Episode 832 – Cultivate and Uphold Pure Precepts
>> Cultivating Bodhisattva-practices requires upholding the pure precepts. We must carefully adjust our actions and speech; with sincere thoughts we realize true principles. With kind and gentle understanding, we leave behind all that is deluded and false. Thus our thoughts, actions and speech must be gentle.
>> “Then with gentler words he said, “Think of yourself as my son”. The elder used wisdom to gradually allow his son to come and go. After 20 years, he put him charge of household affairs. [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> Through the three Fours, two Fives, the Seven and the Eight, we enter and see the practices to enlightenment. Then we are true [Buddha-]children, who have entered the noble path. This restates what was described in the prose passages of the sutra as [He] gave him a name, calling this man, ‘Son’.
>> Then with gentler words he said, Think of yourself as my son: This analogy is for seemingly being Buddha-children. Though [the elder] had to lure him in, he had always been his son. Thus it says, Think of yourself as…, which has the meaning of seemingly.
>> A person’s wealth and status are determined by his karma. Though he was kind to him as if [he was] family, he could not immediately nor slightly change his beloved son. For this reason, those who cannot accept their karmic fate are either foolish or deluded.
>> The elder used wisdom to gradually allow his son to come and go. To come and go represents self-cultivation and teaching others. To gradually have him come and go: This is what the prose passages said, The appearance of his mind came to embody faith, and he came and went without difficulty.
>> At this time He expounded the Vaipulya teachings, praising the Great Vehicle and commending the perfect teachings. He gradually led them to enter and delight in the Great Vehicle and correct their deviations. He reproached those who held to the Small and did not move toward the Great, thus gradually leading them to move toward the Great Vehicle.
>> After 20 years, He continued onto the Prajna teachings, gradually leading them to enter into the Great Vehicle principles of emptiness. Benefiting oneself is called coming. Then He began to turn the teachings towards the Bodhisattva-path. Benefiting others is called going. Altogether, this process took around 22 years.
>> Thus, He put him in charge of household affairs. This was different from their previous duties of clearing out the excrement of views and thinking. So when they were at the stage beyond learning of the Two Vehicles, He began expounding the Great Vehicle Dharma. This is also referring to promoting the Dharma and benefiting all beings, which is the same as the work of Bodhisattvas in eliminating outside deviant views and delusions.
“Cultivating Bodhisattva-practices requires upholding the pure precepts.
We must carefully adjust our actions and speech; with sincere thoughts we realize true principles.
With kind and gentle understanding, we leave behind all that is deluded and false.
Thus our thoughts, actions and speech must be gentle.”
As we cultivate Bodhisattva-practices, if we do not cultivate our own conduct, we will be unable to set an example for others. How then would we be able to deliver anyone? Therefore, we must uphold the pure precepts.
To uphold pure precepts we must earnestly cultivate precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, and upholding precepts, Samadhi and wisdom begins with our body, speech and mind. We have this body, so when our mind gives rise to a thought, it is then expressed through the body. Our body may engage in killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and drinking alcohol; these are all actions taken with the body. Our speech may contain harsh words, flattery, gossip and lies. In our minds there may be thoughts of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. So much [karma is created] when our minds give rise to a thought and our body then acts on it. With the actions of our body and the words we speak with our mouths, we give rise to so much karma! This is how we create karma.
So, we must be very vigilant.. “We must carefully adjust our actions and speech.” Our actions and speech are the conduct we express outwardly. I cannot see what you are thinking in your mind, but I can observe your conduct. When people have a dignified demeanor and are very grounded, they do everything efficiently and skillfully, and their words ring true. This is what people can observe from our actions and speech. Indeed, because people can observe what we do, we must always be vigilant of our minds. Only we can know our own minds, so we should always cultivate “sincere thoughts [so as to] realize the true principles.” We should constantly be adjusting our minds.
If our intentions are not sincere, how can we thoroughly understand the principles? Therefore, we must continue to adjust our minds so that our intentions are very sincere. As we interact with people and things, we must be very sincere. Do the actions we express through our body or the words we express through our speech inspire other people to head in a good and proper direction? This depends on how we transform sentient beings with our action and speech and whether our intention is genuinely sincere.
“With kind and gentle understanding, we leave behind all that is deluded and false.” We cultivate our minds so that people feel our actions, speech and thoughts are expressing kind and gentle understanding. The purpose of spiritual practice is to change. In the past our habitual tendencies were negative, and our attitude may have been terrrible. But after engaging in spiritual practice, we must have “kind and gentle understanding” and must “leave behind all that is deluded and false.”
In Tainan, there is a Mr. Zhuang and his wife. After their eldest son graduated, he looked for a job. He began working in December. He had not even worked there for a month when, in early December, he began working on digging up a tree. It was a big tree they were replanting elsewhere. They had cut the surrounding roots and had yet to cut the main root. But, they decided to break for lunch. After lunch, they returned. When he and a co-worker were beside the tree, suddenly it toppled over, falling right on top of them and crushing them. This was how Mr. Zhuang’s son passed away.
The young man’s parents were heartbroken, but they were very brave. The parents were both Tzu Chi volunteers. Thus, they chose to forgive. The father was understanding and forgiving and actually went to comfort their son’s boss. This is how, “With kind and gentle understanding, we leave behind all that is deluded and false.” He is a Living Bodhisattva. He regularly practiced [the teachings]. After listening to the Dharma, he did not allow any of it to leak away. “Thus our thoughts, actions and speech must be gentle.” As long as we can see through things, is there anything we cannot overcome? This is our goal in learning the Buddha’s Way. We must be earnest and mindful!
“Then with gentler words he said, “Think of yourself as my son”. The elder used wisdom to gradually allow his son to come and go. After 20 years, he put him charge of household affairs.”
Yesterday we said, “Then with gentler words….” The elder had already approached his son and was patiently guiding him. Hence,”Think of yourself as my son. The elder used wisdom,” he applied his wisdom, “to gradually allow his son to come and go. After 20 years, he put him charge of household affairs.” This still took 20 years, a long period of time. “After 20 years,” over all that time, he helped him learn many things. This is an analogy for the Seven Factors of Enlightenment, also known as the Seven Factors of Bodhi, and the Eightfold Noble Path. This is all Dharma. There are “the three Fours, the two Fives, the Seven and the Eight.” We have been talking about how the Buddha continuously guided us with these methods
Through the three Fours, two Fives, the Seven and the Eight, we enter and see the practices to enlightenment. Then we are true [Buddha-]children, who have entered the noble path. This restates what was described in the prose passages of the sutra as “[He] gave him a name, calling this man, ‘Son’.”
“20 years” was how long Hearers and Solitary Realizers were taught the 37 Practices to Enlightenment and the Four Noble Truths, suffering, causation, cessation and the Path [The Buddha] kept guiding them to gradually take these to heart. Thus they could “enter and see the practices to enlightenment”
Everything, whether the Four Noble Truths, the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence or actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions, is inseparable from the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. In these ways, He continuously helped them enter the noble path. Starting by saying “You are like my son,” He was actually helping them gradually enter their nature of True Suchness and experience that pure nature. This was the method He used.
“This restates what was described in the prose passages of the sutra.” We saw that in the prose section of the sutra, Subhuti put forth the parable of the poor son. Then Venerable Kasyapa followed by repeating the parable in verse. So, this is restating “[He] gave him a name.” In the prose section it said, “[He] gave him a name, calling this man, ‘Son’.” This is similar to that sutra passage, “You are like my son, I am like your father.”
Then with gentler words he said, Think of yourself as my son: This analogy is for seemingly being Buddha-children. Though [the elder] had to lure him in, he had always been his son. Thus it says, Think of yourself as…, which has the meaning of seemingly.
The prose says he “called this man, ‘Son’. Then with gentler words he said, ‘Think of yourself as my son’.” With very gentle words, he approached his child and earnestly spoke to him ․Then with gentler words he said, “Think of yourself as my son”: This analogy is for seemingly being Buddha-children. Though [the elder] had to lure him in, he had always been his son. Thus it says, “Think of yourself as…,” which has the meaning of “seemingly.” This is an analogy for “seemingly being Buddha-children.” He “lured him in” and treated him as his son. The elder said, “You are like my son.” With these gentle words, he was able to approach him. The term for this is “seeming.” Saying “this seems” implies this is like something. It is like we are Buddha-children. This was the way the Buddha enticed people. The Buddha sees all beings the same way, not just humans but all living, moving beings. In His love, the Buddha treats all as His children. Thus He patiently guides them and invites them in.
“He had always been his son. Thus it says, ‘Think of yourself as…’.” He was “like” [a son]. “Seemingly” means “is like.” In fact, everyone intrinsically has a nature of True Suchness; this is analogous to our biological father. Deviating from our nature of True Suchness is like leaving our home and being unable to find our way back.
The Buddha comes to the world for one great cause, to deliver sentient beings by paving this path that leads back home.
A person’s wealth and status are determined by his karma. Though he was kind to him as if [he was] family, he could not immediately nor slightly change his beloved son. For this reason, those who cannot accept their karmic fate are either foolish or deluded.
Furthermore, “A person’s wealth and status are determined by his karma” Why do we humans experience so much suffering? Can anyone experience this suffering in our place? We have brought this karma with us from our past lives. However, “Though he was kind to him as if family, he could not immediately nor slightly change his beloved son.” Even when the elder saw his child, he could not say, “Come back with me. Come; you are my son. I want to give you all these things.” Would the son have been able to accept that? No. Similarly, when someone is suffering, who can ease that pain? No one can change that at all. So, even if “he was kind to him as if family, he could not immediately nor slightly change his beloved son.” For the son to immediately accept this and leave his suffering behind would have been very difficult. All of us are the same way. So, it is truly difficult for the Buddha to deliver sentient beings.
“Those who cannot accept their karmic fate are either foolish or deluded.” If we cannot be at peace with our life, if we are unable to understand the karmic law of cause and effect and are unable to take the Dharma to heart to develop our wisdom-life, then we are absolutely foolish. If we do not understand, we cannot free ourselves. Then in this world, in this illusory life, the causes and conditions for afflictions will continue to entangle us and cannot be eliminated. But if we have the Dharma, naturally we will be able to eliminate them. “Without Dharma to transform us,” we will be unable to eliminate them. So, “[We] are either foolish or deluded.” This is why we cannot open our minds.
The elder used wisdom to gradually allow his son to come and go. To come and go represents self-cultivation and teaching others. To gradually have him come and go: This is what the prose passages said, The appearance of his mind came to embody faith, and he came and went without difficulty.
Next we discuss, “The elder used wisdom to to gradually allow his son to come and go.” The elder approached the poor son. He taught him through his own conduct. He removed his magnificent clothing and went among the poor people there to meticulously teach them. Only by setting an example himself was he able to teach others.
After the Buddha attained enlightenment, He did not just say, “I am a Buddha, so just listen to what I say and you will be liberated”; He did not do that. He stayed with the Sangha and lived the same kind of life they did. Like everyone else, He asked for alms every day, etc. Like everyone, He faced ridicule, criticism, slander from other religions and so on. He lived the same way they did and faced the same unenlightened slander. The Buddha also went through this. So, this is “teaching others through one’s own conduct.” Regardless of how people treat us, we must remain patient. We must also find ways to overcome the ignorance of sentient beings. This is the compassion of the Buddha with which He manifested in the world to teach us.
So, He “gradually [had us] come and go.” How do we absorb the Dharma into our minds while also giving to others at the same time? Going and giving is benefiting others. “Coming” is working for our own benefit and practice. When we take the Dharma to heart, the Dharma is our treasure. We must be earnest; with every teaching we understand, we attain a treasure. This is taking the Dharma-treasure to heart. After taking this treasure into our hearts, we must “go” out. That is how we then transform people. Thus the long-form prose says, “The appearance of his mind came to embody faith, and he came and went without difficulty.” If we can truly take the Dharma to heart, then we can be like the words of this passage, “The appearance of his mind came to embody faith.” We can manifest this in our actions
At this time He expounded the Vaipulya teachings, praising the Great Vehicle and commending the perfect teachings. He gradually led them to enter and delight in the Great Vehicle and correct their deviations. He reproached those who held to the Small and did not move toward the Great, thus gradually leading them to move toward the Great Vehicle.
The next passage is explained like this, “At this time He expounded Vaipulya teachings, praising the Great Vehicle and commending the perfect teachings.” Bodhisattvas are able to achieve this. They go beyond the Agama teachings, beyond merely benefiting themselves. They have at least advanced to Vaipulya teachings. Vaipulya teachings are great teachings. Benefiting ourselves and others are part of the Vaipulya teachings. Thus they are praised by many people; this is a way of commending the Great Vehicle. This is a kind of perfect [teaching]
“He gradually led them to enter and delight in the Great Vehicle.” He helped everyone to gradually understand that, in fact, practicing the Great Vehicle is simple. There is no need to think of it as difficult. “I am afraid to contrive affinities.” We must constantly be forming good affinities with people. As for “correcting their deviations,” we should correct perspectives that lead people to be biased and selfish. Then we can walk the great path without straying. The great Bodhi-path is a direct path, so we just have to keep walking straight ahead. “He reproached those who held to the Small and did not move toward the Great.” The Buddha now began to tell them, “It is not right to practice the Small Vehicle. You should be moving toward the Great Vehicle, not just remain with the deer- and sheep-carts. You should be driving the great white ox-cart.” We should gradually head toward the Great Vehicle. This is very important.
After 20 years, He continued onto the Prajna teachings, gradually leading them to enter into the Great Vehicle principles of emptiness. Benefiting oneself is called coming. Then He began to turn the teachings towards the Bodhisattva-path. Benefiting others is called going. Altogether, this process took around 22 years.
Thus it says, “After a period of 20 years….” This showed He continued into the Prajna teachings. After the Vaipulya teachings, we must advance into the Prajna teachings. He “gradually led them to enter into the Great Vehicle principles of emptiness” If we are clinging to everything, saying, “This is my son. This is my treasure. This is my…. I’ve suffered a loss. I can’t stand it; I’m in so much pain.” Think about this; what can we do? Life is short. We come together because of karmic conditions. We part when those conditions end. Everything is empty. Only when we can understand these principles have we truly taken the Dharma to heart. “Then He began to turn the teachings toward the Bodhisattva-path. Benefiting others” is called “going.” Only when we can thoroughly understand this are we able to give to others. “Altogether, this process took around 22 years.” The Buddha gave Prajna teachings for 22 years
Thus, “He put him in charge of household affairs. This was different from their previous duties of clearing out the excrement of views and thinking. So when they were at the stage beyond learning of the Two Vehicles, He began expounding the Great Vehicle Dharma. This is also referring to promoting the Dharma and benefiting all beings, which is the same as the work of Bodhisattvas in eliminating outside deviant views and delusions.”
So, we must look at what we are learning and develop Right Understanding and Right Views. We must not deviate in the slightest, or we will go astray, then we will continuously give rise to afflictions. Therefore, we must regularly “clear out the excrement of wrong views and thinking.” Some people may say, “Master only talks about these things. Actually, there is more. Why don’t we learn to chant the Buddha’s name? If she taught us to chant the Buddha’s name, in the end the Buddha would come and guide us.” Actually, the Buddha is guiding us every day. Which moment is “the end”? Any day may be the end of our life. Every day the Buddha is guiding us. Every day we also guide others with a Buddha-mind. So, we must earnestly learn the Buddha’s teachings and develop Right Understanding and Right Views.
This is being “at the stage beyond learning of the Two Vehicles.” When we are at the “stage beyond learning,” we have a very thorough understanding. Clearing away excrement is clearing away all kinds of afflictions. When we have cleared away all these afflictions, we are at the “stage beyond learning.” The “stage beyond learning” is when we have understood everything the Buddha taught, all the principles. Furthermore, we even understand the Great Vehicle.
“This is also referring to promoting the Dharma and benefiting all beings. Not only do I understand it, I can also advance the Dharma. This is the same as the work of Bodhisattvas in eliminating outside deviant views and delusions.” Outside deviant views are all [different] kinds of deviant thinking. We can completely understand them, too. This is part of practicing the Great Vehicle. But we may not be able to practice. We may refuse to go among people to contrive affinities. In this case, after we listen, all we can do is understand and share it.
In summary, “20 years” describes. Hearers and Solitary Realizers. They listen to and understand the teachings but are still unable to put them into practice. The Buddha wanted us to put the teachings into practice; this is the only way we can truly eliminate our afflictions. I hope that as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we learn Bodhisattva-practices and uphold the pure [precepts] so that we can achieve “kind and gentle understanding” and “leave behind all that is deluded and false.” Only then are we true spiritual practitioners. So, we must always be mindful.