Episode 848 – Awakening is Like Sunlight Illuminating the Mind
>> Throughout the long night, they see the far-off stars and the moon. Happily abiding in tranquility and stillness, they enjoy the vast void in solitude. They take no delight in the sunlight which universally illuminates all beings, nor in thoroughly comprehending suffering or contemplating liberation.
>> “Why was this so? All phenomena are empty and still, neither arising nor ceasing, neither great nor small. They are flawless and uncontrived. Because we contemplated them in this way, we did not give rise to joy.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> “Throughout the long night, regarding the Buddha’s wisdom, we had no desire or attachment, nor any aspiration to attain it. As for ourselves, regarding the Dharma, we thought we had reached the ultimate. Throughout the long night, we cultivated [only] the teaching of emptiness.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> We were lost, as if in a long and dark night. We only knew to delight in the Small [Vehicle]; fearing suffering, we sought emptiness.
>> The long night: This refers to how, for Two Vehicle practitioners, from the time from when they form aspirations until they reach the stage beyond learning, even for those with sharp capabilities, requires 60 small kalpas.
>> The Buddha, the World-Honored One, as a Buddha, had supreme wisdom, yet since they were deluded, they had no desire for or attachment to it. Desire and attachment are explained, Craving and delight are called desire. Miserliness is called attachment.
>> Nor [did we have] any aspiration to attain it. As for ourselves, regarding the Dharma: They had neither resolve nor aspiration to seek the path to Buddhahood. Deluded themselves, they clung to practicing Small [Vehicle] Dharma.
>> We thought we had reached the ultimate: Having realized Arhatship, they thought they had completely exhausted cyclic existence in the Three Realms and would not undergo subsequent reincarnation; for them this was the ultimate. They did not know that outside those realms, there still remained subtle ignorance that they had not eliminated at all. This was not the ultimate and supreme path to Buddhahood, to Mahaparinirvana.
>> By eliminating the delusions of views and thinking we escape from the Three Realms. In pure lands outside of those realms, Dharmakaya-Bodhisattvas, who experience transformational samsara, teach the Dharma-door of eliminating ignorance to attain Buddhahood.
>> Throughout the long night, we cultivated [only] the teaching of emptiness. Attached to the Small and deluded as to the Great, they were in the dark about the perfect vehicle. This is called a ‘long night’. They only practiced, upheld and cultivated the flawless teachings biased toward emptiness.
“Throughout the long night, they see the far-off stars and the moon. Happily abiding in tranquility and stillness, they enjoy the vast void in solitude.
They take no delight in the sunlight which universally illuminates all beings,
nor in thoroughly comprehending suffering or contemplating liberation.”
In the human and heaven realms, the night is long. When will daylight come? The minds of ordinary beings are dark, as if in a long night. How long will we have to wait for daybreak? Nonetheless, there are some people who think that, during this long night, we can enjoy looking up at the sky and gazing at the stars and the moon; isn’t such an atmosphere at night quite nice? Thus, these people remain stuck in this state of “happily abiding in tranquility and stillness.” The night is so quiet, with no one disturbing them. Thus they simply “enjoy the vast void in solitude.” Seeing the vastness of the sky covered in stars at night is a wonderful feeling, so they have no desire to seek the daylight. They do not wish to see the light of the sun that clearly illuminates all things on earth. Thus, they have even less of a desire to thoroughly comprehend human suffering or contemplate ways to attain liberation.
This is like the Small Vehicle state. Small Vehicle practitioners only seek to attain a state of peace and quiet. They seek a state without chaos and confusion, believing that to be a state free of afflictions. What is out of sight is out of mind. “No matter what suffering there is in the world, I do not wish to go out and see it, as the state of my mind is already very pure.” This is the extent of their thinking. So, we use the analogy of a person who does not enjoy daylight.
Yes, there are people like this. To them, nighttime is the time for rest. If the night lasted a bit longer, then they could rest a little more. When the sun comes up, they have to get up and go to work. So, they look forward to the nighttime, not to the daytime. This is the same idea.
It is only during daytime that we can see the sun illuminating the earth. Only then can we clearly see the various kinds of scenery in this world, Big or small, we will be able to see everything clearly. The same applies to spiritual practice and our nature of True Suchness. When we break through our ignorance, our pure nature of True Suchness manifests. This wisdom can discern all kinds of states, all kinds of principles, matters and objects; we can see them all very clearly. This is “the sunlight which universally illuminates all beings.” It is like wisdom that can discern all principles and states; this is what we should hope to achieve
[We must] “thoroughly comprehend suffering.” Only by understanding the principles can we truly comprehend suffering in this world. This suffering comes from so many people’s minds, from ignorance arising. Then the ignorance that is reproduced brings so much suffering to this world. If we understand the principles and thoroughly comprehend the truths of suffering, naturally we will be able to mindfully contemplate ways to liberate ourselves from this suffering. By liberating ourselves and liberating others, we ourselves and the people around us, every single person, will attain liberation. This comes from truly comprehending the principles. This is similar to our nature of True Suchness. Once we have transcended ignorance, leaving it behind, we can radiate the light of wisdom, which is like sunlight. When there is sunlight, all beings are illuminated. To thoroughly comprehend the truths of suffering, we need to mindfully contemplate it regularly.
After all, during long nights in the human realm we can still see the moon in the sky and find the scenery of the night sky enjoyable. However, as soon as we give rise to ignorance, we fall into the Three Evil Destinies. In that boundless darkness, there is no starry sky for us to gaze at. So, while we are human, we need to immediately seize this time and diligently advance. We should not remain in the long night.
So, the previous sutra passage states, “Why was this so? All phenomena are empty and still, neither arising nor ceasing, neither great nor small. They are flawless and uncontrived. Because we contemplated them in this way, we did not give rise to joy.”
Venerable Kasyapa described their way of thinking. In the past, they did not take joy in the Great Vehicle Dharma. They only sought to benefit themselves. Why? Their own explanation was that “All phenomena are empty and still.” The Buddha had said that the world is empty and illusive, like dew and lightning; it is empty and still. All they knew was that the suffering in this world was caused by the afflictions they created while interacting with people. This is why they suffered. “Since going among people creates entanglements of afflictions, it would be better for us to remain in an empty and still state. If we guard our minds well, there will be no more birth and death. We will not have to enter the human realm again or transmigrate in the Six Realms anymore.”
Since all phenomena are neither great nor small, why would we need to take particular delight in the Great Vehicle? All Buddha-Dharma is equal, so it is “neither great nor small [It is] flawless and uncontrived.” Since we have put an end to Leaks and no longer have afflictions, that is already good enough. “Because they contemplated [things] in this way, they did not give rise to joy.” In this past, this was their thinking.
In the next passage, Venerable Kasyapa continued by saying, “Throughout the long night, regarding the Buddha’s wisdom, we had no desire or attachment, nor any aspiration to attain it. As for ourselves, regarding the Dharma, we thought we had reached the ultimate. Throughout the long night, we cultivated [only] the teaching of emptiness.”
In the past, they felt they did not want to contrive affinities nor continue transmigrating in the Six Realms. “We already understood the Dharma we learned; we have reached the ultimate understanding.” So, throughout the long night, they stood fast to that state [of mind]. “Regarding the Buddha’s wisdom,” the wisdom as illuminating as the sun and moon, they had “no desire or attachment, nor any aspiration to attain it.” This was how they were. So, in regard to the Dharma, they were satisfied [with their understanding] and thought they had reached the ultimate. They just constantly remained in the long night, “cultivating [only] the teaching of emptiness.” Similarly, if it is very quiet at night, people may want to remain in that peaceful space to just focus on their spiritual cultivation.
We were lost, as if in a long and dark night. We only knew to delight in the Small [Vehicle]; fearing suffering, we sought emptiness.
Actually, we must understand that. “We were lost, as if in a long and dark night”. Indeed, if we put effort into understanding, we realize that in this long night, we are lost. When ordinary people are deluded, it is like a long night; everything is in darkness. We also often hear people say, “I live in darkness; I can’t see the light.” We have heard people describing themselves in this way. This is because they are unable to understand what life is actually about.
Small Vehicle practitioners only seek to understand a limited extent; they are unable to see the larger world. This is “only taking joy in the Small Dharma,” only seeing the limited scope of this state and only understanding the principles within it. That is all; they do not dare go beyond it, because it is pitch black outside. They do not dare go out. So, “Fearing suffering, we sought emptiness.” They were afraid that by going among people they might be contaminated by ignorance and remain among the Six Realms. Thus fearing suffering, they mindfully sought emptiness, focused on pursuing the principle of emptiness. So, “Fearing suffering, we sought emptiness.” This is like the analogy of the long night.
The long night: This refers to how, for Two Vehicle practitioners, from the time from when they form aspirations until they reach the stage beyond learning, even for those with sharp capabilities, requires 60 small kalpas.
This long night refers to [the state of] the Two Vehicle practitioners, Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas. For people like these, the time between forming aspirations and reaching the stage beyond learning, even if they have sharp capabilities, is 60 small kalpas. This is a long time. So, practicing the Small Vehicle Dharma does not lead to liberation more quickly. Indeed, we must eliminate afflictions, ignorance and dust-like delusions in order to truly reach safety and no longer transmigrate in the Six Realms. That is true liberation. Therefore, the Small Vehicle does not immediately lead to liberation. It will take a very long period of time, 60 small kalpas. But they remain stuck in that place. So, “Regarding the Buddha’s wisdom, we had no desire or attachment”
The Buddha, the World-Honored One, as a Buddha, had supreme wisdom, yet since they were deluded, they had no desire for or attachment to it. Desire and attachment are explained, Craving and delight are called desire. Miserliness is called attachment.
We clearly know that the Buddha’s wisdom is supreme, but we remain lost in only seeking to awaken ourselves. So, we “had no desire for or attachment to it”; we did not wish to advance to the next stage.
Having desire and attachment means we crave it, delight in it. We did not want it nor did we delight in it, so we did not seek to advance. This is [explaining] desire. “Craving and delight are called desire. Miserliness is called attachment.” This sutra passage explains desire and attachment as finding joy in the Great Vehicle Dharma. Taking joy in the Great Vehicle Dharma is called having desire and attachment. Small Vehicle practitioners had no desire for or attachment to the Great Vehicle Dharma. They believe, “I am fine with where I am.” Of course, these two words, desire and attachment, when applied in unwholesome way, are ignorance. When applied in a pure way, to the Buddha-Dharma, they are diligence. So, when Small Vehicle practitioners have “no desire or attachment,” that means that they did not seek to advance.
“Nor [did they have] any aspiration to attain it. As for themselves, regarding the Dharma…”
Nor [did we have] any aspiration to attain it. As for ourselves, regarding the Dharma: They had neither resolve nor aspiration to seek the path to Buddhahood. Deluded themselves, they clung to practicing Small [Vehicle] Dharma.
The Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths, which they understood well, and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, which they were very clear on. There are so many different terms, and they understood all of them. So, they felt, “I am fine the way I am. I have no aspiration to further seek some path to Buddhahood. I am fine just like this.” They always felt, “I will stick to my old ways. Deluded themselves,” having caused their own delusions, they remain attached to the Small Vehicle Dharma, attached to the practice of the Small Vehicle. They “thought [they] had reached the ultimate.” They felt that this state was the ultimate.
We thought we had reached the ultimate: Having realized Arhatship, they thought they had completely exhausted cyclic existence in the Three Realms and would not undergo subsequent reincarnation; for them this was the ultimate. They did not know that outside those realms, there still remained subtle ignorance that they had not eliminated at all. This was not the ultimate and supreme path to Buddhahood, to Mahaparinirvana.
“Having realized Arhatship,” they thought that all they had to do was realize the fruit of Arhatship. As they only sought their own awakening, they thought ending their cyclic existence in the Three Realms was their goal “They thought they had completely exhausted cyclic existence in the Three Realms. We have already eliminated the afflictions for transmigrating in the Three Realms. That is good enough for us; we do not want to be reborn.” By “not undergoing subsequent reincarnation,” they believed they had already reached the ultimate. They thought this but they “did not know that outside those realms there still remained subtle ignorance.” They only knew of the ignorance currently present, the ignorance within the Three Realms. They did not know that outside the Three Realms there remained even more subtle ignorance. These are dust-like delusions. Therefore, “they had not eliminated [them] at all.” These had not been eliminated; they were not yet aware of them, so they had not eliminated the ignorance from dust-like delusions. They were not yet aware of them. So, they had not eliminated them at all. “This was not the ultimate and supreme path to Buddhahood, to Mahaparinirvana.” They still did not know this.
What is the meaning of “outside those realms”?
“By eliminating delusions of views and thinking, we escape from the Three Realms.” In addition to the Three Realms, there are pure lands outside of those realms. In the pure lands outside of those realms there is transformational samsara; this is [cyclic existence] outside of the Three Realms. That is where Dharmakaya-Bodhisattvas practice and where they “teach eliminating ignorance as the Dharma-door to attaining Buddhahood.” This is the realm of the Dharmakaya-Bodhisattvas.
Within the Three Realms, they have put an end to their fragmentary samsara. But outside of the Three Realms, they still undergo transformational samsara. Undergoing transformational samsara, they leave one place and go to another. They come on their vows; this is “returning on the ship of compassion.” Similarly, the Buddha came to this world because of His vows. He wanted to teach the Bodhisattva Way, the path of eliminating ignorance and attaining Buddhahood. Bodhisattvas have ignorance in that they have not yet eliminated transformational samsara. They continue to form aspirations and make vows among people; they continuously return to the human world, but are not defiled by the Six Realms. Though in the Five Realms and four forms of birth, they do not become contaminated and can come and go freely.
Similarly, prison is where people who committed crimes are sent to, but there is a group that goes in on purpose. What do they go in to do? To teach. They teach the principles of being a good person and ways to repent after doing wrong. “Repentance brings purity”; then, we must earnestly uphold the rules. The underlying principle is the same. Bodhisattvas are just like [those volunteers]. The Dharma that the Buddha really wants to teach is that which enables us to attain Buddhahood. When we teach the Dharma to other people, we are actually making this Dharma our own. When we truly comprehend it, we witness suffering and recognize our blessings, thus developing our wisdom. By developing our wisdom-life, we are teaching the Bodhisattva Way.
Venerable Kasyapa continued to say, “Throughout the long night, we cultivated [only] the teaching of emptiness
Throughout the long night, we cultivated [only] the teaching of emptiness. Attached to the Small and deluded as to the Great, they were in the dark about the perfect vehicle. This is called a ‘long night’. They only practiced, upheld and cultivated the flawless teachings biased toward emptiness.
Actually “attached to the Small and deluded as to the Great” means they lost their motivation to seek the Great. But they were still in darkness; the perfect teachings of the Great Vehicle were not visible to them. They were “in the dark about the perfect vehicle,” the perfect teachings. So, “This is called a ‘long night’.” We are still in darkness. Our pure nature of True Suchness has always been there; but we became deluded. Thus we have been in a long night, surrounded by darkness.
So, “[We] only practiced, upheld and cultivated the flawless teachings biased toward emptiness.” In this way, we became deluded during the long night. We did not know that once the sun shines, its light can illuminate everything. In fact, there are many things in this world that we cannot see clearly during the long night. If we remain in the long night, we cannot see the sunlight. Thus, when we engage in spiritual practice, we should unlock our wisdom, not merely seek to benefit ourselves. We should unlock great wisdom so that we can come and go among people without being contaminated by them. These are the true teachings of the Buddha.
Clearly, we can walk into the sunlight, underneath the sun. Unfortunately, we allow shadows, the Five Skandhas, to cover our light. We should brush aside the Five Skandhas and unlock our wisdom. We must not let the Five Skandhas, cover us with afflictions and ignorance. This depends on whether we are willing to delight in [the Great Vehicle], whether we move ahead to seek it. If we advance, naturally we will grow in wisdom. To accomplish this, we must always be mindful.