Episode 1107 – Comprehending the Great Path with Pure Joy
>> “Hearing the Buddha’s teachings, [we awaken to] our enlightened nature and ocean of wisdom; we comprehend the great path and its true principles. Through skillful means, He teaches the Dharma accordingly and suitably so people of different capabilities can respond to the teachings and uphold them. With a pure heart we can comprehend the great path. With Dharma-joy we can freely open up our hearts.”
>> In the [Chapter on] the Conjured City we heard of what happened in past lives, dust-inked kalpas ago. The Tathagata’s Three Understandings are without obstruction. He observes what happened long ago and far away as if it were today. These are His spiritual powers of great freedom.
>> The Three Understandings. The understanding of heavenly eyes: being able to clearly understand future causes and effects of cyclic existence. The understanding of previous lives: being able to clearly understand past causes and effects of cyclic existence. The understanding of ending all Leaks: being able to clearly understand the present root sources of afflictions and eliminate them completely.
>> “At that time, Purna Maitrayaniputra heard from the Buddha how, with wisdom of skillful means, He accordingly and suitably taught the Dharma. Purna also heard Him bestow on the four great disciples predictions of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”
>> “He further heard of the causes and conditions of previous lifetimes and also heard that all Buddhas have spiritual powers of great freedom. Thus, he attained what he never had before. His mind was purified and leapt with joy. Thus, he arose from his seat and came before the Buddha.”
>> He further heard of the causes and conditions of previous lifetimes: This refers to the Chapter on the Conjured City, which states the past causes and conditions of. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha and the 16 novices who repeatedly taught the wondrous Dharma.
>> The causes and conditions of previous lifetimes: Speaking of the distant past, this refers to the Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas; speaking recently, it refers to. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata and the 16 Bodhisattva-novices, how all underwent long kalpas of spiritual practice.
>> [He] also heard that all Buddhas have spiritual powers of great freedom: He also heard that all Buddhas have great wisdom and experience freedom in any conditions. For the sake of the Buddha Vehicle, They skillfully establish the Three Vehicles. Their spiritual powers are unobstructed, so They understand everything without hindrance.
>> Spiritual powers of great freedom: How Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas and others radiated light to illuminate conditions or how Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata shone light on all the Brahma heavens in the ten directions and so on.
>> Thus, he attained what he never had before: He saw three wonderful things that he had never seen before. First, he heard about all Buddhas’ wisdom of skillful means. Second, he heard Hearers being able to receive predictions of Buddhahood. Third, he heard about all Buddhas’ powers of great freedom.
>> In the past, he had never heard the opening up of the provisional to reveal the true, but now he had heard it. Hence it says “what he never had before.” Like the previous predictions, the causes and conditions, [powers of] freedom and so on, all this was what he had never had before.
>> He had eliminated his craving for a guarantee of Nirvana and destroyed his ignorance and delusions, hence it says, “His mind was purified.” Having opened up to the the Buddha’s understanding and views, he felt leaps of joy. This kind of joy is that of inner awakening.
>> He arose from his seat because he wanted to make a request. He first left his seat and came before the Buddha.
“Hearing the Buddha’s teachings, [we awaken to] our enlightened nature and ocean of wisdom;
we comprehend the great path and its true principles.
Through skillful means, He teaches the Dharma
accordingly and suitably so people of different capabilities can respond to the teachings and uphold them.
With a pure heart we can comprehend the great path.
With Dharma-joy we can freely open up our hearts.”
Upon listening to this, do you all understand? “Hearing the Buddha’s teaching, [we awaken to] our enlightened nature and ocean of wisdom; we comprehend the great path and its true principles.” Every day in our morning recitations, we take refuge in the Three Treasures by chanting, “[May all] comprehend the great path and form the supreme aspiration, delve deeply into the sutra treasury and gain wisdom as vast as the ocean” and “lead the people harmoniously without obstruction.” The principle is the same. Since we are Buddhist practitioners, we absolutely need to listen to the Dharma. Since we have taken refuge, we should learn the Buddha’s teachings and turn away from darkness toward the light. We were confused in the past. Now we turn from our former lives of ignorance, indolence and self-indulgence. In order to come back, we head in the direction of purity while remaining undefiled and move courageously forward to awaken to the Dharma. By listening to the Dharma, taking it to heart and awakening to our intrinsic nature, we naturally accumulate wisdom vast as the ocean.
The Buddha’s enlightened nature pervades the universe and all Dharma-realms. Our nature of True Suchness is pure and pervades the Dharma-realms of the universe as well. It is just that throughout the universe, we carry our ignorance with us. Thus we worry! We worry about those we care about who are very far away. We worry! We worry about our careers and our wealth. Whatever place we think of, our enlightened natures run off there to experience that place, but this kind of enlightened nature still carries defilements. When we take this impermanent world as one that is permanent, all we do is worry. All we do is worry about the things, matters, people and relationships that we love, desire and think of. That is all.
Actually, the ocean of wisdom in the Buddha’s enlightened nature is pure and undefiled. For dust-inked kalpas, He has continually followed those who have affinities with Him in order to save and transform them, to awaken everyone’s nature of True Suchness, which is undefiled, pure and equal to the Buddha’s. This is the compassion of the Buddha. This is comprehending the true principles of the great path, the principles in the ocean of wisdom. This wisdom as vast as the ocean, the wondrous Dharma of True Suchness, must be obtained through listening. From listening, we awaken and understand. Only by delving deeply can we comprehend the great path. A path is meant to be walked; we must truly put it into practice. Otherwise, if we just listen and understand, yet never put it into practice, then we cannot be said to be diligent. So, to be diligent, we must truly overcome difficulties.
For example, it is quite cold every morning, but our covers are so warm. Everyone is diligent. If we want to go among people and bring out our diligence, is it difficult? We tear back the covers and roll out of bed; it is not difficult at all. With diligence, where are the difficulties? When we have a community who practices and is diligent together, won’t our hearts be quite joyful? I wake up so early and can be so diligent. From morning until evening my mind is at ease; my mind is free. If we do not feel like doing this, though everyone else has already begun to gather inside the lecture hall, we may still wish to shut our eyes again. Once we shut them, we doze off again. Then we will certainly feel burdened all day, because we feel remorse. If we do not even have this feeling of remorse, then why even engage in spiritual practice?
So, in spiritual practice, after taking refuge, we must listen to the Buddha-Dharma and unlock our enlightened nature; only then can we enter the ocean of wisdom. When our enlightened nature opens up, our wisdom is like the ocean. If we want to comprehend the great path, we absolutely must walk onto this path. If we do not walk this path, we will not arrive. So, we must walk on it. We put one foot forward, then another, and keep walking forward step by step. This is the great path. The great path is beneath our feet. If we do not take that step forward, the path will always seem long to us because we will not have moved. So, when the Buddha comes to the world, it is very exhausting!
“Through skillful means, He teaches the Dharma accordingly and suitably.” Sentient beings are indolent. Sentient beings have inferior capabilities. Sentient beings are foolish and confused. Though the Buddha was very mindful and hoped everyone would awaken to the same Buddha-nature that He had, it was impossible for them to experience this. Thus He had to teach skillfully and suitably. So, He taught according to capabilities so “people of different capabilities can respond to the teachings and uphold them.” Their capabilities respond to the teachings, or the teachings respond to their capabilities. For their capabilities to respond to teachings, the Buddha had to first establish skillful means which they would take joy in seeing. Then they would willingly come in and willingly accept the teachings. The Buddha’s mindfulness in teaching and transforming sentient beings was exhausting.
He had to observe their capabilities before establishing teachings in accord with capabilities. There was a sequence to this. He would first establish these kinds of teachings, “Come, I will lead you to see so you can enter joyfully.” If the Buddha saw that for some sentient beings this teaching was impossible to accept, He devised another teaching to guide them. “This is your spiritual training ground. You yourselves entered joyfully, so you must earnestly and diligently engage in spiritual practice.” If they came to the place of practice but were not willing to be diligent, if they were lax, He used other kinds of teachings to spur them on. These are still the Buddha-Dharma. To suit capabilities, He had to observe how people can accept the Dharma. Did their accepting the Dharma benefit the Buddha? No, it was the Buddha who wanted to benefit sentient beings. He could not bear to let sentient beings remain lost in the world. He could not bear to let sentient beings continually create karma. They had remained lost and created karma for lifetime upon lifetime.
The world is full of suffering. Why are we not willing to awaken now? The Buddha used all kinds of skillful means, hoping that everyone “with a pure heart can comprehend the great path.” We must get rid of ignorance and make up our minds to put the teachings into action and step onto this path. Naturally, once we step onto it and are truly diligent, following everyone in our place of practice to engage in spiritual cultivation, then every day “the mind is without hindrances; there are no hindrances.” We will have no afflictions weighing us down. So, “With a pure heart we can comprehend the great path.” We are able to sit here listening to the Dharma with a clear conscience. If you think about it, engaging in practice in this community is also a very good means of practice. Otherwise, why would we be called spiritual practitioners?
If we can do this, we will be filled with Dharma-joy! “With Dharma-joy we can freely open up our hearts.” When we open up our hearts, we are very joyful. This mental state of being very open is the most wondrous method that we gain from daily spiritual practice. ․Hearing the Buddha’s teachings, [we awaken to] our enlightened nature and ocean of wisdom; we comprehend the great path and its true principles. Through skillful means, He teaches the Dharma accordingly and suitably so people of different capabilities can respond to the teachings and uphold them. With a pure heart we can comprehend the great path. With Dharma-joy we can freely open up our hearts. In our spiritual practice, if we have afflictions and our body and mind are weighed down, this is an illness, the illness of afflictions. As we mentioned the day before, if we cannot free ourselves, this will be unbearable suffering. No one else can free us from our illness of afflictions. After we understand, we accept the Buddha-Dharma and can release ourselves from our own afflictions. Otherwise, this illness will follow us lifetime after lifetime, beyond our control. We may suffer not only in the human realm; there are also the hell, hungry ghost and animal realms as well. So, we must always remain vigilant.
Having earnestly listened to the Dharma, let us again review what we have heard. In the Chapter on Parables, Sariputra received a prediction. Kasyapa and the rest of the four great disciples, by the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions, had also already received predictions. Next came the Chapter of the Conjured City. The parable of the conjured city tells us that spiritual practice has always required a long period of patience. After hearing the parable of the conjured city, we can further understand that the path of spiritual practice is very long and further awaken to the fact that there are many treacherous paths in the world.
So, we should know how the guiding teacher put in so much effort. Thus, “In the [Chapter on] the Conjured City we heard of what happened in past lives, dust-inked kalpas ago.” A very long time ago, dust-inked kalpas ago, in past lives, we had these causes and conditions.
In the [Chapter on] the Conjured City we heard of what happened in past lives, dust-inked kalpas ago. The Tathagata’s Three Understandings are without obstruction. He observes what happened long ago and far away as if it were today. These are His spiritual powers of great freedom.
“The Tathagata’s Three Understandings are without obstruction.” Sakyamuni Buddha wished to tell us this. The Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City illustrates Sakyamuni Buddha’s, the Tathagata’s, state of mind. He was capable of recalling times long ago. These are the unobstructed Three Understandings; they could connect to the past and to the present, and from the present could connect to the future. This was the Great Enlightened One’s state of mind after His enlightenment. Throughout the universe, all of time, space and worldly affairs, nothing was obstructing Him. Thus, “The Tathagata’s Three Understandings are without obstruction.”
“He observes what happened long ago and far away as if it were today.” He could think of things so long ago. He began speaking of Great Unhindered Buddha as if these things were happening today. Though it happened so long ago in the past, He could still remember every detail and speak of it as if it were happening today. This was His spiritual powers of great freedom. The Tathagata’s spiritual powers were such that. His Three Understandings were unobstructed, giving Him great freedom. His mind was always totally free every day, without afflictions, without defilements, so His mind had this unobstructed understanding.
What are the Three Understandings? We have talked before about the Three Insights and the Six Spiritual Powers. Among the Six Spiritual Powers, there are also the Three Insights. The Six Spiritual Powers include the powers of heavenly eye, knowing past lives, ending all Leaks. These “powers” in Arhats are known as the Three Insights and in Buddhas as the Three Understandings.
The Three Understandings. The understanding of heavenly eyes: being able to clearly understand future causes and effects of cyclic existence. The understanding of previous lives: being able to clearly understand past causes and effects of cyclic existence. The understanding of ending all Leaks: being able to clearly understand the present root sources of afflictions and eliminate them completely.
We know that all present afflictions are illusory, so we should eliminate them completely. We must eliminate all afflictions in this lifetime. This is known as “ending all Leaks”; all afflictions are completely eliminated. Only when afflictions are completely eliminated can we have insight into our previous lifetimes and the insight of the heavenly eye.
So, the Three Insights are found in Arhats. Moreover, Buddhas also have the Three Insights. The Buddha was a great Arhat as well. He was also a monastic who had become enlightened. His appearance was still that of an Arhat, yet He had become enlightened. After becoming enlightened, He not only had the Insights and Understandings, He not only had clear understanding, He could further put teachings into action with unhindered understanding. He did not merely understand, no. He put the teachings into practice ever since dust-inked kalpas ago. He was one of the 16 novices, and after hearing the Dharma, He put it into practice for dust-inked kalpas. Uninterruptedly over many lifetimes, He came to the world to deliver sentient beings. This is “putting teachings into action with unhindered understanding.” He put these into action as He came and went. These were the Three Understandings.
So, the Three Insights and. Three Understandings just mentioned, when taken together, describe the Buddha. The Buddha not only had the powers of the heavenly eye, of knowing past lives and of ending all Leaks, He also had the Insights. So, He had already attained “understanding.” Everyone, spiritual practice is not merely about listening to the Dharma; we must also put it into practice. Having understood this, let us be diligent. If we are not diligent, we will remain forever lingering in our ignorance as unenlightened beings. This is unbearable suffering.
How can we not recognize suffering? For me, the people, places and matters I see every day, whether near or far, cause me to lament, “Why is there so much suffering in life?” Every day I feel so heartbroken! People are already suffering now. Some are so far away from us that it is impossible for us to deliver them. What about those near to us? Why is it so hard to reach an understanding? Why is it so hard for people to be clear? It breaks my heart! Why is this? When I see everyone being so diligent, then I am very joyful. I feel like I have received the most precious of offerings. This is what I feel like every day.
Everyone, in forming Bodhisattva-aspirations, we must put the Bodhisattva-path into action. In bestowing predictions on His disciples, the Buddha had to see if they had the capabilities to willingly accept the Great Vehicle Dharma, to willingly form aspirations to practice it. They were willing and began forming aspirations, so He then began bestowing predictions upon them. Look at Sariputra; he had come to understand. The Buddha, seeing how he understood, how he had formed aspirations, in the Chapter on Parables bestowed a prediction of Buddhahood on him. Look at the Chapter on Faith and Understanding; the four disciples came before the Buddha to repent for their indolence in the past, for the time they had wasted. Only then did they realize that they too were Buddha-children. The treasury of the Buddha’s teachings had always been hidden on their person. The Buddha knew they had realized this. He knew they had formed aspirations. Only then did He bestow predictions in the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions.
We have now begun the Chapter on 500 Disciples Receiving Predictions. So, for such a long time now. I have spurred on and encouraged everyone not to become further indolent and thus regress. This kind of mind will have many afflictions. If we listen to the Dharma and put the teachings into practice, naturally in our spiritual practice here in this practice center we will never be ashamed. We naturally will have a very open heart. I hope everyone takes this in and understands.
Come, let us look the sutra and seize the time to mindfully listen.
“At that time, Purna Maitrayaniputra heard from the Buddha how, with wisdom of skillful means, He accordingly and suitably taught the Dharma. Purna also heard Him bestow on the four great disciples predictions of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”
We already explained this yesterday. Purna Maitrayaniputra was the one who best understood the Buddha’s intent.
At this time, Purna Maitrayaniputra had understood that Sariputra received a prediction and that the four great disciples had as well. He was happy everyone had received predictions.
The next passage then says,
“He further heard of the causes and conditions of previous lifetimes and also heard that all Buddhas have spiritual powers of great freedom. Thus, he attained what he never had before. His mind was purified and leapt with joy. Thus, he arose from his seat and came before the Buddha.”
He knew Sariputra had received a prediction of Buddhahood. He knew that Venerable Kasyapa, Katyayana and the others had received predictions. He already knew this. “He further heard of the causes and conditions of previous lifetimes.” Those causes and conditions of previous lifetimes were those he heard in the parable of the conjured city, when the Buddha taught the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City. He knew the causes and conditions of Great Unhindered Buddha and the 16 novices, how they had repeated the teachings of the Lotus Sutra.
He further heard of the causes and conditions of previous lifetimes: This refers to the Chapter on the Conjured City, which states the past causes and conditions of. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha and the 16 novices who repeatedly taught the wondrous Dharma
As this chapter was being taught, [Purna] was already sitting there listening. He knew they had received predictions, that those disciples had received predictions. He also knew from the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City of the causes and conditions of the 16 novices, how they expounded the Lotus Sutra. When Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha had finished teaching the sutra, the 16 novices each repeated the Lotus Sutra for the associators who had formed affinities with them. These were their causes and conditions from previous lifetimes.
Over such a long time, dust-inked kalpas, such causes and conditions accumulated. Furthermore, dust-inked kalpas ago, there was not just Great Unhindered Buddha. Even before Great Unhindered Buddha, there were the Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas.
The causes and conditions of previous lifetimes: Speaking of the distant past, this refers to the Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas; speaking recently, it refers to. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata and the 16 Bodhisattva-novices, how all underwent long kalpas of spiritual practice.
“Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata and the 16 Bodhisattva-novices [all] underwent long kalpas of spiritual practice.” The time of the Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas was spoken of in the Introductory Chapter. The [last] Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha lived a very long time ago and had eight princes. That was the time of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha. Then Great Unhindered Buddha had 16 princes. Over these long periods of time, these were all the causes and conditions of previous lifetimes.
Purna Maitrayaniputra probably heard in the Introductory Chapter of Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha’s causes and conditions of previous lifetimes. He also heard [the causes and conditions] in the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City. So, he had heard all about causes and conditions from previous lifetimes.
[He] also heard that all Buddhas have spiritual powers of great freedom: He also heard that all Buddhas have great wisdom and experience freedom in any conditions. For the sake of the Buddha Vehicle, They skillfully establish the Three Vehicles. Their spiritual powers are unobstructed, so They understand everything without hindrance.
“He also heard that all Buddhas have spiritual powers of great freedom.” He also heard how all Buddhas have great spiritual powers. They have spiritual powers and wisdom. With their spiritual powers and wisdom, They experience freedom under any conditions. Through long periods of continuous diligence, without ever becoming indolent, They were thus able to accumulate such spiritual powers of great freedom, as well as such causes and conditions. Great causes and conditions come from such a long period of time spent continuously accumulating causes and conditions. They enjoyed freedom in any conditions. No matter the conditions They were in, They were always free. Among the Five Realms and four forms of birth, wherever They had the affinities, They would go there to transform sentient beings while always remaining free. These are the causes and conditions that enable all Buddhas to attain Buddhahood.
“For the sake of the Buddha Vehicle, They skillfully establish the Three Vehicles.” Because the Buddha Vehicle is so great, for one person to maintain their aspirations is not at all easy, let alone all the myriads of sentient beings! So, They must establish the Three Vehicles. There must be a Small Vehicle, a Middle Vehicle and a Great Vehicle, the Hearer Vehicle, the Solitary Realizer Vehicle and the Bodhisattva Vehicle. These are the Three Vehicles. So, these are the spiritual powers of Buddhas, Their spiritual powers of great freedom. This is great wisdom. No matter where Their affinities lead them, They never become defiled. They are “unobstructed”; “They understand everything without hindrance.” This is the path of all Buddhas, the profound causes and conditions cultivated by all Buddhas.
“Spiritual powers of great freedom” refers to the causes and conditions of the Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas, as well as. Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha.
Spiritual powers of great freedom: How Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas and others radiated light to illuminate conditions or how Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata shone light on all the Brahma heavens in the ten directions and so on.
The Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas radiated light to illuminate conditions. When Maitreya Bodhisattva asked Manjusri to explain about the era of the Sun-Moon-Lamp Buddhas, he explained how They had spiritual powers of great freedom, how They transformed sentient beings and how They radiated light. “Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Tathagata shone light on all the Brahma heavens in the ten directions and so on.” Everyone should still remember this. This was Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. In the last chapter, we discussed for a very long time how the Brahma kings of the ten directions, drawn by that radiance, came to the place of enlightenment to ask the Buddha to turn the Dharma-wheel. These were all great causes and conditions. So, [people] “attained what they never had before.” He led all sentient beings to see and listen to the Dharma which they never had before, so they were joyful.
Thus, he attained what he never had before: He saw three wonderful things that he had never seen before. First, he heard about all Buddhas’ wisdom of skillful means. Second, he heard Hearers being able to receive predictions of Buddhahood. Third, he heard about all Buddhas’ powers of great freedom.
So, “He attained what he never had before.” During Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas’ era, people also praised this as having gained what they never had before. During Great Unhindered Wisdom Buddha’s era, many people also praised this as having gained what they never had before. “He attained what he never had before” means he heard the wisdom of the skillful means of all Buddhas. He praised that wisdom of skillful means possessed by all Buddhas, the power They used to transform sentient beings. It was praiseworthy, something they never had before. Those Hearers, after hearing the Buddha-Dharma, could comprehend the great path. They also delved deeply into the sutra treasury to have wisdom as vast as the ocean. They also vowed to deliver sentient beings, so they received predictions from the Buddha.
Third is, “He heard about all Buddhas’ powers of great freedom,” Their ability to widely transform sentient beings. They had done this for dust-inked kalpas, never having any thoughts of retreating. They spent a long time following sentient beings who had affinities. No matter how evil or turbid the world, They were never defiled. They maintained Their pure and undefiled wisdom. Throughout the universe, They protect all sentient beings. This is also something they never had before. Only Buddhas can do this, so this is the great freedom of a Buddha.
In the past, he had never heard the opening up of the provisional to reveal the true, but now he had heard it. Hence it says “what he never had before.” Like the previous predictions, the causes and conditions, [powers of] freedom and so on, all this was what he had never had before.
Next, “In the past, he had never heard the opening of the provisional to reveal the true, but now he had heard it. Hence it says ‘what he had never had before.'” The Buddha established the Three Vehicles in response to the capabilities of sentient beings. This was how He earnestly and patiently taught, until finally reaching the Lotus Sutra. All Buddhas share the same path; in the end, They all teach the Lotus Sutra. While teaching the Lotus Sutra, They are opening up the provisional to reveal the true. They say what was used in the past was skillful means and that. They are now beginning to tell everyone of the path to attaining Buddhahood, teaching us how to walk that path. Everyone was just now beginning to hear this, so He urged them not to just stick to the Small Vehicle, only seeking to awaken themselves. He encouraged them to form great aspirations and walk the Bodhisattva-path. So, this is how He opened up the provisional to reveal the true. Thus, “All this was what he had never had before.”
“Like the previous predictions….” The previous prediction for Sariputra and the four great Hearers’ predictions were all due to their causes and conditions and [powers] of freedom. He had still had to spend a very long time earnestly and patiently teaching before they were willing to form aspirations. So, this required a lot of patience. Now, they had formed aspirations and had received predictions. These too were things “he had never had before.”
In particular, “His mind was purified and leapt with joy.” His heart felt happiness and leaps of joy. After listening to the Buddha-Dharma, we feel such happiness and joy because our hearts have become pure. We want the ground of everyone’s mind to be pure so we will all be happy; this purity comes from being diligent. We are constantly diligent, with nothing to be ashamed of. Since we engage in practice here, we must be very diligent in the Sangha, never be indolent. Then we have nothing to feel ashamed of. Naturally we will be earnest and diligent. So, we can be joyful and exuberant. We feel happiness and leaps of joy.
He had eliminated his craving for a guarantee of Nirvana and destroyed his ignorance and delusions, hence it says, “His mind was purified.” Having opened up to the the Buddha’s understanding and views, he felt leaps of joy. This kind of joy is that of inner awakening.
“He had eliminated his craving for a guarantee of Nirvana.” He understood then that the Nirvana which we attain, which we practice to attain, is a very pure state of mind, yet we are still at the stage of seeking self-awakening and self-benefit. These are what we must completely get rid of. He “destroyed his ignorance and delusions.” So, this discrimination, this delusion and this ignorance had already been destroyed. He had already pushed aside his delusions. Ignorance no longer bound him. “He destroyed ignorance and delusions.” He was no longer entangled by these. So, “Hence it says, ‘His mind was purified.'” He would never attract such ignorance again.
“Having opened up to the. Buddha’s understanding and views, [he felt joy].” We now have already come to understand the Buddha’s understanding and views. They have been opened and revealed to us, so we have realized and entered them. The Buddha came to open and reveal them to us. We have already realized and entered them. So, we are quite joyful. “This kind of joy is that of inner awakening.” We feel very joyful inside.
“He then arose from his seat and came before the Buddha.”
He then arose from his seat and came before the Buddha. ․He arose from his seat because he wanted to make a request. He first left his seat and came before the Buddha.
Purna Maitrayaniputra had already understood these teachings and so was filled with joy. Because he was so joyful, he rose up from his seat. He understood the Dharma and how people before him had received predictions. From the Chapter on the Conjured City, from the Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddhas in the Introductory Chapter and from Great Unhindered Buddha in the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City, there had been so many inconceivable causes and conditions. The mind of great freedom of all Buddhas, Their great spiritual powers and great wisdom, he had already understood all of these. So, he was very joyful and rose from his seat. “He wanted to make a request.” He came before the Buddha. He arose from his seat and came before the Buddha.
First he left his seat, then he went before the Buddha. Why did he come before the Buddha? Of course, he had a request. What request did he have? Everyone, we should all understand that the. Chapter on 500 Disciples Receiving Predictions starts off with Purna Maitrayaniputra. So, in listening to the teachings, we should listen mindfully and sincerely, should listen earnestly and diligently. If we take the Dharma to heart, then we will be joyful. If we are diligent every day, with great joy, our conscience will be clear and we will always feel freedom and ease. Then we will truly feel leaps of joy, the joy of inner awakening. So everyone, please always be mindful!