Episode 468 – Return to the Great Vehicle
>> “A still and tranquil state of mind is where spiritual cultivation takes place. With remorse, we openly and sincerely repent. A slight deviation may lead us far off the path. With an awakened realization, we return to our true nature.”
>> Since I received the Buddha’s teachings, I have not been deprived of the Great Vehicle. The Buddha’s voice is very extraordinary and can rid sentient beings of their afflictions. Having already put an end to my Leaks, hearing this, my troubles are also dispelled.
>> “As I dwelt in the mountain valleys, or under trees in forests, whether I was sitting or walking in meditation, I constantly contemplated this matter.”
>> The body and mind are places of spiritual practice. Whether in a quiet place in the forest, speaking or silent, moving or still, engaging in sitting or walking meditation, he constantly contemplated this matter, the path to Buddhahood of. Great Vehicle Bodhisattvas.
>> “Alas,” I cried in bitter self-reproach, “Why have I deceived myself? I and the others are also Buddha-children and have also penetrated the flawless Dharma. Yet, in the future, we cannot proclaim the unsurpassed path”
>> “Alas,” I cried in bitter self-reproach, “Why have I deceived myself?”: Sariputra was distressed. He lamented and reproached himself for clinging to the Small Vehicle wisdom and depriving himself of the True Dharma of the Great Vehicle.
>> “Why have I deceived myself?” Because he settled with the Small Vehicle Dharma, he did not seek the Great Vehicle teachings. He had thus deceived and underestimated himself.
“A still and tranquil state of mind is where spiritual cultivation takes place.
With remorse, we openly and sincerely repent.
A slight deviation may lead us far off the path.
With an awakened realization, we return to our true nature.”
Spiritual practice is all about the mind. Our minds must always be tranquil and still. If we are tranquil and still, we can engage in spiritual cultivation everywhere. No matter what challenges we face, can we maintain the tranquility and stillness of this inner place of spiritual cultivation? If so, throughout the long day, no matter who we interact with and no matter what we are doing, everything we say to others will be Dharma and everything we hear will be a teaching.
We may hear the sounds of interpersonal conflicts, but if we can safeguard our minds we will take them to heart as teachings. How should we interpret these living sutras? By applying the Dharma we hear in the morning together with a sense of reverence. Then, as we interact with myriad sentient beings each person will be a sutra for us to read. How will we respond to them? How will we interpret [these sutras?]. This is where we engage in spiritual cultivation. When we encounter people and hear the Dharma, how will we comprehend these living teachings? For those who are trapped by their thoughts, we will listen to and understand their situations and explain things to them. Isn’t this a place for us to practice? As we interact with people, we can engage in spiritual cultivation everywhere.
Buddhist practitioners should develop a sense of remorse and always be conscientious and humble. How much have we really learned or understood? We must understand ourselves and not be arrogant. Can we just stop our spiritual practice now? We can still keep making progress without feeling a sense of inferiority or abject pride. We must understand and respect everyone from the bottom of our hearts.
So, we must have a sense of remorse and repent openly. We must admit it when others surpass us. We must always recognize that perhaps, “In the past, I was arrogant. In the past, I thought I already knew enough.” We cannot have this mindset. We must humble ourselves. When we commit wrongs, we must confess our errors. Instead of keeping them inside, we must reveal them. Only then can we find a way to correct them. So, we must repent with genuine sincerity. Repentance brings purity.
As we interact with people and matters, we must know that our mind is where we engage in spiritual practice, and everywhere is a place for spiritual cultivation. We must always maintain this mindset as we interact with the myriads of sentient beings, with all people, matters and objects. We must always be grateful that an archive of teachings is right before us. If they are good, we must earnestly learn from them. If [we encounter others who] have gone astray, we must reverently provide them with guidance. We need to sustain this mindset;
we cannot listen to the Dharma and think, “Yes, this is true. Yes, I will change,” but after we leave this practice center, we just go back to our old ways. As ordinary people going about our daily living, we take issue with other people over anything. We say things like, “I’m right. You’re wrong, admit it.” Think about this; in that case, aren’t we leaving a place of spiritual practice to go out into a place of conflict? We must take good care of our minds, or a slight deviation will take us far off course.
“Everything is created by the mind.” Our minds keep us on the right course; our minds can also lead us astray. So, we must keep our minds on the right course. We must not let them deviate in the slightest. That slight deviation leads to a great divergence. So, in interacting with people,, matters and things, we must not allow our minds to be influenced.
“With an awakened realization, we return to our true nature.” Once we understand and awaken [to the Dharma,] we must quickly [accept it]. “Do you understand? I understand.” If we understand, we must take it to heart and engrave it on our minds. This how we return to our nature.
I often talk about the word, “return,” which is turning from the darkness to the light, which is turning from what is wrong to what is right. What is right refers to the true principles. What is not right is a deviant path. So, “with an awakened realization, we return to our true nature.” We must directly connect this great Bodhi-path to our minds; this is very important.
So, “a still and tranquil state of mind is where spiritual cultivation takes place.” As long as our minds are tranquil and still, we can practice anywhere and at anytime. The people we meet are all part of our treasury of teachings. How should we interact with sentient beings? We must “transform them with the Dharma.”
The Dharma is used to transform sentient beings. We must always interact with people with gratitude, respect and love. Only then can we give rise to remorse and openly admit mistakes. We are still human, so our mind will inevitably go astray. Once our mind goes astray, we must quickly rein it in and turn it toward the right course. We cannot allow it to remain on the wrong course. We must adjust it right away and walk the right path. If we go astray, we must bravely admit our wrongs. This is how we diligently progress in the Dharma.
We must realize and awaken. If we are always aware, when we go astray, we can quickly turn back to walk the right path. The Buddha hoped that we could return to our nature and turn worldly teachings into the Buddha-Dharma.
Since I received the Buddha’s teachings, I have not been deprived of the Great Vehicle. The Buddha’s voice is very extraordinary and can rid sentient beings of their afflictions. Having already put an end to my Leaks, hearing this, my troubles are also dispelled.
The previous sutra passage states, “Since I received the Buddha’s teachings, I have never been deprived of the Great Vehicle.” For over 40 years, people received suitable teachings from the Buddha. Sentient beings’ capabilities vary and, out of His compassion, the Buddha patiently guided them. Since He taught earnestly, the listeners must learn industriously. Indeed, they must be very mindful to take in the Dharma they hear because the Dharma taught by the Buddha would “never [deprive them] of the Great Vehicle.” Whether they are hearing worldly teachings or the world-transcending Dharma, the main point was always the Middle Way. He hoped that everyone would first understand how all things arise and cease due to causes and conditions.
Pratyekabuddhas and Hearers had stopped at learning the law of arising and ceasing. So, they stopped at that state. Actually, they were still able to progress further; they should not have stopped at the understanding that everything is empty. Actually, in emptiness, there is wondrous existence. To return to our nature of True Suchness, we must walk this very broad, great path. For a long time, the Buddha had been talking about this path. But most people had stopped at the starting point. They had not moved forward, and were still wandering around the side roads without any desire to look for the great path that leads directly to the state of Buddhahood.
The Dharma was spoken from the Buddha’s mouth, with the Buddha’s voice, for everyone to hear and understand. So, “the Buddha’s voice is very extraordinary and can rid sentient beings of their afflictions.” Sentient beings can be in the Human Vehicle, Heavenly Being Vehicle, Hearer Vehicle, Pratyekabuddha Vehicle and Bodhisattva Vehicle. Sentient beings were taught according to their capabilities, in response to their doubts and afflictions and in a way their awakened nature could accept. So, [the Dharma] can eliminate all afflictions. It “can rid sentient beings of their afflictions.”
Beings in the Human Vehicle understood that, “Ah, life is unpredictable, so the Buddha said we must not take issue with others.” Those in the Bodhisattva Vehicle [understood and] could eliminate the afflictions of being human. Small Vehicle practitioners understood that all things arise due to causes and conditions and all things cease due to causes and conditions. Everything else is just an affliction, so they knew to eliminate them. Thus, sentient beings’ afflictions and their ignorance could be eliminated by the Buddha’s teachings, one by one. However, that depended on their capabilities. People with great capabilities had great realizations and underwent great cleansing. People with limited capabilities had limited understandings and awakenings, and could only gradually eliminate their afflictions. All this depended on sentient beings’ capabilities. As they listened to the Dharma, the more they understood, the more quickly they could eliminate their afflictions.
“Having already put an end to my Leaks, hearing this, my troubles are also dispelled.” Sariputra, at that point, fully understood how past afflictions could be gradually eliminated, how life was impermanent and how he could eliminate his suffering. So, “having already put an end to my Leaks,” having eliminated all his afflictions, he understood that now he had to return to his nature of True Suchness.
After putting an end to Leaks, [he said,]. “Hearing this my troubles are also dispelled.” At that point, all his afflictions were eliminated. Now his wondrous existence, his nature of True Suchness, had to be [protected against] becoming defiled as he went among people; he was now learning this part of the Dharma. This was Sariputra’s spiritual journey.
The following sutra passage states,
“As I dwelt in the mountain valleys, or under trees in forests, whether I was sitting or walking in meditation, I constantly contemplated this matter.”
Where are the places for spiritual cultivation? Are they always in mountain forests? Actually, as I just mentioned, everywhere is a place for spiritual cultivation. However, those who followed the Buddha and became monastics engaged in spiritual practice in mountain forests. These would have been very quiet and peaceful mountains and forests. In these quiet and peaceful places, whether His disciples were sitting or walking, they were always diligently practicing. What the Buddha taught them about the suffering, emptiness and impermanence of the world, and about how to purify their minds, was the lesson they were always contemplating. We must understand that the body and mind are places where we engage in spiritual cultivation. As I have repeatedly told everyone, in the forests, in quiet places, whether speaking or silent, moving or still, we must always contemplate the Dharma of all things in the world.
The body and mind are places of spiritual practice. Whether in a quiet place in the forest, speaking or silent, moving or still, engaging in sitting or walking meditation, he constantly contemplated this matter, the path to Buddhahood of. Great Vehicle Bodhisattvas.
Sariputra also expressed himself this way. He constantly engaged in self-reflection, asking himself, “What is the difference between my practice and the Great Vehicle practice the Bodhisattvas the Buddha is always praising? Just what is the difference?” What the Buddha taught and what he understood were the four states of all things in the world, formation, existence, decay and disappearance, birth, aging, illness and death and arising, abiding, changing and ceasing. These are the four states. But what is the broad, great path? What is the great, direct Bodhi-path? What is the right course?
Again, he heard the Buddha praising Bodhisattvas and saying they would also attain Buddhahood and would transform sentient beings like the Buddha. The Buddha comes to the world for one great cause. What was this one great cause? So, [Sariputra] “contemplated this matter.” He did not realize that the one great cause was the. Great Vehicle Bodhisattvas’ path to Buddhahood. He had merely stopped at the state of the Small Vehicle. Because he had stopped, he could not understand the mindset of the Bodhisattvas who had formed great aspirations and vows and what kind of vows they had as they accepted the Buddha-Dharma. So, he “constantly contemplated this matter. This matter” was the path practiced by Great Vehicle Bodhisattvas. This was what Sariputra constantly contemplated.
“Alas,” I cried in bitter self-reproach, “Why have I deceived myself? I and the others are also Buddha-children and have also penetrated the flawless Dharma. Yet, in the future, we cannot proclaim the unsurpassed path”
“‘Alas,’ I cried in bitter self-reproach,” was a form of lament. Sariputra lamented with “bitter self-reproach.” He now blamed himself for not having broadened his heart. He had not opened up his mind, so everything he did was only to awaken himself. What he was seeking to understand was how could he turn impermanence into permanence, how he could turn suffering into joy and how he could maintain the purity of his heart. He had stopped at this state. He did not understand that Bodhisattvas saw themselves as one with all sentient beings; they see all sentient beings as one. They had “unconditional loving-kindness and universal compassion.” Seeing themselves as one with all beings, their “self” was the “great self.” This mentality of the great self was not something he was able to realize.
“Alas,” I cried in bitter self-reproach, “Why have I deceived myself?”: Sariputra was distressed. He lamented and reproached himself for clinging to the Small Vehicle wisdom and depriving himself of the True Dharma of the Great Vehicle.
“Why have I deceived myself?” Sariputra was very distressed by this. “Alas” was a way of saying, “Why did things turn out this way? Why was I like this in the past?” He lamented and reproached himself for wasting several decades. This was very distressing to him. Why hadn’t he expanded his heart and mind earlier to accept the Buddha’s Great Vehicle and go among people?
This was because he had “clung to the Small Vehicle wisdom.” He was attached to it and had stopped at the state of the Small Vehicle. That was the extent of his wisdom. So, he was “deprived of the True Dharma of the Great Vehicle.” This was what Sariputra lamented. He had wasted all that time in the past.
“Why have I deceived myself?” Because he settled with the Small Vehicle Dharma, he did not seek the Great Vehicle teachings. He had thus deceived and underestimated himself.
“Why have I deceived myself?” It was his own fault. “I deceived myself, thinking that I understood all the Buddha-Dharma. I thought I realized the Buddha’s intentions.” This was how he deceived himself. He was not conscientious or humble. “I thought I knew about everything, I thought….” He lacked remorse and thus deceived himself.
“Because he settled with Small Vehicle Dharma,” he thought he knew everything very well and that being in that state was enough. He thought that was it, so “he did not seek the Great Vehicle teachings”; that other Dharma had nothing to do with him. If he could stay in that state, that was enough for him. So, he stopped there. He abided in the Small Vehicle and did not seek the Great Vehicle Dharma. “He had deceived and underestimated himself.” He had looked down on himself.
We often say that we must not underestimate ourselves, for we all have unlimited potential. But Sariputra wanted to maintain a pure state, so he did not want to interact with other people. By cultivating himself, he thought he completely understood the Dharma. He thought that was enough, but he was actually deceiving himself. The more teachings he could learn, the stronger he would be, but he was satisfied with [the Small Vehicle]. This was how he deceived and underestimated himself.
We should not be easily satisfied by such a limited scope. We must maintain our tranquil and still inner place of spiritual practice. We must, “with an awakened realization, return to our true nature.” So, our thinking and perspective must not deviate. A slight deviation can lead us far off the path.
Sariputra had wasted so many years. Now he lamented, blamed himself and was distressed. He had deceived and underestimated himself. This was truly a pity, as well as a waste of time. No wonder he “cried in bitter self-reproach.” It was a pity he had wasted that time. So, if we clearly understand principles now, we must seize the present, diligently advance toward the Great Vehicle Dharma and always be mindful.