Episode 460 – Limited Faith Restricts Our Understanding
>> “The mind, Buddha and sentient beings are the same in their nature. [The Buddha] taught wondrous provisional means and the True Dharma at different levels because people’s roots of faith were still limited and had not extended outwards.”
>> Why is this so? In the past, I heard this Dharma from the Buddha and saw all Bodhisattvas receive predictions of attaining Buddhahood. But I and the others felt that we were not included, so we were sad about not having the Tathagata’s limitless understanding and views.
>> “World-Honored One, I have always lived alone in mountain forests under the trees. Whether sitting or walking in meditation, I constantly had this thought.”
>> “We all likewise realized the nature of things, so why did the Tathagata use the Small Vehicle Dharma to transform us? The fault was ours and not the World-Honored One’s.”
>> We all likewise realized the nature of things: He reflected on himself and contemplated how those who had also realized the nature of things and who had also listened to the Buddha-Dharma had been able to enter the state of unconditioned Nirvana while he remained at the state of the Small Vehicle.
>> The nature of things: The nature of all things is truly empty. In true emptiness there is wondrous existence. In wondrous existence there is true emptiness. This is the nature of things. This is similar to how water can become a wave, yet that does not change the nature of water.
>> They did not understand the workings of the Buddha’s mind, so they thought He only taught them the Small Vehicle Dharma. They doubted themselves and thought they had limited abilities and were incapable of taking on great responsibilities.
“The mind, Buddha and sentient beings are the same in their nature.
[The Buddha] taught wondrous provisional means and the True Dharma at different levels
because people’s roots of faith were still limited and had not extended outwards.”
“The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in their nature],” which is no greater in Buddhas and no less in ordinary people. In terms of the pure nature of True Suchness, the Buddha does not have more of it, and we ordinary people do not have less. We are all equal in our pure, enlightened nature. It is just that the Buddha has been mindful; since Beginningless Time, He has made great vows, formed great aspirations. His resolve has never changed; it is unwavering. The minds of ordinary people are always in flux. Sometimes we are inspired, and sometimes our spiritual aspirations weaken. We keep going forward and backward, always in the state of unenlightened beings, just walking in place. Thus we never make progress.
In working for the sake of sentient beings, the Buddha has sustained His resolve. He constantly manifests in this world, waiting for causes, conditions and the right timing. How ever He manifested, He would inspire people. He never gave up on sentient beings. But, because of their capabilities, it was hard for them to change their habitual tendencies. Therefore, He had to first give wondrous provisional teachings. He taught True Dharma, but to adapt it according to their capabilities, He had to teach the Great, Middle and Small Vehicles. Actually, the Three Vehicles are still True Dharma.
It is just that we ordinary people may have a root of faith that limits our capabilities. Then we do everything for ourselves but cannot open up our hearts. When we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must open up and expand our hearts. If we do not have faith, we assume we only have enough strength to take care of ourselves, to take of our families or our immediate surroundings. We are underestimating ourselves. If we feel inferior, we cannot exert our strength.
During the era of the Buddha, there was a small farming village in India. A calf was born in a farmer’s bullpen who only had one horn. The owner felt that a bull like this was very precious. Rather than reject him, he cherished him and gave him special treatment. Every day, he washed him and talked to him softly and gently. He cared for him so meticulously that this bull could understand human speech. The bull could also give simple responses. He knew the meaning of the owner’s words. Because the owner took very good care of him, he was very grateful.
During this time, at another village, there was another person who raised bulls. He owned a bull who was very strong. This owner had so much faith in his bull that he wanted to show off his strength to everyone. One day, he came to the first farmer’s village, and kept yelling loudly, “I have a bull with awesome strength. He can pull 100 carts. If there is anyone who is willing to have his bull compete with my bull, and my bull loses, then I will pay him 1000 taels.”
This one-horned bull thought, “If this is the bet, then I should win this money to repay my owner.” So, he went to tell his owner, “I also have great strength, so if you have faith in me, tell him that I will compete with his bull.” This owner had faith in his bull, so, the two made a bet.
When the day came, everyone in both villages showed up at the place. But, the one-horned bull’s owner, before starting, first told everyone, “My bull was born with only one horn.” When the one-horned bull heard these words, he lost his confidence and fighting spirit. He had always known that because he was born with only one horn, he was different from other bulls. But because his owner cared for him deeply, he was never self-conscious about it. But now that he was being compared to another, he felt inferior.
When the competition began, this other bull showed that he was truly strong. He really pulled a hundred carts at once. But the one-horned bull had lost his confidence. He had no fighting spirit. He could not even move the carts at all. Therefore, his owner lost 1000 taels.
When they got home, his owner was very unhappy. The bull told his owner, “I am sorry, master. I originally had great self-confidence, but after hearing what you said, I felt inferior. Once I began to feel inferior, I lost all my fighting spirit.” The owner replied, “But you usually have a lot of strength.” He said, “Yes, that is because I had confidence. Why don’t you arrange another contest with him. I will use my strength to win back all your money so you will not be at a loss. But before we begin, please say a few praises to give me more strength.”
The owner still had faith in his bull, so he scheduled another contest. “This time, we will double the bet. Last time you bet me 1000 taels. This time I will bet you 2000 taels.” This contest took place at the same spot. Everyone from the two villages gathered again. Before starting, the owner of the one-horned bull listed all of his bull’s good qualities for him to hear. So, the one-horned bull was mentally prepared this time. From his first step, he moved faster than his opponent. Thus he won the 2000 taels for his owner.
From this story, we can realize that everyone has great potential. With faith comes strength. “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in nature].” We just need to be constantly vigilant and encourage ourselves. We have the same intrinsic nature as the Buddha, as Prince Siddhartha. If Prince Siddhartha could attain Buddhahood, then why can’t we? So, we must all have faith in ourselves.
The previous sutra passage also mentions this. Sariputra first heard the Small Vehicle Dharma. Then when he heard the Buddha expound the Great Vehicle Dharma, opening the provisional to reveal the true, and his faith was also bolstered. When he heard the Great Vehicle Dharma at the Vulture Peak Assembly, he was happy to “attain what he never had before.” So, he “gazed up reverently upon the Buddha’s countenance” and happily put his palms together to express his reverence, to show the Buddha that the Dharma he heard had inspired such great faith in him. He was happy to attain what he never had before.
Yesterday we also discussed the line, “Why is this so?” Why had he become so joyful? He said, “In the past, I heard this Dharma from the Buddha.” The Dharma that the Buddha taught in the past was spoken to all three capabilities. Those were the Great, Middle and Small Vehicles. These teachings were given according to sentient beings’ capabilities.
Why is this so? In the past, I heard this Dharma from the Buddha and saw all Bodhisattvas receive predictions of attaining Buddhahood. But I and the others felt that we were not included, so we were sad about not having the Tathagata’s limitless understanding and views.
Those with great capabilities accepted [the Dharma], formed Bodhisattva-aspirations and the Buddha predicted that they would attain Buddhahood. But what about other people? They followed the Buddha in spiritual practice, yet received no prediction of Buddhahood. “But I and the others felt that we were not included.” So, they felt very upset. This made them feel inferior. Would the Tathagata’s understanding and views not be shared with them? This was how they felt; this was how Sariputra described his feelings.
The next sutra passage starts with,
“World-Honored One, I have always lived alone in mountain forests under the trees. Whether sitting or walking in meditation, I constantly had this thought.”
Sariputra respectfully put his palms together to express his joy and explain how he had felt in the past. He said, “We constantly lived alone in mountain forests.” They lived in very pure places. “Whether sitting or walking in meditation, I constantly had this thought.” They may have sat in stillness or walked in meditation, just as we do when we circumambulate the Buddha. They also chanted the name of the Buddha; they also were being mindful of the Dharma. They also practiced diligently and did not become lax. But, he constantly thought about this. What was he thinking exactly?
“We all likewise realized the nature of things, so why did the Tathagata use the Small Vehicle Dharma to transform us? The fault was ours and not the World-Honored One’s.”
Why had the Buddha taught them with the Small Vehicle Dharma and taught others the Great Vehicle Dharma? In the past, they were not able to understand. But now, they were finally able. So, this sutra passage began with, “We all likewise realized the nature of things.” They thought about how they were all the same, that they had all received the same teachings from the Buddha. Now they finally realized that the Buddha was not biased; they needed to reflect on themselves. We all likewise realized the nature of things: He reflected on himself and contemplated how those who had also realized the nature of things and who had also listened to the Buddha-Dharma had been able to enter the state of unconditioned Nirvana while he remained at the state of the Small Vehicle.
After reflecting on himself, he realized he could not complain because the Buddha actually taught everyone the same Dharma. He had to reflect on himself, since “we all likewise realized the nature of things.” This means that everyone [received] the same Dharma and had the same pure nature as the Buddha, and the same wisdom as the Buddha. They all did. This is what the Buddha had always told everyone. So, why did the Buddha only bestow predictions of Buddhahood upon the people who had formed great aspirations, and not the others? Those people were very diligent, too.
Everyone can understand the nature of things. The nature of all things is true emptiness and wondrous existence.
The nature of things: The nature of all things is truly empty. In true emptiness there is wondrous existence. In wondrous existence there is true emptiness. This is the nature of things. This is similar to how water can become a wave, yet that does not change the nature of water.
I constantly tell everyone about “true emptiness and wondrous existence.” This is the nature of things. In true emptiness there is wondrous existence. The nature of wondrous existence is true emptiness. This is the nature of things. Take water, for example. There are ripples on the water. Actually, the ripples are still water.
When we stir up the water, there will be ripples. Ripples actually have the same nature as water. So ripples and bubbles do not originally exist; they have the same nature as water. Does the nature of water exist or not? Actually, water also needs the union of the four elements to exist. When the four elements are dispersed, there is no water.
Think about a river. It contains river water. A creek contains creek water. But if we look at the river later, the riverbed may be dry and there may be no water in the creek either. The causes and conditions for the formation of water have been lost. These kinds of changes in the modern world are due to impermanence. This principle helps us to thoroughly understand true emptiness in wondrous existence and wondrous existence in true emptiness. This is the nature of things.
If we can thoroughly understand it, the Dharma we hear is like water. Bulls, sheep, dogs and cats all need water. Bulls drink water, and sheep, dogs and cat all drink different amounts of water. As they need different amounts of water, they have different amounts of strength. The Buddha gave the same teaching to everyone, but they all had different capacities. Bulls drink the right amount of water for bulls and cats drink the right amount of water for cats. They each drink different amounts of water. Bodhisattvas, Hearers and Arhats gather at the same place to listen to teachings. During the same session of teachings, some people will form Bodhisattva-aspirations, put the Dharma into practice and go among people to transform them. Yet Hearers and Solitary Realizers also diligently practiced in the forests. For their own sakes, they sat and walked in meditation.
Sariputra now understood this, so he expressed his feelings. So, when “Bodhisattvas receive predictions,” everyone needs to reflect on themselves. “So why did the Tathagata use the Small Vehicle Dharma to transform us? The fault was ours, not the World-Honored One’s.” They had to examine themselves. They heard the same Dharma, so why was it that they could not attain predictions of Buddhahood from the Buddha? He had to reflect on himself. Before that time, before the Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra, they did not understand the workings of the Buddha’s mind. They did not understand how mindful the Buddha was in teaching the Dharma, so they still remained in the state of the Small Vehicle while receiving the teachings.
They did not understand the workings of the Buddha’s mind, so they thought He only taught them the Small Vehicle Dharma. They doubted themselves and thought they had limited abilities and were incapable of taking on great responsibilities.
So, no matter what the Buddha said, they still remained in the state of the Small Vehicle while receiving the Buddha’s teachings.
They “doubted themselves and thought they had limited abilities.” They felt a sense of inferiority and suspected they were “incapable of taking on great responsibilities.” They felt that, for Bodhisattvas to transform sentient beings, they must sustain great resolve. They must make great aspirations to go among the people. This is the only way to transform sentient beings. They must have great causes and great conditions to attain such great karmic retributions. Because they felt inferior, they felt that they lacked the strength, so they could not accept the great responsibility entrusted to them by the Buddha
so they doubted their own capabilities. This was not the Buddha’s fault. This was because they had not formed great aspirations in the past. So, there was no need to be sad because they now understood that as long as they formed great aspirations and walked the Bodhisattva-path willingly, someday the Buddha would also bestow predictions of Buddhahood on them.
So, the Buddha was well-known throughout the world. But how many people truly understood Him? During His lifetime, He gave the same teachings at the same time to help everyone understand. People of great, average or limited capabilities were all given the same teachings. These were wondrous provisional teachings. He gave the same wondrous Dharma to everyone. Yet our capabilities are so limited that there was no way we could understand it instantly, so He still had to start from the beginning. That is why He spent 40-plus years expounding these teachings. Actually, we are all people with great capabilities who can instantly understand and form great aspirations.
In summary, we must fully exercise our capabilities. We are like that one-horned bull. He had the strength, but lacked faith in himself, because he felt inferior. In fact, both bulls had the same strength. How could a missing horn be his problem? They had the same strength. They drank the same amount of water. They ate the same feed. However, when he lost confidence, his strength disappeared. The same principle applies to us, so I hope everyone will always be mindful.