Episode 834 – Wandering Away from Innate Enlightenment
>> Our true nature, this pure source in our hearts, [gives rise to] wisdom, understanding and faith. Due to the arising of a single deluded thought, we wandered away from our innate enlightenment. The Tathagata journeys on the Dharma of great compassion, upholding loving-kindness and exercising wisdom. Expounding the Agama and the Vaipulya, He turned from the Small to the Great.
>> The arising of conditions is “going out”; the nature of emptiness is “coming in”.
>> “[The elder] showed him his gold, silver, pearls and crystals. With all the goods going out and coming in, he let him know about every one. Yet the son remained outside of the door, living in a straw hut. He considered himself to be poor, thinking, ‘None of this is mine’.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> “The father knew that the son’s aspirations were gradually becoming broader and greater. Wishing to give him his wealth and his goods, he gathered his relatives, kings and ministers, kshatriyas and householders.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> The father knew that the son’s aspirations were gradually becoming broader and greater: In the long-form prose of the parable it says, The father knew his son’s intentions had gradually become clear; he formed a great resolve and scorned his former mindset.
>> Gradually becoming broader and greater: Their Great Vehicle capacities had been awakened.
>> He gathered them all together because he was going to pass on his wealth and his family business. This required gathering the clans.
>> Wishing to give: Their aspiration had become broad and great, so they could accept the Great Dharma. Thus it says “wishing to give”.
>> “So, Before this assembly, he said, ‘This is my son He left me to wander abroad for 50 years Since I saw him come back, two decades have already passed’.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
“Our true nature, this pure source in our hearts, [gives rise to] wisdom, understanding and faith.
Due to the arising of a single deluded thought, we wandered away from our innate enlightenment.
The Tathagata journeys on the Dharma of great compassion, upholding loving-kindness and exercising wisdom.
Expounding the Agama and the Vaipulya, He turned from the Small to the Great.”
All of us have this “true nature, this pure source in our hearts, [along with] wisdom, understanding and faith.” Have we discovered this for ourselves? Each and every day, I always remind everyone that we all inherently have a nature of True Suchness. We cannot say exactly from where this pure source in our hearts originates. Once, we were all pure; this source in our hearts was pure. We were all replete with wisdom. We should believe this.
This is why the Buddha told us, “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in their nature].” However, “due to a single thought” that arose, our minds became deluded. We are intrinsically so tranquil and still, and the pure source in our hearts is peaceful. Yet, a single thought of ignorance stirred.
If we are all mindful, we can become aware of this. Or, when we interact with people, we will be able to sense it. We will be aware of ourselves and sensitive toward others. After hearing the Dharma in the morning, we clearly understand the principles within. We clearly believe in the pure source of our hearts, our true nature. We clearly comprehend that “tranquil and clear” state; our intrinsic nature is so pure. But why, when we see others doing certain things, do our hearts become unhappy so that we reject this person? We fear that they might usurp our authority or steal our recognition. When it comes to authority and recognition, although our spiritual cultivation is not about seeking to gain an advantage, authority and recognition are always on our minds. This causes our hearts to be unhappy, so we mutually reject each other when we interact.
Do we act like this? If so, it is because of a single deluded thought. And what was the cause of this deluded thought? It is because, “We wandered away from our innate enlightenment.” That thought of delusion is ignorance. When ignorance arises, we are like sleepwalkers. When we are asleep at night, we are unaware of our actions. We may unconsciously get up and open the door for no reason. We go outside and wander around confusedly without being aware of it at all. Not realizing what we are doing, we wander away. This is like how we were; our intrinsic nature is so pure, but because our ignorance was stirred up, it is as if our spirit has left our body and wandered away.
This is why we must engage in spiritual practice and constantly look after our minds. Then our minds, after we listen to the Dharma, can return to their pure nature. We will open our hearts to be broad enough to encompass the world, to embrace the universe. With such an accommodating heart, naturally, when people, matters and objects present [obstacles] in front of us, we will be understanding. Even if there are many people with many opinions, what method will we use to harmonize various opinions and unite different talents? This requires us to be understanding. Aside from being accommodating, we must be understanding. By taking this person’s strengths and that person’s talents, we can put everyone’s strong points together. This creates a very powerful force.
Without being accommodating, we cannot be understanding either. Understanding without accommodation will not work. When we are both accommodating and understanding and can bring everyone’s talents together, we will succeed and feel grateful to everyone. When everyone has worked very hard to contribute, their hard work brings joy to everyone. When everybody contributes joyfully, hard work turns into blessings. Despite the hard work, Tzu Chi volunteers all say. “We feel blessed!” Indeed, they feel fulfilled. When things are done beautifully, in harmony, this is very satisfying.
We should engage in spiritual practice to benefit both ourselves and others. This is our fundamental duty as spiritual practitioners. “This pure source in our hearts, [gives rise to] wisdom, understanding and faith.” Our enlightened nature inherently [gives us] a very broad perspective. But as soon as our ignorance arises, our innate enlightenment shrinks back. Thus, we are often narrow-minded and cannot accommodate others. This is the wrong [mindset]. We all have the Tathagata’s. Dharma of great compassion, and all of us have wisdom equal to the Buddha’s that will allow us to save everyone in the world. This means that we must “journey on the Dharma of great compassion” by “upholding loving-kindness and exercising wisdom.” There are people like this everywhere, Living Bodhisattvas with pure nature. Wherever they go, they apply the Dharma to save people. They are Bodhisattvas who journey on the Dharma of great compassion to save others. Every one of us can open up our hearts and give of ourselves to others.
The Buddha came to this world to earnestly teach according to the capabilities of sentient beings. He spent such a long time, hoping we would gradually come to understand. So, in the Agama period, the Buddha taught us about the karmic law of cause and effect. Within our time, space and relationships, we all have individual karmic conditions. When everyone’s collective karma comes together in a certain place and some kind of [disaster] occurs, we need Living Bodhisattvas. With this interdependent arising of conditions, since the causes and conditions are like this, since our collective karma was already created and the conditions have already arisen, this is when we must go deliver sentient beings. So, “The arising of conditions is ‘going out’.” After we have accomplished this, “The empty nature of all things is ‘coming in’.” When we give, we do not ask for anything in return. However, looking back, our memories are full of Dharma-joy;
The arising of conditions is “going out”; the nature of emptiness is “coming in”.
this means we have applied the Dharma. We come to the world on the Dharma of Suchness. This is the [purpose of the] Dharma. The Buddha’s Agama teachings are also included in this. In the matters of this world, suffering is intermixed with joy. When sentient beings suffer, when their collective karma manifests, “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings”; they come to relieve their suffering. This is how to understand karmic cause and effect. At the same time, the Buddha “expounded Vaipulya” to guide us onto the Bodhisattva-path. We must not only benefit ourselves, but must also benefit others. We need to turn from the Small to the Great, just like the poor son. He believed all along that he was very poor, but in fact he was wealthy
“[The elder] showed him his gold, silver, pearls and crystals. With all the goods going out and coming in, he let him know about every one. Yet the son remained outside of the door, living in a straw hut. He considered himself to be poor, thinking, ‘None of this is mine’.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
“[The elder] showed him his gold, silver, pearls and crystals. With all the goods going out and coming in, he let him know about every one.” In “with all the goods going out and coming in, the arising of conditions is ‘going out’.” If we take the Dharma completely to heart, when sentient beings’ karmic conditions mature, we will quickly go transform them and help them. This is called “goods going out.” As for “coming in,” with the Buddha-Dharma we must continuously develop our wisdom. Hearing the Dharma, we must give rise to Bodhi. This is like goods “coming in.” When we engage in spiritual cultivation, we attain the realizations ourselves. When the causes and conditions ripen, we will go to help others right away. This is “all the goods going out and coming in. All the goods” refers to the Dharma, All the Dharma of this world is “all the goods going out and coming in.”
The Buddha came to this world to help us all understand [Thus, it says,] “He let him know about everyone.” Because we all inherently have Buddha-nature, we are thus inherently replete with wisdom. This is our treasure. This treasure of wisdom is so abundant. But some spiritual practitioners are still like the poor son who “remained outside of the door.” Although they followed the Buddha and spread the teachings on His behalf, they were not willing to interact with people and put the Dharma into practice. Listening is different from practicing; we must listen, must understand, then must take practical action. Then, we will truly experience the Dharma. If we do not experience it, it is as if we remain outside the door.
“He remained outside of the door living in a straw hut.” Those who are living in a straw hut are the Small Vehicle practitioners. They can only talk about the Dharma, but they are unwilling to put it into practice. They have not yet formed great aspirations, so they “consider themselves to be poor” [They think], “None of this is mine.” The poor son thought he belonged only in that kind of environment; he believed that those things were not his. His limiting himself like this was truly a pity. Is this what our spiritual practice is like?
The following sutra text continues, “The father knew that the son’s aspirations were gradually becoming broader and greater. Wishing to give him his wealth and his goods, he gathered his relatives, kings and ministers, kshatriyas and householders.”
This is how the father approached the poor son; he continuously helped him open up, continuously talked with him, helped him broaden his mind. Now the Lotus Dharma-assembly had begun, and the Buddha had already bestowed His prediction of Buddhahood on Sariputra. Thus they understood that as the Buddha’s monastic followers, they all had a part in this. They all should bear this responsibility for the myriads of living beings. The Buddha was advanced in age, so it would be His disciples’ responsibility to help those suffering sentient beings. Since they knew the Dharma, they should have this sense of responsibility. They gradually began to form that aspiration; this is what is referred to by. “The father knew that the son’s aspirations were gradually becoming broader and greater.” Their aspiration to attain Buddhahood had started to form
The father knew that the son’s aspirations were gradually becoming broader and greater: In the long-form prose of the parable it says, “The father knew his son’s intentions had gradually become clear; he formed a great resolve and scorned his former mindset.”
“The father knew that the son’s aspirations were gradually becoming broader and greater.” This analogy is like the long form prose passage, “The father knew his son’s intentions had gradually become clear.” After removing his magnificent clothes, the father drew near his son, the poor child. This was actually his own son, so he kept making the effort to approach him, to teach him and to guide him. This child also gradually became closer to him; their hearts drew closer.
“He formed a great resolve and scorned his former mindset.” He knew how [foolish] it had been to wander around out there for such a long time. So, gradually, he came to know this in his heart; he continually drew closer to his father’s heart. This is “gradually becoming broader and greater.” This means that the disciples’ capacities for approaching the Great Vehicle had now been awakened.
Gradually becoming broader and greater: Their Great Vehicle capacities had been awakened.
“Wishing to give him his wealth and his goods, he gathered his relatives, kings and ministers, kshatriyas and householders.” The son had been led into the house, the treasures had been shown to him and the two had come to recognize each other. “You are my son. I am your father.” They already had a close father-son relationship. Now the father started to gather the clans together to announce that this was his real son. “I am going to entrust him with what I have, my wealth, property and so on. From now on, all of this belongs to my son.” To make such an announcement, he definitely had to bring the clans together
He gathered them all together because he was going to pass on his wealth and his family business. This required gathering the clans.
So, all the clans came, and even the well-known people of this country, and the kings were invited to come as well. They were called to bear witness to this. The elder said, “This is my son. I am going to transfer my property to him. In the future, he can use it to help people and will manage all of these businesses. I must let all of you know this.”
Wishing to give: Their aspiration had become broad and great, so they could accept the Great Dharma. Thus it says “wishing to give”.
So, “wishing to give” means that. “Their aspiration had become broad and great, so they could accept the Great Dharma.” Their minds were open and broad. They no longer only sought to benefit themselves. Now they knew they had to broaden their aspiration and truly needed to transform sentient beings. The Buddha was already advanced in age, so it was the time for His disciples to bear the responsibility. Thus, the father had this “wish”; he wanted to entrust him with all of this. For the son, having opened his heart, he had hope. As for the father, he was willing to give him everything he had. Thus, “They could accept [it]” means He knew the disciples could accept it now. If He gave them all these things, they should be able to accept it.
Remember, previously in the Chapter on Parables, it also tells us that, for those who practiced the Small Vehicle Dharma, if they were given the Great Vehicle teachings, they might not be able to accept it. On the contrary, they might use the Dharma in the pursuit of improper ends. They might also deviate from the teachings or slander [the Right Dharma] and so on. So, they could not accept it. But now, it seemed that they could finally accept it. When they received the Dharma, they clearly comprehended it and could accept it [Before,] they could outwardly promote the teachings and spread the Dharma. But they also needed to be willing to take on this responsibility and dedicate themselves to helping others and transforming sentient beings, to saving sentient beings. Since they had accepted the Dharma, they should have the strength to be willing to give to others. Having received it, they must also give to others. Because of this, He “wished to give” this to them. Because the son could accept it, the father would give it to him
“So, Before this assembly, he said, ‘This is my son He left me to wander abroad for 50 years Since I saw him come back, two decades have already passed’.”
So, “Before this assembly, he said, ‘This is my son He left me to wander abroad for 50 years Since I saw him come back, two decades have already passed’.” After gathering many people together, the father started to tell everybody that his son had left him a long time ago. It had been over 50 years since then. From the time he saw his son and brought him in to do cleaning for him, another 20 years had passed.
This is like how we sentient beings wander through the four forms of births and the Five Realms. As we previously mentioned, it has not been easy for the four kinds of beings in the Five Realms. During this time, the Buddha attained Buddhahood. He used His attainment of Buddhahood and His relationship with this world to widely transform sentient beings. Those with the karmic conditions to follow Him and learn and practice the teachings still remained as Hearers and Solitary Realizers. Thus “Two decades had already passed.”
Here, “two decades” does not refer to a particular amount of time. It means that those in the Sangha had remained as Hearers and Solitary Realizers for decades. Over a span of 40 years, they had remained as Hearers, Solitary Realizers. So, it is said, “Two decades had already passed.”
The Buddha had given guidance from the Vaipulya through the Prajna, leading them to this point at the Lotus Dharma-assembly. At this time, He bestowed predictions of Buddhahood on His disciples, because He was old and frail. So, Sariputra was the first to receive one. He wanted to let everybody witness that. Small Vehicle practitioners just needed to transform their thoughts, and they too would be able to attain Buddhahood. So, as Buddhist practitioners, we should be very mindful. We must not allow our mind to slack off. “Our true nature, this pure source in our hearts, [gives rise to] wisdom, understanding and faith.” Only we can comprehended the wisdom of our true nature, the source in our hearts; only we can solidify our faith. We need to have true faith and understanding. We can only achieve this ourselves; no one else can help us to get there.
This is what the Buddha told us, so it is up to us to willingly engage in spiritual practice. It is up to us to truly open up our minds. We must never again allow a single deluded thought to arise. If delusion clouds our minds every day, then every day we must start over and cleanse the ignorance from our hearts. We are running out of time to cleanse these accumulated defilements, this negative karma. They form even faster than we can practice. So, we must earnestly guard our minds and not allow a single thought to be deluded, or we will wander away from our innate enlightenment. It has not been easy for us to become aware of this innate enlightenment. So, we absolutely must always be mindful.