Episode 841 – Walking the Bodhi-path toward Enlightenment
>> Seek the Great Vehicle practice and the Bodhi-path toward enlightenment. Cultivate, learn and accept the teachings and practice toward perfect enlightenment. Uphold great wisdom to seek Bodhi while exercising great compassion to deliver sentient beings.
>> “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]
>> “We shouldered the Buddha’s teachings for Great Bodhisattvas, using all causes and conditions, all kinds of analogies and many expressions to expound the supreme path.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> We shouldered the Buddha’s teachings for Great Bodhisattvas: We received the Buddha’s instruction to teach Bodhisattvas with sharp capabilities and great capacities the Great Vehicle Dharma of attaining Buddhahood.
>> Using all causes and conditions, various analogies: With the Tathagata’s teachings, we had the direct cause and beneficial conditions and used various analogies.
>> The Buddha’s noble teachings go from the shallow to the profound. All teachings that He gave are inseparable from causes and conditions.
>> [We use] many expressions to expound the supreme path: In accordance with people’s capabilities, we use many expressions to teach what others are able to understand. So, with a certain number [of expressions], we expound the teachings of the Tathagata’s supreme path.
>> “All Buddha-children, having heard this Dharma from us, would contemplate night and day and diligently practice it.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> All Buddha-children, having heard this Dharma from us: Bodhisattvas follow the Buddha’s words, listen to the teachings and cultivate them. Thus they are called Buddha-children. They have heard the Great Dharma as Hearers.
>> The Great Vehicle Prajna teachings were expounded specifically for Bodhisattvas and not for us practitioners of the Two Vehicles. Thus we never had the resolve to seek it; though we spoke of it, we did not practice it.
>> [The Buddha-children] contemplated night and day and diligently practiced it: Day and night, they tirelessly listened to these principles and cultivated their contemplation of this Dharma. They were diligent without indolence.
“Seek the Great Vehicle practice and the Bodhi-path toward enlightenment.
Cultivate, learn and accept the teachings and practice toward perfect enlightenment.
Uphold great wisdom to seek Bodhi
while exercising great compassion to deliver sentient beings.”
When we engage in spiritual practice, we should cultivate the Great Vehicle practice. The Dharma-door of the Great Vehicle is to awaken ourselves and others. As we engage in our own practice, we must also benefit others. Benefiting ourselves and others simultaneously is the Great Vehicle practice. These are called [the Buddha’s] Two Perfections. We need to be replete with blessings and wisdom; this is what we must cultivate. This truly the Bodhi-path toward enlightenment. It is a path that we all must mindfully pave with love. The Buddha did not only point us toward this path over 2000 years ago, He also taught us how to pave this path well. So, as we use love to pave this path we walk, we are not just paving it for ourselves, but for everyone else to walk on as well. This is the Great Vehicle practice. As we walk the Bodhi-path toward enlightenment, we must all apply our collective efforts.
Time passes by continuously with every second. In terms of time itself, ultimately, it neither increases nor decreases. There is never more or less time but we give it these labels. In the relative sense of the workings of the world it appears that time continues to pass. But if time itself does not appear or disappear, what is it that is passing? From the perspective of worldly matters and things we can conventionally say time is passing. We can talk about time passing because of material objects [changing], including our physical bodies. Physiologically, we are constantly changing; this never stops. Thus we can say that time easily passes by.
One revolution of Earth around the Sun is one year. In each year there are 365 days. In those 365 days, time passes in hours, minutes and seconds. We must seize the time and not let a single second slip by. Look at people who are diligent, like the staff of Tzu Chi’s missions; these Bodhisattvas practice very diligently. They came here to celebrate Chinese New Year. Even though it was their time off, they used this time to dedicate themselves to the work they themselves are determined and willing to do.
For example, our staff at Da Ai TV woke up early in the morning to gather together to listen to teachings, taking in the fragrance of the Dharma. Afterwards, they cleaned the entire TV station, inside and out, down to the smallest surface. During the volunteers’ Morning Assembly, they even collectively vowed to use the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers as their direction for the year. They made use of their time to clean the dust and dirt in their surroundings, so next they were going to clear away the afflictions in their minds. Having eradicated their afflictions, they aspired to practice the teachings.
We also saw that at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Superintendent Chao and all the doctors, department heads, assistant superintendents and medical staff came together with the Bodhisattva-volunteers to clean up the [Xindian] Jing Si Hall. Everyone was cleaning so earnestly that they worked up a sweat. In such cold weather, they were actually sweating. They said, “Although we are sweating and exhausted from cleaning, we feel very happy. This is our spiritual practice center, a Jing Si Hall, where we pass on the Jing Si Dharma-lineage.” They were very committed; this demonstrates faith, vow and practice. With faith and understanding and power of thought, they formed aspirations to dedicate themselves. They are also Bodhisattvas who seize the time to seek the Great Vehicle practice and the Bodhi-path toward enlightenment. We also saw from Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital that
the superintendent, assistant superintendent and staff in each department went out into the streets. On such a cold day, the homeless were still sleeping on the streets. How could they endure the cold? The staff had prepared steaming hot soup for the homeless to eat. They gently shook them to wake them up, “Please, have something hot to eat!” They gave them things that warmed their bodies and hearts. Aren’t they Bodhisattvas? As these Bodhisattvas learn and practice, on top of normally safeguarding life and love, they do not waste a second of time and diligently learn and practice, walking toward the true path to enlightenment. This is the great wisdom and great vows of Great Vehicle practitioners. When learning the Buddha’s Way,
we must learn the Dharma and practice of the Great Vehicle. To practice among people and give to them, we need to have methods. We must cherish our time and make the most of it. With time, we can bring all things to fruition. Bit by bit, second by second, we can gather resources to help suffering people or those who have been struck by disasters. With every second of time, we work to accomplish our missions. When it comes to our missions and our environment, we put our hearts into giving. This is making use of the power of love.
Right now, we also see that in China there is frost and snow falling. It is a bitterly cold winter! Volunteers are holding relief distributions there. As they go off to that freezing cold place, we always give them travel reminders. Whenever any of us go away, there are three things we must be mindful of. We should be able to “do it ourselves.” We must put the teachings into practice ourselves, join in the efforts ourselves. Then we “witness others doing it.” As we ourselves are doing this, when we see others doing the same, we should constantly praise them. We should also “take joy in others doing it.” As we are doing this and see others doing the same, when they can cooperate with us, we will all feel very happy. These are the three reminders.
This is how Living Bodhisattvas are. Whether they are local volunteers or volunteers who travel there from Taiwan, coming and going back and forth, they all share this reminder with each other. They work in concert with unity, harmony and love; this is how a group of Bodhisattvas give rise to the power of love. They “seek the Great Vehicle practice and the Bodhi-path toward enlightenment,” so they “practice, learn and accept the teachings and walk toward perfect enlightenment.” They also “uphold great wisdom to seek Bodhi while exercising great compassion to deliver sentient beings.” For Living Bodhisattvas to accomplish this is actually not difficult.
So, the previous [sutra] passage says, “The Buddha instructed us in expounding the supreme path.” The supreme path is the Bodhisattva-path. “The ones who cultivate this path will eventually attain Buddhahood.” To engage in spiritual practice, to attain Buddhahood, this is the path we must take. We have to pave this path ourselves, then everyone can walk on it. If we all pave this path of love together, we can all successfully walk this. Great Vehicle Bodhisattva-path.
The following sutra passage says, “We shouldered the Buddha’s teachings for Great Bodhisattvas, using all causes and conditions, all kinds of analogies and many expressions to expound the supreme path.”
This passage [begins with]. “We shouldered the Buddha’s teachings for Great Bodhisattvas.” We are very grateful that the Buddha came to teach us. He transmitted this Dharma-lineage to us so we would know how to be Bodhisattvas and benefit ourselves and others. On this Great Vehicle Bodhisattva-path,
We shouldered the Buddha’s teachings for Great Bodhisattvas: We received the Buddha’s instruction to teach Bodhisattvas with sharp capabilities and great capacities the Great Vehicle Dharma of attaining Buddhahood.
“We received the Buddha’s instruction”; we accepted the instruction that He gave us “to teach Bodhisattvas with sharp capabilities and great capacities the Great Vehicle Dharma of attaining Buddhahood.” This was what the Buddha taught us, so this is what we should learn “[Bodhisattvas] with sharp capabilities and great capacities” refers to people with sharper capabilities and great capacities. When we teach them the Great Vehicle Dharma, they are able to accept this great path to Buddhahood. This is the Great Vehicle path. So, this is the Dharma taught for Bodhisattvas, the Great Vehicle Dharma that enables Bodhisattvas to attain Buddhahood. This is what the Buddha taught us. We must then put it into practice and continue to pass it on.
Using all causes and conditions, various analogies: With the Tathagata’s teachings, we had the direct cause and beneficial conditions and used various analogies.
“Using all causes and conditions [and] all kinds of analogies” was also the way the Buddha taught us. With the Tathagata’s teachings, “we had the direct cause and beneficial conditions. Thus [He] used all kinds of analogies.” The direct cause is taking the Buddha’s teachings into the fields of our minds. Beneficial conditions are what we create when we put the teachings into practice. By cultivating beneficial conditions, we are developing our wisdom. These are our causes and conditions. In order to develop these direct causes and beneficial conditions, the Buddha used all kinds of analogies and expressions to teach us. These are the methods the Buddha used to teach sentient beings. We must do the same; we must learn these methods so we can also universally teach sentient beings and spread these seeds of goodness. We should also create beneficial conditions and cultivate the causes of blessings and wisdom. This is also what we must learn, what we must do.
The Buddha’s noble teachings go from the shallow to the profound. All teachings that He gave are inseparable from causes and conditions.
“The Buddha’s noble teachings go from the shallow to the profound.” The Buddha taught in the hope that we could turn from unenlightened beings into noble beings. This way of teaching goes from the shallow to the profound, from the Agama gradually to the Vaipulya, patiently guiding us in this way. Then it gradually enters Prajna teachings on nature of emptiness and wondrous existence. He gradually guided us to the Lotus teachings, which are about wondrous existence. This depends on causes and conditions. So, we must have direct causes, and we must have beneficial conditions.
Everyone intrinsically has a nature of True Suchness. We all have it. But if we ourselves do not set in motion the farmer within us to earnestly create causes and conditions, if we do not earnestly treasure our direct causes, nor our affinities with sentient beings, if we do not cherish these, we will never have an opportunity [to realize it]. Thus, we must know that the direct cause is the Buddha’s teachings, which we must keep in our minds. We must then put them into practice and go among people to create beneficial conditions and cultivate wisdom. By doing this, we are practicing the teachings He gave us that help us turn from unenlightened into noble beings.
[We use] many expressions to expound the supreme path: In accordance with people’s capabilities, we use many expressions to teach what others are able to understand. So, with a certain number [of expressions], we expound the teachings of the Tathagata’s supreme path.
So, “Many expressions [are needed] to expound the supreme path”. “Many expressions” are needed to teach according to people’s capabilities. How many expressions do we need? Some people who have sharp capabilities and great capacities can, just by hearing a few simple phrases, understand and attain awakening. But teaching people with duller capabilities and more severe afflictions requires a long time and many methods. Thus, we need “many expressions” to teach according to capabilities. So, “to teach what others are able to understand,” we have to see what teachings they will be able to accept and under what circumstances we can give them this kind of teaching.
This means we must patiently guide them. The Buddha does not give up on any sentient being and hopes that all sentient beings can attain Buddhahood. Regardless of whether our capabilities are dull or sharp, He teaches according to capabilities, teaches what we can understand. So, He used “a certain number [of expressions].” Whether the Agama, Vaipulya, Prajna, Lotus or even the Avatamsaka state, He taught sequentially from the shallow to the profound. This was generally what He did. “We expound the Tathagata’s supreme path.” These are the teachings the Buddha wished to expound.
The following sutra passage says, “All Buddha-children, having heard this Dharma from us, would contemplate night and day and diligently practice it.”
“All Buddha-children, having heard this Dharma from us,” refers to Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas follow the Buddha’s words; they act according to the Buddha-Dharma. They heard the Buddha and listened to the teachings and cultivated them. Disciples who truly accept the teachings are called Buddha-children.
All Buddha-children, having heard this Dharma from us: Bodhisattvas follow the Buddha’s words, listen to the teachings and cultivate them. Thus they are called Buddha-children. They have heard the Great Dharma as Hearers.
“They have heard the Great Dharma from the Hearers” [At this assembly] the Buddha had already directly told Hearers and Solitary Realizers that they were Buddha-children, as they had already comprehended the teachings. From Subhuti to Mahakasyapa and Maudgalyayana, everyone at this assembly was prepared to pass on the Buddha’s teachings.
All Buddhas share the same path. Every Buddha cultivates a state of mind that allows Him to realize the truths of all things in the universe. All Buddhas want to teach sentient beings, but sentient beings’ capabilities are dull, so They likewise begin with the teachings of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. They teach in the same order, the Agama, Vaipulya, Prajna and the Lotus.
This is especially so for the Lotus teachings; all Buddhas share the same path. Before a Buddha enters Parinirvana, He absolutely has to expound the Lotus Sutra. This is the Dharma of wondrous existence. Prajna teachings are about emptiness. Only if it contains wondrous existence is it the prajna of true emptiness, the prajna wisdom that is truly pure and undefiled. Thus, we must realize this wondrous existence. To realize wondrous existence we must go among people to experience even more. Only if we can remain uncontaminated among them have we truly realized the pure and wondrous Dharma of true emptiness. This is “wondrous existence.”
The Great Vehicle Prajna teachings were expounded specifically for Bodhisattvas and not for us practitioners of the Two Vehicles. Thus we never had the resolve to seek it; though we spoke of it, we did not practice it.
“The Great Vehicle Prajna teachings” are the teachings the Buddha expounded for Bodhisattvas. Ordinary people cannot fully understand Prajna. They have to open and expand their minds to truly realize the Buddha’s true wisdom. Venerable Kasyapa said, “We had thought the. Great Dharma the Buddha expounded in the past was only for Bodhisattvas, not for us practitioners of the Two Vehicles. So, we thought it had nothing to do with us. We never had the resolve to seek it. Though we spoke of it, we did not practice it.”
This was what Buddha taught; after they heard these teachings for Bodhisattvas, they took these words and shared them with others, so they “spoke of it [but] did not practice it.” All they did was share what they heard with other people. That was all
[The Buddha-children] contemplated night and day and diligently practiced it: Day and night, they tirelessly listened to these principles and cultivated their contemplation of this Dharma. They were diligent without indolence.
“[The Buddha-children] contemplated night and day and diligently practiced it. Day and night, they tirelessly practiced.” They “listened to these principles,” listened to this Dharma, and “contemplated and cultivated this Dharma.” They contemplated, practiced Dharma in this way. They were diligent without indolence. “We [disciples] are also very earnest and mindful. After we have heard the Dharma, we pass these teachings on for other people to hear. But these things are things for them to do; this has nothing to do with us.” Don’t we all have this kind of mindset? We can share it but not practice it. Even if we have heard many teachings, if we are unwilling to practice them, that is useless.
So, “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings.” If we are learning the Buddha’s Way and wish to attain Buddhahood, we absolutely have to walk this path; we absolutely must go among people. This is like being tempered by a fiery furnace so we can be refined into a fine and sharp tool and be able to help all sentient beings. This is the true goal of learning the Buddha’s Way.
So, we “seek the Great Vehicle practice and the Bodhi-path to enlightenment.” This is our goal. We must exercise our great compassion to help sentient beings. In order to help sentient beings, we must continuously seek the Dharma, seek the Bodhi teachings. We must both practice and listen. After listening to the teachings, we must put them into practice. Therefore, we must always be mindful.