Episode 440 – Vow to Seek the Path to Buddhahood
>> “The Buddha, for the sake of sentient beings, engaged in spiritual practice and for their sake attained Buddhahood. We must vow to seek the path to enlightenment and spread the Great Vehicle follow the original teaching the Buddha wanted to give.”
>> The Buddha said, “Since a far off kalpa, I have praised and revealed the Dharma of Nirvana. Ending the suffering of samsara forever is what I have always taught.”
>> “Sariputra, you should know, I see Buddha-children resolutely seeking the path to Buddhahood, countless trillions of them.”
>> The Buddha addressed the teachings to Sariputra to make sentient beings aware that by upholding precepts, they are named Buddha-children and will certainly attain Buddhahood. [Buddha-children] is another name for Bodhisattvas.
>> Moreover, in accordance with the Buddha’s noble teachings, they produce the seeds of the noble path. Since Buddha-seeds are constantly sowed, they will never disappear [from the world]. Since those with great capabilities are inspired, they are able to carry on the teachings. This is the meaning of Buddha-children.
>> [They] resolutely seek the path to Buddhahood, countless trillions of them: The Buddha’s disciples vow to seek the path to Buddhahood and this state of Nirvana. This is the great vow they make. Developing one good aspiration gives rise to trillions. The Bodhi-fruit is the most exceptional and unsurpassed.
“The Buddha, for the sake of sentient beings, engaged in spiritual practice
and for their sake attained Buddhahood.
We must vow to seek the path to enlightenment and spread the Great Vehicle
follow the original teaching the Buddha wanted to give.”
We must always have a heart of gratitude. We must be grateful that the Buddha manifested in this world for our sake. Through His spiritual practice, He taught by example. He used Himself as a role model for teaching sentient beings. How could they attain Buddhahood? They had to be [like Him]. Those who sensed the illness and suffering of the world [would ask] why, in this world, is there suffering from birth, aging, illness and death, from not getting what we want, from parting with those we love, from meeting those we hate and from the raging Five Skandhas? Why is there so much suffering in this world? Only when we can awaken ourselves can we think about how to find the answer to the problem of suffering. We all must also ask ourselves, “Do I recognize this in my daily living?” Only when we feel what is happening in the world will we aspire to engage in spiritual practice.
To seek the truth, we must be diligent and be able to withstand the difficulties of life. For example, the Buddha spent five years traveling to seek answers and six years in ascetic practice. This was very hard work. He overcame many kinds [of challenges] and always took good care of His mind so it stayed in a state of non-arising and non-ceasing and did not give rise to discursive thoughts as He engaged in spiritual practice. Can we do the same? This is why the Buddha is our role model. Since He could do it, we can follow His example in our spiritual practice.
The Buddha demonstrated this for us as an example to follow. After going through all this, He finally became enlightened. What is the state of an enlightened mind? By attaining Buddhahood for all beings, His state of mind became tranquil and clear. After He attained enlightenment, He then widely transformed sentient beings. All past Buddhas did this. All present Buddhas are also doing the same. This teaches us that we must aspire to make these kinds of great vows.
However, we sentient beings often find it easy to form aspirations but hard to persevere in them. Saying we want to engage in spiritual cultivation is easy, but sustaining this aspiration as we practice is really not easy.
During the Buddha’s lifetime, He lived in the abode at Jeta Grove, in the kingdom of Sravasti. One day, seven people came from far away. All of them were quite old. They were spiritual practitioners of Brahmanism, but after practicing for a long time, they could not attain enlightenment, and they wished to take the Buddhist path. In His compassion, the Buddha shaved their heads and allowed these elderly Brahmans to become monastics.
He put the seven of them in the same room. At the beginning, they were very diligent. But soon after, these seven people gradually let their will to practice dissipate. Now, when they talked, everything they discussed was meaningless mundane matters, or romantic relationships and the like. None of this was related to spiritual practice, but had everything to do with wealth, lust, material desires and so on.
One day, the Buddha walked by their room and heard them speaking loudly about sexual and material desires and so on. He began to talk to them with a very serious tone of voice. He said, “As a monastic, you should seek the path to Buddhahood and transform sentient beings. You must make great vows. How can you sit in a place dedicated to spiritual practice and joke and laugh loudly. If you want to engage in spiritual practice, why do you indulge in these kind of thoughts?”
“Undisciplined spiritual practitioners cannot rein in their minds mostly because of five factors. They are still attached to these five advantages and rely and depend on them. First, they rely on their youth. Second, they rely on their dignified appearances. Third, they rely on their physical health. Fourth, they rely on worldly wealth they have accumulated and still enjoy. Fifth, they rely on their status and fame. Most people rely on these five advantages. What about you?”
“What advantages are the seven of you relying on? In terms of youth, you are no longer young. You are quite advanced in years. Do you have dignified appearances? Your physical appearance has changed with age. Your skin is loose and your muscles are weak. As old people, what can you rely on? Are you relying on your wealth? Actually, once you engage in spiritual practice, you should give up your worldly possessions. Moreover, worldly possessions are impermanent and [never truly belong to you]. Material wealth cannot prevent you from aging. It cannot keep your appearance from changing. It cannot ensure your good health. So, if it is wealth you are relying on, can you really depend on it? All of you have practiced a non-Buddhist path for many years without attaining anything, so you came from far away to take refuge and become monastics. Are you wealthy? Even if you are wealthy, you cannot rely on it. Are you well-known? You do not have fame or status, so exactly what advantages are you relying on? What are you depending on?”
Since these seven people had aspired to engage in spiritual practice and were no longer young, why were they still attached to their worldly desires and pleasures? Why couldn’t they eliminate these mundane habitual tendencies? After these seven people heard the Buddha’s words, they were truly ashamed and repented before Him.
So, all of us must reflect on whether we also have this kind of mindset. These five things are unreliable. As we go about our lives, only our non-arising and non-ceasing, crystal-pure intrinsic nature will be ours forever. The Buddha told these seven bhiksus that spiritual practice is about “seeking the path to Buddhahood and transforming sentient beings.” Isn’t this what we are also seeking? We need to “seek the path to Buddhahood.” As you listen to teachings every day, I hope you will share the Dharma you have heard with other people to bring clarity to their minds so they follow the right path. To have clear minds on the right path, after we hear teachings, we must share them with each other.
In our daily living, with the karma we create, we each have our own causes and conditions. Exactly what causes and conditions have we created? If, in our daily living, we have the will and the desire to seek the path to Buddhahood and to transform sentient beings, then our pure karma and conditions will continue to grow. This is wisdom.
As the previous sutra passage states,
The Buddha said, “Since a far off kalpa, I have praised and revealed the Dharma of Nirvana. Ending the suffering of samsara forever is what I have always taught.”
The Buddha said, “Since a far off kalpa, I have praised and revealed the Dharma of Nirvana.” He always praised [the importance of] safeguarding the mind so it is non-arising and non-ceasing. Being beyond arising and ceasing is Nirvana; it is a state of mind. The Buddha unceasingly worked to share this with everyone and guide them into this non-arising and non-ceasing state of Nirvana.
So, “Ending the suffering of samsara forever is what I have always taught.” To end cyclic existence we must engage in spiritual practice to take good care of our minds so [our aspiration] does not arise and cease. If we have already taken the virtuous Dharma to heart, external conditions and objects of desires will no longer enter our minds and our minds will no longer give rise to desires. We must preserve the Dharma we have heard in our minds and not allow our aspirations to cease. Ceasing has the same meaning as death. So in the lives of ordinary people, we go through cyclic existence. Those with the mental state of noble beings have no arising and ceasing, so there is no birth and death. This is the mind of a spiritual practitioner.
The Buddha used various methods, analogies and expressions, to guide and teach. But He also constantly reminds us of and leads us to attain a state of non-arising and non-ceasing, where the suffering of samsara will end forever. This means our minds will not experience birth and death and our aspirations will not arise and cease.
In this next passage of the sutra, the Buddha said to Sariputra,
“Sariputra, you should know, I see Buddha-children resolutely seeking the path to Buddhahood, countless trillions of them.”
The Buddha, for many lifetimes, over countless kalpas, has unceasingly taught sentient beings, and displayed the process of spiritual practice to set an example for sentient beings to guide them in their spiritual practice. So He said, “I see Buddha-children.” Since He had formed good affinities with many, many had made this vow. They numbered in countless billions and trillions.
This is why the Buddha addressed the teachings to Sariputra. Among all these people, Sariputra was foremost in wisdom and was the one who requested the teaching.
The Buddha addressed the teachings to Sariputra to make sentient beings aware that by upholding precepts, they are named Buddha-children and will certainly attain Buddhahood. [Buddha-children] is another name for Bodhisattvas.
So, [the Buddha] made people aware that they should mindfully listen to the Dharma and uphold the precepts. All who do this are Buddha-children. Since we willingly engage in spiritual practice and are disciples of the Three Treasures, we must constantly remind ourselves to be vigilant and practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. These are the Buddha’s rules. He hopes that, as His disciples, we will all uphold them. By doing so, we are Buddha-children. Those of us with this resolve are children born of His speech and. His teachings will nurture our wisdom-life. Thus we are called Buddha-children.
“[We] will certainly attain Buddhahood.” If we mindfully and willingly practice precepts, Samadhi and wisdom and accept the Dharma spoken by the Buddha to help our wisdom-life grow, we will certainly attain Buddhahood. Through this spiritual practice, we will certainly attain the state of Buddhahood. But throughout this process of spiritual practice, we are Bodhisattvas. Buddha-children is another name for Bodhisattvas. This means those who listen to the Dharma and then put it into practice, seek the path to Buddhahood and transform all beings are called Buddha-children.
Moreover, in accordance with the Buddha’s noble teachings, they produce the seeds of the noble path. Since Buddha-seeds are constantly sowed, they will never disappear [from the world]. Since those with great capabilities are inspired, they are able to carry on the teachings. This is the meaning of Buddha-children.
“Moreover, in accordance with the Buddha’s noble teachings,” based on teachings given by the Buddha, “they produce the seeds of the noble path.” The Buddha sowed the seeds of goodness in the fields of our minds. Doesn’t the Sutra of Infinite Meanings talk about “spreading the seeds of goodness”? When the Buddha expounded the Dharma, He sowed seeds in the minds of sentient beings. He sowed these seeds of goodness and wisdom. Goodness can benefit the world. Wisdom can nourish Buddha-seeds and be used to transform sentient beings. So, “since Buddha-seeds are constantly sowed, they will never disappear [from the world].” This allows the Buddha-Dharma to continuously remain in the world for millions of billions of lifetimes. This is the Buddha’s hope. Seeds can be endlessly sown, then sprout, grow and become a forest of Bodhi-trees. This is the Buddha’s hope, that everyone will accept the Buddha-Dharma, put it into practice and walk the Bodhisattva-path. This is the Buddha’s goal in teaching the Dharma.
[They] resolutely seek the path to Buddhahood, countless trillions of them: The Buddha’s disciples vow to seek the path to Buddhahood and this state of Nirvana. This is the great vow they make. Developing one good aspiration gives rise to trillions. The Bodhi-fruit is the most exceptional and unsurpassed.
“[They] resolutely seek the path to Buddhahood, countless trillions of them.” Those who learn the Buddha’s teachings must make a resolve. The resolve we Buddha-children make must be to seek the path to Buddhahood. Why else would we engage in spiritual practice? We seek to reach [the end of] this path “and this state of Nirvana. This is the great vow [we] make.” The state of Buddhahood is tranquil and clear, pure as crystal. This is the state that we should seek. So, we must form good aspirations. These good aspirations will then begin to sprout like a seed. They are like seeds.
We must protect and nurture them well. So, “[one seed] gives rise to countless trillions.” Many people have formed this aspiration, but are they willing to abide by their vows and practice in accord with the path? If we all engage in spiritual practice, uphold our vows and follow the path, one seed after another will enter people’s minds. This is how one gives rise to infinity. Think about it, won’t this give rise to countless trillions? This all depends on whether each of us have this aspiration.
“The Bodhi-fruit is the most exceptional and unsurpassed.” Dear Bodhisattvas, as Buddhist practitioners, this seed must penetrate our minds. After the seed is planted in the field, we must ensure it has rain, dew and other moisture. This will moisten the field in our minds and help our seeds grow. Along with water, we need to give it sunlight. Similarly, with hope and diligence, we can help the seed in our minds grow.
We must give it very clean air. Similarly, we must encourage each other. We apply other people’s realizations to ourselves and share our own realizations with others. This is like the circulation of air. So, for the seed in the field of our minds, we must provide the cause and the conditions for its success.
We cannot look down on what anyone says. This is like how the US Tzu Chi volunteers invited Yi Ren (Maureen Siao) to share. “You have worked with Jing Si Books and Cafe for a long time. How have these cafes spread everywhere? How can China accept the books and media produced by. Jing Si Publications?” I said to her, “Share your experience with them.” As she shared, I also listened. What I heard made me very joyful. Her youthful energy, purity and honesty, and the way she connects with people brings such happiness and help them to truly realize the necessity of the Dharma-lineage. This led them to aspire to spread the Jing-Si Dharma-lineage and the Tzu Chi School of Buddhism so that wherever they live these can become widely known.
As she talked about the process, she was lively and wholesome. So when people hear her speak, they do not give rise to improper thoughts. They become firm in their spiritual aspiration. The reality is that over many years, this is the way she has paved this road. When we hear her experience, we can also strengthen our spiritual aspirations. This is like pure and fresh air. Only by breathing it in and absorbing it will we have the conditions for growth.
Dear Bodhisattvas, since we are practitioners, we must practice the Bodhisattva-path, seek the path to Buddhahood and transform sentient beings. What the Buddha said to the seven elderly bhiksus is what He wants to say to us. So, I hope we remember that life is impermanent, and quickly seize the time to reflect and diligently advance every day. Immersed in Dharma, our wisdom-life can grow. So everyone, please always be mindful.