Episode 914 – The Dharma of Flawless Wisdom
>> With the Five Precepts and the Good Deeds, we are born in the human or heaven realm. These can cure the illnesses of the Three Evil Realms and Eight Sufferings. They are likened to small medicinal plants, as they cure small illnesses. They only cure the illness temporarily. The flawless studies, practices to enlightenment and other teachings of the Two Vehicles are average medicinal plants.
>> “All sentient beings who listen to my teachings accept them according to their abilities and abide in various states, either as humans, heavenly beings, wheel-turning sage kings, Sakra, Brahma or all [heavenly] kings. They are the small medicinal plants.”
>> “Those who know the flawless Dharma can attain Nirvana, give rise to the Six Spiritual Powers and gain the Three Insights. They live in solitude in the mountain forests, constantly practice Samadhi and attain the state of Solitary Realizers. They are the average medicinal plants.”
>> Those who know the flawless Dharma can attain Nirvana: Those who know well the Dharma of flawless wisdom take it to heart without letting it leak away. They uphold precepts and are pure, not defiled by afflictions, and can attain the Small Vehicle Nirvana, which is biased towards emptiness.
>> Give rise to the Six Spiritual Powers: This refers to the powers of heavenly eye, heavenly ear, knowing others’ minds, knowing past lives, spiritual travel and ending all Leaks. Because they develop wisdom, they attain spiritual powers. This is why it says they give rise to them.
>> And gain the Three Insights: The Insights of Heavenly Eye, of Knowing Past Lives, and of Ending All Leaks are the three kinds of insights.
>> The insight of knowing past lives is the insight to know one’s own or others’ causes and conditions in all previous lifetimes.
>> The Insight of Heavenly Eye: This is the insight of knowing what will happen to oneself or others in all future lifetimes.
>> The insight of ending all Leaks is using noble wisdom to completely eliminate all afflictions.
>> When this understanding reaches the ultimate, these are known as the Three Understandings. Two Vehicle practitioners have the Insights but only the Tathagata has the Understandings. For Arhats, they are called the Three Insights. For Buddhas, they are called the Three Understandings.
>> They live in solitude in the mountain forests and constantly practice Samadhi: They live by themselves in the mountains and beneath the trees and constantly practice Samadhi, abiding in a meditative and tranquil state.
>> [They] attain the state of Solitary Realizers. They are the average medicinal plants: They attain enlightenment from conditions. By observing scattered flowers and falling leaves or the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, they awaken and attain realizations. Hence they are also called Realizers of Conditions. They are superior to humans and heavenly beings, hence are called the average medicinal plants. The previous passage explains how average medicinal plants are nourished.
>> Two Vehicle practitioners possess the [virtues of] wisdom and ending. The flawless studies are the practices to enlightenment and other teachings. Those who cultivate them can attain the qualities of Small Vehicle practitioners. With only the Two Vehicle teachings of the Truths and Links, they can cure the illness of attachment to self to avoid sufferings of the Three Realms, but they cannot transform others; thus they are likened to average medicinal plants.
“With the Five Precepts and the Good Deeds, we are born in the human or heaven realm.
These can cure the illnesses of the Three Evil Realms and Eight Sufferings.
They are likened to small medicinal plants, as they cure small illnesses. They only cure the illness temporarily.
The flawless studies, practices to enlightenment
and other teachings of the Two Vehicles are average medicinal plants.”
We should all be able to understand that the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds are the teachings the Buddha gave for the sake of this world; they were given according to the capabilities of people in this world. The Buddha encouraged everyone to practice the Ten Good Deeds and uphold the Five Precepts to benefit other people. If we can uphold the Five Precepts, we will not lose our human form. If we can take one more step and practice the Ten Good Deeds, we will be reborn in the heaven realm. Thus, “With the Five Precepts and the Good Deeds, we are born in the human or heaven realm.” Among the Five Realms, the heaven and human realms are considered to be good destinies. Therefore, we must practice mindfully.
This was the medicine the Buddha prescribed according to sentient beings’ illnesses. This is the Dharma. The Dharma cures the illnesses of the world. Thus, in response to the capabilities of most ordinary sentient beings, He prescribed this remedy to treat the illnesses of the Three Evil Realms and Eight Sufferings. The Three Evil Realms are the hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. So, He helped us to remain in the human realm and let us understand that the Eight Sufferings are part of human life. If we cannot transcend the Eight Sufferings, there will be suffering on top of suffering. If we can let go and change our mindset, we will see beyond our suffering. Whether we end up in heaven or in hell is determined by a single thought.
In Medan, Indonesia, there is a Mr. Dong. He originally had a comfortable family life. He and his wife adopted a mentally-challenged child. One day, all of a sudden, his wife passed away for some unknown reason. After the sudden death of his wife, the husband’s disposition changed. For six years he shut himself in his home. The volunteers received the case and went to talk to him but were always refused entry and given no response.
Every day they tried to communicate with him, and after three months, Mr. Dong finally opened his door. When the volunteers saw the inside of the house, they were shocked. There was no room to walk. It was filled with garbage. It took another three months to clean out the garbage in his house. The volunteers also thoroughly washed the bodies of the father and son and cut their hair as well. The family was completely renewed.
The Bodhisattva-volunteers began to communicate with him. They talked to him, gave him books to read and helped him open his heart. They learned that Mr. Dong had been a Chinese teacher. Because his wife had suddenly passed away, he had closed his heart all at once. When his life changed, so did his appearance. He seemed to be living in a hell of garbage. Luckily, Bodhisattvas appeared in his life, and he began to gradually come out of this state.
So, one thought can put us in the Three Evil Realms. Then he encountered these Living Bodhisattvas who applied the Buddha’s spirit and principles and thus were able to save him, heal him and free him from the Three Evil Realms. They relieved his mind of the Eight Sufferings.
What are the Eight Sufferings? Birth, aging, illness, death are the first four. Then with not getting what we want, parting with those we love, meeting those we hate and the raging Five Skandhas, altogether these are the Eight Sufferings. He had so much suffering in his mind, yet the volunteers helped him resolve it. Thus, they used various methods to heal him.
“They are likened to small medicinal plants, as they cure small illnesses.” This was merely [helping him] in this life. They guided him into Tzu Chi and lifted him out of the pit of suffering. But after this, he must be willing to use his life to practice while he still has time. So, “They only cure the illness temporarily.” The Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds only cure our illnesses in this life, or the turbidities of this era or the troubles of our minds in this lifetime. They allow us to understand and have a broader view. The Buddha taught the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds to only cure small illnesses.
If we want to take one step further, then we must forsake our limited love and seek the great principles. In doing so, we are Hearers and Solitary Realizers. We become monastics and wholeheartedly seek the truth. So, we must engage in spiritual practice. What practice must we engage in? “The flawless studies, practices to enlightenment and other teachings.” What are the flawless studies? Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, the Three Flawless Studies. We have constantly talked about them in the past. Next, we must also study the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. These are the most fundamental practices. This is the Dharma, the teachings cultivated by. Two Vehicle practitioners, those practiced by Hearers and Solitary Realizers. Since they are very mindful and hard-working and eliminate their afflictions, they can thoroughly understand the principles of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path, as well as the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence. But they all practice for their own liberation. They understand the suffering of the world, so they sought to end their affinities with the world. Thus, they focused on practicing these teachings. They were afraid to return to this world again, or to go among people.
So, if we only seek to awaken ourselves, we are merely following the Two Vehicle practice of pursuing our own benefit by eliminating our own afflictions without regard for the rest of the world. Although we can eliminate our own afflictions, these [teachings] are average medicinal plants, not great medicinal plants. The Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds are like small medicinal plants. The Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links are average medicinal plants. We must remember, the Buddha-Dharma is completely equal, but how much we accept depends on our capacities. Do we want to be like small medicinal plants or average medicinal plants? Like big trees or little trees? This depends on how [much] we can accept.
The previous sutra passage states, “All sentient beings who listen to my teachings accept them according to their abilities and abide in various states, either as humans, heavenly beings, wheel-turning sage kings, Sakra, Brahma or all [heavenly] kings. They are the small medicinal plants.”
This is all for this world. Even the wheel-turning sage kings attain their blessings in this world or are born in heaven [to enjoy them]. When they have exhausted their blessings, they will likewise fall again. So, they are still in the Three Realms. They are the small medicinal plants.
The next sutra passage states, “Those who know the flawless Dharma can attain Nirvana, give rise to the Six Spiritual Powers and gain the Three Insights. They live in solitude in the mountain forests, constantly practice Samadhi and attain the state of Solitary Realizers. They are the average medicinal plants.”
He now began to teach on average medicinal plants. People like Hearers and Solitary Realizers are called the average medicinal plants.
Those who know the flawless Dharma can attain Nirvana: Those who know well the Dharma of flawless wisdom take it to heart without letting it leak away. They uphold precepts and are pure, not defiled by afflictions, and can attain the Small Vehicle Nirvana, which is biased towards emptiness
“Those who know well the Dharma of flawless wisdom take it to heart without letting it leak away”. We must really understand flawless wisdom; which is precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. We must be very mindful in taking the Dharma into our hearts, so it does not leak away. “They uphold precepts and are pure, not defiled by afflictions.” We must earnestly uphold the precepts. This world is full of traps. We must not be easily tempted by others. Therefore, we must have precepts, Samadhi and wisdom so our external conditions will not be able to contaminate us. Growing from the mud without being defiled by it, we go among people without any afflictions and can also transform sentient beings “[They] can attain the Small Vehicle Nirvana, which is biased towards emptiness.” If we uphold the precepts in this way, we are only seeking to benefit ourselves and carefully safeguard our own lives to avoid being defiled.
Give rise to the Six Spiritual Powers: This refers to the powers of heavenly eye, heavenly ear, knowing others’ minds, knowing past lives, spiritual travel and ending all Leaks. Because they develop wisdom, they attain spiritual powers. This is why it says they “give rise” to them
Then, we can also “give rise to the Six Spiritual Powers”. The “spiritual” here refers to [our own] spirit. When our spirit is very focused, we will naturally have the power to understand both matters and principles. Here, the “spiritual travel” referred to is the power of transporting oneself. With transporting oneself and ending all Leaks, there are six powers in total. These require that our spirit is not scattered; our spirit must be focused.
When it comes to the power of heavenly eye, every day we are all using our heavenly eye. Through technology, through the internet, people can hear my voice and see my image while I speak. In different countries, all at the same time, they can see me. Isn’t this the power of heavenly eye?
As for the power of knowing past lives, that is not so easy. Who were we really in our past lives? However, I can tell you my past life of yesterday. Yesterday has passed, but I can tell you what I heard, saw and felt yesterday. I saw what Tzu Chi volunteers all over the world are doing and what they have done.
Take the Mr. Dong I mentioned earlier, for example. The conditions of his life six or seven years ago can be seen and understood. This is an [example]. The same person lived in hell in the past, but now he lives in heaven. If this is not having a past life, what is? There is the past and there is our present.
Next, there is the power of ending all Leaks. Ending all Leaks requires that we practice earnestly and avoid afflictions caused by external conditions that will defile our minds. These powers arise “because [we] develop wisdom.” Because it is from our minds that wisdom arises, when our spirit is concentrated and we are replete with precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, we will naturally attain the Six Powers. We “attain spiritual powers.” So, we “give rise to the Six Spiritual Powers.”
And gain the Three Insights: The Insights of Heavenly Eye, of Knowing Past Lives, and of Ending All Leaks are the three kinds of insights.
Then, what are the Three Insights? These are three kinds of insight selected from among the Six Powers. They are the insights of the heavenly eye, of knowing past lives and of ending all Leaks. These are the three kinds [of insights]. So, we call them the Three Insights and Six Powers. When we have precepts, Samadhi and wisdom and the 37 Practices to Enlightenment, when we have successfully cultivated them, we will naturally attain the Three Insights
The insight of knowing past lives is “the insight to know one’s own or others’ causes and conditions in all previous lifetimes.”
This requires us to practice very earnestly. If we practice the Bodhisattva Vehicle, we can see through all phenomena in the world and understand our past. There are so many of us who do not understand whether we were right or wrong in the past. We live our whole lives in confusion. Once we have the Buddha-Dharma, we will be able to understand ourselves and be willing to help others. This is [knowing] our past lives and changing our past lives.
The Insight of Heavenly Eye: This is the insight of knowing what will happen to oneself or others in all future lifetimes.
Next is the insight of the heavenly eye, which “is the insight of knowing what will happen to oneself or others in all future lifetimes.” If we can change, we can definitely believe in our future. When we see people correct their faults, we must also believe in them. As long as we do not commit crimes or wrongdoings, naturally we will not fall into hell. This is the insight of the heavenly eye. Changing our perceptions and views is the insight of the heavenly eye
The insight of ending all Leaks is using noble wisdom to completely eliminate all afflictions.
The insight of ending all Leaks is “using noble wisdom to completely eliminate all afflictions.” We have already accepted the Buddha-Dharma. We can develop our wisdom-life and completely eliminate our afflictions. Thus we will have no more afflictions from our thoughts, and our bodies and actions will no longer replicate afflictions from karma. This is called the insight of ending all Leaks.
When this understanding reaches the ultimate, these are known as the Three Understandings. Two Vehicle practitioners have the Insights but only the Tathagata has the Understandings. For Arhats, they are called the Three Insights. For Buddhas, they are called the Three Understandings.
By understanding ourselves, we gain an understanding of others. We will no longer produce more afflictions. “When this understanding reaches the ultimate, these are known as the Three Understandings.” For Small Vehicle practitioners, they are called the Three Insights. For Buddhas, they are called the Three Understandings. Those with the Three Insights simply understand from their own perspective. However, the Buddha is the Great Awakened One, who has reached the ultimate, so for Him, they are called the Three Understandings. “When this understanding reaches the ultimate, these are known as the Three Understandings. Two Vehicle practitioners have the Insights, but only the Tathagata has the Understandings.” The Two Vehicle practitioners have the Insights, the Three Insights, but only the Tathagata has complete understanding. “For Arhats, they are called the Three Insights. For Buddhas, they are called the Three Understandings.”
They live in solitude in the mountain forests and constantly practice Samadhi: They live by themselves in the mountains and beneath the trees and constantly practice Samadhi, abiding in a meditative and tranquil state.
In the past, people said that earnest practice requires leaving one’s family to practice alone. They hoped that with such a practice, their minds could be clear and pure ․”They live in solitude in the mountain forests and constantly practice Samadhi.”
“They live by themselves in the mountains and beneath the trees and constantly practice Samadhi, abiding in a meditative and tranquil state.” They would live alone, without the burden of a family, with none of the noise of humanity to disturb them. They just wanted tranquility. Because of practicing in tranquility, “They attain the state of Solitary Realizers. They are the average medicinal plants.”
[They] attain the state of Solitary Realizers. They are the average medicinal plants: They attain enlightenment from conditions. By observing scattered flowers and falling leaves or the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, they awaken and attain realizations. Hence they are also called Realizers of Conditions. They are superior to humans and heavenly beings, hence are called the average medicinal plants. The previous passage explains how average medicinal plants are nourished.
As Solitary Realizers, they would continue to reflect on themselves. “By observing scattered flowers, falling leaves or the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, they awaken and attain realizations.” These are the Solitary Realizers. They are superior to humans and heavenly beings, hence they are average medicinal plants.
The previous passage explains how average medicinal plants are nourished. Hearers practice by comprehending suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. Solitary Realizers are sometimes born in an age when there is no Buddha in the world. They have practiced during a Buddha’s lifetime, and when they return to the world during a time without a Buddha, they already bring the Dharma to the world. When they bring the Buddha-Dharma to the world, they naturally observe the conditions of the four seasons alternating and so on, and they are able to awaken to the impermanence of life and realize that the Five Aggregates are all empty. They understand these principles, therefore they are called Solitary Realizers. Their spiritual state is superior to that of humans and heavenly beings, hence they are average medicinal plants.
The previous passage explains how average medicinal plants are nourished. Those are Hearers and Solitary Realizers who form aspirations to practice as monastics.
Two Vehicle practitioners possess the [virtues of] wisdom and ending. The flawless studies are the practices to enlightenment and other teachings. Those who cultivate them can attain the qualities of Small Vehicle practitioners. With only the Two Vehicle teachings of the Truths and Links, they can cure the illness of attachment to self to avoid sufferings of the Three Realms, but they cannot transform others; thus they are likened to average medicinal plants.
“Two Vehicle practitioners possess the [virtues of] wisdom and ending.” They already have the wisdom to end afflictions. They have given rise to wisdom and know to end afflictions. “The flawless studies are the practices to enlightenment and other teachings” Two Vehicle practitioners possess the [virtues of] wisdom and ending. The flawless studies are the practices to enlightenment and other teachings. Those who cultivate them can attain the qualities of Small Vehicle practitioners. With only the Two Vehicle teachings of the Truths and Links, they can cure the illness of attachment to self to avoid sufferings of the Three Realms, but they cannot transform others; thus they are likened to average medicinal plants. If we further expand precepts, Samadhi and wisdom we get the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. In this way, through earnest practice and understanding, naturally we can “attain the qualities of Small Vehicle practitioners. The qualities of Small Vehicle practitioners” are like those of average medicinal plants.
Solitary Realizers connect with the state of the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, while Hearers connect with the state of the Four Noble Truths. Thus they “cure the illness of attachment to self.” Two Vehicle practitioners have cured themselves of the illness of attachment to self. They have no afflictions and do not take issue with others, so they naturally avoid the suffering of the Three Realms. “But they cannot transform others.” They can only end their own afflictions; they have not formed aspirations, so “They cannot transform others.” Though they have ended all their afflictions, they do not desire to form aspirations nor to deliver sentient beings, so they are unable to transform others.
Now the Buddha wanted to encourage everyone to eliminate afflictions. We must quickly form aspirations to go among people and remove the web of poison [that traps them]. The web of the poisons, this web filled with afflictions, must be cut through immediately. We must apply the Six Powers and Three Insights. In this way, we will be able to obtain the Dharma; we will truly understand the Dharma. We can continually review [these teachings], so we must always be mindful.