Episode 880 – The Tathagata Appears Like a Cloud Arising
>> The Buddha uses the provisional means of the good deeds and precepts to enable us to draw near the human and heaven realms. Some may create distant affinities of deep respect with bowing of the head and raising of the hands. Some may engage in the practice of cultivating blessings and wisdom on the Bodhisattva-path. We head toward the distant place of treasure with the Six Perfections, the Dharma that harmonizes matters and principles.
>> “Though born on one earth and nourished by one rain, all the plants and trees each have their differences.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 5 – The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs]
>> “Kasyapa, you should know that the Tathagata is also just like this. He appears in the world like a great cloud arising.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 5 – The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs]
>> Kasyapa, you should know that the Tathagata is also just like this:. He warned all that in listening to the Dharma we must take it to heart with faith and understanding. We must earnestly practice to experience the Buddha’s awakened observation. Previously He was teaching the analogy; now He was bringing it together with the Dharma.
>> He appears in the world like a great cloud arising:. The Buddha appears like a rising cloud, as matters and principles resemble each other. He is knower of truth in this life and the next. I am the one who knows all, the one who sees all, the one who knows the Path, the one who opens the Path and the one who teaches the Path.
>> This complements what the previous passage stated: Kasyapa, you should know that the Tathagata is the king of all Dharma. That which He teaches will never be false. This is the analogy for the Dharma-king appearing in the world and for how He gives teachings with the Buddha-body.
“The Buddha uses the provisional means of the good deeds and precepts to enable us to draw near the human and heaven realms. Some may create distant affinities of deep respect with bowing of the head and raising of the hands.
Some may engage in the practice of cultivating blessings and wisdom on the Bodhisattva-path.
We head toward the distant place of treasure with the Six Perfections, the Dharma that harmonizes matters and principles.”
With compassion, the Buddha came to this world to teach. For the sake of one great cause, He came and opened and revealed the teachings, hoping that sentient beings could realize and enter them. He had to employ various teaching methods. At first, He “used the provisional means of the good deeds and precepts”. He used the Ten Good Deeds and Five Precepts to educate sentient beings, hoping everyone could do good deeds in this world. Regarding good deeds, the Buddha taught that if we create good karma, we attain fruits of blessings and will be reborn in heaven. This is what everyone prays for. Everyone hopes to get blessings by praying. So, the Buddha adapted to people’s capabilities and gave teachings about goodness. Those who practice the Ten Good Deeds will be reborn in heaven and enjoy heavenly blessings. As for regular people, the Buddha taught them to uphold the Five Precepts; as humans we must uphold our moral principles. According to these principles, we must be filial to our parents, be respectful to our teachers and elders, be grateful to sentient beings and give help and love to sentient beings. These are the principles of being a good person.
The Buddha also taught that, besides these principles of being human, we should further understand the truths of all things in the world. We should not only comprehend the worldly Dharma but also deeply know the world-transcending Dharma. To deeply comprehend world-transcending Dharma, the principles of astronomy, geology, psychology, biology and physics must all be understood completely. We must mindfully penetrate the Buddha’s teachings.
So, at first He used provisional means to teach what worldly people pursue and need. The Buddha’s first stage of teaching was to approximate what people pursue. This is the Dharma He taught in the first stage. So, He “used the provisional means of the good deeds and precepts to enable us to draw near to the human and heaven realms”. He taught us worldly people the principles for being a good person. As human beings, if we want to seek blessings, we must practice the Ten Good Deeds. Thus, we can not only attain worldly blessings, but also enjoy heavenly blessings.
Though being human brings much suffering, we must not lose our human form; only in the human realm can we attain Buddhahood. So if we can keep the human form, life after life, we still have the chance to listen to the Dharma. We often say,. “In heaven there is no Dharma to practice”. In heaven, everyone enjoys blessings and no one feels they are suffering. Thus, they do not form aspirations to engage in spiritual practice. If people fall into the hell realm, the hungry ghost realm or the animal realm, it is too painful!. Their lives are so full of suffering that it is difficult to even survive. How could they engage in spiritual practice?.
So, we often say that for the rich to go among people to benefit sentient beings and walk the Bodhisattva-path is truly not easy. When the poor are inspired to be spiritually rich, although they are poor and lacking material goods, they are rich in love, which is also very rare and precious.
In Tzu Chi, there are many wealthy people. There are also those who lead difficult lives, yet they form aspirations; rich at heart, they go among people and help, just like everyone else. This is equality. This can be achieved in our human realm. The Buddha used this method to inspire love in this world. This is “to draw near the human and heaven realms”.
“Some may create distant affinities of deep respect with bowing of the head and raising of the hands”. We go among people to form good affinities. The Buddha came to this world, again and again, always going among people to form good affinities. Some people in this life cannot form great aspirations, make great vows or engage in spiritual practice, but at least they can form affinities with the Buddha. They listen to and happily accept the teachings. Though the Buddha is very distant from them, they are very happy to see and hear Him; they are just happy to listen. This is “creating distant affinities”. The seeds of causes and conditions have already been planted in the fields of their hearts.
Thus, more than 2000 years ago, the Buddha manifested in this world and attained Buddhahood. For countless kalpas, He had formed affinities with countless sentient beings. These were distant affinities; distant affinities of deep respect were formed. With all sentient beings, we must have a deep sense of respect; we respect them from the bottom of our hearts. Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature; even if they are now biased or speak harshly, one day, perhaps in a future life, they will encounter one with the right affinity and be transformed so they too can engage in spiritual practice. They will also have a chance to attain Buddhahood, because everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. If we think this way, we will have deep respect for everyone.
“Some may engage in the practice of cultivating blessings and wisdom on the Bodhisattva-path”. If there are people who have these aspirations and affinities next to us or in front of us, we should carefully guide them in so we can all go among people and cultivate blessings and wisdom together. This is the Bodhisattva-path.
“We head toward the distant place of treasure with the Six Perfections”. Of course, whether through the worldly practice of the Ten Good Deeds and Five Precepts or from a distance creating good affinities with everyone, gradually they will be able to take in what we say and gradually connect with this state to accept the Buddha-Dharma. Thus, we bow our heads and raise our hands, setting examples with our actions to educate and benefit the world and help people become rich at heart, rich with love. This is to create causes and conditions to transform people in the future.
It takes a long time to walk this Bodhisattva-path. Since it is the right road, the true path, we must advance forward by using the Six Perfections. We use the Six Perfections of giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom, these six methods. Even if the path is very long, our goal is to attain Buddhahood. Our goal is to return to our pure Tathagata-nature. If we can bring matters and principles together, then we can return to our nature of True Suchness. This was the Buddha’s goal in coming to the world, so we must be mindful in accepting the teachings.
In the previous sutra passage, there is an analogy of the clouds and rain nourishing the earth “Though born on one earth and nourished by one rain, all the plants and trees each have their differences”.
The same cloud lets the rain fall on so many kinds of things on the land, on the forests of vegetation and trees and on all kinds of material objects and so on. They are all universally nourished by the same cloud and rain.
So it says, “Though born on one earth…”. All people, matters and objects exist between heaven and earth. Clouds, rain and thunder are all in the sky; [the rain] falls universally. This principle shows that the Buddha’s mind is open and spacious. His perspectives are one with heaven and earth. Therefore, many things are encompassed in the Buddha’s ocean of enlightenment.
So, “Nourished by one rain, all the plants and trees each have their differences”. After learning the Dharma, some people can move straight onto the great, direct Bodhi-path and act according to the principles. Others learn the teachings but misunderstand them and act against the principles. So, all things on earth have their differences.
The next sutra passage states, “Kasyapa, you should know that the Tathagata is also just like this”. “He appears in the world like a great cloud arising”.
The Buddha again called out to Venerable Kasyapa. “Kasyapa, the Tathagata is also just like this”. Why did He say this?. When the Buddha had taught up to this point,. He called Kasyapa’s name again;. He did this to wake everyone up
Kasyapa, you should know that the Tathagata is also just like this:. He warned all that in listening to the Dharma we must take it to heart with faith and understanding. We must earnestly practice to experience the Buddha’s awakened observation. Previously He was teaching the analogy; now He was bringing it together with the Dharma.
“He warned all that in listening to the Dharma, we must take it to heart”. Although He called Kasyapa, this represented calling for the whole assembly to listen to the Dharma and take it to heart with faith and understanding. He reminded everyone to practice earnestly; in spiritual practice we must seize the time. We must not let various troubles disturb our minds. We should realize the Buddha’s enlightened view.
When the Buddha first expounded these teachings, what was on His mind?. What were His intent, His enlightened nature and all the things He had realized?. We should go deeper to experience the Buddha’s mind, His enlightenment and the wisdom He used to observe things. So, we must be very mindful.
This is also saying that. He previously taught with analogies, and now He was bringing these together with Dharma. Previously, we compared the Three Realms to a house on fire. It is full of suffering, unbearable suffering. In this house on fire, sentient beings are ignorant like ignorant children playing with fire. How could He get them out?. He called to them, but they would not come out. So, He made use of sentient beings’ desires and prepared what they desired outside to entice them to come out. This is in the Chapter on Parables.
Then, in the Chapter on Faith and Understanding,. Venerable Kasyapa and three other great disciples gave an analogy on behalf of the assembly. They had only understood the Buddha wanted to transform them, to help them be able to purify their minds, eliminate their afflictions and be liberated from the cycle of life and death. However, they remained stuck at that stage. They had not yet formed great aspirations to go among people to transform sentient beings, so they used the analogy of a poor son. This is the principle mentioned before. Now the Buddha [made an analogy] using all things in the world. Since the Buddha’s teachings cover all things in the world,.
“Kasyapa, you should know that the Tathagata is also like this”. “He appears in the world like a great cloud arising”. The Buddha appears in this world “like a great cloud arising”.
So, “The Buddha appears like a rising cloud, as matters and principles resemble each other”
He appears in the world like a great cloud arising:. The Buddha appears like a rising cloud, as matters and principles resemble each other. He is knower of truth in this life and the next. I am the one who knows all, the one who sees all, the one who knows the Path, the one who opens the Path and the one who teaches the Path.
He appears in the world like a great cloud arising:. The Buddha appears like a rising cloud, as matters and principles resemble each other. He is knower of truth in this life and the next. “I am the one who knows all, the one who sees all, the one who knows the Path, the one who opens the Path and the one who teaches the Path”. This describes the Buddha appearing in this world. “As matters and principles resemble each other” means that [to realize] all principles will take a very long period of time. This is like how, for clouds to yield rainfall, they must gradually accumulate [vapor] until there is sufficient moisture; then they can universally nourish the land.
“He is knower of truth in this life and the next”. As for the Dharma that the Buddha understood, we actually cannot cover it all in one life, two lives, or even in three or five lives. As stated in the sutras,. “I am the one who knows all, the one who sees all, the one who knows the Path the one who opens the Path and the one who teaches the Path”. This is what we see in the sutras. The Buddha wanted everyone to know this. “You should have faith that the causes and conditions for a Buddha to come to this world are not so easy to come by”. For the Buddha to come to this world,. He had to go through countless kalpas. The merits and virtues He accumulated were from creating blessings among people and accumulating wisdom among people. This is how He became the one who knows all. He not only knew the Path, but He also knew how to walk it, so He was called “the one who knows the Path”. He knew the direction He was heading and how to walk the Path.
Thus, the Buddha had accumulated all of this, and when the causes and conditions had matured,. He came to this world. With the way He looked at the world, [He thought,]. “Why is life so unfair?”. “Why do the rich get to enjoy so much?”. “Why do the poor and distressed suffer so much?”. “Why do people suffer from aging, illness, death and from being separated in life or by death?”. “Why is there suffering from unattained desires?”. “Where do the principles of the world come from?”. “How am I going to walk this road?”. Therefore, [this prince] left his small family and gave up his authority over a country and his position as a king. To this young man with an open and broad mind, these things were of little importance. What he wanted to seek were the things human beings had not understood yet. He wanted to find a path for them.
So, this is the meaning of “the one who knows all”. This even included the ways of humans, the concepts of social divisions; he had to explore and study these. So, he decided to engage in spiritual practice. Spiritual practice, or cultivating the Path, is to blaze a trail that can be walked. He let go of all his desires and afflictions and settled and stilled his mind. He ultimately awakened and became one with the universe. Therefore, He was able to return to the multitudes of sentient beings in this world to teach the Four Noble Truths. He opened up this road [and said],. “Everyone, come walk on it”. He returned to transform sentient beings. So, He was “the one who opened the Path and the one who taught the Path”. This road was opened up by Him, so He taught these principles for us to follow.
Thus, it says, “Kasyapa, you should know that the Tathagata is also just like this”. “He appears in the world like a great cloud arising” ․This complements what the previous passage stated:. “Kasyapa, you should know that the Tathagata is the king of all Dharma”. “That which He teaches will never be false”. This is the analogy for the Dharma-king appearing in the world and for how He gives teachings with the Buddha-body. The passage is to help everyone who listens to the Dharma to comprehend.
This complements what the previous passage stated:. Kasyapa, you should know that the Tathagata is the king of all Dharma. That which He teaches will never be false. This is the analogy for the Dharma-king appearing in the world and for how He gives teachings with the Buddha-body.
So, it states, “Kasyapa, you should know that the Tathagata is the king of all Dharma”. “That which He teaches will never be false”. Once more, the Buddha wanted to inspire faith and understanding in His disciples and have them study earnestly and seek to comprehend the Buddha’s original intent. We must practice according to the Path that the Buddha taught and apply it in our daily living. We must believe that He was the king of all Dharma. He appeared in this world in order to teach and guide sentient beings. When the time was right, the Buddha appeared in this world and taught the Dharma. He taught the principles with His voice and put them into practice with His actions. In the monastic community,. He lived the same way as His disciples. He also had to go door to door begging for alms. He also gathered with everyone else and constantly taught the Dharma. This was the Buddha’s goal in coming to this world.
The Buddha was like clouds and rain up in the sky; [as it falls, we are] “nourished by one rain”. However, we sentient beings on earth have different capabilities, so we should constantly and earnestly use “great roots, stems, branches and leaves” to accept the rain from the clouds. This means we should use great capabilities to learn the Buddha’s teachings, form great aspirations, make great vows and go among people to transform sentient beings. So, we must always be mindful