Episode 431 – Do Not Give Up on Sentient Beings
>> “Sentient beings are stubborn and foolish and do not accept teachings. Inclined toward improper and unwholesome thoughts, they are hard to train. The Buddha is kind and will not abandon them, so He established skillful means. He used provisional teachings and analogies to teach the Three Vehicles.”
>> “I then thought to myself, ‘Were I to praise only the Buddha Vehicle, beings immersed in suffering would be unable to believe this Dharma They would slander it out of disbelief and fall into the Three Evil Realms.'”
>> “I would rather not teach the Dharma and quickly enter Parinirvana. Then I recalled that the Buddhas of the past employed the power of skillful means. And as I now have attained the path, I should also teach the Three Vehicles.”
>> After Venerable Sakyamuni attained Buddhahood, He wanted to teach the way to enlightenment to transform the minds of all sentient beings. Then He began to think, “There are none who can faithfully accept it. If my staying in the world brings no benefits, I might as well enter Parinirvana.”
>> “World-Honored One, today the sea of Dharma has been filled. The banner of the Dharma has been erected. Now is the time to nourish and guide. How could you say that you want to abandon all sentient beings and enter Parinirvana without teaching the Dharma?”
>> “The Buddha received this request from King Brahma.”
>> “For the Five Bhiksus, including Kaundinya, He turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Truths.”
>> “He taught the Great and Small Vehicle and all kinds of other Dharma. This was the expounding of the Dharma.”
>> Then I recalled that the Buddhas of the past employed the power of skillful means: Venerable Sakyamuni recalled the way that past Buddhas transformed sentient beings using skillful and suitable means, which are wondrous and provisional teachings.
>> The Buddha explained that giving leads to great wealth, upholding precepts leads to rebirth in heaven, patience leads to transcendence of anger and hate, diligence leads to achievement of merits and virtues, Samadhi leads to the end of discursive thinking, wisdom leads to the letting go of all afflictions. These were the kinds of skillful means. He used to teach sentient beings to enable them to escape the wheel of suffering and attain Dharma-joy.
>> And as I now have attained the path, I should also teach the Three Vehicles: The Buddha attained the path in the kingdom of Magadha and, under the Bodhi-tree, realized perfect enlightenment. Later, stupas were built at this place. According to people’s great, average or limited capabilities, they practiced the Three Vehicles and attained the wisdom to eliminate delusions and realize truths. This is the path. Practicing the Three Flawless Studies to realize this knowledge is called attaining the path.
“Sentient beings are stubborn and foolish and do not accept teachings.
Inclined toward improper and unwholesome thoughts, they are hard to train.
The Buddha is kind and will not abandon them, so He established skillful means.
He used provisional teachings and analogies to teach the Three Vehicles.”
Sentient beings are truly stubborn and unwilling to learn. The Buddha, out of His compassion, expounded the Dharma in the world for 49 years. He expended so much effort, but not many people accepted the Buddha-Dharma. Even after they accepted the Dharma, could they take it to heart? Even after they had taken it to heart, how many people could put it into practice?
Of the Buddha’s many disciples, the sutras always mention the ten chief ones. In a vast country such as India, how much could these ten chief disciples have helped the Buddha to advance and promote Right Dharma? Moreover, sentient beings are stubborn and foolish. Even if they listened, some could not accept it, or worse, deviated toward improper views. They became inclined to commit evil. Although they clearly heard the Right Dharma, not only did they not accept it, they even slandered the Dharma and harmed the Buddha.
Look at Devadatta. He was the Buddha’s disciple, but his mindset changed and he became arrogant, thus he deviated toward evil. This harmed the Buddha’s teachings and harmed the resolve of many people to observe, listen to and contemplate the Dharma. However, out of His loving-kindness, the Buddha did not give up on him. The Buddha’s compassion is evident in the Chapter on Devadatta in the Lotus Sutra. There, the Buddha gave His blessing and prediction that. Devadatta would attain Buddhahood in the future.
This shows the Buddha’s compassion for us. He penetrated all principles and realized that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. Because He understood the law of karma, every time He was persecuted by Devadatta, the Buddha never complained. He just continued to try to train him, though it was difficult. The Buddha knew the causes and conditions that led to this kind of karmic retribution, so He understood how a person could commit these serious transgressions. The Buddha did not abandon him,
let alone any other sentient beings; He treated them all with kindness and compassion. So, the Buddha did everything He could, giving provisional teachings and skillful analogies suitable for great, average and limited capacities. Thus, the Buddha-Dharma was applicable to all. From this, we can see the extent of His compassion.
We all must learn His kindness and compassion. If people are like Devadatta, we should not complain about them but instead, we must find a way to persuade them and to help them thoroughly understand. This is why we must emulate the Buddha’s heart.
I hope we can all have this karmic condition to listen to one thing and realize one thousand. Or if not, to listen to one thing and realize ten. Or else, to hear one thing and realize one is also fine, just as long as we understand. After we understand, we must take it to heart. Then we must put it into practice. Upon putting the Dharma into practice, in that state of mind, we understand what we hear. When we begin to put the teachings into practice, our state of mind allows us to experience and comprehend as we take action.
We often hear people say, “When I first heard about Tzu Chi’s work, I thought it sounded great. Then Tzu Chi volunteers kept inviting me to join. So, I volunteered to work with them. After helping other people, I felt very happy, so I proactively told them, ‘If you are conducting home visits or cleaning houses for people, please let me know.'” Once they start, they are happy to do the work. This allows them to realize the suffering in life, and understand that every family has [problems]. Those issues are hard for people to resolve. But as an outsider, we can take them as teachings.
Think about this; the Buddha always said that suffering is caused by an accumulation [of karma]. People’s families and lives are the way they are because they created certain karmic causes and are now reaping these karmic effects. Everything from their bodies to the makeup of their family is the fruition of their karmic causes. As we look at the stories of their lives, we should understand how they are all in line with Buddhist principles. By putting the teachings into practice along this path, we are walking the Bodhisattva-path.
In order for Bodhisattvas to attain Buddhahood, they must interact with others and come in contact with people, matters and objects to grow their wisdom-life and increase their wisdom. As Buddhist practitioners, we need to realize the Buddha’s mindfulness. Out of great compassion for sentient beings, He established many kinds of skillful means to teach according to their capabilities, using great, average and limited teachings known as the Three Vehicles. The Buddha came to this world out of compassion, hoping we can all accept the Buddha-Dharma. If we can, we will all have a state of mind where Right Dharma always abides.
So, the Dharma in people’s minds is always Right Dharma and the true principles exist in us forever. Therefore, we must take the Right Dharma into our minds and manifest it in our actions. By walking the Bodhisattva-path, we spread the Buddha-Dharma to sentient beings.
Therefore, the previous sutra passage began with, “I then thought to myself.”
“I then thought to myself, ‘Were I to praise only the Buddha Vehicle, beings immersed in suffering would be unable to believe this Dharma They would slander it out of disbelief and fall into the Three Evil Realms.'”
For 21 days, the Buddha thought about how to bring the Dharma to the people. He also thought, “If I were to just praise the Buddha Vehicle, which is a Buddha’s spiritual state, sentient beings would not be able to accept it.” This is because sentient beings are buried under their afflictions. “Beings immersed in suffering would be unable to believe this Dharma.” They could not believe in the spiritual state of the Buddha after He attained enlightenment. Therefore, not only would they not accept it, they would slander the Dharma out of disbelief. Thus they would “fall into the Three Evil Realms.”
This is what we discussed yesterday. The passage after that states,
“I would rather not teach the Dharma and quickly enter Parinirvana. Then I recalled that the Buddhas of the past employed the power of skillful means. And as I now have attained the path, I should also teach the Three Vehicles.”
For these 21 days, this was what the Buddha contemplated in His spiritual state. He first thought, “If sentient beings cannot accept [the Dharma] why should I stay in this world?” That was what the Buddha was thinking at that moment.
After Venerable Sakyamuni attained Buddhahood, He wanted to teach the way to enlightenment to transform the minds of all sentient beings. Then He began to think, “There are none who can faithfully accept it. If my staying in the world brings no benefits, I might as well enter Parinirvana.”
At that time, a thought quickly flashed in His mind. “I then thought to myself.” He thought about how difficult it was for these sentient beings to take the Dharma to heart. Even if He were to reveal everything that was in His heart to them, sentient beings could not accept it. What then could He do? “There are none who can faithfully accept it.” No one could believe this kind of Dharma and no one could accept this kind of spiritual state. “My staying in the world brings no benefits.” If He was staying in the world to deliver the Dharma into the hearts of sentient beings but they could not accept it, what was the use of His staying in this world? “I might as well enter Parinirvana.” Wouldn’t it be better to just stop there? This was the thought that flashed through His mind.
At that time King Brahma appeared. King Brahma said to Him,
“World-Honored One, today the sea of Dharma has been filled. The banner of the Dharma has been erected. Now is the time to nourish and guide. How could you say that you want to abandon all sentient beings and enter Parinirvana without teaching the Dharma?”
Now that He had attained perfect enlightenment, at that moment, “the sea of Dharma has been filled. The sea of Dharma” refers to wisdom. The truths of all things in the universe have all been taken into the Buddha’s mind. Therefore, we say “the sea of Dharma has been filled” and “the banner of the Dharma has been erected.” This is the time when the banner of the Dharma should be erected. “Now is the time to nourish and guide.” He should now help sentient beings see that the Buddha has manifested in the world. He should help them hear the teachings and guide them onto the path to enlightenment. This was precisely the time, so how could the Buddha “want to abandon all sentient beings and enter Parinirvana without teaching the Dharma?”
Every Buddha, upon attaining enlightenment, would consider how to help the Dharma resonate with the multitudes of sentient beings. It is always very difficult! Therefore, King Brahma would appear to provide encouragement.
The Buddha manifested this mindset to teach us that, even after attaining enlightenment, the Buddha found things very difficult, seemingly impossible. By manifesting this state, the Buddha gave us something to discuss, something to teach. Even the Buddha felt this way, not to mention unenlightened beings like us. When we face difficulties, we need encouragement so we can continue moving forward.
From the previous sutra passage, I feel we should do the same and be each other’s. King Brahma who helps everyone’s wisdom grow. If we see people become indolent and lose their spiritual aspirations, we can quickly counsel and guide them. Thus we act as their King Brahma; we can immediately encourage them.
So, at the time, in the Buddha’s inner place of enlightenment, which was His state of mind, this was what King Brahma said to Him.
Therefore, “at this time,”
“The Buddha received this request from King Brahma.”
King Brahma requested that the Buddha turn the Dharma-wheel, so He immediately went to Deer Park to transform the five bhiksus.
“For the Five Bhiksus, including Kaundinya, He turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Truths.”
As we all know,
“He taught the Great and Small Vehicle and all kinds of other Dharma. This was the expounding of the Dharma.”
Previous sutra passages have also mentioned that for three weeks, the Buddha contemplated how subtle and wondrous the Dharma was and how sentient beings would be able to accept it. Through careful observation, He saw that they had great, average and limited capabilities. Therefore, He decided to establish skillful means. He decided this during the second week.
During the third week of contemplation, He thought about who should be the first to listen to the teachings. After careful consideration, He returned to Deer Park to transform these five people. So, He began by teaching the Four Noble Truths. All kinds of “suffering” have their “causation” in the accumulation of afflictions. Suffering, causation, cessation and the Path were how He began His teachings. “This was the expounding of the Dharma.” Manifesting in the world to teach the Dharma is one of the Buddha’s Eight Aspects. The Buddha manifested Eight Aspects in the world. At this time, He manifested “the expounding of the Dharma.” This is how the Three Treasures, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, became complete.
Next, the passage states, “Then I recalled that the Buddhas of the past employed the power of skillful means.” The Buddha further contemplated how to expound the Dharma and bring it to the people.
Then I recalled that the Buddhas of the past employed the power of skillful means: Venerable Sakyamuni recalled the way that past Buddhas transformed sentient beings using skillful and suitable means, which are wondrous and provisional teachings.
Sakyamuni Buddha recalled how past Buddhas expounded the Dharma, and how They taught and transformed sentient beings. The way They transformed sentient beings in the past was just like this, “using skillful and suitable means.” Past Buddhas also taught according to sentient beings’ capabilities with wondrous provisional and skillful teachings. These are the skillful means Buddhas establish.
The Buddha explained that giving leads to great wealth, upholding precepts leads to rebirth in heaven, patience leads to transcendence of anger and hate, diligence leads to achievement of merits and virtues, Samadhi leads to the end of discursive thinking, wisdom leads to the letting go of all afflictions. These were the kinds of skillful means. He used to teach sentient beings to enable them to escape the wheel of suffering and attain Dharma-joy.
The Buddha explained that giving leads to great wealth. He told us to uphold precepts and by doing so, we can be reborn in heaven and not fall into the Three Evil Realms. He also told us we need to be patient. Patience helps us transcend anger and hate. Regarding diligence, He said it helps us achieve all merits and virtues. As for Samadhi, it leads to the end of our discursive thinking. Our minds are in a state of chaos but if we can maintain Samadhi, we will have no discursive thoughts or afflictions. Then, wisdom enables us to let go of afflictions. Samadhi is having no discursive thoughts and wisdom is letting go of all afflictions. People with wisdom can naturally think through and resolve their own afflictions. That is having wisdom.
“These were the kinds of skillful means. He used to teach sentient beings.” All these skillful means were ways of teaching sentient beings the Six Perfections. He used the Six Perfections to encourage sentient beings to give to others, cultivate blessings and so on. To have the wisdom to eliminate afflictions, we must cultivate wisdom. These are the Six Perfections. The Six Perfections are delivered to the minds of sentient beings so they can practice the Bodhisattva-path; they are all ways to help sentient beings “transcend the wheel of suffering.” They all teach us how to transcend suffering and avoid being submerged in afflictions again. We need to transcend afflictions and move forward so we can “attain Dharma-joy.” Naturally, we will become happy and joyous.
So, “as I now have attained the path, I should also teach the Three Vehicles.” The Buddha recalled that this was the way past Buddhas had taught sentient beings. So now that He, Sakyamuni Buddha, had realized the path, He needed to transform sentient beings with the same methods as past Buddhas.
And as I now have attained the path, I should also teach the Three Vehicles: The Buddha attained the path in the kingdom of Magadha and, under the Bodhi-tree, realized perfect enlightenment. Later, stupas were built at this place. According to people’s great, average or limited capabilities, they practiced the Three Vehicles and attained the wisdom to eliminate delusions and realize truths. This is the path. Practicing the Three Flawless Studies to realize this knowledge is called attaining the path.
After the Buddha attained the path under the. Bodhi-tree in the kingdom of Magadha and realized enlightenment, this was His state of mind. The Buddha began to contemplate how to teach those of great, average and limited capacities according to capacities using the Three Vehicles. This allows unenlightened beings to, step by step, eliminate afflictions from delusions of ignorance and gradually acquire wisdom. Then we can turn the wheel in our minds, turn the Dharma-wheel, and get past whatever suffering we encounter in life. This comes from practicing the Three Flawless Studies.
We must all practice the Three Flawless Studies. In the past, I have continually told you that precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are called the Three Flawless Studies, which can be used to inspire everybody to attain the path. Since the Buddha had already attained the path, He also hoped that everybody would, step by step, diligently advance without going astray. Whether they practice the Four Noble Truths, actualize the Six Perfections or achieve the Three Flawless Studies, by continuing on that path, they will become like the Buddha and attain the initial enlightenment that. He did at Magadha, the state of mind of turning the Dharma-wheel. Thus I hope that everyone, in learning from the Buddha, will be determined and will always be mindful.