Episode 902 – Dharma-Water Nourishes Us in Our Own Measure
>> Dried out land is an analogy for sentient beings who do not yet have faith. The dense clouds spread extensively and gather to let the rain fall universally. The Buddha expounded the Dharma of one appearance and one flavor. Those with the seed-nature of the Three Vehicles each benefit according to their measure.
>> “In the mountains, rivers and narrow valleys, in deep seclusion, grow vegetation, trees and medicinal plants. All the trees, big and small, the hundred grains and seedlings, sugarcane and grapes, are all nourished by rain. All of them grow abundantly.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 5 – The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs]
>> “The parched land is universally permeated. The medicinal plants and trees flourish together. With the water of one flavor released by that cloud, the forests of plants and trees all receive nourishment according to their measure.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 5 – The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs]
>> The parched land is universally permeated: This is an analogy for the Dharma-rain that is given universally, helping those without faith to have faith. Those who have not yet heard the Dharma and do not yet have faith in the true principles are like arid lands that have not received moisture; fine seedlings do not grow there.
>> The Dharma-water drenches the ground. This is an analogy for sentient beings who want to practice and receive the Dharma yet have not connected with the Tathagata’s stream of Dharma. Thus they are called ‘parched lands’. Now they are nourished by Dharma and universally permeated.
>> The medicinal plants and trees flourish together: Those of various capabilities are all nourished and, like [plants], flourish equally. This is an analogy for how those with faith are enabled to grow and enter into realization. Because they have the seed-natures of the Three Vehicles, they are able to attain the ripe fruit of Bodhi of the Three Vehicles.
>> With the water of one flavor released by that cloud: This is again praising how the Dharma-rain can nourish all without distinction. Thus it speaks of the water of one flavor. The water released by that cloud: The Buddha’s body appears like a cloud.
>> With the water of one flavor, the Tathagata consistently benefits all beings. He has no other thoughts, just as the rain coming down from the cloud brings water which has no other flavor.
>> The forests of plants and trees all receive nourishment according to their measure: This praises how sentient beings who listen to the Dharma receive benefit according to their capabilities. They are equally nourished without distinction.
>> Though the water is of one flavor, all the grasses and trees receive different nourishment. Though the flavor of the Dharma is one, those of different capacities receive different benefits.
>> “All trees, big, average or small, are able to grow according to their size.” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 5 – The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs]
>> All trees: They are all put together by type, but differentiated by size. This means there are many types of capabilities. Thus it says, “all trees”.
>> Great, average or small: This is talking about the three kinds of grasses as an analogy for the Three Vehicles.
>> They are able to grow according to their size. This is like Bodhisattvas great and small who receive gradual or immediate teachings.
>> All are able to grow according to their size. They all follow their nature to grow to maturity.
“Dried out land is an analogy for sentient beings who do not yet have faith.
The dense clouds spread extensively and gather to let the rain fall universally.
The Buddha expounded the Dharma of one appearance and one flavor.
0Those with the seed-nature of the Three Vehicles each benefit according to their measure.”
Everyone has a field in their minds. If this field has no moisture, it is like when the land goes through drought. If there is a drought on the land, even if seeds are planted, they will be unable to sprout. So, here it says, “Dried out land is an analogy for sentient beings who do not yet have faith.” If the ground of sentient beings’ minds is dry, it means they have not received the Dharma-water. Is it that the Dharma-water did not moisten them? Or that the grounds of their mind did not take it in? This is something we should mindfully consider.
Then it says, “The dense clouds spread extensively and gather to let the rain fall universally.” The clouds have already gathered in the sky, and if the clouds are gathered together, that means it is going to rain. So, even though the grounds of our minds may be very arid, with the [right] causes and conditions, dense clouds will spread extensively and naturally it will rain.
“The Buddha expounded the Dharma of one appearance and one flavor.” Once causes and conditions converge, a Buddha will respond by manifesting in the world. Even after He manifests in this world, only those who have karmic affinities with Him will be able to listen to the Buddha teach. There is a simple analogy for this. In a city of 90,000 people, only one third had the karmic affinities and the mature causes and conditions to encounter the Buddha and hear the Dharma. Another 30,000 people heard that a Buddha had come to their city. The remaining 30,000 people not only did not see Him, they never even heard of Him. This has to do with causes and conditions. So, the Dharma taught by the Buddha is of one appearance and one flavor. In fact, when the Buddha expounded the Dharma, He was not selective with His audience; anyone could come and listen. The Dharma each person heard was the Dharma they could accept.
“Those with the seed-nature of the Three Vehicles each benefit according to their measure.” The Dharma is the same, but there were three kinds of spiritual practitioners. When the Buddha taught the Dharma, even when He taught the Bodhisattva Way, the Hearers were listening by His side. As they listened, they took in the Buddha’s voice. When the Buddha spoke of upholding the precepts, they thought, “Of course! We must uphold precepts.” We uphold precepts to guard against wrongs and stop evil “because the Four Noble Truths tells us that [suffering] comes from contriving affinities. One wrong thought will naturally give rise to much afflictions and ignorance.” So, although the Buddha taught the Bodhisattva Way of giving and upholding precepts, they thought the practice of giving was not taught for them. However, upholding precepts was a teaching the Hearers could accept; they could guard against wrongs, stop evil and eliminate afflictions.
When Solitary Realizers heard this Dharma, they thought it was about practicing diligence. “Because life is impermanent and ‘all things arise due to causes and conditions,’ ‘all things cease due to causes and conditions,’ from this principle, I will start delving deeper.” So, of the things Solitary Realizers heard, they felt diligence was the most applicable.
If Bodhisattvas were listening to the Dharma, giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom, these six teachings, the Six Paramitas, were completely accepted by these Bodhisattvas. This is practicing on a great and broad path. When Bodhisattvas hear this, they become happy, are immediately awakened, form aspirations and make great vows.
These are the seed-natures of the Three Vehicles. “Seed” means like the seed of a plant. “Nature” refers to its definite ability to grow. “Seed-nature,” then, is that which grows. When this nature, this determined seed, encounters the Dharma, naturally it will grow very quickly. This is the seed-nature of the Three Vehicles. According to capacity of their seed-nature, they are each nourished in the proper measure. So, which teaching do we actually want to practice? I hope that we can earnestly cultivate the fields of our minds. As we wait for the rain, what kind of seeds do we want to sow? Do we want to plant rice? Or, do we want to plant soy beans? Or, do we want to plant something else? We can plant luffa gourd or bottle gourd. We choose the seeds we want to plant. But the Buddha came to help cultivate our minds in the hope that we would reap great benefits, that every seed would unceasingly continue to provide great benefit to all sentient beings.
We sentient beings must make use of our conditions. Since we have the causes and conditions, naturally we will attain positive conditions. Though the seed may be buried in the ground however deeply, [it will grow]; no matter how many afflictions we had in the past, one day we will rid ourselves of all afflictions. Naturally, after we brush aside our afflictions, our nature of True Suchness will manifest. So, as we engage in spiritual practice, we must create good affinities. Otherwise, why would the Buddha keep coming back to go among people to create blessed affinities as well as cultivate worldly wisdom? This is how the Buddha cultivates both blessings and wisdom.
The previous sutra passage says, “In the mountains, rivers and narrow valleys, in deep seclusion, grow vegetation, trees and medicinal plants. All the trees, big and small, the hundred grains and seedlings, sugarcane and grapes, are all nourished by rain. All of them grow abundantly.”
We have already spoken of how when the rain falls, it falls universally. Even the most secluded places can receive the rain’s moisture. This is like how we sentient beings have deeply buried our nature of True Suchness. But with the nourishment of the Dharma-rain, our deeply-buried nature of True Suchness will gradually begin to flourish. This is what we spoke about yesterday.
The next sutra passage continues with, “The parched land is universally permeated. The medicinal plants and trees flourish together. With the water of one flavor released by that cloud, the forests of plants and trees all receive nourishment according to their measure.”
“The parched land is universally permeated” means that if the land suffers drought, when it rains, everything universally receives moisture. The rain falls and permeates everything evenly. It is wet everywhere; the rain is so abundant. This is an analogy for the Dharma-rain that is given universally, helping those without faith to have faith
The parched land is universally permeated: This is an analogy for the Dharma-rain that is given universally, helping those without faith to have faith. Those who have not yet heard the Dharma and do not yet have faith in the true principles are like arid lands that have not received moisture; fine seedlings do not grow there.
The Dharma-rain is universally given. It helps those without faith to have faith. These people do not have faith because they have not yet heard the Dharma, thus they do not believe in the true principles. They may have not yet heard the Dharma, or they heard it but still do not believe in it. If they had not yet heard it, of course they would not have faith in it. Even after they have heard it, when it comes to the more profound principles, their faith may still not be very firm. For these people, the grounds of their minds are dry. They are like “arid lands that have not received moisture; fine seedlings do not grow there.” If they have not been nourished by water, no matter how good these seeds are, even if they have soil and sunlight, without water they will not grow. Thus this is likened to arid lands
“The Dharma-water drenches the ground. This is an analogy for sentient beings who want to practice and receive the Dharma yet have not connected with the Tathagata’s stream of Dharma. Thus they are called ‘parched lands’. Now they are nourished by Dharma and universally permeated.”
As an example, Hearers and Solitary Realizers remain focused on themselves; after hearing the Dharma they eliminate their own afflictions and benefit only themselves. They remained in that state, so they had not yet connected with the stream of Dharma from the Buddha, the Tathagata. They had not connected with this Dharma-water. They had not yet connected with the True Dharma of the Great Vehicle, that flowing wellspring, that true spiritual state. “Thus they are called ‘parched lands’. Now they are nourished by the Dharma and universally permeated.” Now the Dharma-water has begun to fall, to moisten the fields that need it. The fields that are cultivated are nourished in the same way.
The medicinal plants and trees flourish together: Those of various capabilities are all nourished and, like [plants], flourish equally. This is an analogy for how those with faith are enabled to grow and enter into realization. Because they have the seed-natures of the Three Vehicles, they are able to attain the ripe fruit of Bodhi of the Three Vehicles.
“The medicinal plants and trees flourish together. Those of various capabilities are all nourished and, like [plants], flourish equally” As long as there is water, “Those of various capabilities are all nourished.” Whether of Great or Small Vehicle capabilities, they will all receive nourishment. This is just like the medicinal plants and the trees, big and small. When there is water, they all flourish together.
This is an analogy for how “those with faith are enabled to grow and enter into realization.” They have the seed-natures of the Three Vehicles. Those who practice the Three Vehicles will gradually grow. Their roots will gradually grow. When those of the Hearer Vehicle listen to these teachings, they will start to understand that they should not only benefit themselves, that they must also benefit others. It is the same with the Solitary Realizers. Bodhisattvas will be even more firm in their faith and make great vows to go among people. Thus, they keep growing. They unceasingly grow and enter into realizations. “They are able to attain the ripe fruit of Bodhi of the Three Vehicles.” They continue to grow until they attain stable and peaceful wisdom.
With the water of one flavor released by that cloud: This is again praising how the Dharma-rain can nourish all without distinction. Thus it speaks of the water of one flavor. The water released by that cloud: The Buddha’s body appears like a cloud.
“With the water of one flavor released by that cloud…” ․With the water of one flavor released by that cloud: This is again praising how the Dharma-rain can nourish all without distinction. Thus it speaks of the water of one flavor. The water released by that cloud: The Buddha’s body appears like a cloud. This is looking back at the repeated verse. It reiterates how “The Dharma-rain can nourish all without distinction.” It continually tells us that all Dharma-rain is in fact of one flavor and one appearance. The rain that falls universally has the same appearance and the same flavor. The Dharma is impartial, just like the rain.
“The water released by that cloud” again tells us that the clouds are an analogy for the Buddha’s reward-body. When a place has the karmic affinities, a Buddha will manifest there. When causes and conditions are ripe, His reward-body manifests like the clouds. When many streams of air currents come together, when the conditions are right, the clouds will naturally gather densely. When these clouds appear, it will begin to rain
“With the water of one flavor, the Tathagata consistently benefits all beings. He has no other thoughts, just as the rain coming down from the cloud brings water which has no other flavor.”
This is the Dharma taught by the Tathagata. This is like the One Vehicle; the one flavor is like the One Vehicle Dharma. With the ultimate teachings of the One Vehicle. He benefits sentient beings. He has no other thoughts. This was the intent He held in His heart. With this intent, this compassionate thought, He hoped that all sentient beings could attain the same Dharma and achieve a state equal to the Buddha’s. This was the Buddha’s one flavor and One Vehicle of benefiting all beings; He had no other thoughts. So, He hopes to moisten the dried out ground of sentient beings’ minds so that everyone will have ample Dharma-water to nourish the seeds inherently within them.
“Just as the rain coming down from the cloud brings water which has no other flavor” is referring to the clouds; when it starts to rain, the water is the same, has the same appearance. It is just that on the land, plants have the appearance of plants and trees have the appearance of trees. Plants can manifest countless appearances, and trees manifest countless appearances as well. Each has its own appearance in the forest. However, the Buddha’s teachings are like rain falling from the dense clouds; He manifests in order to teach.
The forests of plants and trees all receive nourishment according to their measure: This praises how sentient beings who listen to the Dharma receive benefit according to their capabilities. They are equally nourished without distinction.
“The forests of plants and trees all receive nourishment according to their measure”. Sentient beings’ afflictions and ignorance are just like the appearances of plants and trees; they are indeed numerous. But when the rain falls, all receive nourishment according to their measure. No matter what plant or tree it is, no matter what grain it is, all seedlings are able to receive nourishment. This is praising how sentient beings who listen to the Dharma receive benefit according to their capabilities. When it comes to our capabilities, the extent of our capacities determines the scope of the Dharma we can receive. If our capacities are limited, then of course we can only accept the Small Vehicle Dharma. Our capabilities determine how much of the boundless Great Dharma we can accept.
Though the water is of one flavor, all the grasses and trees receive different nourishment. Though the flavor of the Dharma is one, those of different capacities receive different benefits.
“Though the water is of one flavor, all the plants and trees receive different nourishment.” Although water has only one flavor, the amounts received by the plants and trees are all different. “Though the flavor of the Dharma is one, those of different capacities receive different benefits.” Although the flavor of the Dharma is the same, [what we receive] depends on our capacities, the size of our “container.” If we use a small cup to collect rainwater, we end up with a small amount of water. If we use a big vat, we will end up with a large amount of rainwater. So, it all depends on us.
The next sutra passage states, “All trees, big, average or small, are able to grow according to their size.”
This clearly indicates that things grow according to their nourishment. The amount of nourishment we receive, the amount of Dharma we receive, determines the extent of our growth.
All trees: They are all put together by type, but differentiated by size. This means there are many types of capabilities. Thus it says, “all trees”.
So, “All trees are put together by type.” When things of every shape and kind receive rainwater, they absorb it according to their seed-natures “[They are] differentiated by size. This means there are many types of capacities.” So, this refers to “all trees.” When speaking of capacities, they vary so greatly. The rain is of one appearance and one flavor; it is our capacities that can be great or limited, pure or complicated, ignorant or kind and so on. Sentient beings vary greatly in their capacities, so they are referred to as “all trees.”
Great, average or small: This is talking about the three kinds of grasses as an analogy for the Three Vehicles.
“Great, average or small” are referring to the “three plants, an analogy for the Three Vehicles.” The three kinds of plants are an analogy for the Three Vehicles. These are newly-inspired practitioners of the Three Vehicles, the Great, Middle and Small Vehicles. Some sharp Hearers with great capabilities, if given the chance, will quickly “accept the immediate teachings and form aspirations” and become Bodhisattvas. They need not first become Solitary Realizers. This depends on their capabilities. If their capabilities are limited, then they are like [small] plants. So, those of limited capabilities, who take in gradual teachings of the Three Vehicle teachings, are likened to plants
“They are able to grow according to their size.” This is like “Bodhisattvas great and small who receive gradual or immediate teachings.”
“Gradual” means taking it slow. If they go slow they are like a small tree, or a big plant. Even if taking it slow, they will eventually grow. The “immediate teachings” are for the big trees. After understanding and accepting Great Dharma, the big trees can provide shade to the land. These is what big trees do. So, whether plants or trees, these are all analogies for people’s capabilities.
When we spiritual practitioners accept the Dharma, each of us experiences it differently. Because our experiences differ, the aspirations we form differ as well. Since our aspirations differ, our actions will of course also differ. Some take it slow and are very relaxed. They do not think about the impermanence of life. People with great capabilities receive immediate teachings and are able to grow very fast ․All “are able to grow according to their size. They all follow their nature to grow to maturity.” Some receive a lot of moisture very quickly.
All are able to grow according to their size. They all follow their nature to grow to maturity.
Indeed, as we learn the Buddha’s Way, this is the mindset we must have. We must seize the present. Whether our capabilities are great or limited is determined by us ourselves. However, we should know that the Dharma the Buddha taught is of one appearance and of one flavor. It is just that we accept it according to our capabilities. So, we must always be mindful.