Episode 836 – A Slight Deviation Turns Us from Enlightenment
>> The slightest deviation results in a difference of a thousand miles. The difference between noble and ordinary beings is that one has become lost, turning from enlightenment. Turning towards the correct path is knowing the way back home. Seeking the truth and heading toward the Great, we can clearly understand the True Dharma.
>> “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]
>> “Before, in a certain city, I lost my son, and searching all around for him, I came to this place. Everything I own, my houses and servants, I bequeath to him, that he may do with them as he pleases.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> This expresses that at this time, at the meeting of the father and son, he bequeaths to him the family business. Thus, he is describing the conditions in the past of how he lost his son
>> In the time of Wisdom Superior Buddha, along the way and descended to wander in the Six Realms, until this lifetime, where they have begun to meet again.
>> This is the formal handing over of family wealth and the entrusting of the family business. As he pleases means that having attained the right to use it, he can do with it as he likes.
“The slightest deviation results in a difference of a thousand miles.
The difference between noble and ordinary beings is that one has become lost, turning from enlightenment.
Turning towards the correct path is knowing the way back home. Seeking the truth and heading toward the Great, we can clearly understand the True Dharma.”
We listen to the Dharma every day, but do we take the Dharma to heart? We truly must constantly adjust our minds. If we deviate ever so slightly, we will be off course by a thousand miles. Look at the hands of a clock. Its center never changes, yet every second, the end of the hand moves, shifting little by little. Even though the hand turns 24 hours a day, its center is fixed. In the same way, for us humans, when it comes to our nature and our minds, when we likewise return to our center, no matter how the world turns, our minds will remain forever [unmoved].
The sutras say that in the Five Realms and four forms of birth, a single ignorant thought caused us to deviate. This is tremendous suffering; we do not know the path to get back. This is like the hand of a clock detaching from its center point. When we deviate like that, we begin transmigrating in the Five Realms. This is what happens when the clock hand of our mind is allowed to deviate [from the center]. When will we be able to return? That depends on us truly understanding the methods. Then no matter how much time passes, in accord with these principles we will still remain in the center forever.
This is just like how Sakyamuni Buddha constantly mentioned that for countless kalpas, in lifetime after lifetime, He never abandoned the aspiration of seeking the Dharma and attaining Buddhahood. He never deviated from this. His spiritual aspiration was unwavering, and. He did not deviate even slightly. Thus, He always remained firmly in that place, which is His innate enlightenment. He did not deviate from His awakened nature. However, we ordinary people constantly deviate.
So, this is “the difference between noble and ordinary beings.” What is an ordinary being? What is a noble being? The difference is that “one has become lost, turning from enlightenment.” Since we turned from enlightenment to meet with objects of desire, then if we want to truly return to our innate enlightenment, we must turn away from objects of desire. The difference is between being lost or awakened. So, we listen to the Dharma to seek awakening, to awaken to our life’s direction. We must not deviate. Once we do, coming back is very difficult.
Think of the many Syrian refugees. According to United Nations statistics, there is a new refugee every 15 seconds. So, now the number of refugees has already surpassed ten million. Due to a war, a civil war, they have been displaced from their homes to wander to Turkey, Jordan and Iraq. In these border areas there are so many refugees. Because the number has grown so great, there is not even space to stay in refugee camps, so they are forced to roam without any shelter. They have no possessions.
The weather is so cold, snow keeps falling. Just look at the refugee camps; they are made up only of makeshift tents, one tent after another. The snow is too heavy, so the tents collapse one by one. Looking inside, there is nothing. There is only a plastic sheet covering the ground. More fortunate people have a rug to spread out. But when the snow melts, the rug becomes wet. There is icy snow above and icy water below, so all the bedding gets wet. When we think of ourselves under our blankets, then think of the hardships the refugees face, [we realize] how blessed we are!
Tzu Chi volunteers continually take care of these refugees over and over again to help them get enough to eat. In such cold weather, we see they have begun to send heaters and gas. How long will it be before a winter when they can have their own heater in their own homes and their own warm blankets [to sleep in]? How much longer will it be? That seems so far away.
Why were they born in that country? Did they willingly choose this? They had no choice; this was due to past karma. It was their circumstantial and direct retribution to be born in that country. Was this country naturally prone to war? That is also not so. It is due to causes and conditions coming together and afflictions and ignorance replicating. So, slight deviations in the minds of a few people in how they discern good and evil led them astray, which brought about unwholesome thoughts. Once unwholesome thoughts arose, conflicts began to develop. This is how these waves of refugees were created. Is this collective karma? It is beyond their control, so they have no choice but to flee like this.
Thus, “One has become lost, turning from enlightenment.” We have deviated from our pure intrinsic nature. Now, as we learn and practice the Buddha-Dharma, we must earnestly follow the Right Path and understand the road to return. If we can return, in our future lives we will not stray from our course. So, we “seek the truth and head toward the Great.” Thus, knowing “the way back home” depends on one thing, which is “seeking the truth and heading toward the Great, clearly understanding the True Dharma.” This is the true path that we must follow. So in summary, do not get lost. Once we deviate in life, the path of return becomes so unclear.
So, we must truly be mindful. In these modern times, just thinking about Syria, we can feel their pain. Thinking of ourselves, we feel very blessed. We should be grateful that we are in such a fortunate situation, so we must quickly increase our diligence. Thinking of those suffering from collective karma, we must be grateful to those who form great aspirations, make great vows and walk the Bodhisattva-path. They repeatedly go to the border regions, providing help to those people and giving them our love. They gather together the love of many people and serve others in our place. We must always wish them our blessings.
The previous 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’.”
This is what we talked about yesterday. The elder gathered a large number of people and announced to them, “This is my son. He left me for 50 years. After I found him, since he came home, he has already worked for me for 20 years.” This is an analogy for the Buddha not abandoning sentient beings. Sentient beings turn away from enlightenment and wander in the Five Realms. Once we have the affinity to encounter the Buddha, we begin to listen to the Dharma and expel our inner afflictions and confusion
“20 years” refers to Hearers and Solitary Realizers. Although they listened to the Dharma, they remained at the stage of Hearers and. Solitary Realizers as 20 years passed. These “20 years” refer to the Agama and Vaipulya periods, when they listened to the Buddha’s teachings. The Buddha taught according to capacities, and in this way, 20 years passed. After this, the Buddha began teaching the Prajna sutras. In the Prajna sutras, He speaks of the principle of true emptiness, [that everything is] innately empty, but because we keep multiplying our ignorance “existence” arises. This is the existence of desire, of delusion, of greed, anger and ignorance. We produce so many dust-like delusions and thus become confused and lost. In all things we are confused about the principles. So, if we wish to return to the path, we must completely clear out all these things. This requires entering the Great Vehicle Dharma. The Prajnaparamita sutras tell us to get rid of all afflictions and discursive thoughts.
So, the following sutra passage continues to say, “Before, in a certain city, I lost my son, and searching all around for him, I came to this place. Everything I own, my houses and servants, I bequeath to him, that he may do with them as he pleases.”
We already started explaining this passage. This “before” represents “a long, long time ago.” It was more than 50 years in the past that. “I lost my son.” The son was lost; he wandered away, so [the father] went “searching all around. All around” means to look everywhere. “Searching all around for him” means he was continually searching to find where his lost son might have gone. “I came to this place.” He had gone everywhere looking for him, all the way until this point. “It was not until arriving here that I saw him. It was in this place that my son also appeared, where I saw him. I quickly called someone to bring him back.”
“Afterwards I myself went to approach my son and gradually brought him in, brought him closer. As of now, my relationship with my son is already very close. So, now I want to announce to everyone that everything inside this house, all of the objects and people inside, are what I now entrust to my son.” So, [the sutra reads], “I bequeath to him.” He wanted to give everything to him, “that he may do with them as he pleases.”
Thus, this sutra passage shows that this father was already prepared to pass on his wealth, just as the Buddha was about to pass on the Dharma. For the sake of sentient beings in the future, He had to pass on [the teachings] to His disciples. They in turn had to transmit the Dharma-lineage and continue passing it on.
>>This expresses that at this time, at the meeting of the father and son, he bequeaths to him the family business. Thus, he is describing the conditions in the past of how he lost his son
So it says, “Before, in a certain city, I lost my son, and searching all around for him, I came to this place.” He kept on searching [for his son] and found this place. This explains that at that point in time, father and son were reunited. So, “He bequeaths to him the family business.” This is describing what happened in the past,
In the time of Wisdom Superior Buddha, along the way and descended to wander in the Six Realms, until this lifetime, where they have begun to meet again.
in the era of. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. This Buddha is mentioned [later] in this sutra. When He came to the world to transform sentient beings, Wisdom Superior also taught the Lotus Sutra. There were likewise many people listening to the Dharma at that Buddha’s feet who received predictions of future enlightenment. Many who were gathered in that place were also members of this Lotus Dharma-assembly. This is called forming Great Vehicle affinities. All these disciples must have formed Great Vehicle affinities in the time of. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha ․In the time of Wisdom Superior Buddha, they had formed Great Vehicle affinities.
Since forming the father-son bond, [the son] had lost his spiritual aspirations along the way and descended to wander in the Six Realms, until this lifetime, where they have begun to meet again. “Since becoming father and son,” a long time has passed. So, they had this Great Vehicle affinity, this connection through the Dharma. Like a blood-line, this Dharma-lineage has continued on in this way. This tells us that our affinity with the Buddha goes back a long time. Now we listen to the Dharma and are able to take delight in the Lotus Sutra. This is because we have an affinity with the Lotus Sutra. This is a Dharma-lineage that has existed since the time of Wisdom Superior Buddha. Over and over again, it has been passed down.
Everyone has formed great aspirations and been determined to pass on the Dharma-lineage. But after a long time, along the way, these people retreated from their spiritual aspirations. So, they “descended to wander in the Six Realms.” We talk about the Six Realms and the Five Realms. The Six Realms are the Five Realms with the addition of the asura realm. The asura realm exists in all of the realms. In that realm, there is so much anger, hate and afflictive emotions; in particular the hatred in their minds is severe. Therefore they are continually seeking revenge, and the world cannot be at peace. Thus, our society is in chaos and man-made calamities are created, leading to floods of refugees. All of this is the trouble caused by asuras.
So, this is how they had become lost. “Until this lifetime” means that this had continued until the current life, the time when the Buddha was in the world, “where they have begun to meet again.” This continued until this lifetime, when they lived at the same time as the Buddha.
More than 2000 years ago, after Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, they were able to encounter Him and listen to Him teach the Dharma. The Buddha taught these people according to their capabilities. He went through the Agama and Vaipulya periods followed by the Prajna period. It was not until after 42 years had passed that He started the Lotus Dharma-assembly. So, “[They wandered] until this lifetime, where they have begun to meet again.” It was at this time that they finally met again, that he met his son again; the Dharma-lineage had been restored.
“Everything I own, my houses and servants, I bequeath to him, that he may do with them as he pleases” [So the elder said], “Everything that I own, all the family treasure that I possess. I pass on to him, I give to him completely”
This is the formal handing over of family wealth and the entrusting of the family business. “As he pleases” means that having attained the right to use it, he can do with it as he likes.
What is this family wealth? It is the Agama, the Vaipulya and the Prajna teachings. There is also the Avatamsaka Assembly of. His initial awakening, that enlightened state. As I keep saying, in the end He finally returned to the origin of our intrinsic nature. Every single one of these teachings is our family treasures. This is the Dharma. The Dharma for transforming sentient beings was entrusted to us teaching by teaching. This is the family business. “As he pleases” means it was given completely; all the authority, all of the teachings, were completely turned over to him. He completely gave this authority to his son to use [everything] as he pleased.
This is transmitting the Dharma-lineage. In worldly terms we talk about ownership rights. The ownership rights of this wealth were completely given to his son. This is like how the Buddha gave all that he had, the entirety of the Dharma, to us. Since we are all Buddha-children, we should make good use of these things. Whatever He opened and revealed, we must realize and enter.
People nowadays have access to a wealth of information. These refugees now have scattered to so many countries. They live in such difficulty and such suffering. Though we live in the same era, in the same time, can we ever comprehend the suffering that they feel? We know that in the world there are many people who are lost in pleasures. How many people are there in the world who are lost in this way? How many people in society there are who do not know that they are creating karma as they constantly consume and use up the world’s resources, while polluting the skies and ruining the earth! People who do so are obliviously causing harm in their daily living; they are unaware of this.
So, we must be very careful, very mindful. The slightest deviation will result in a discrepancy of a thousand miles. All of us come to this world as humans, but if we do not understand the principles and thus deviate, that is the reason that throughout our past, present and future lives we continue to transmigrate and suffer unspeakable hardships. So, we must quickly eliminate our past [karma] and “bring the causation of suffering to cessation”; we must eliminate our past ignorance. We must quickly return to our path. We must know how to return to our original home, how to find the path back to our innate enlightenment. Therefore, we must always be mindful.