Episode 856 – Unifying Minds and Actions
>> When we take the True Dharma to heart, our faith, understanding and practice are proper. When our wisdom of True Suchness resonates with the principles, our minds and actions become unified. Exercising compassion inspires wisdom of the Path, so blessings and wisdom are cultivated together. Our innate enlightenment opens up the Buddha’s understanding and views and the noble path.
>> “Immersed in the Dharma of the Dharma-king, we have long cultivated purifying practices. Now, we have attained the flawless state which is the supreme, great fruition. Today we are truly Hearers, and with the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, we will lead all others to hear it.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> “Now we have truly become Arhats. In all the various worlds of heavenly beings and humans, of Mara and Brahma, we are universally worthy to receive offerings.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 4 – Faith And Understanding]
>> Now we have truly become Arhats: Now refers to the moment when they truly knew that they had realized the Path and attained the fruit. They are true Hearers, true Arhats, and are determined to become Buddhas too..
>> Having previously realized the fourth fruit, we were Arhats of the Small Vehicle. Now, having already entered the perfect teachings, we have become true Arhats of the Great Vehicle.
>> In all of the various worlds of heavenly beings and humans, of Mara and Brahma: Existing within the Three Realms there are many heavenly beings, humans of the world, King Mara and King Brahma. The lord of the desire realm is King Mara. The lord of the form realm is King Brahma.
>> Mara here is the Mara of Mahesvara Heaven. He is called the lord of the desire realm. He is King Mara who interferes with the Right Dharma. Of the mara of afflictions, the mara of the Five Skandhas, the mara of death and the Mara of heaven, the four kinds of maras, he is the Mara of heaven
>> Brahma is King Brahma
>> We are universally worthy to receive offerings: Among heavenly beings, humans and the assembly, having cultivated the wisdom of the Tathagata, they were all worthy to receive those respectful offerings.
>> Worthy to receive offerings: One of the ten epithets of the Buddha. He is called Arhat, which means “one worthy of offerings”. Since the Buddha has eliminated all afflictions and attained all-encompassing wisdom, He is worthy of receiving offerings from all of the world’s sentient beings.
>> They were true Hearers, true Arhats: In regards to the teachings, this means that having perfected the ten stages of faith, they entered the stage of the first abiding conduct. With partial realization of great Nirvana they attained the true Three Virtues. With the one truth that is all truths, [Sakyamuni] could, in a world without a Buddha, manifest the Eight Aspects of Attaining Enlightenment to benefit sentient beings
>> In the past, we internally hid the Bodhisattva-practice but outwardly manifested the bodies of Hearers. It could be said our manifestations were not true. Now we can let it be known that we are truly Bodhisattvas and will become Buddhas. Thus we are true Buddha-children.
“When we take the True Dharma to heart, our faith, understanding and practice are proper.
When our wisdom of True Suchness resonates with the principles, our minds and actions become unified.
Exercising compassion inspires wisdom of the Path, so blessings and wisdom are cultivated together.
Our innate enlightenment opens up the Buddha’s understanding and views and the noble path.”
We “take the True Dharma to heart.” With all the Dharma that the Buddha taught, we must listen, take it in and not let it leak away. With no Leaks, with our afflictions eliminated, we will give rise to faith and understanding; naturally, with faith and understanding the Dharma will be in our hearts. Therefore, I always say, take the Dharma to heart and manifest it in your actions. When we take it to heart and put it into action, in this way, “Our wisdom of True Suchness resonates with the principles.” When our nature of True Suchness resonates with the principles of the Dharma that the Buddha taught, our “minds and actions become unified.” The principles have resonated with us, and we have taken them to heart, so when we put them into practice, our knowledge and understanding will be unified. We will know and we will understand, and we will also put it into practice, acting and cultivating in accord to the Dharma.
Therefore, “Exercising compassion inspires wisdom of the Path.” Blessings and wisdom are cultivated in parallel. A path is something that connects. It is like a road; it must take you somewhere to be called a road. Likewise, when principles are expressed clearly, we must carry them out successfully. Only then is it the True Path. If our path of spiritual practice is free of obstacles, after we form the aspiration to engage in spiritual practice, the whole way it will be smooth and unimpeded, taking us straight to great Nirvana. This is called “the wisdom of the Path.” To attain “the wisdom of the Path,” we must have compassion within our hearts. With “universal compassion,” we will be willing to go among people. By going among people to train ourselves, we can smoothly walk this Path to the destination. If we can walk without obstacles, naturally we cultivate blessings and wisdom in parallel. By cultivating blessings among people and developing our wisdom among people, we are cultivating blessings and wisdom together.
Thus, “Our innate enlightenment opens up the Buddha’s understanding and views and the noble path.” This is our nature of True Suchness. When we use the True Dharma in our daily living, our minds will naturally be replete with precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. We will have no afflictions; all of our afflictions will have been eliminated. Our innate enlightenment is without Leaks. When our innate enlightenment no longer has any afflictions mixed in with it, we will already be in a state without Leaks. We will can naturally “open up the Buddha’s understanding and views and the noble path.”
Yesterday, a group from northern, central and southern Taiwan came and met here in the east. These young Bodhisattvas came to meet each other, make friends and share their experiences. The first child was only four years old; he was a three- or four-year-old child. He was responsible for everyone’s notebooks. He carried the notebooks in his hands and walked up to the front. He introduced himself and then shared what he had learned from listening to the morning Dharma teachings.
He could not yet write, so he drew pictures. There was a picture of two fish that were bound together with a string. This was just one of the pictures. There was another picture drawn below the first. He drew a square piece of paper, and next to it he had drawn a bundle of sticks, like incense wrapped in paper. I only realized later that they were incense, after he explained it to me.
He told the story of how one day the Buddha and a disciple were walking on a road. The Buddha wanted the disciple to pick up a string and smell it. “It stinks!” The Buddha said to the disciple, “It is because this string was used to bind fish; that is why it stinks.” They walked on and then saw a piece of paper blowing in the wind. The Buddha said to the disciple, “Go and pick up that piece of paper,” so he picked it up. Then the Buddha told him, “Smell the paper. It smells good!” The Buddha said to the disciple, “If one does evil things and has evil thoughts, one will stink just like that string that was used to bind fish. If one engages in spiritual practice and upholds the precepts, one will be like that paper used to wrap incense. The fragrance still remains on the paper.”
After finishing the story, he added some concluding remarks. He said, “This is like all of us. If we do good deeds, our hearts will smell good. If we do bad things, our hearts will stink, just like that string.”
You see, his mind is pure. This innate enlightenment is every person’s intrinsic nature of True Suchness. After understanding the Dharma, he can interpret it in his own way, can have his own understanding. Isn’t this knowing the Buddha’s understanding and views?
The previous sutra passage states, “Immersed in the Dharma of the Dharma-king, we have long cultivated purifying practices. Now, we have attained the flawless state which is the supreme, great fruition. Today we are truly Hearers, and with the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, we will lead all others to hear it.”
Those at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, Sariputra, Venerable Kasyapa and all the other Hearers had, in the past, practiced only for their own awakening. Now, at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, Sariputra had already received a prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha. Subhuti, Mahakasyapa, Katyayana and Maudgalyayana, four leaders of the Sangha, had already comprehended this. So, they expressed that they now had attained faith and understanding.
All the Hearers felt, “Today we are truly Hearers, with the sound of the Buddha’s teachings.” Now with the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, all the teachings He had given, they had taken the Great Vehicle Dharma to heart and would not let it leak away. So, “With the sound of the Buddha’s teachings, we will lead all others to hear it.” Not only had they taken in the Dharma, they also wanted to take the Buddha’s teachings and teach them to everyone in the world. Thus, “We will lead all others to hear it.” This was the great aspiration they formed after having understood the Dharma.
The next passage continues on to state, “Now we have truly become Arhats. In all the various worlds of heavenly beings and humans, of Mara and Brahma, we are universally worthy to receive offerings.”
This sutra passage states, “Now we have truly become Arhats.” At this time, all of their afflictions had been eliminated. Their minds were all already pure. Not only had their minds become pure, they had already formed great aspirations. “In all the various worlds,” even those “of heavenly beings and humans, of Mara and Brahma” and so on, “we are universally worthy to receive offerings.”
Now their hearts had been opened, and they could take that Dharma and adapt it that so all in the world might be able to listen to the Buddha-Dharma. They had formed this aspiration to benefit themselves and others. Their virtue had been elevated. They were no longer only receiving offerings of food from people. Now they should also be able to receive respectful offerings from heavenly beings, humans, Mara and Brahma. This is “virtue.” Their virtue had been elevated, so heavenly beings and humans would respect and make offerings to them. This is what it means.
Now we have truly become Arhats: “Now” refers to the moment when they truly knew that they had realized the Path and attained the fruit. They are true Hearers, true Arhats, and are determined to become Buddhas too.
Let us look at the text. “Now we have truly become Arhats” “Now,” refers to this moment. This moment is the Lotus Dharma-assembly. “They truly knew that they had realized the Path and attained the fruit.” With the Buddha’s teachings at the Vulture Peak Assembly, they had begun to pave the Bodhi-path. This path of enlightenment was the cause, and their putting it into practice was the effect. Not only did they pave the path to enlightenment, but they had also begun putting it into practice, so they were already true Hearers. Now, listening to every word the Buddha taught, they did not let any of it leak away. They took all of it to heart. They were true Arhats. They were now true spiritual practitioners, who practiced for the sake of sentient beings. “And they were determined to become Buddhas too.” To attain Buddhahood, we must be determined. If we have the resolve, we will naturally move in the direction of the True Great Vehicle Dharma and advance forward. In the future, we can definitely attain Buddhahood.
Having previously realized the fourth fruit, we were Arhats of the Small Vehicle. Now, having already entered the perfect teachings, we have become true Arhats of the Great Vehicle.
In the past, they had “realized the fourth fruit” and “were Arhats of the Small Vehicle.” Although they had attained the fourth fruit, they still only sought their own awakening, so they were known as Small Vehicle [Arhats]. “Now, [we have] already entered the perfect teachings.” They had already begun, during the Lotus Dharma-assembly, to set aside the gradual teachings. It was now time for the perfect and complete teachings, the Great Vehicle Dharma. With the teachings of the Great Vehicle Dharma, they were now true Arhats. Only by taking the teachings of the Great Vehicle Dharma to heart could they be perfect and complete great Arhats, meaning they would reach the state of Buddhahood.
In all of the various worlds of heavenly beings and humans, of Mara and Brahma: Existing within the Three Realms there are many heavenly beings, humans of the world, King Mara and King Brahma. The lord of the desire realm is King Mara. The lord of the form realm is King Brahma.
“In all the various worlds of heavenly beings and humans, Mara and Brahma. This means, existing within the Three Realms there are many heavenly beings, humans, King Mara and King Brahma.” There is the desire realm; the lord of the desire realm is King Mara. He comes to the human realm to disturb our spiritual aspirations. He is called King Mara. The lord of the form realm is called King Brahma.
Mara here is the Mara of Mahesvara Heaven. He is called the lord of the desire realm. He is King Mara who interferes with the Right Dharma. Of the mara of afflictions, the mara of the Five Skandhas, the mara of death and the Mara of heaven, the four kinds of maras, he is the Mara of heaven
“Mara” here is the Mara of the heaven of those who take pleasure in the conjuring of others. This heaven, Mahesvara Heaven, is the sixth heaven of the desire realm. This is stated in the Buddhist sutras. [He rules] Mahesvara Heaven in the desire realm. This is “King Mara who interferes with the Right Dharma.” This is because he feels that if everyone in the human realm engages in spiritual practice, beings in the desire realm will decrease in number. The number of unenlightened beings under his command and control will be reduced. If there were fewer people in the desire realm, his power would weaken. So, he hopes there will be more descendants of Mara in the desire realm. Therefore, he obstructs people who practice the teachings of the noble path.
What kind of methods does King Mara use to bring afflictions, distorted thinking and delusions to the human realm? What methods does he use? Unenlightened beings suffer from the mara of afflictions, the mara of the Five Skandhas, the mara of death and the Mara of heaven. These are four kinds of maras in the desire realm.
We speak about afflictions every day. Right! They all destroy Right Dharma and ruin our thoughts of engaging in practice. This is the mara of afflictions. There is also the mara of the Five Skandhas, form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. With these things, we give rise to afflictions. There is also the mara of death. Humans life is painfully short. Although we may engage in spiritual practice, in this time, we have just formed aspirations and just begun to understand the principles when before long, aging, illness and death come, and then our life is over. Thus, the mara of death is another hindrance to spiritual practice. Next is the Mara of heaven. The Mara of heaven is the lord of the sixth heaven of the desire realm. He is always in the human realm disturbing people’s minds.
Brahma is King Brahma
When it comes to Brahma, Brahma refers to King Brahma, the lord of the form realm, [one who has] cultivated purifying practices.
We are universally worthy to receive offerings: Among heavenly beings, humans and the assembly, having cultivated the wisdom of the Tathagata, they were all worthy to receive those respectful offerings.
Next it states, “We are universally worthy to receive offerings” ․We are universally worthy to receive offerings: Among heavenly beings, humans and the assembly, having cultivated the wisdom of the Tathagata, they were all worthy to receive those respectful offerings.
Worthy to receive offerings: One of the ten epithets of the Buddha. He is called Arhat, which means “one worthy of offerings”. Since the Buddha has eliminated all afflictions and attained all-encompassing wisdom, He is worthy of receiving offerings from all of the world’s sentient beings.
They had already attained Arhatship and transcended the form realm. “Among heavenly beings, humans and the assembly, having cultivated the wisdom of the Tathagata….” They had begun to follow the Buddha’s teachings and put the Tathagata’s wisdom into practice. Because of this, they had firm resolve and could overcome Mara and Brahma. After overcoming Mara, they would not linger in the form realm. They would be liberated from everything. Because of this, Mara would be vanquished. Moreover, they “received respectful offerings.”
“Worthy to receive offerings” is one of the ten epithets of the Buddha. One of the ten epithets is One Worthy of Offerings. In fact, He was a great Arhat. He appeared as a monastic, a transcendent spiritual practitioner, “universally worthy to receive offerings. The Buddha had eliminated all afflictions. Afflicted” implies being “bound.” All the bonds of afflictions had been completely eliminated and He had “attained all-encompassing wisdom.” So, He was worthy of receiving offerings from all of the world’s sentient beings.
They were true Hearers, true Arhats: In regards to the teachings, this means that having perfected the ten stages of faith, they entered the stage of the first abiding conduct. With partial realization of great Nirvana they attained the true Three Virtues. With the one truth that is all truths, [Sakyamuni] could, in a world without a Buddha, manifest the Eight Aspects of Attaining Enlightenment to benefit sentient beings
“They are true Hearers, true Arhats.” This [refers to] the teachings, how the teachings are divided into levels. There is the Small, the Middle and the Great Vehicle Dharma; these are different teachings. So, “Having perfected the ten stages of faith, they entered the stage of the first abiding conduct.” Bodhisattvas have the Ten Grounds, as well as the “ten stages of faith” and so on. We must go through these ten stages of faith to experience and understand the subtle and intricate Dharma. After removing many subtle, intricate afflictions, we can begin to take many subtle and intricate teachings to heart. So, “With partial realization of great Nirvana, they attained the true Three Virtues.” This means that they were drawing near the level of the Buddha.
“With the one truth that is all truths, [Sakyamuni] could, in a world without a Buddha, manifest the Eight Aspects of Attaining Enlightenment to benefit sentient beings.” This is truth, True Suchness. With the one truth that is all truths, in a world without a Buddha. He could truly “manifest the Eight Aspects of Attaining Enlightenment.” Sakyamuni Buddha came to the human realm, to a world without a Buddha. When He came to the Saha World, He “manifested the Eight Aspects of Attaining Enlightenment.”
In the past, we internally hid the Bodhisattva-practice but outwardly manifested the bodies of Hearers. It could be said our manifestations were not true. Now we can let it be known that we are truly Bodhisattvas and will become Buddhas. Thus we are true Buddha-children.
There is both an intrinsic and a manifest Buddha. Speaking of the intrinsic and manifest, “Today while listening to the Lotus Sutra, the provisional opened up to reveal the true.” The Lotus Sutra taught now [came after] the Three Vehicles of the past. In the past there was the Small Vehicle Dharma, followed by the Middle and Great Vehicles. At this point, the Three were opened up to reveal the One, simply the One Reality. Thus, “The manifest was opened up to reveal the intrinsic.” This means that the “manifest Buddha” is the appearance. He manifested when He attained Buddhahood. This is the “manifest.” It is like the footprint He left ․In the past, we internally hid the Bodhisattva-practice but outwardly manifested the bodies of Hearers. It could be said our manifestations were not true. Now we can let it be known that we are truly Bodhisattvas and will become Buddhas. Thus we are true Buddha-children. In fact, the intrinsic Buddha is True Suchness, which everyone inherently possesses.
“We” refers to these spiritual practitioners, to Kasyapa and the others expressing themselves. “In the past, we internally hid the Bodhisattva-practice.” In the past everyone had the Bodhisattva-practice contained within them. “Human nature is inherently good.” So, they “outwardly manifested the bodies of Hearers.” Everyone had this heart of goodness. They all knew the Dharma the Buddha taught, thus they manifested the bodies of Hearers.
However, they now understood it, and after understanding it, they still told the others that they were Hearers. However, they were transformed within, so their hearts were already those of Bodhisattvas. Thus, the internal and external [were different]. Externally, they looked like Hearers. Although these were their transformation-bodies, internally, they were beginning to draw near the Buddha’s enlightenment. This is the process of spiritual practice.
“Now we can let it be known that we are truly Bodhisattvas and certainly will become Buddhas.” They could walk the Bodhisattva-path, and in the future they would also become Buddhas. They were all “true Buddha-children.” That is right! We should have faith. In fact, we all have the same aspiration, to attain Buddhahood, and we know that before attaining Buddhahood, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path. Now, we have truly formed aspirations, and there are no obstacles in our path, so we can focus on walking the Bodhisattva-path. The direction is correct, we just need to walk it. To do this, we must always be mindful.