Episode 428 – All Heavenly Beings Protect the Assembly
>> “As the guiding teacher of the Three Realms and the kind father of the Four Kinds of Beings, when the Buddha teaches the Great Dharma all heavenly beings protect the assembly.”
>> “But sentient beings have dull capabilities and are attached to pleasure and blinded by delusions. When it comes to beings such as these, how can they possibly be transformed?”
>> “At that time, all Brahma Kings, as well as Sovereign Sakras, the four heavenly kings who guard the world the king of Great Freedom Heaven….”
>> All Brahma Kings are heavenly beings of the form realm. When sentient beings’ minds are cleared of desires and awakened and not tempted by the dusts of desires, their bodies’ will be pure. Bodhisattvas will then appear before them as Brahma Kings and teach them the Dharma, enabling them to attain liberation.
>> Sovereign Sakra is the king of Trayastrimsa Heaven. He dwells at the peak of Mt. Sumeru in City of Good Views and leads the kings of the thirty-three heavens. Distant kalpas ago, after Kasyapa Buddha entered Parinirvana, there was a woman who aspired to build stupas. With blessings, virtues and great wisdom, she [recruited] 32 friends to also cultivate blessings and virtues. She became the king of Trayastrimsa Heaven. The people who helped her became her ministers. Together they [ruled] the thirty-three heavens.
>> These kings live below Trayastrimsa Heaven. In the east is King Dhrtarastra. In the south is King Virudhaka. In the west is King Virupaksa. In the north is King Dhanada.
>> The Great Freedom Heaven is the sixth heaven in the desire realm. It is six heavens above the heaven realm. If we sentient beings [attain] “freedom from desires of the body,”
“As the guiding teacher of the Three Realms
and the kind father of the Four Kinds of Beings,
when the Buddha teaches the Great Dharma
all heavenly beings protect the assembly.”
The Great Enlightened One, the Buddha, has manifested in this world. The Great Enlightened One is the kind father of the Four Kinds of Beings and also the guiding teacher of the Three Realms.
“The Four Kinds of Beings,” as we know, refer to the womb-, egg-, moisture- and transformation-born. These are the Four Forms of Birth. Among the Four Forms of Birth, apart from humans like us, the transformation-born are born in the heaven and the hell realms. Transformation-born is also part of the Four Forms of Birth. Some beings are egg-born. Chicken, birds and other animals all hatch from eggs. Moisture-born refers to bugs and other creatures that emerge from underwater or from filthy places. Damp places are naturally home to certain living organisms.
Therefore, the Buddha does not only show compassion to humans. Even those in heaven, the heavenly beings, take refuge with Him because. He is the guiding teacher of Three Realms. People in hell face unbearable suffering and lack the karmic conditions [to hear the Dharma]. In the animal realm, whether they are womb-born, egg-born or transformation-born, the opportunities for them to hear the Dharma are even more rare. Only human beings, those in the human realm, can create all these world with their minds. We always say, [karma can be] “good, evil or indeterminate.” Good things are done by humans; people doing good deeds can benefit the world. Evil also comes from a slight deviation of the human mind. When unwholesome thoughts arise, the evil they lead people to commit causes manmade calamities in this world.
Thus the Buddha comes to the human realm again and again to teach sentient beings. So, He is the guiding teacher of the Three Realms and the kind father of the Four Kinds of Beings. He comes to the human realm to teach the Great Dharma. Wherever the Buddha teaches, naturally “all heavenly beings protect the assembly.” They will come to protect the Dharma. At the beginning of each sutra, the text will mention the heavenly beings and eight classes of Dharma-protectors that came to be part of that Dharma-assembly. They came to “protect the assembly.”
Previously, I have also told everyone that if we can uphold one precept, five Dharma-protectors will be by our side. If we uphold five precepts, there will be 25 Dharma-protectors. There was a person who reverently believed in the Buddha, listened to the Dharma and accepted the precepts. Because he sustained his reverence after accepting the Five Precepts, no matter what happened to him, dangers always turned into blessings.
Eventually he asked his teacher this question. He explained that a couple of times when he ran into danger, incredibly, things turned out well. His teacher told him, “Because you accept and uphold the Five Precepts, there are usually 25 Dharma-protectors guarding you.” Hearing this, he was very happy and very proud. He thought, “In my daily living, there are 25 Dharma-protectors by my side. What do I need to be afraid of?”
He became more filled with pride and arrogance. Without realizing it, he no longer treated others with humility. Eventually, he began to feel that as long as his spiritual cultivation led to a thorough understanding of the teachings, he did not need to adhere to the practice. He began to satisfy his cravings for tastes and thus returned to the lifestyle he had led before he had faith in the Buddha and accepted the precepts. Thus he slowly stopped upholding the Five Precepts.
One day, after he had a full meal, he felt tired and went to rest. As he was napping, he heard someone say, “This person is no longer pure in body and mind. Should we keep on protecting him?” Each precept’s Dharma-protectors said, “Based on his behavior, I will also abandon him,” and like this, the protectors decided to stop protecting him. Thus, they all left.
When he awakened, he was terrified. “Is it true that all of my Dharma-protectors have left me?” So, he went back to the temple to ask his teacher. His teacher said, “Judging by your appearance, there is no aura of spiritual refinement around you anymore. Your aura of spiritual refinement has disappeared.” The man became more terrified. He told his teacher what he heard during his nap. “What should I do?” His teacher said, “Repent and start over.”
Although this is a story, we need to know this is how Dharma-protectors work. If we are engaging in spiritual practice, we must cultivate virtue. “The virtuous attain.” If we do not practice, we will have no attainment. If have no attainment, we have no virtue. We must be diligent in our spiritual practice and take the Dharma to heart. After we have taken it to heart, we can also transform others. This is awakening ourselves and others. When we share what we have attained with others, we create blessings.
So, when we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must emulate His virtues and actions. We must be diligent in our practice. If we can do this, any place can be a place of spiritual cultivation and the Dharma-protectors will all surround our spiritual training ground. We must also be mindful and reverent every day and accept and abide by precepts to continue to diligently advance.
The sutra passage states,
“But sentient beings have dull capabilities and are attached to pleasure and blinded by delusions. When it comes to beings such as these, how can they possibly be transformed?”
This is the previous passage in the sutra. This was what Sakyamuni Buddha [observed in] sentient beings with dull capabilities. To open the door to their hearts and wash away the ignorance in their minds was truly very difficult. How could He transform these people? So, He pondered for three periods of seven days. For 21 days, He contemplated how. He could bring this Dharma into the human realm. As there were people with varying capabilities, how could He teach according to these great, average or limited capabilities? He decided to use provisional skillful means. Who should be the first to listen to the Dharma? To whom would He teach the Dharma first? This is what He contemplated during those 21 days.
Over these past few days we have been discussing how Ajnata Kaundinya and the others became the five bhiksus. After they became the five bhiksus, the Buddha-Dharma and the Sangha had come into existence. Then the Buddha went among people.
while the Buddha was there contemplating,
“”At that time, all Brahma Kings, as well as Sovereign Sakras, the four heavenly kings who guard the world the king of Great Freedom Heaven….”
These are all kinds of Dharma-protectors. As Sakyamuni Buddha contemplated how to transform sentient beings, He thought, “How can they possibly be transformed? I have awakened, and this Dharma is so subtle and wondrous, but these sentient beings are so difficult to transform. Maybe it is better not to say anything and simply enter Parinirvana.” So, many heavenly beings appeared to console Sakyamuni Buddha.
This is a story I have told in the past. This took place after His initial awakening. At that time, [there were] “all Brahma Kings,” which refers to heavenly beings in the form realm. The form realm is beyond the desire realm. The human realm is in the desire realm. Beings in the form realm have eliminated all desires from their minds. These heavens are very pure.
All Brahma Kings are heavenly beings of the form realm. When sentient beings’ minds are cleared of desires and awakened and not tempted by the dusts of desires, their bodies’ will be pure. Bodhisattvas will then appear before them as Brahma Kings and teach them the Dharma, enabling them to attain liberation.
There are many heavenly beings. Some [spiritual practitioners] begin their spiritual cultivation in the human realm, then their “minds are cleared of desires and awakened.” Their minds, which were turbid with greed and desires, have completely awakened. They “will not be tempted by the dusts of desires.” Since we know that the world is impermanent, we know that all material things are illusory and not real, but we still pursue them because we have desires. Worldly desires, whether for sensual pleasure, fame or wealth and so on, are all very tempting for humans. They prevent people’s minds from calming down, from upholding precepts and being in a state of Samadhi, ․because desires are very disruptive to our minds. Those who have not formed a firm resolve will easily be led astray by their desires.
So, if people’s “minds are cleared of desires and awakened” they can resolve to “not be tempted by dusts of desires.” Desires are defiling, like dust or dirt. If people do not become defiled due to the influence of desires, “their bodies will be pure.” As we begin to engage in spiritual practice, though we are still ordinary beings, we can resolve to cultivate a pure body and mind. For people like this, “Bodhisattvas will appear before them.” With people like this, [Bodhisattvas] will appear “as Brahma Kings and teach them the Dharma.” A Brahma King did not come to teach the Dharma; it was a Bodhisattva appearing as a Brahma King and teaching the purifying Dharma to enable sentient beings to resolutely uphold the purity of their minds.
As long as we have this aspiration and vow, we have this power as an assisting condition that helps us cleanse our body and mind. So, they appear as the kings of Brahma Heaven to teach us the Dharma.
“As well as Sovereign Sakras.” In addition to all Brahma Kings, there were also Sovereign Sakras. The king of Trayastrimsa Heaven is Sovereign Sakra.
Sovereign Sakra is the king of Trayastrimsa Heaven. He dwells at the peak of Mt. Sumeru in City of Good Views and leads the kings of the thirty-three heavens. Distant kalpas ago, after Kasyapa Buddha entered Parinirvana, there was a woman who aspired to build stupas. With blessings, virtues and great wisdom, she [recruited] 32 friends to also cultivate blessings and virtues. She became the king of Trayastrimsa Heaven. The people who helped her became her ministers. Together they [ruled] the thirty-three heavens.
Sovereign Sakra lives on Mt. Sumeru in City of Good Views. You have all heard of the Earth Treasury Sutra and we have also read the Earth Treasury Sutra. The Buddha taught the Earth Treasury Sutra in the thirty-three heavens, also called Trayastrimsa Heaven. At the center of the thirty-three heavens is. City of Good Views.
There is a story behind this. This story took place distant kalpas ago. Kasyapa Buddha appeared in this world. After appearing, He eventually entered Parinirvana. After He entered Parinirvana, people created golden statues and built stupas for Him. Then another long period of time passed. These stupas and shrines were in shambles and the golden statues had long been in disrepair.
There was a woman, a very kind woman, with 32 friends. In total they were a group of 33 good friends, who shared the same ideals and did good deeds together. Among them was a woman who was the leader and influenced others. One day, as she passed by a place, she was surprised to find a stupa there. It looked abandoned. She could not help but walk into the stupa. The ceiling was leaking, and the Buddha statue had completely deteriorated. So, when she returned, she told her good friends. She hoped that they could completely restore this stupa and repair the golden statue.
This would take a lot of money. So, the woman in charge said, “Even if this costs me every last penny, I am willing to give everything for this purpose.” The other 32 people thought, “Me too! Even if I deplete all of my material assets, even if I have to sell my lands, I am willing.” These 33 friends shared the same resolve to rebuild the stupa, fix the shrine and repair the golden statue. That place was originally in ruins, but they turned it into an elegant place.
Later, after these 33 friends passed away, because of the blessings they had created, they were born in Trayastrimsa Heaven, which is split into four quarters, with eight cities in each quarter. As 4 times 8 is 32, there were a total of 32 cities. The palace in the middle of the 32 cities is City of Good Views. It is where Sovereign Sakra lives. He is the leader of these 32 cities, so his title is Sovereign Sakra, the heavenly lord of the thirty-three heavens. He is Sovereign Sakra, Sakro-Devanam Indra, the king of Trayastrimsa Heaven. One day in Trayastrimsa Heaven is how many years in the human realm? 100 years. Those that live there enjoy great longevity.
Then, there are the “four heavenly kings who guard the world.”
These kings live below Trayastrimsa Heaven.
These kings live below Trayastrimsa Heaven. In the east is King Dhrtarastra. In the south is King Virudhaka. In the west is King Virupaksa. In the north is King Dhanada.
These four heavenly kings live in the heavenly realm of Mt. Sumeru, halfway up the mountain. By practicing the paramitas of giving and upholding precepts, they were able to obtain the blessings to become the kings of the four heavens.
One day in the four heavens of the heavenly kings is how many years in the human realm? 50 years. The lifespan in that heaven is also very long. Their lifespan is 500 years old.
There is also “the king of Great Freedom Heaven.”
The Great Freedom Heaven is the sixth heaven in the desire realm. It is six heavens above the heaven realm. If we sentient beings [attain] “freedom from desires of the body,”
after our desires are eliminated, Bodhisattvas will naturally appear before us and manifest as heavenly beings to teach the Dharma.
So, as long as we are willing to cultivate blessings, we can give charitably and be disciplined. By upholding precepts, we can cultivate patience, diligence, Samadhi, wisdom, the other disciplines. If we carefully abide by these, we will naturally have good karmic conditions all around us.
In summary, in learning the Buddha’s teachings, first, we must eliminate our desires and delusions. If we are blinded by delusions, it is impossible for us to accept the Buddha-Dharma. This passage from the sutra tells us that our minds must always be pure. If our mind is free of desires, so is our body. This means that only with pure body and mind can we accept the Buddha-Dharma and take this subtle and wondrous Dharma to heart. So, I hope when you listen to teachings, you will always be mindful.