Episode 835 – The Essence of Sentient Beings
>> The essence of sentient beings’ minds is sharp and bright, empty and translucent. Originally free from thoughts, it is as vast as the universe. The mind pervades everywhere; it is the Tathagata. The universal and impartial Dharmakaya is called innate enlightenment.
>> “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, ministers, kshatriyas and householders.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> “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]
>> The practice and study of the Small Vehicle is only to benefit oneself, and so their prajna wisdom remains unseen. This is like the poor son, who never knew his father’s successful businesses were in fact his own; he willingly put it outside his consideration, resolving to have no greed or attachment.
>> Before this assembly, he said, “This is my son”: Like it says in the prose passages, “All of you nobles should know that this is my son. He was born to me. He is in truth my son, and I am in truth his father”.
>> He left me to wander abroad for 50 years: As it says in the prose, “He then left me and ran away and suffered many hardships for more than 50 years”.
>> Since I saw him come back, two decades have already passed: After realizing Arhatship, turning from an unenlightened state to a noble one, they then became Buddha-children and entered the house of the Tathagata. Thus it says, Since I saw him come back, two decades have already passed.
>> This refers to the turning of the teachings in the Prajna period. They were different from the previous two decades of clearing excrement during the Agama and Vaipulya periods.
>> Two decades refers to how the Two Vehicle practitioners’ capabilities led the Buddha to teach according to capacities during the Agama and Vaipulya periods. Thus it says, Since I saw him come back, two decades have already passed. He could judge their natures and determine that they were like father and son.
>> Two decades also refers to the Two Vehicle practitioners’ own practice of clearing excrement for 20 years. After clearing excrement, the elder then called him, Son. This is carrying out the turning of the teaching, so it is called two decades. Also, referring to the name Two Vehicles, it speaks of two decades.
“The essence of sentient beings’ minds is sharp and bright, empty and translucent.
Originally free from thoughts, it is as vast as the universe.
The mind pervades everywhere; it is the Tathagata.
The universal and impartial Dharmakaya is called innate enlightenment.”
All sentient beings’ minds have this essence which is our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. It is sharp and bright, empty and translucent; it is inherently pure, sharp and bright, undefiled and completely empty. It is completely clear and translucent. This is the Buddha-nature that all sentient beings inherently have. It is so pure.
“Originally free from thoughts, it is as vast as the universe.” We were originally free from discursive thoughts that caused us trouble. Originally we did not have any afflictions that tempted us to create karma; we did not have these. But then one ignorant thought [arose]. Have we considered this thought of ignorance? In our interactions with others, are we creating ignorant thoughts ourselves, or do others create ignorant thoughts and then give them to us? This is what we should carefully consider. Otherwise, though we listen [to the Dharma] daily, every day our minds will still be filled with discursive thoughts. Then how can our minds be “equal to the vastness of the universe”?
The essence of our minds should be able to accommodate all things. This is “as vast as the universe.” However vast the universe is, the capacity of our minds can be just as large. Of course, this requires us to be in the state of an awakened being. If we are ordinary people, we are only aware of what is around our body; we create these limitations for ourselves. “I am me! I want that! I want to get that! I want….” There are countless thoughts of “I” that fill our minds. In this way, our minds are filled with all of these jumbled up thoughts of ignorance.
We should thoroughly understand this. Didn’t Master Hui Neng talk about this? Regarding our intrinsic nature, [he said,]. “Fundamentally there is nothing there, so where can the dust alight? Bodhi fundamentally has no tree, and the bright mirror has no stand.” There was nothing there to begin with, so why do we fill up our minds with these things? Our mind “pervades everywhere; it is the Tathagata.” Our mind must be very broad, open and spacious so it can “pervade everywhere.” The Tathagata’s mind is like this. The Tathagata’s Dharma also pervades the universe. All people, matters and objects are equal. This is called the Dharmakaya; it is the truth of all things in the world. Everything is equal; the high mountains and great oceans are the same. But we ordinary beings give rise to discrimination and thus give things names. The high parts we call mountains; the deep parts we call oceans. We give them these names, but they are still just things in the world. These things always existed in the natural world, but as we live here in the natural world, we begin to treat things unequally, with a mindset not in accord with nature. This mindset is a possessive mindset.
Originally, according to the laws of nature, in the human realm everyone should be equal. Everyone passes their days in their own way. It is because our minds give rise to ignorance that much suffering is created in this world. Today, there are many manmade calamities, causing many refugees to flee. Jordan has accepted refugees from many countries. The greatest number of refugees are from Iraq and Syria.
In recent years, Tzu Chi volunteers in Jordan have been visiting the refugee camps, going back and forth to provide care and help. This made the refugees feel very grateful. Though our religions are different, they can still understand our sincere love, and they feel very respected. In life, this power of love is so pure; this is the sincerest form of love. Chi Hui also said that in the refugee camps, there was a group of Catholics who taught Bible stories to the children; they taught them how to pull out the roots of hatred in life. Among the refugees, there was also another group that was telling stories to the children. But these refugees told the children that they should seek revenge.
So, we say that our mindset and our lives can be determined by a single thought. Some people are wealthy. This is not only being surrounded by wealth, but also being rich with the love in their hearts. Some people are not surrounded by wealth, but they are spiritually wealthy. They can also contribute and radiate their undefiled, great love so that others can feel this warmth in life. Then there are people who are extremists, who continue to reproduce the ignorance and afflictions in their minds. So, as we learn the Buddha’s Way, we must constantly learn how our intrinsic nature can [maintain] its inherent purity. Therefore, we must be mindful. If we can thoroughly understand the principles, we will not create manmade calamities. If we do not bring about manmade calamities, there will not be so many people suffering. And in the midst of suffering, if we can free our minds, then the vicious cycle will not continue.
In this world, if people close off their hearts, the love that they can give is limited. So, we must always be mindful of this. When the Buddha came to this world, He hoped to open the doors of our minds, hoped that all would practice the Great Vehicle Dharma. While benefiting ourselves, we must seek to benefit others as well. When the karmic conditions arrive, we must go out and give of ourselves. When we have the conditions to encounter the Dharma, we must quickly absorb it. Whenever there are any causes and conditions, we must hurry to help others.
When something happens in this world, when causes and conditions [come together], we need everyone to quickly join together and work in concert with unity, harmony and love. When we all come together and use this collective strength to help others, that is the moment these conditions [mature]. This is the teaching of the Great Vehicle Dharma. When we all open the doors of our minds, collectively our minds will come together. This kind of power is very great.
So, the previous sutra passage says, “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, ministers, kshatriyas and householders.”
The Buddha understood His disciples’ minds, that they had slowly started to understand. They more or less knew that they must walk the Bodhisattva-path. Their minds were becoming open and expansive as they began to apply the Dharma. As long as we have resolve, we will have infinite wealth and have the means to save others. So, “He gathered his relatives, kings, ministers, kshatriyas and householders.” This corresponds to telling the whole world. When everyone has this aspiration, has this abundant wealth, this spiritual wealth that we all possess, we can all help others; we will have more than enough. So, this is telling everyone in this world that the Dharma can be applied in this way.
The following sutra passage says, “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’.”
In their past spiritual practice, they knew that the Buddha taught about the truth of the suffering in life and how that suffering comes from our relationships in this world. From one ignorant thought, we give rise to greed. We fight and struggle with each other, creating many disasters in this world. This suffering has its causation. His disciples heard and understood this, so they hurried to engage in spiritual practice. Yet in their spiritual practice, they clung to the Small Vehicle, only seeking to awaken themselves. They only cultivated themselves; they did not wish to transmigrate through repeated births and deaths nor contrive affinities with sentient beings. They practiced only to end cyclic existence.
The practice and study of the Small Vehicle is only to benefit oneself, and so their prajna wisdom remains unseen. This is like the poor son, who never knew his father’s successful businesses were in fact his own; he willingly put it outside his consideration, resolving to have no greed or attachment.
In this practice of the Small Vehicle, they only sought to awaken themselves. “The practice and study of the Small Vehicle is only to benefit oneself, and so their prajna wisdom remains unseen”
When the Buddha gave the Agama and. Vaipulya teachings, the Prajna was actually included. Prajna means wisdom. The Agama teaches about karma and the karmic law of cause and effect. According to this karmic law, suffering arises from karmic causes and effects. We must use wisdom to comprehend this. How do we liberate ourselves from suffering? This requires using wisdom, but people only listen to “matters” and do not understand the “principles.” The principles are inherently without substance or appearance. This is wisdom, and wisdom is Prajna.
But, practitioners of the Small Vehicle only seek to eliminate the afflictions from matters and appearances and do not comprehend the Prajna wisdom. From their point of view, it remains unseen; they do not seek to comprehend it. This is like how the poor son [did not know] his father’s successful businesses. In the environment of his father’s house, he still did not know the elder was his father, and he did not know that those things were to be passed on to him. Thus, those who only seek to awaken themselves already have the prajna wisdom, but they do not know it. “He did not know it was in fact his own.” It seemed these things were unrelated to him, so. “He willingly put them outside his consideration.” He put them aside, as if they had nothing to do with him. “Resolving to have no greed or attachment” means he had no thought of obtaining them. This is like Small Vehicle practitioners; it describes how their wisdom is not yet open and expansive. The principles are not yet clear to them.
Before this assembly, he said, “This is my son”: Like it says in the prose passages, “All of you nobles should know that this is my son. He was born to me. He is in truth my son, and I am in truth his father”.
So, this is like the earlier prose passage. “Before this assembly, he said, ‘This is my son’.” This is as it says in the long-form prose, “All of you nobles should know that this is my son. He was born to me. He is in truth my son”; he was really the elder’s son, “and I am in truth his father.” The elder was really his father. He announced this to everyone in the country. Even the kings and ministers knew that these treasures would be passed on to his son.
It is similar for us. We must know that the Buddha-Dharma is the Tathagata’s family business that we must take on in order to give of ourselves to all sentient beings in this world. This is what we must undertake.
He left me to wander abroad for 50 years: As it says in the prose, “He then left me and ran away and suffered many hardships for more than 50 years”.
Thus here it says, “He left me to wander abroad for 50 years.” In the long-form prose it says, “He then left me and ran away and suffered many hardships for more than 50 years.” When this child was young, his mind was only on playing. Thus, he went away and did not return, wandering afar for more than 50 years.
In terms of the Dharma, we are in fact describing sentient beings who have left behind their nature of True Suchness and have been transmigrating in the Five Realms and four forms of birth. This is so taxing! It has been such a long time. In this lifetime, they were able to meet the Buddha after He attained Buddhahood. They had the karmic conditions to be taught and transformed by the Buddha. They had already attained Arhatship, turning from an unenlightened state to a noble one. They were already Hearers and Solitary Realizers; thus it says “Two decades have already passed”
Since I saw him come back, two decades have already passed: After realizing Arhatship, turning from an unenlightened state to a noble one, they then became Buddha-children and entered the house of the Tathagata. Thus it says, “Since I saw him come back, two decades have already passed.”
Becoming a monastic is called “entering the house of the Tathagata.” To engage in spiritual practice in the house of the Tathagata, they must make efforts to understand, eliminate afflictions and renounce worldly relationships. Thus, they left behind the worldly relationships of their unenlightened state in order to enter the Buddha’s great family, the house of the Tathagata. It had already been two decades.
This refers to the turning of the teachings in the Prajna period. They were different from the previous two decades of clearing excrement during the Agama and Vaipulya periods.
This refers to the time of “the turning of the teachings in the Prajna period.” This was when the Buddha turned from the Agama and Vaipulya to enter the Prajna period. They had already reached the states of. Hearer and Solitary Realizer, so the Buddha started to turn to the Prajna. Two decades had already passed; now, the Buddha began to turn to the Prajna.
Prajna has no tangible form or appearance; principles and truths are without substance or appearance. As we have said before, principles cannot be seen or touched. Everything is empty in nature. The essence of all things, the mind’s essence, is sharp and bright, empty and translucent. This is the wisdom that everyone intrinsically has.
Two decades refers to how the Two Vehicle practitioners’ capabilities led the Buddha to teach according to capacities during the Agama and Vaipulya periods. Thus it says, Since I saw him come back, two decades have already passed. He could judge their natures and determine that they were like father and son.
“Two decades” refers to “how the Two Vehicle practitioners’ capabilities led the Buddha to teach according to capacities” ․Two decades refers to how the Two Vehicle practitioners’ capabilities led the Buddha to teach according to capacities during the Agama and Vaipulya periods. Thus it says, “Since I saw him come back, two decades have already passed.” He could judge their natures and determine that they were like father and son. During these two decades, the capabilities of sentient beings were unequal. So, the Buddha had to start with the Agama and follow with the Vaipulya; at the same time, He taught them how to walk the Bodhisattva-path. So, “Since I saw him come back, two decades have already passed.” It had already been 20 years. At this moment, He could see that. His disciples’ natures were getting close to His, that the disciples’ nature was already drawing near to the Dharma. They were drawing near the nature of True Suchness and beginning to know the path to return home.
Two decades also refers to the Two Vehicle practitioners’ own practice of clearing excrement for 20 years. After clearing excrement, the elder then called him, Son. This is carrying out the turning of the teaching, so it is called two decades. Also, referring to the name Two Vehicles, it speaks of two decades.
So, “two decades” also refers to. “Two Vehicle practitioners’ own practice” ․Two decades also refers to the Two Vehicle practitioners’ own practice of clearing excrement for 20 years. After clearing excrement, the elder then called him, “Son.” This is carrying out the turning of the teaching, so it is called “two decades.” Also, referring to the name “Two Vehicles,” it speaks of two decades. The Dharma Two Vehicle practitioners had chosen was only seeking to awaken themselves, to eliminate all afflictions and not to contrive affinities with sentient beings. In “clearing excrement for 20 years, clearing excrement” refers to clearing away discursive thoughts, ignorance, afflictions and so on. After clearing out all afflictions, “the elder then called him, ‘Son’.” Then the Buddha started “carrying out the turning of the teaching, so it is called ‘two decades’.” After that, He began to teach the Prajna. So, the past 20 years refers to the Agama and Vaipulya periods.
Some people’s wisdom-life grows very slowly; they are the Hearers. As for Solitary Realizers, they understand the principles, but they are not willing to go among people. They [remained like this] for two decades. Even though they had left their own homes to enter the house of the Tathagata, they stopped at only seeking to awaken themselves. So, before we encountered the Buddha-Dharma, we were transmigrating through the Five Realms; upon encountering the Buddha-Dharma, we remained stuck seeking only to awaken ourselves.
Therefore, we must earnestly be mindful. Life is painfully short. In this world, we can see the collective karma of sentient beings. The environment has already manifested extreme climate conditions. We also hear about many manmade calamities that occur in this world. So, we must all heighten our vigilance and always be mindful.