: If we form an aspiration when we first hear the Dharma and do not regress, we will ultimately attain Buddhahood. This shows that the skillful means of all past Buddhas are ways to the One Vehicle Dharma.
“If people have heard Their teachings, they have realized the path to Buddhahood.” This means that from the time we first heard the Dharma and allowed it to permeate our minds, if we formed an aspiration, have not regressed and continue to gradually advance forward, then the power of this love and faith will always exist and unceasingly nourish our hearts from within. Thus, “[we will] ultimately attain Buddhahood.” This is telling us clearly that all past Buddhas used various skillful means to teach sentient beings. Even those beings who receive skillful teachings can still nourish roots of goodness and bring causes and conditions to maturity. As Sakyamuni Buddha began to expound the One Vehicle Dharma, they may also have had the chance to encounter it.
Even though we ordinary people continue to transmigrate in the Six Realms, that seed of goodness is still there. It is not missing or lost, it waits for causes and conditions to mature. In Sakyamuni Buddha’s lifetime, people who heard about the Bodhisattva-path, whether they have achieved it yet or not, continue, lifetime after lifetime, to be permeated by the Buddha-Dharma. In the present era, more than 2000 years later, they may gather at the same practice center. Lifetime after lifetime, depending on the maturity of causes and conditions, we may guide and help transform one another. [To do this,] we must understand the Dharma. Although it is very simple, it contains very profound principles.
The Samyuktavadana Sutra is also skillful means because it discusses worldly matters. Indeed, this is what has happened in the world, in the past and also in the present. People have always had the same mindset. So, this is how the world is. The universe may be limited, but the appearances of worldly matters are endless. Therefore, we must always be mindful.