Episode 853 – Attaining Flawless Dharma and Pure Eyes
>> The Bodhi-path is the cause of the Great Vehicle. The One Great Vehicle is the effect of Bodhisattva-practice. What is realized through the flawless Dharma are the true principles of ultimate reality. What is seen and observed with pure eyes is the absolute truth of emptiness.
>> “Today we are able to attain what we never had before. This is not what we first hoped for, yet today we spontaneously attained it. This is like how the poor son obtained infinite treasures.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> “World-Honored One, today, we have realized the Path and attained the fruit. From the flawless Dharma, we have obtained pure eyes. Throughout the long night, we upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts. Today, we have finally attained the fruition of this.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> World-Honored One, today, we have realized the Path and attained the fruit: We rejoice for ourselves that today we attained the fruit of the Path. In the past, we were content to remain on the Small Vehicle path, while now, through supreme Great Vehicle Dharma, we have realized the enlightened Bodhi-path.
>> Thus, Those who realize the Path are those who realize the path of ultimate reality; they realize the path of the One Buddha Vehicle. This means they realized the Buddha’s sequential teachings of opening and revealing His understanding and views so they may realize and enter them.
>> Those who attained the fruit in stages attained unsurpassed Bodhi and the fruit of learning the Great Vehicle. Upon first abiding in the perfect teachings, with every bit of ignorance we destroy we realize a bit of the Dharmakaya. This is called the fruit of learning
>> The Path is the cause of the Great Vehicle. The fruit is the effect of the Great Vehicle.
>> From the flawless Dharma: In the past, we eliminated the delusions of views and thinking. With the flawless Dharma of views, we have no Leaks and will not fall into the state of unenlightened beings.
>> We have obtained pure eyes: In the past, their wisdom-eyes saw the principles of emptiness. Today, their pure eyes see the Middle Way. Their Six Roots are pure, and the practices of the Ten Faiths fill their minds completely.
>> The flawless Dharma: This refers to unsurpassed virtues and merits. Pure eyes: This refers to unsurpassed wisdom. They had previously attained the flawless Dharma. Now with the flawless Dharma, they also attained pure eyes of Right Dharma.
“The Bodhi-path is the cause of the Great Vehicle.
The One Great Vehicle is the effect of Bodhisattva-practice.
What is realized through the flawless Dharma are the true principles of ultimate reality.
What is seen and observed with pure eyes is the absolute truth of emptiness.”
“Bodhi” means enlightenment. To walk the path to enlightenment, we must practice the One Vehicle Dharma, which is the Great Vehicle Dharma. If we are willing to benefit others as well, we must form great aspirations. The direction of our spiritual practice is not one where we each walk our own path; we must motivate many people to practice and walk with us on this great, direct Bodhi-path. The Bodhi-path is the cause of the Great Vehicle; it is an open and spacious road. We can forge this path together and pave it with love. Only with this great loving-kindness and compassion can we contribute with a practice of great joy and equanimity. This is how we pave the great Bodhi-path.
The great, direct Bodhi-path is a broad and straightforward path. The One Great Vehicle, such an even and smooth path, must be paved by Bodhisattvas. When everyone puts the teachings into practice and is united in wholeheartedly paving this path, we will naturally attain the effect of Bodhisattva-practice, which is this path. If we can earnestly and mindfully engage in spiritual practice and mindfully experience the profound principles of the Buddha-Dharma, having walked this path ourselves, we can feel comfortable sharing it with others so they can likewise put the teachings into practice.
When none of the Dharma we take in leaks out, we have truly taken the Dharma to heart. So, through the flawless Dharma, what we realize is the principles of ultimate reality. Flawless Dharma, in addition to precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, also includes what the Buddha taught about the wisdom of all Dharma, all-encompassing wisdom and so on. He gave us many methods to help us eliminate afflictions, help us to purify our minds and, once we have formed aspirations, help us remain single-minded in our resolve so we can persevere in the face of any person or any kind of causes and conditions that come to disturb our minds. Thus afflictions and ignorance will be unable to contaminate our minds. These [methods] are flawless Dharma. If we can avoid being [influenced by] external conditions and are clear on principles of right and wrong, we will naturally be able to recognize the principles of ultimate reality.
Then, “What is seen and observed with pure eyes is the absolute truth of emptiness.” To have pure eyes, we must eliminate our ignorance. If we eliminated our ignorance, would we see anything as defiled? Everything will look pure. Look at Tzu Chi volunteers. They go among the people, go to those suffering from old age or illness or those living alone with no support. Their homes are filled with garbage and filth. This group of Bodhisattvas are not at all afraid of filthy things; they clear everything away with great care. This is what it means to have pure eyes.
The Buddha-Dharma is fundamentally something we practice in our daily living. What is the meaning of “pure”? We must not be obsessed with the language, breaking apart each word and dissecting its meaning, no. We must take the principles as a whole and apply it to our daily living as a whole. Of course, to eliminate afflictions, we must not discriminate between the poor and rich or the high and low in status. We must show compassion to all equally. All sentient beings, all life, are equal. We must be clear that [they suffer] because of the karma they brought with them. These deluded sentient beings have brought the karma of suffering with them into this world. “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings.” So, what they realize through the flawless Dharma are the true principles of ultimate reality, and what they see and observe with pure eyes is the absolute truth of emptiness. If we apply this kind of method toward experiencing the Bodhi-path in this world, the Bodhisattva-practice, we will be able to walk firmly with every step on this very real path.
So, the previous sutra passage says, “Today we are able to attain what we never had before. This is not what we first hoped for, yet today we spontaneously attained it. This is like how the poor son obtained infinite treasures.”
Venerable Kasyapa and others expressed that in the past, they were like the poor son. Although he saw many treasures, he did not dare to think of them as his own [The disciples said,] “We now understand that the awakened path the Buddha attained is also the awakened path that is inherently in us.” So, “Today we are able to attain what we never had before.” We have opened our hearts and understood. We have already broken through that mindset of only benefiting ourselves. “This is not what we first hoped for.” In the past, we did not dare think that we could realize this state, “yet today we spontaneously attained it.” We understand now. We believe; we have faith and understanding. Thus, we have attained this, just like the poor son “[He] obtained infinite treasures.” The Buddha had already announced that the enlightened state He had realized is something everyone can equally attain. Everyone can likewise attain that awakened state.
This is like how, in the vast universe, every planet is a world unto itself. If we can open up and broaden our minds and manifest our nature of True Suchness, we will be like a planet that is replete with all things. If we have not opened up our minds, we will be like the planets that are without water or life. These also exist in this universe. The same applies to the mindset of Bodhisattvas. Our lives must also be filled with abundance, not empty like the planets without water, grass or any sign of life. We must be like Earth, abundant in all things. As long as there is balance in the four elements, our minds can clearly discern right from wrong. Then, will there be anything we cannot understand? In conclusion, when learning the Buddha’s Way, we must learn to enrich our lives. Then we are truly practicing the Buddha’s teaching of the pure One Great Vehicle Dharma. So, we must be mindful.
The next sutra passage says, “World-Honored One, today, we have realized the Path and attained the fruit. From the flawless Dharma, we have obtained pure eyes. Throughout the long night, we upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts. Today, we have finally attained the fruition of this.”
Venerable Kasyapa was very reverent. With gratitude, he expressed to the Buddha the disciples’ state of mind. He also shared his own gratitude
World-Honored One, today, we have realized the Path and attained the fruit: We rejoice for ourselves that today we attained the fruit of the Path. In the past, we were content to remain on the Small Vehicle path, while now, through supreme Great Vehicle Dharma, we have realized the enlightened Bodhi-path.
“We rejoiced for ourselves.” Because of the Buddha’s teaching, we have finally understood. Thus, we rejoice and are very happy “that today we attained the fruit of the Path.” Now that we have attained the fruit of the Path; with the cause of the Bodhi, we know how to walk the Bodhisattva-path. We know this now, that in other words, in the past “we were content to remain on the Small Vehicle path.” In the past we [cultivated] the foundation, the Small Vehicle Dharma. Suffering, causation, cessation and the Path and the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence were all very clear to us. We were clear on how we came and went. This is the Small Vehicle Dharma. “Content to remain” means we remained peaceful and at ease on this path. “Now, through supreme Great Vehicle Dharma, we realized the enlightened Bodhi-path.” At the Lotus Dharma-assembly, the disciples heard, had faith in and understood [this Dharma]. At this Great Vehicle Dharma-assembly, after understanding these teachings, they realized the enlightened Bodhi-path. They have now realized this. To “realize” is to experience. They were able to experience the Bodhi-path to awakening. The way to attain enlightenment was a path they now understood
Thus, Those who realize the Path are those who realize the path of ultimate reality; they realize the path of the One Buddha Vehicle. This means they realized the Buddha’s sequential teachings of opening and revealing His understanding and views so they may realize and enter them.
Thus, “Those who realize the Path are those who realize the path of ultimate reality; they realize the path of the One Buddha Vehicle.” This means they realized “the Buddha’s sequential teachings of opening and revealing His understanding and views so they may realize and enter them. Realizing the Path” is realizing the path of ultimate reality, the path that takes us to awakening. This is the path of ultimate reality, also known as the path of the One Buddha Vehicle. This is the only path; there are no others.
They had realized the Buddha’s “sequential teachings” for them. The Buddha came to this world to open and reveal to sentient beings. Thus, He taught according to their capacities. With “sequential teachings,” He taught us in stages to give us the Dharma. This is “opening and revealing.” Now, we mindfully listen to the Dharma. When His disciples mindfully listened, they eventually realized and entered the. Buddha’s understanding and views. The Buddha’s original intent, His understanding and views, were finally understood by the disciples. So, in realizing and entering them, they had already attained the fruit. In this way, they “in stages attained unsurpassed Bodhi and the fruit of learning the Great Vehicle”
Those who attained the fruit in stages attained unsurpassed Bodhi and the fruit of learning the Great Vehicle. Upon first abiding in the perfect teachings, with every bit of ignorance we destroy we realize a bit of the Dharmakaya. This is called the fruit of learning
[This is] “unsurpassed Bodhi and the fruit of learning the Great Vehicle. Learning” is starting to put the teachings into practice. We must earnestly learn and practice and not remain in the state of the Small Vehicle. This is what they all felt at that time.
“Upon first abiding in the perfect teachings” means that walking the Bodhisattva-path is “perfect teachings.” We must now immediately realize and perfect this teaching. So, we must practice the Bodhisattva-path and abide in this state of mind. “With every bit of ignorance we destroy, we realize a bit of the Dharmakaya.” If we can destroy our ignorance, then when we go among the people we will not be influenced by others or contaminated by turbidities. Going among people, we can create blessings; going among people, we can attain wisdom. So, “With every bit of ignorance we destroy, we realize a bit of the Dharmakaya.” The Dharmakaya is the true principles; it is the manifestation of True Suchness, which is our wisdom-life. If we can destroy a bit of ignorance, we will grow a bit in our wisdom-life. This is the “fruit of learning”
The Path is “the cause of the Great Vehicle.” The fruit is “the effect of the Great Vehicle.”
If we can aspire to learn and practice the Great Vehicle, we are cultivating the cause of the Great Vehicle and will obtain the effect of the Great Vehicle. The seed that we plant determines the fruit we harvest. So in this way, by planting the seed of the Great Vehicle, we will obtain the Great Vehicle’s fruit.
Thus, “We have realized the Path and attained the fruit from the flawless Dharma”
From the flawless Dharma: In the past, we eliminated the delusions of views and thinking. With the flawless Dharma of views, we have no Leaks and will not fall into the state of unenlightened beings.
“From the flawless Dharma, in the past we eliminated the delusions of views and thinking.” In the past we practiced the Small Vehicle. Although we practiced the Small Vehicle Dharma, we were clear on the most basic principles and had also eliminated ignorance. So, in the past we had the causes and conditions to eliminate all kinds of ignorance and delusions of views and thinking. Thus, we realized the Path and attained the fruit. In particular, “With the flawless Dharma of views, we have no Leaks and will not fall into the state of unenlightened beings.”
As we practice, if we hold certain views, though we say, “It is a good thing for everyone to do good deeds, I want to join them,” after joining, this thing is displeasing to us, and that thing makes us unhappy; thus, we lose our aspirations. We let our spiritual aspirations leak away. But now we already have firm aspirations; [deluded] perspectives and ignorance will not hinder us. If we have eliminated [delusions of] views, we are already free of Leaks and will not be influenced by external phenomena of all kinds. This is the flawless Dharma of views. Our perspectives must be pure and undefiled by ignorance. Then naturally we will not fall into cyclic existence; we will not bring karma with us when we pass away nor follow it into future lifetimes. Instead we will follow our vows into future lives and bring the Dharma with us instead
“Now we see the Middle Way and ultimate reality. We also destroyed dust-like delusions and fragmentary ignorance so we will not fall into the Two Vehicles.”
What we have seen at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, what we have witnessed and what we have heard, is now clear to us. Now our view is [one of] understanding. We now have faith and understanding. We have already witnessed this Dharma, the Dharma of the Middle Way and ultimate reality. We also destroyed maras and dust-like delusions. Mara’s web in our minds has been destroyed.
So, “fragmentary ignorance” refers to dust-like ignorance; There are still many dust-like [delusions]. These are the subtle and intricate afflictions that spiritual practitioners have. If our subtle afflictions and fragmentary samsara have been destroyed, when we return to the world, it will be because we are willing to transform sentient beings in each fragmentary life. It will not be ignorance, delusions and karma that bring us back to fragmentary [samsara]; it will be our vows and aspirations to always return to this world to transform sentient beings. Naturally “We will not fall into the Two Vehicles.” When engaging in spiritual practice in the future, we will not be in the Two Vehicles, clinging to our limited self. We will not, because we return with a sense of mission, steering the ship of compassion back to the world, coming to this world willingly and not because of the karma we bring with us
We have obtained pure eyes: In the past, their wisdom-eyes saw the principles of emptiness. Today, their pure eyes see the Middle Way. Their Six Roots are pure, and the practices of the Ten Faiths fill their minds completely.
Venerable Kasyapa said that in the past he used his wisdom-eyes to see the principles of emptiness. Now he is using the Dharma-eyes to see the principles of the Middle way. Thus, their “Six Roots are pure.” Not only is the eye-root pure, so are the rest of the Six Roots. “The practices of the Ten Faiths fill [our] minds completely.” The practice of the Ten Faiths are what Bodhisattvas must cultivate to advance. Thus, we have already entered the stages of the Bodhisattva-path, of perfecting the Ten Faiths.
The flawless Dharma: This refers to unsurpassed virtues and merits. Pure eyes: This refers to unsurpassed wisdom. They had previously attained the flawless Dharma. Now with the flawless Dharma, they also attained pure eyes of Right Dharma.
This is the Chapter on Faith and Understanding, so we must be firm in our faith. With the flawless Dharma, with those unsurpassed merits and virtues, we have already attained pure eyes. Throughout the long night, “We upheld the Buddha’s pure precepts.” So, we already have flawless Dharma and thus unsurpassed merits and virtues. When we practice the Bodhisattva-path, internally we must cultivate our minds, and externally we must continuously give to others. When we see all states as pure, our wisdom is unsurpassed.
In the past, we attained flawless Dharma because we had eliminated our afflictions. “Now with the flawless Dharma, [we] also attained pure eyes of Right Dharma.” In the past, we eliminated ignorance and afflictions. Now, even when we are in the midst of ignorance and afflictions, we can see through everything. So, “Attaining pure eyes of Right Dharma” is attaining wisdom
Everyone, learning the Buddha’s Way takes mindfulness. So, the Bodhi-path is the cause of the Great Vehicle path. The One Vehicle is the effect of Bodhisattva-practice. Thus, we must first awaken, then put this Dharma into practice. Cause and effect are absolutely essential. Only when we are awakened are we willing to give, only when we are willing to give to others do we have the chance to see flawless Dharma. “Flawless” means we eliminated all afflictions; only when we do not allow the Dharma to leak out can we develop our wisdom. So dear Bodhisattvas, as Buddhist practitioners, we must learn the Bodhisattva-path and must always be mindful.