Episode 798 – Aspiring to Enter the Wondrous Path
>> Since we have already established faith, we can abide in the state of Buddhahood. Since we have given rise to great aspirations, we approach and enter the wondrous path. With genuine teachings of skillful means, we begin to faithfully apply the Dharma. After attaining perfection and the wondrous mind, we can cure everything.
>> “He had a certain name and. I had a certain name. Long ago in that city, worried, I set out in search of him.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> “Suddenly, in this place, by chance I encountered him again. He is in truth my son, and I am in truth his father. Today, all the wealth that I possess belongs to my son. Everything that has already gone in or come out is known by him.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> Beginning today at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, the capabilities of those who had an unsettled nature had matured. They resonated and connected with the Way. They had long received the great teachings, enabling them to reach attainment. Thus it says, Suddenly, in this place, by chance I encountered him again.
>> He is in truth my son, and I am in truth his father: This reveals that the meeting of father and son means He previously used the Great Vehicle Dharma to teach and transform the disciples. Thus it says, He is in truth my son.
>> And I am in truth his father: The father has the intent to pass down the family business, and the son has the aspiration to carry it on, so the seeds of Buddhahood continue uninterrupted.
>> Today, all of the wealth that I possess belongs to my son: Officially handing over the family business and all of his wealth is an analogy for the Great Vehicle teachings and refers to the Dharma-door of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions.
>> Everything that has already gone in or come out: This is a metaphor for following the Dharma of the Great and Small Vehicles and indicates the extensive and the concise. The explanations of the sutras and discourses that reveal the meaning sequentially are known as the extensive. Simply upholding four-line verses and in addition practicing sincere repentance is known as the concise.
>> Regarding the Great and Small Vehicle [teachings], it is said that the one can encompass the many, and the many also contain the one. The Great can enter the Small, and the Small can embrace the Great.
>> Everything that has already gone in or come out is known by him: This is a metaphor for the practices of benefiting oneself while benefiting others taught in the Vaipulya and Prajna sutras. These were already known by the Two Vehicle practitioners present at the assembly. Thus it says, “known by him”.
>> He had already led them to know so now it was merely being entrusted to them. Thus, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, He was only opening and revealing for them to realize and enter the Buddha’s understanding and views. He did not again speak extensively of all these practices, the 80,000 detailed actions.
“Since we have already established faith, we can abide in the state of Buddhahood.
Since we have given rise to great aspirations, we approach and enter the wondrous path.
With genuine teachings of skillful means, we begin to faithfully apply the Dharma.
After attaining perfection and the wondrous mind, we can cure everything.”
We just need to develop firm faith. We all intrinsically have Buddha-nature; we all have this pure mirror in our minds. This mirror is perfect, clear and large. It is equal to the Buddha’s; it is the same. This wisdom can encompass everything, and this wisdom that can encompass everything comes from our forming great aspirations.
The Buddha hoped we would spread the Dharma to sentient beings. To transmit the Dharma to them, we must [meet] their needs, both material needs and spiritual needs. So, we must find a way to help them. Thus, “[Having] given rise to great aspirations, we approach and enter the wondrous path.” These are subtle and wondrous principles. In this world, the many tangible and intangible things are all encompassed by the Dharmakaya. All sentient beings and non-sentient things can inspire us to enter the path. From walking this road of working with others, we enter the Bodhi-path to serve as a support for all sentient beings, to provide a safe and joyful refuge, a refuge of joy, of safety and stability. This is how we give to sentient beings. To be a refuge for them, we must inspire their faith.
When they are in a panic, at a loss, we must provide a refuge for them. This is the “giving of fearlessness.” When people have an urgent need, we give them material things. This is the “giving of wealth.” In addition to giving wealth and fearlessness, we also need to give the Dharma. “Having relieved them from suffering, we then expound the Dharma for them.” After they are at peace and are unafraid, we can gradually begin to share the principles.
So, we must have genuine sincerity as we make use of skillful means. Not only do we have faith, we strongly believe that we can make use of this Dharma, of these skillful means. Thus, we “begin to faithfully apply the Dharma.” We must begin with faith. After we establish faith, our minds can abide in the state of Buddhahood. We must believe in the Dharma the Buddha taught.
Thus, we form great aspirations to approach and enter the realm of sentient beings and work to awaken their minds. This is the only way to truly attain perfection. This is how great perfect mirror [wisdom], that subtle and wondrous state of mind, can surface in our minds. This is our nature of True Suchness. In this way, “We can cure everything”; we can eliminate all of our afflictions.
In short, to have faith, to have faith in and an understanding of the Buddha’s teachings and to put them into practice, we must work hard.
We have already discussed the previous passage, “He had a certain name and. I had a certain name. Long ago in that city, worried, I set out in search of him.”
The elder kept looking for his son and eventually found him. As we explained yesterday, our births and deaths take us through the Five Realms and four forms of birth. An even earlier passage used the words, “more than 50 years.” This refers to how within the Five Realms there are the four forms of birth, as well as asuras, who can be found in the human realm and in all the other realms. In this way [he had transmigrated] life after life, for a very long time. There is no way to say which realm he was in at what point in time. So, a name cannot be specified. In which lifetime were we human? In which lifetime were we an ox, a horse, a sheep, a dog? We do not know. Only the Buddha knows. But there is no way to refer to a specific incarnation in a specific realm. So, He used the word “certain. He had a certain name and. I had a certain name.”
In fact, the Buddha’s original intent is focused on sentient beings. So He has, for countless kalpas, “set out in search” in this way. When sentient beings in a certain realm had affinities with Him, He would manifest in that realm to transform those with the [right] karmic conditions. This was the previous passage.
The following passage states, “Suddenly, in this place, by chance I encountered him again. He is in truth my son, and I am in truth his father. Today, all the wealth that I possess belongs to my son. Everything that has already gone in or come out is known by him.”
He began to tell everyone that they have now [met] at “this place. This place” is the Lotus Dharma-assembly. The Buddha’s mind upon enlightenment was in the Avatamsaka state. This spiritual world of the Avatamsaka state is a very subtle and wondrous state. But taking into consideration sentient beings’ inability to accept it, He gave them the Agama, Vaipulya and Prajna teachings. Lastly, during the Lotus-Nirvana period, He returned to the teaching that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. This was the Buddha telling us that, by this time, we should have faith and understanding. We should all believe and all be able to comprehend. So, “suddenly, in this place,” means this is the place where, “By chance I encountered him again.” This was at the Lotus Dharma-assembly
Beginning today at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, the capabilities of those who had an unsettled nature had matured. They resonated and connected with the Way. They had long received the great teachings, enabling them to reach attainment. Thus it says, “Suddenly, in this place, by chance I encountered him again.”
Though they still had varying capabilities, though at the Lotus Dharma-assembly there were people with an unsettled nature, those who had not yet settled down, their karmic conditions and capabilities had matured. This place should be where they “resonated and connected with the Way.” These people “had long received the great teachings, enabling them to reach attainment.” Those who had not left the assembly, those who remained, had been [with the Buddha] for a very long time. Everyone’s karmic conditions had matured, thus it was time to give the Lotus teachings.
He is in truth my son, and I am in truth his father: This reveals that the meeting of father and son means He previously used the Great Vehicle Dharma to teach and transform the disciples. Thus it says, “He is in truth my son.”
So, “This is in truth my son and I am in truth his father. These are all my children, and I am in fact their father. They are of my own blood.” This refers to passing down the Dharma-lineage From long ago until this life in this world, the Dharma has been transmitted in this way. The affinities we created with the Dharma have lasted to this day. The passing down of the Dharma-lineage is expressed using the idea of a reunion of a father and son in the world. If the son goes away, in order to continue the bloodline and to pass the family business on to his son, the father will follow his son, looking to see where he went. This is an analogy.
“He previously used the Great Vehicle Dharma to teach and transform the disciples.” This is an analogy for the Buddha’s “past.” Starting a very long time ago, countless kalpas ago, He has taught with the Great Vehicle Dharma. Up to this present lifetime, the Buddha’s original intent has been for all to return to their intrinsic nature and discover the True Suchness within their minds. This was the Buddha’s intent. So, “past” includes all past lifetimes up until this present one. He always had this intent, this hope, to teach and transform with the Great Dharma.
And I am in truth his father: The father has the intent to pass down the family business, and the son has the aspiration to carry it on, so the seeds of Buddhahood continue uninterrupted.
Thus it states, “I am in truth his father. This is in truth my son, and I am in truth his father” The father has the responsibility to pass down the family business. As for the children, they have the aspiration to carry it on; they must have this resolve. The father has such a large family business, and he continuously nurtures his son in hopes that he will be successful and will be able to continue the family business. This is what fathers of the world are like. The Buddha is the same. In order for the “seeds of Buddhahood to continue uninterrupted,” the Buddha has to transmit the Dharma to sentient beings. We are also Buddha-children, so we should have the aspiration to accept and carry it on. We need to have this sense of mission and form these great aspirations to receive the Buddha’s seeds of Dharma. The seeds of Dharma is the Dharma-lineage. These seeds must not be cut off.
Today, all of the wealth that I possess belongs to my son: Officially handing over the family business and all of his wealth is an analogy for the Great Vehicle teachings and refers to the Dharma-door of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions.
Thus it says, “Today, all of the wealth that I possess belongs to my son.” All of the wealth that the elder possessed now belonged to his son. This is like a father passing down responsibility to his children. In addition to giving them the family wealth, he also gives them responsibilities. This means that the father “handing over the family business and all of his wealth” is an analogy for the teaching of the Great Vehicle. What the Buddha wants to pass on is the Great Vehicle teaching
Over a span of 42 years, He went from the Agama to the Prajna teachings. During those 42 years, He went from the Small Vehicle gradually into the Small and Great Vehicles. In the Prajna period [He taught], “All things are empty.” This was to purify the mind. Now, He is leading us into the state of wondrous existence. Everyone can attain Buddhahood. The way to attain Buddhahood is to go among people. So, “The Great Vehicle teachings refers to the Dharma-door of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions.” The most important thing is to transmit the Dharma-door of “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions.”
What is the purpose of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions? The transformation of sentient beings. Not only must we transform sentient beings, we must also transform ourselves. So, we must practice charitable giving and uphold the precepts. However, when we interact with people, we inevitably encounter those who are hard to train. Thus, we must practice patience. So, after giving and upholding precepts is patience.
Sentient beings are very stubborn, so we must be patient. Should we just stop what we are doing, saying, “I must be patient!”? At the same time, we must also be diligent. If we are not diligent and simply remain patient when we are wronged by people and when people say negative things about us, even if we do not take issue with them, we may not want to help people any more. If this causes us to stop, this patience is actually a form of retreating. Our patience should allow us to diligently advance. Only with this kind of patience and this kind of diligence can we achieve Samadhi.
Everything that has already gone in or come out: This is a metaphor for following the Dharma of the Great and Small Vehicles and indicates the extensive and the concise. The explanations of the sutras and discourses that reveal the meaning sequentially are known as the extensive. Simply upholding four-line verses and in addition practicing sincere repentance is known as the concise.
“Everything that has already gone in or come out” is from the sutra passage mentioned earlier. This is an analogy for following the Great and Small Vehicle Dharma. After the Buddha’s enlightenment, He taught both the Great and Small Vehicles, and we have followed Him in this way. The Great and Small Vehicles are the teachings we have received. Teachings can be extensive or concise. There are very expansive teachings. For instance, regarding the Avatamsaka Sutra, there is the 80-Volume Avatamsaka Sutra, and there is the 60-Volume Avatamsaka Sutra. They are very long. As for the Agama sutras, there are the Four Agamas. The Four Agamas are very extensive. Regarding the Prajna sutras, there are more than 600 volumes. This is truly extensive. Thus, the Dharma is as vast as the sea.
That is why the Buddha gave this analogy, saying, “Ananda, come here. I have picked up some sand with my finger. Is this many or few? Is there more sand on this land or on my finger?” [He referred to] the sand under His fingernail. Of course, Ananda replied to the Buddha by saying, “Venerable Buddha, “how can the sand under your fingernail be compared to the sands of the Ganges River?” The Buddha said, “The Dharma is open and vast. It is extensive; there is much to say, as much as the sands of the Ganges. But the Dharma I have expounded in this life is just like this little amount here”
Then there is the “concise.” This refers to simple teachings. If we can unlock our wisdom, there will be so many ways we can explain the sutras and discourses. They “reveal the meaning sequentially.” That is the “extensive.” When it comes to explaining the Dharma, the ways are extensive and wide-ranging. This can truly be extensive. If we want something a bit simpler, “simply uphold four-line verses”; a few simple words can be applied widely. Aside from the Dharma, there is also repentance. Only by being repentant are we able to take the Dharma to heart. This is “known as the concise.”
Regarding the Great and Small Vehicle [teachings], it is said that the one can encompass the many, and the many also contain the one. The Great can enter the Small, and the Small can embrace the Great.
When it comes to the Dharma, the Small Vehicle can make use of the Great, and the Great can encompass the Small. Let us mindfully comprehend this. This is how “The one can encompass the many, and the many also contain the one. The Great can enter the Small, and the Small can embrace the Great.” Great Dharma can also enter the Small. This is like how our eyes are very small, but they can take in a very broad, expansive vista. Everything in nature can be captured by our eyes. All of this is the Dharma.
Everything that has already gone in or come out is known by him: This is a metaphor for the practices of benefiting oneself while benefiting others taught in the Vaipulya and Prajna sutras. These were already known by the Two Vehicle practitioners present at the assembly. Thus it says, “known by him”.
“Everything that has already gone in or come out is known by him.” The elder already helped him understand what happened in the past. The son knows about everything; he fully understands what has gone in and out. This also shows how the Buddha patiently guided us with the Agama, then the Vaipulya, then the Prajna sutras; this was the sequence of teachings. He taught and transformed so that by this point, we could benefit ourselves and know to benefit others. The path to walk and the things to do “are already known by the. Two Vehicle practitioners at the assembly.” Now, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, Hearers and Solitary Realizers should be very familiar with this. The Great Vehicle can benefit self and others. This is what Hearers and Solitary Hearers should understand by now. Thus, it says, “It is known by him.” They all understood this Dharma,
He had already led them to know so now it was merely being entrusted to them. Thus, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, He was only opening and revealing for them to realize and enter the Buddha’s understanding and views. He did not again speak extensively of all these practices, the 80,000 detailed actions.
Now, with the Lotus teachings, everything was being collected and captured, whether what was taught during the Agama period or the Prajna period; after “true emptiness” comes the important concept of “wondrous existence.” We simply need to understand how we can actualize the Six Paramitas. With the Dharma of the Six Paramitas, we can dedicate ourselves to going among people, and in all our actions, we can apply all kinds of skillful means at any time. This comes from our understanding. This is like how, in the Chapter on Parables, the three carts were used to draw everyone out so they could accept the great white ox-cart.
Everyone, as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must put our hearts into comprehending it. Comprehension starts with faith and understanding. Without faith and understanding, our minds cannot abide in the state of Buddhahood. Most importantly, we must have faith in the Buddha and take the Buddha-mind as our own mind. So, our minds must enter the state of Buddhahood. We must be strong and form great aspirations to approach and enter the wondrous path. This is what we must persist in doing. “With the truth and teachings of skillful means, we begin to faithfully apply the Dharma.” This is what I said in the beginning. Only by doing this can we truly attain great perfect mirror wisdom. This is the only way for our mirror to be clean. Thus, everyone must always be mindful.