Episode 840 – Listen to the Dharma with Faith and Understanding
>> Forming the base of the right path taught by the Buddha, faith and understanding are the source of the Way and the mother of merits and virtues. They can help us nurture all virtuous Dharma. When we listen to the Dharma and take it into the mind’s source we resonate with True Suchness.
>> “The Buddha is also like this. He knew we took joy in the Small [Vehicle] so He had never before said, ‘You and the others can attain Buddhahood’. He told us that we could attain the state of having no Leaks and perfect the Small Vehicle as Hearer disciples.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> “The Buddha instructed us in expounding the supreme path. The ones who cultivate this path will eventually attain Buddhahood.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> The Buddha instructed us in expounding the supreme path: The supreme path is prajna, the wisdom of emptiness. It is unsurpassed. During the Prajna Assembly, the Buddha taught and guided us in expounding the supreme path. The ones who cultivate this path will eventually attain Buddhahood.
>> By expounding the supreme path: He expounded the Two Paths and the Fivefold Bodhi, the Great Vehicle Bodhisattva-path. This what we must follow from the time we form aspirations until we attain Buddhahood. This is called “expounding the supreme path”.
>> Two Paths: The path of difficult practice. The path of no Leaks 1. The path of difficult practice: We cultivate these difficult practices to seek the teachings of the fruit of Buddhahood. This means that in the Saha World, the method of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions to bring to fruition the seeds of Buddhahood is difficult to practice. Hence it is called the path of difficult practice.
>> 2. The path of no Leaks: These are the practices which bring purity and freedom from afflictions. This is like practitioners of the Three Vehicles, who, after seeing and hearing the true principles, begin to cultivate all actions according to these principles.
>> The Fivefold Bodhi: 1. The Bodhi of forming aspirations. In order to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, we form Great Vehicle Aspirations. 2. The Bodhi of subduing the mind We must conquer our afflictions and practice all paramitas.
>> 3. The Bodhi of a clear mind. We must observe all phenomena and practice the Prajna Paramita.
>> 4. The Bodhi of Dharmic Patience. From the Prajna Paramita, we attain the power of skillful means, and thus we attain non-arising patience which is our nature of wisdom. Seeing all phenomena as non-arising, our mind and wisdom are in a state of Nirvana. Enduring without retreating is called non-arising patience.
>> 5. Unsurpassed Bodhi. Sitting in the place of enlightenment, He eliminated the habits and affinities of dust-like delusions and ignorant afflictions and attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
>> The Fivefold Bodhi: The Bodhi of forming aspirations. The Bodhi of subduing the mind. The Bodhi of a clear mind. The Bodhi of Dharmic patience. Unsurpassed Bodhi
>> The ones who cultivate this path will eventually attain Buddhahood: The Buddha said that all sentient beings have Buddha-nature. The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings.
“Forming the base of the right path taught by the Buddha,
faith and understanding are the source of “the Way and the mother of merits and virtues.
They can help us nurture all virtuous Dharma.
When we listen to the Dharma and take it into the mind’s source we resonate with True Suchness.”
As mentioned to us time and again, all Dharma taught by the Buddha is the right path. I frequently say that. “Faith is the source of the Way and the mother of merits and virtues.” How do we enter this path, “the Way”? We need faith and understanding. Having faith and understanding is not simply hearing someone say something and believing it. In fact, after hearing something, we must cultivate listening, contemplation and practice.
After we listen, we must earnestly contemplate. Is this teaching correct? If these principles are correct, then we must seize the moment and immediately put them into practice. Listening, contemplation and practice are our source of strength for walking this path. To put the teachings into practice we need energy, the strength to help us to keep moving forward. This energy is what we normally call diligence. Without this energy in our diligence, we will quickly become lax and lose the bold spirit we had that kept us moving forward. The source of the Way is the energy that we need to walk upon this path. Therefore, as we walk on the right path we must be mindful. This is our base, and this base comes from faith and understanding. Thus it says, “Faith is the source of the Way, mother of merits and virtues”; it can “nurture all roots of goodness.”
Once we know how to engage in spiritual practice and how to make the right choices, we must earnestly do what we have chosen as right amd immediately discontinue what is not right. So, eliminating afflictions takes courage; it takes this bold spirit to be able to eliminate our afflictions. This is like when we talk about abstaining from cigarettes and alcohol, or eating a vegetarian diet. It is so simple, but for some people, it is very difficult. “I am happy to engage in spiritual practice, but adopting a vegetarian diet is a bit difficult for me. Joining Tzu Chi, this organization of Bodhisattvas, is great, but abstaining from cigarettes and alcohol is a bit difficult for me.” This shows the lack of a bold spirit; because of this, there is no way for merits and virtues to arise while afflictions and ignorance still remain. This is the lack of diligence. Lack of diligence is the lack of a bold spirit.
We should [abstain from] alcohol and tobacco and from eating meat; do not eat just to satisfy the craving for taste and thus take sentient beings’ lives. Actually, all of us know that the earth is polluted, and the air is polluted. Only if everyone becomes a vegetarian can we decrease the number of animals raised. A decrease in the animal population is needed to offset the rise in the human population and thereby achieve a balance. Otherwise, the earth will indeed become overloaded. So, [I hope] all of us are willing to make a firm resolution to become vegetarian and abstain from smoking and drinking to make our bodies a little healthier. If we can decrease our craving for food, this is also a way to eliminate a source of afflictions and ignorance. If we do not eliminate this underlying source, the world will be facing a crisis.
What is this source? This is the reason why humanity should listen to the Dharma and take it to heart. We must examine ourselves. Being unwilling to change merely for the sake of cravings for taste or habitual tendencies will result in the accumulation of many unwholesome things, the accumulation of ignorance and afflictions. If ignorance and afflictions are not cleared away, it will be impossible for virtuous Dharma to arise.
Therefore, “We listen to the Dharma and take it into the mind’s source.” When listening to the Dharma, we must take it into our hearts; only then can we “resonate with True Suchness.” Only then will our minds resonate with our nature of True Suchness and the Buddha-mind.
So, spiritual practice is in fact quite simple. As long as we can quickly turn our minds around, we can eliminate unwholesomeness, ignorance and habitual tendencies, and the virtuous Dharma will manifest. With diligence, by raising our bold spirits, there will be nothing we have “no way” to achieve. We will definitely “have a way.” When we take the Dharma to heart, we resonate with True Suchness, and our nature of True Suchness will be roused.
Thus, the previous sutra passage states, “The Buddha is also like this. He knew we took joy in the Small [Vehicle] so He had never before said, ‘You and the others can attain Buddhahood’. He told us that we could attain the state of having no Leaks and perfect the Small Vehicle as Hearer disciples.”
Because His disciples were still stuck in the Small Vehicle, the Buddha had not yet told them. Thus, “He had never before said.” He had not yet told them that. “You and the others can attain Buddhahood.” He did not come out directly and tell them in a straightforward way that all could attain Buddhahood. Instead He patiently guided and taught them according to their capabilities.
Sentient beings’ capabilities were unequal. Some, upon hearing this, might become arrogant. If they were to become arrogant, they would naturally become undisciplined or full of themselves. Thus they would become indolent and regress, or perhaps create much karma. So, He could not yet teach them the Great Vehicle. “He told us that we could attain the state of having no Leaks.” He taught like this, telling us if we engaged in spiritual practice, we would realize certain fruits. There are the initial, second, third and fourth fruits, depending upon the level of afflictions that one had eliminated. What level have we ourselves reached?
The Buddha taught us the Dharma in accordance with our capabilities, to help us gradually eliminate afflictions. When we have eliminated afflictions, this is “the state of having no Leaks.” This is “perfecting the Small Vehicle as Hearer disciples.” So, those who eliminate a small amount of afflictions are Hearers, and those who eliminate an average amount “will eventually attain Buddhahood.”
The passage below continues on, “The Buddha instructed us in expounding the supreme path. The ones who cultivate this path will eventually attain Buddhahood.”
By now, the Prajna period was also over, and it was time for the Lotus Dharma-assembly. By the Prajna period, this wisdom should already have been unlocked in everyone. By the Lotus period, the Buddha had begun bestowing predictions of Buddhahood upon us, upon His disciples. He wanted everyone to know that everyone could attain Buddhahood, that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature
So here, “The Buddha instructed us. Instruct” here means to teach. It has an even stronger meaning than “to teach.” Therefore, he instructed us. This was “expounding the supreme path. The ones who cultivate this path,” those who cultivate this virtuous Dharma, can eliminate their ignorance. By “instructing” us, He is warning us. He is not just teaching us, he is also warning us. We should practice the virtuous Dharma, and at the same time, we should avoid committing further transgressions. This is what is known as the supreme path.
The Buddha instructed us in expounding the supreme path: The supreme path is prajna, the wisdom of emptiness. It is unsurpassed. During the Prajna Assembly, the Buddha taught and guided us in expounding the supreme path. The ones who cultivate this path will eventually attain Buddhahood.
“The supreme path” is prajna, the wisdom of emptiness. We must reach this level, which is to empty ourselves of all attachments and all afflictions and ignorance. This is what we call the wisdom of emptiness. “Prajna” is the wisdom of supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment. It is true wisdom. When wisdom reaches the level of true emptiness, it is called prajna, the wisdom of emptiness. True emptiness is emptying ourselves of all habitual tendencies, emptying ourselves of all afflictions and emptying ourselves of all ignorance. It is the wisdom that completely eliminates all afflictions. “It is unsurpassed.” This means that they were all already on the supreme path, because the prajna wisdom of emptiness is the highest and most supreme wisdom. This was something the Buddha already taught them at the Prajna Assembly,
“The ones who cultivate this path will eventually attain Buddhahood.” Anyone able to cultivate these things will be able to attain Buddhahood. This was the wisdom the Buddha taught in the. Prajna period at the Prajna Assembly. Now, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, He told them, “If you can practice like this, you will be able to attain Buddhahood.”
By expounding the supreme path: He expounded the Two Paths and the Fivefold Bodhi, the Great Vehicle Bodhisattva-path. This what we must follow from the time we form aspirations until we attain Buddhahood. This is called “expounding the supreme path”.
So, in “”expounding the supreme path, He expounded the Two Paths and the Fivefold Bodhi.” What are the “Two Paths”? They are all part of the Great Vehicle Dharma. This Bodhi, the Fivefold Bodhi, is the Great Vehicle Bodhisattva-path. This is the path we follow from “the forming of aspirations to the attaining of Buddhahood.” The Two Paths and the Fivefold Bodhi are the paths we must walk in the process of spiritual practice. This is what is known as the “supreme path”
Two Paths: The path of difficult practice. The path of no Leaks 1. The path of difficult practice: We cultivate these difficult practices to seek the teachings of the fruit of Buddhahood. This means that in the Saha World, the method of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions to bring to fruition the seeds of Buddhahood is difficult to practice. Hence it is called the path of difficult practice.
What are the “Two Paths”? The first is the path of difficult practice. The path of difficult practice is “the cultivating of difficult practices to seek the teachings of the fruit of Buddhahood.” Though there are practices that are difficult, we practice them anyway, for we know we can do it. Thus, seeking the teachings of the fruit of Buddhahood is a difficult path to practice. This is to say that, in forming aspirations in the Saha World, in practicing and learning the Buddha-Dharma, we know very clearly that this “Saha World” is “the world of endurance.”
Practitioners of the Small Vehicle Dharma fear returning to the Saha World. They dread the Saha World, so they practice only to awaken themselves and are unwilling to come back. However, to attain Buddhahood, it is necessary to have aspirations and to practice the path, even if it is difficult. We practice this “path” in the Saha World by “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions to bring to fruition the seeds of Buddhahood.” In this world, we must nurture the seeds of the attainment of Buddhahood. So, we must spread seeds of goodness. The Six Paramitas, giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom, when actualized in myriad actions, provide us with so many methods, ways for us to cultivate ourselves or inspire others to practice with us. We must benefit ourselves and also others to nurture these seeds of Bodhi.
This Dharma is indeed difficult to practice, because saving others can be exhausting work. However, if we do not go there to do it, won’t those sentient beings suffer so much? This is why we must form aspirations! Once we form these aspirations, although it involves hard work, we can help sentient beings to emerge safely from their hardships. Although this Dharma is difficult to practice, we are nonetheless able to do it; we can put it into action. So, this is the “path of difficult practice,” one of the Two Paths, a path that is necessary for Bodhisattvas to walk.
2. The path of no Leaks: These are the practices which bring purity and freedom from afflictions. This is like practitioners of the Three Vehicles, who, after seeing and hearing the true principles, begin to cultivate all actions according to these principles.
The second is “the path of no Leaks.” The “path of no Leaks” is freedom from afflictions when we have eliminated all of our afflictions. These are practices that bring purity and freedom from afflictions. For instance, practitioners of the Three Vehicles, after seeing and hearing the true principles, begin to cultivate all actions. “Cultivating all actions” is known as “the path of no Leaks.” This is the second path.
The Fivefold Bodhi: 1. The Bodhi of forming aspirations. In order to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, we form Great Vehicle Aspirations. 2. The Bodhi of subduing the mind We must conquer our afflictions and practice all paramitas.
Then there is the Fivefold Bodhi. The first is “the Bodhi of forming aspirations.” This is to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi; this Great Vehicle aspiration is for supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment.
The second is “the Bodhi of subduing the mind.” We must subdue, must overcome, our mind, so that discursive thoughts no longer arise. To subdue our afflictions, we practice all kinds of paramitas which can deliver us.
The paramitas take us to the other shore, deliver our ordinary minds to the state of noble beings. This requires us to control ourselves, so that the mind does not continually give rise to discursive thoughts. If we never retreat from our spiritual aspirations we have subdued our mind. This is the “Bodhi of subduing the mind.”
3. The Bodhi of a clear mind. We must observe all phenomena and practice the Prajna Paramita.
The third is “the Bodhi of a clear mind.” We want our minds to be clear. “We must observe all Dharma and practice the Prajna Paramita.”
We should observe, should carefully consider. This is listening, contemplation and practice. We must consider things very meticulously. After listening, we engage in earnest reflection. This is what is meant by observing clearly. It is the Bodhi of a clear mind. We must clearly discern right from wrong; thus we observe all Dharma, then practice it. There are some things we can practice, while there are others that we must not. This depends on our ability to discern. By practicing the Prajna Paramita, we deliver ourselves from an unenlightened state to that of a noble being.
4. The Bodhi of Dharmic Patience. From the Prajna Paramita, we attain the power of skillful means, and thus we attain non-arising patience which is our nature of wisdom. Seeing all phenomena as non-arising, our mind and wisdom are in a state of Nirvana. Enduring without retreating is called non-arising patience.
The fourth is “the Bodhi of Dharmic Patience,” the attaining of the power of skillful means from the Prajna Paramita. To use different methods to save sentient beings, we exercise the power of skillful means. Thus we attain non-arising patience. Because there are many sentient beings, their sufferings are many as well. How can we ensure that when among people, when facing all kinds of trials, we will be able to patiently get through them? This non-arising patience is our nature of wisdom. When our minds are completely pure, our mind is unaffected by disturbances around us, nor tempted by them.
We “see all phenomena as non-arising.” In our hearts, we already see all phenomena as “wondrous existence in true emptiness.” So, “non-arising” is true emptiness, and. “Our mind and wisdom are in a state of Nirvana.” Our mind and wisdom both are always very pure, very stable and unwavering. When the mind is tamed and subdued, this is the Bodhi of Dharmic Patience. Thus we “endure without retreating.” Only when we are able to endure and accept the difficult practices of the Saha World are we able to carry them out. Only with this kind of non-arising Bodhi can we endure and accept them without retreating from our aspirations. This is called “non-arising patience.”
5. Unsurpassed Bodhi. Sitting in the place of enlightenment, He eliminated the habits and affinities of dust-like delusions and ignorant afflictions and attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
The fifth is Unsurpassed Bodhi. This is “sitting in the place of enlightenment,” sitting, settled, in the place of enlightenment. We must also go among sentient beings to form good affinities. But this is not contriving affinities. So, we are able to “eliminate the habits and affinities of dust-like delusions and ignorant afflictions.” We must get rid of all the contriving and contamination from our relationships with sentient beings that result in ignorant afflictions. When we no longer contrive affinities, we will not be contaminated by those affinities. This is the only way to attain. Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, supreme universal and perfect enlightenment. This is the objective of our spiritual practice
The Fivefold Bodhi: The Bodhi of forming aspirations. The Bodhi of subduing the mind. The Bodhi of a clear mind. The Bodhi of Dharmic patience. Unsurpassed Bodhi.
We should remember these five kinds of Bodhi and earnestly be mindful of them. If we can, then, “The ones who cultivate this path will eventually attain Buddhahood.” If we practice and learn like this, we will all attain Buddhahood.
The ones who cultivate this path will eventually attain Buddhahood: The Buddha said that all sentient beings have Buddha-nature. The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings.
“The Buddha said that all sentient beings have Buddha-nature.” Thus, we frequently say that. “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in their nature].” The mind is the Buddha. “The mind can attain Buddhahood.” This is called “the supreme path.”
Everyone, learning the Buddha-Dharma is really quite simple, but we must form great aspirations and practice the path, despite the difficulty. On the path of difficult practice, we must be willing to help others. Otherwise, as we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we will just walk in place and forever remain unenlightened. As long as we ordinary people eliminate our habitual tendencies, we will naturally return to the base of the right path. By listening to the Dharma and taking it into the mind’s source, we will naturally resonate with True Suchness. Therefore, we must always be mindful.