Episode 1321 – Inspiring People to Diligently Seek the Dharma
>> “He spoke of diligently seeking the wondrous Dharma over many past kalpas to inspire all those people. How could they not seek it diligently? This shows that among all sutras, the Lotus Sutra is the foremost. Those who uphold this sutra will attain the perfect, impartial and unsurpassed path to Buddhahood.”
>> Now that He has bestowed predictions upon them, they need to practice diligently for many kalpas before they can realize the fruit. He feared they would not diligently seek to advance, so the Buddha used His own story as an example. He had been a king in the past and the people had the utmost respect for Him. Yet in order to uphold the Dharma, He did not hesitate to give His life and serve as a slave to seek the Dharma. Among noble beings of great wisdom, He sought the Dharma with sincerity and accepted the teachings with diligence and patience.
>> “At that time the Buddha addressed all those Bodhisattvas, heavenly beings and the fourfold assembly ‘Throughout infinite past kalpas, I sought the Lotus Sutra without indolence or weariness.'”
>> “Throughout many kalpas, I was constantly a king. I made vows to seek unsurpassed Bodhi and never retreated or deviated in my aspiration. This was because I wanted to perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas.”
>> Throughout many kalpas, I was constantly a king: Venerable Sakyamuni spoke of His own karmic conditions throughout many previous lives. Throughout many kalpas, He was always born into a royal family and became a king who rejoiced in the Dharma and sought the path.
>> I made vows to seek unsurpassed Bodhi and never retreated or deviated in my aspiration: He made great vows, hoping to seek the path to Buddhahood. Moreover, throughout infinite kalpas, His mind never retreated nor deviated. Never retreating nor deviating in his aspiration means being born with royal status and the pleasures of the five desires did not cause Him to lose His original intent. [It was the same] when He was harmed by enemies and suffered from evils and adversities; neither favorable nor adverse conditions could cause Him to lose His initial aspiration.
>> This was because I wanted to perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas: First He made vows, then He put them into practice. Only when vows and practice support one another can Buddhahood be attained. He used matters to transform [those following] the limited teachings. He used principles to transform [those following] the initial teachings. With separate teachings, He transformed them in sequence.
>> He used matters to transform [those following] the limited teachings: I vow to deliver countless sentient beings. I vow to eliminate endless afflictions. I vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors. I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood. These are the Four Great Vows. These are [the vows] Bodhisattvas make. All practitioners of the Great Vehicle must hold them in mind and put them into practice.
>> [He used] principles to transform [those following] the initial teachings: This refers to the World-Honored One’s teachings and His admonishments to practice them. There are also the Four Noble Truths, the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence and the Eightfold Noble Path. This is the sequence of the principles He taught.
>> With separate teachings, He transformed them in sequence: Venerable Sakyamuni always expounded the Dharma according to sentient beings’ capabilities, teaching them with skillful means. Initially, there were no sects or schools. After the Great Dharma spread to the East, Chinese practitioners in later generations saw the Buddha-Dharma as a boundless ocean. To facilitate a plan for practice and study, they each selected one path to specialize in and focus on. Thus, the various sects and schools were formed.
>> They especially “sought faith, understanding, practice and realization as well as to open, reveal, realize and enter the Buddha’s views and understanding.”
“He spoke of diligently seeking the wondrous Dharma over many past kalpas
to inspire all those people.
How could they not seek it diligently?
This shows that among all sutras,
the Lotus Sutra is the foremost.
Those who uphold this sutra
will attain the perfect, impartial and unsurpassed path to Buddhahood.”
We must mindfully understand this. Throughout many kalpas in the past, over a very, very long time, [the Buddha] diligently sought the wondrous Dharma. This is the main purpose of this passage. We mentioned previously that. Bodhisattvas, heavenly beings and the fourfold assembly were all at this Dharma-assembly. So, Sakyamuni Buddha seized the chance when many people were present. There were heavenly beings, male and female lay practitioners as well as male and female monastic practitioners and many other people present. He wanted to help everyone understand that engaging in spiritual practice is not something for the short-term. It cannot be accomplished just in this lifetime; it requires a very long time. So, He brought up many examples of matters and appearances from the past to help everyone understand that spiritual practice takes a very long time and that we must overcome many difficulties in the process.
“He spoke of diligently seeking the wondrous Dharma over many past kalpas.” Many kalpas is a very long time. It does not take just one kalpa, two kalpas, or three or five kalpas; no, it takes many kalpas. When we talk about time in “kalpas,” we cannot help but be reminded of the kalpas in the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City. The number used to measure that time was such that “a mathematician or a mathematician’s disciples” could not finish describing or counting it. It was such a long time. The Buddha very candidly and sincerely helped us realize that engaging in spiritual practice is not a short term matter. It is a very painstaking endeavor. It cannot be completed in one lifetime. We must all prepare ourselves mentally; this hard work and these many difficulties will last lifetime after lifetime.
We must diligently seek the wondrous Dharma. In this way, [the Buddha] encouraged us all. In learning the Buddha-Dharma, we must focus on seeking the wondrous Dharma. When seeking the Dharma, we must seek the True Dharma. We must not seek only the limited teachings of the Small Vehicle which only teach us how to eliminate afflictions. We must also go among people to truly serve all sentient beings in the world. Our goal is to seek the Dharma, this wondrous Dharma which can save all sentient beings in the world. In this manner, [the Buddha] inspired everyone. He encouraged everyone and spurred everyone on.
See, Sakyamuni Buddha, for His spiritual practice, had to leave the palace and its pleasures. If He could have completed His spiritual practice in the pleasurable environment of the palace, why would He need to become a monastic? He had to first let go. He had to let go of everything that ordinary people are unable to give up. He had to understand the suffering in the world and endure suffering unbearable to others. He had to experience this and seek [the Dharma]. Truly, this Dharma was not something He could ask for [from others] but something He had to realize from experience. In this way, the True Dharma was engraved in His mind. The Buddha wished to encourage us all to do this, to truly put the teachings into practice. We should not worry about the length of time nor fear challenges from people, matters and things. This was what the Buddha very earnestly and mindfully explained to us.
So, the Buddha was very earnest. He not only explained it but had also practiced it Himself. What He had experienced Himself. He frankly shared with everyone. Do we really not want to diligently seek it? The Buddha walked the path in this way and shared it with us very openly. Are we still really unable to start forming aspirations? We must be diligent in our seeking. We must diligently advance and seek the wondrous Dharma.
So, this shows that the Lotus Sutra is the king among sutras. “Among all sutras, it is the foremost.” What Sakyamuni Buddha diligently sought was the wondrous Dharma; this wondrous Dharma is the Lotus Sutra. When Many Treasures Buddha manifested His stupa at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, it was also for the sake of listening to the Lotus Sutra. This was why He manifested His stupa at the Lotus Dharma-assembly. So, the principle is the same. It was the same for Sakyamuni Buddha; He sought the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. Clearly, the foremost among all sutras is the Lotus Sutra. So, it is said that if we uphold this sutra, we will attain perfect enlightenment. It is the unsurpassed path to Buddhahood. Thus, we must be very mindful and seek to comprehend the Buddha’s intent. If we cannot understand the Buddha’s intent, if we listen to the sutra without reaching the Buddha’s original intent, though we listen, [the Dharma] will still leak out.
The Buddha’s sincerity cannot be doubted; we should trust Him. We should seek faith and understanding; we must have faith and understanding to awaken to [the Buddha’s intent]. We talked about this yesterday. So, we know that. “Now that He has bestowed predictions upon them, they need to practice diligently for many kalpas before they can realize the fruit.” Previously, in the. Chapter on 500 Disciples Receiving Predictions, we heard and read about how the 500 disciples, the 1200 disciples and so on received predictions. The Buddha bestowed these predictions upon them.
Now that He has bestowed predictions upon them, they need to practice diligently for many kalpas before they can realize the fruit. He feared they would not diligently seek to advance, so the Buddha used His own story as an example. He had been a king in the past and the people had the utmost respect for Him. Yet in order to uphold the Dharma, He did not hesitate to give His life and serve as a slave to seek the Dharma. Among noble beings of great wisdom, He sought the Dharma with sincerity and accepted the teachings with diligence and patience.
The Buddha bestowed predictions of Buddhahood solely to confirm for everyone that as long as we have formed great aspirations, we can also attain Buddhahood in the future. This is bestowing predictions of Buddhahood. But what happens after that? To begin with, we still need many kalpas, still need a very long time of diligent practice, before we will “be able to realize the fruit.” After receiving predictions of Buddhahood, we must not get carried away and think, “The Buddha has already recognized me. I have already reached [my goal]!” Not yet! The Buddha is only telling us, “Since you have formed great aspirations, in the future, you can attain Buddhahood.” That is all there is to it. He is giving us some recognition, but whether our future spiritual practice will bear fruit still depends on us.
So, [He] feared that they would get carried away, that after receiving this recognition they would become arrogant and start to slack off. Thus, “He feared they would not diligently seek to advance.” He worried that those who had received predictions of Buddhahood would start to become lax in their efforts and thus be unwilling to diligently advance. This was the Buddha’s compassion, how He cared for His disciples. He reminded them to be vigilant. “You should not think that after receiving predictions of Buddhahood, you can relax. This is the moment to increase your efforts, affirm yourselves and quickly start advancing. Only then can you reach your goal.”
Because of this, His care for His disciples’ minds, “He feared they would not diligently seek to advance, so the Buddha used His own story as an example.” The Buddha began to bring up how He engaged in spiritual practice in the past. It was not just this lifetime, when He had left the palace and gone out to, for many years, weather the elements and overcome many challenges among people, matters and things. It was not just in this lifetime. [He practiced] in the past as well. “He had been a king in the past. The people had the utmost respect for Him. Yet in order to uphold the Dharma, He did not hesitate to give His life and serve as a slave to seek the Dharma.” It was the same in the past. He had been a king whom the people had the utmost respect for. Yet in order to seek the Dharma, in order to seek and uphold the Dharma, He did not hesitate to give His life. He willingly served a mystic as a slave in order to seek the Dharma. The upcoming sutra passages begin to explain this so that we can understand.
“Among noble beings of great wisdom, He sought the Dharma with sincerity.” Noble beings have this great wisdom. People become noble beings with great wisdom by sincerely seeking the Dharma. In this manner, “He sought the Dharma with sincerity and accepted the teachings.” [He sought the Dharma] earnestly, meaning He was very diligent. He could endure everything in the world. He was always able to endure; this is the journey of spiritual practice. We should seek to realize and understand this.
Thus, we must be very mindful. We must understand the Buddha’s dedication in educating His disciples. He wanted everyone to understand; this expresses the Buddha’s sincerity. He would never lie or hide anything; He would never try to trick sentient beings. The Buddha speaks the truth, what is real; He does not speak lies. In our practice, we must rely on ourselves. The Buddha simply became aware earlier than us, and then helped us understand the Dharma He had [awakened to]. But our spiritual practice depends on us. Moreover, the path of spiritual practice is long; from our own minds, we must constantly eliminate all afflictions, ignorance and so on, including our dust-like delusions. This depends on our sincerity and mindfulness. At this time, it depends on us, on the method we use to diligently advance.
In this lifetime, how do we use our time? In the time we have life after life, how do we seek the Buddha-Dharma and put it into practice? These things all depend on us. This was how He very frankly admonished us, telling us and warning us that as we engage in spiritual practice, receiving predictions from the Buddha does not mean we can be complacent, no. We must continue on in our spiritual practice. We must clearly understand the Buddha’s intention.
The previous sutra passage states,
“At that time the Buddha addressed all those Bodhisattvas, heavenly beings and the fourfold assembly ‘Throughout infinite past kalpas, I sought the Lotus Sutra without indolence or weariness.'”
Sakyamuni Buddha talked about Himself to first of all help everyone understand that in spiritual practice, we must rely on ourselves. Now, the Buddha worried that everyone would become indolent, so He talked about Himself, about His past. He used matters and appearances from the past to help everyone very clearly understand the law of karma. [He] sought the Lotus Sutra for countless kalpas without indolence or weariness. He requested the Dharma without indolence or weariness. He was very diligent. No matter what kind of environment He encountered, He endured them all.
So, the next sutra passage says,
“Throughout many kalpas, I was constantly a king. I made vows to seek unsurpassed Bodhi and never retreated or deviated in my aspiration. This was because I wanted to perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas.”
This was what the Buddha wished to tell everyone. “Throughout many kalpas, I was constantly a king.” Throughout His spiritual practice. He always formed good affinities among people and created blessings. Therefore, for many kalpas, for a very long time, life after life, “He was constantly a king. He made vows to seek unsurpassed Bodhi.” In every lifetime, without interruption, it was always the same.
Throughout many kalpas, I was constantly a king: Venerable Sakyamuni spoke of His own karmic conditions throughout many previous lives. Throughout many kalpas, He was always born into a royal family and became a king who rejoiced in the Dharma and sought the path.
Although He enjoyed pleasures in the palace and was called a king among people, He did not forget. His aspiration to seek unsurpassed Bodhi. For lifetime after lifetime, He never retreated nor deviated from this aspiration. His direction was to perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas. Everyone knows about the Six Paramitas, about actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions.
He wanted to perfect the Dharma He practiced. As it was, as the king, He could always live in enjoyment and it would be easy to give charitably. But along with giving, He had to uphold precepts. As a king, He could do whatever pleased Him. Who could force Him to follow the rules? In order to perfect His [practice], He thought, “How am I going to follow the rules? How do I endure the suffering among people?” He had to be able to endure those sufferings others could not endure. He did this to perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas. Others could not achieve this, but even though he was a king among people, He had to be able to accomplish them. So, giving, upholding precepts, patience diligence, Samadhi and wisdom were what He expected of Himself to achieve. Otherwise, as a king, the only thing He could achieve was giving. But there are still many things He had to do. So, for lifetime after lifetime, He did this to perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas.
So, “Venerable Sakyamuni spoke of His own karmic conditions throughout many previous lives.” He not only talked about this life but about how, in many past lifetimes, His karmic conditions were such that. He was constantly a king. This happened throughout many lifetimes. “Throughout many kalpas, He was always born into a royal family and became a king who rejoiced in the Dharma and sought the path.” Immersed in the Dharma, He was very joyful. Continuously seeking the Dharma and engaging in spiritual practice made Him very joyful. This was to perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas. If he sought and attained [the Dharma], he could put it into practice. He rejoiced in the Dharma; He was very happy! He was happy that He could seek and obtain the Buddha-Dharma, so he “rejoiced in the Dharma and sought the path.” He took great delight in the Buddha-Dharma, so He sought the Bodhisattva-path. He wished to perfect the practice of this path. To [perfect] the Bodhisattva-path, He had to practice the Six Paramitas.
Thus, “I made vows to seek unsurpassed Bodhi and never retreated or deviated in my aspiration.”
I made vows to seek unsurpassed Bodhi and never retreated or deviated in my aspiration: He made great vows, hoping to seek the path to Buddhahood. Moreover, throughout infinite kalpas, His mind never retreated nor deviated. Never retreating nor deviating in his aspiration means being born with royal status and the pleasures of the five desires did not cause Him to lose His original intent. [It was the same] when He was harmed by enemies and suffered from evils and adversities; neither favorable nor adverse conditions could cause Him to lose His initial aspiration.
[To perfect] the Six Paramitas we must begin with making vows. “He made great vows, hoping to seek the path to Buddhahood.” All Buddhas share the same path. During every Buddha’s spiritual practice, He must make great vows and practice the Bodhisattva-path. Every Bodhisattva must begin with making great vows. They “hope to seek the path to Buddhahood.” This is the causal practice of the Six Paramitas. The causal practice of the Six Paramitas is the Bodhisattva-practice. If the seed of this cause never matures, how can we attain the fruit of Buddhahood? So, “He made great vows, hoping to seek the path to Buddhahood. Moreover, throughout infinite kalpas,” even over a very long time, “His mind never retreated nor deviated.” His mindset was to advance without retreating. No matter what kind of difficulties or adverse conditions appear before us, we will wholeheartedly refuse to retreat. Our aspirations to practice will be very firm.
In this world, if we do not have firm aspirations, we will not succeed in anything we do. Then when we encounter issues, whether they are right or wrong, we ourselves will be unclear. We will be unhappy, and naturally, we will retreat and give up. If we lived in this way, what could we accomplish? How could we talk about learning the Dharma?
Learning the Buddha-Dharma has always required a very firm resolve. So, “His mind never retreated.” Since we want to attain Buddhahood, we must engage in spiritual practice. This takes countless kalpas of time. Our minds must never consider retreating or deviating. No, our minds must be firm. There is so much Dharma for us to practice! What other teachings do we need to seek? What other knowledge do we need to pursue? There is so much [to learn]. We cannot even fully learn our own fundamental responsibility. What more are we still trying to pursue?
So, we must mindfully seek to comprehend this. We must trust that the Buddha speaks the truth, speaks what is real and does not speak falsehoods. This path should be walked in this manner. If we sincerely engage in spiritual practice, we will be on the right [path]. Our mind constantly fluctuates, so how can we steady our mind to keep walking [on the path] forever? So, never retreating or deviating in aspiration “means being born with royal status and the pleasures of the five desires did not cause Him to lose His original intent.” The royal status mentioned here refers to a past lifetime. Sakyamuni Buddha was a prince in this lifetime. In previous lives, He was a king. He was endowed with royal status and could enjoy the pleasures of the five desires. However, this “did not cause Him to lose His original intent.” We must not lose our aspiration. Our initial aspiration must be very firm. “If we uphold our vows and follow the path, our path will be great.” If we cannot uphold this intent, if we cannot uphold this aspiration, how can we talk about spiritual practice?
So, “He was harmed by enemies and suffered from evils and adversities.” When we engage in spiritual practice, we might face resentment among people and matters. No matter what we do, some people will be unhappy, so they will resent us. Or they might be jealous of us and so on. No matter how much we give, they detest us and want to oppose us. Anything we do that is right, they think is wrong. They will still harbor this hostility and keep doing things to go against us. Although we are clearly doing the right thing, they intentionally go against us as we are heading in the right direction. They tempt people to do what is wrong and attack the right things we have done by starting rumors that create a tempest of ignorance. In our spiritual practice, we must be able to endure this.
So, “He was harmed by enemies and suffered from evils and adversities.” These are evils. Although what we do is clearly right, they do everything to obstruct us. This is very painful! They do things that should not be done and try to obstruct us in all kinds of ways. This “suffering from evils and adversities” refers to people obstructing us in various ways. “Neither favorable nor adverse conditions….” Not even in favorable conditions, enjoying pleasures as a king, did [the Buddha] lose His initial aspirations, no! Even as a king, His aspiration was still very clear in His mind. Although in the world there are so many kinds of evil and adversity due to people and matters, when we are treated this way, we will not let this cause us to retreat or deviate from our spiritual aspiration. Not at all!
So, “Neither favorable nor adverse conditions could cause Him to lose His initial aspiration.” When in favorable conditions, when enjoying pleasures, the enjoyment did not cause Him to lose His initial aspiration. Also evils and adversities never obstructed His will to practice. He persisted in His original vow. No matter how long it would take or how painful it would be, He was willing to endure it. This was the direction of His initial aspiration which He always firmly maintained. Shouldn’t all of us reflect on ourselves? Are we able to do this?
“This was because I wanted to perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas.” All of us know the Six Paramitas. So, “First He made vows, then He put them into practice. Only when vows and practice support one another can Buddhahood be attained. He used matters to transform [those following] the limited teachings. He used principles to transform [those following] the initial teachings. With separate teachings, He transformed them in sequence.”
This was because I wanted to perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas: First He made vows, then He put them into practice. Only when vows and practice support one another can Buddhahood be attained. He used matters to transform [those following] the limited teachings. He used principles to transform [those following] the initial teachings. With separate teachings, He transformed them in sequence.
We are beginning to make vows in our heart because we have understood that we live our lives in confusion, not knowing where we came from or where we go. After understanding the principles, we know that in life, starting from a thought of ignorance, we have created many negative causes and negative conditions and have experienced endless sufferings. We have lost ourselves. In this way, for lifetime after lifetime, causes and conditions have held us back. This continues without end!
After we understand this, we begin to make vows to engage in spiritual practice. So, we have to “first [make] vows.” If we do not first give rise to a thought providing the direction of our aspiration, how do we take the first step? Thus, it says, “First He made vows, then He put them into practice.” Everything begins with a thought in our minds; only then can we set things in motion. So, “First He made vows, then He put them into practice. Vows and practice support one another.” If we have vows but do not put them into practice, we will not succeed in our spiritual cultivation. If we practice without vows, our practice will not last long. So, vows and practice must support one another. Vows and practice must be united; this is why [the Buddha is called] “the Two-Footed Honored One.” We need both vows and action, compassion and wisdom. We must exercise both compassion and wisdom. [We need both] wisdom and compassion, as well as both vows and practice. These must be in parallel. We must exercise both compassion and wisdom. Vows and practice must support one another. These are like pairs of feet; only when we are replete with them “can Buddhahood be attained.” Only in this way can we attain Buddhahood.
The Buddha, in His compassion, adapted to sentient being’s capabilities. He used “matters to transform [those following] the limited teachings” and “principles to transform [those following] the initial teachings.” Then “with separate teachings, He transformed them in sequence.” To transform sentient beings is not easy!
What does “He used matters to transform [those following] the limited teachings” mean? It refers to the Four Great Vows. “I vow to deliver countless sentient beings. I vow to eliminate endless afflictions. I vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors. I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.” These are the Four Great Vows. “These are [the vows] Bodhisattvas make.” All practitioners of the Great Vehicle must hold them in mind and put them into practice.
He used matters to transform [those following] the limited teachings: I vow to deliver countless sentient beings. I vow to eliminate endless afflictions. I vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors. I vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood. These are the Four Great Vows. These are [the vows] Bodhisattvas make. All practitioners of the Great Vehicle must hold them in mind and put them into practice.
We begin by forming aspirations to practice the Bodhisattva-path. If we want to engage in spiritual practice, seek the Great Vehicle Dharma and practice the Bodhisattva-path, we must begin with these four. Starting from the Small, we make vows. We make vows to practice the Great Vehicle Dharma.
As ordinary people, we start from knowing nothing. But with so many teachings, where should we begin? We should benefit ourselves and at the same time benefit others. “I vow to deliver countless sentient beings.” However, to transform sentient beings, if we have our own afflictions and ignorance and our mind constantly fluctuates, how can we transform sentient beings? So, we must first eliminate our afflictions. So, “I vow to eliminate endless afflictions.” To eliminate afflictions, we need methods, a great number of different methods. Thus, “I vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors.” We must be willing to learn the many teachings that are found in the Buddha-Dharma. We must focus on learning the Buddha’s teachings to know how to deal with the fluctuations of our own afflictions, how to tame them. When these afflictions no longer stir in our minds, we can transform sentient beings.
To transform sentient beings, we ourselves must be able to eliminate afflictions and learn all Dharma-doors. We also wish for all sentient beings to likewise enter the path to Buddhahood. “I take refuge in the Buddha. May all living beings comprehend the great path.” What we ourselves understand, we want to help everyone understand as well. We must eliminate our afflictions and establish our wisdom. We must also “[wish for] all living beings to delve deeply into the sutra treasury and have wisdom as vast as the ocean.” This is not only for us. So, we must sincerely follow the teachings of the Three Treasures. Thus, “I take refuge in the Sangha. May all living beings lead the people harmoniously without obstructions.”
If we still have afflictions in our minds and we do not have clear understanding regarding the Buddha-Dharma, how can we transform all sentient beings to enter the path to Buddhahood? How can we guide them to enter the ocean of wisdom? Therefore, we absolutely have to “vow to learn infinite Dharma-doors.” Only then can we “vow to attain unsurpassed Buddhahood.” To complete the path to Buddhahood, we must perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas.
As a king, [the Buddha] had to accomplish all of these. This is “[using] matters to transform [those following] the limited teachings.” This is the vow that Bodhisattvas must make and the path we must first start walking. This is the vow that the Bodhisattvas have made. Without practicing the Bodhisattva-path, we will never be able to attain Buddhahood. We need the causal practice of the Six Paramitas. We must actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions. This way, we can be joyful as we walk this path. We must all have [these vows]. So, as practitioners of the Great Vehicle. “We must hold them in mind” and furthermore “put them into practice.” We must not only hold them in mind but also put them into practical action. This is the vow Bodhisattvas make; it is the starting point for attaining Buddhahood. All practitioners of the Great Vehicle must earnestly hold them firmly in mind. We must remember them. For lifetime after lifetime, over countless kalpas, we must hold them in mind as well as put them into practice.
So, “[He used] principles to transform [those following] the initial teachings.” We just mentioned “[using] matters to transform [those following] the limited teachings.” Now, “[He used] principles to transform [those following] the initial teachings.” This refers to the World-Honored One’s teachings and His admonishments to practice them. There are also the Four Noble Truths, the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence and the Eightfold Noble Path. This is the sequence of the principles He taught.
[He used] principles to transform [those following] the initial teachings: This refers to the World-Honored One’s teachings and His admonishments to practice them. There are also the Four Noble Truths, the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence and the Eightfold Noble Path. This is the sequence of the principles He taught.
The Buddha taught the Dharma in this manner. At the same time, He wanted us to put the teachings into practice. He not only trained [us] but also constantly admonished us. “This is the process you must go through. You must not violate the rules or precepts.” Simultaneously, [He taught] the Four Noble Truths. Do we understand the Four Noble Truths? The Four Noble Truths are the general outline, but do we understand the finer details? After understanding them, have we practiced them? These are the Four Noble Truths.
In addition, there is the origin of our life, “the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence.” Are we clear on these? Have we understood them? This is something we must ask ourselves. The Buddha has already told us the process of our spiritual training. He has helped us understand it, but have we been able to do it? Have we understood it? There is also the Eightfold Right Path. Have we put it into practice? In our thinking, in our actions, in the words we speak, in our perspectives and mindset, as we interact with people and deal with matters, in our every action, do we practice the Eightfold Right Path?
There is right speech, right thinking, right action, right livelihood etc. Are we able to practice them? We know these details, we know their names, but do we understand their meaning? Only by understanding this can we awaken. We must have faith and understanding to be able to attain realization. This is what we understand when we practice. So, we must awaken and gain right understanding to be able to go among people to open and reveal [the Dharma] for sentient beings so they can realize and enter the Buddha’s understanding and views. We talked about this yesterday. “This is the sequence of the principles He taught.” The Four Noble Truths, the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence and the Eightfold Noble Path, have we understood them all? These are the principles; they are outlines. As for the finer details, are we clear on them? Do we practice them?
This is “the sequence of the principles He taught.” Then, “with separate teachings, He transformed them in sequence.”
With separate teachings, He transformed them in sequence: Venerable Sakyamuni always expounded the Dharma according to sentient beings’ capabilities, teaching them with skillful means. Initially, there were no sects or schools. After the Great Dharma spread to the East, Chinese practitioners in later generations saw the Buddha-Dharma as a boundless ocean. To facilitate a plan for practice and study, they each selected one path to specialize in and focus on. Thus, the various sects and schools were formed.
When Sakyamuni Buddha was teaching the Dharma, He taught according to sentient beings’ capabilities, teaching them with skillful means. In the beginning, during the Buddha’s time, “initially, there were no sects or schools.” There were none. When the Buddha gave teachings, He simply taught what He needed to teach. He simply taught the principles as they were. There were no different sects or schools. But after the Great Dharma spread to the East and came to China, the Buddha-Dharma thrived and various sects and schools gradually formed.
So, “The Great Dharma spread to the East.” This was how it happened. “Chinese practitioners in later generations” saw the Buddha-Dharma “as a boundless ocean.” They did not know which course to take. In fact, there is no need for sects and schools. But the Buddha-Dharma is like a boundless ocean. They were at a loss regarding how to begin to understand it. Because of this, “To facilitate a plan for practice and study, they each selected one path to specialize in and focus on.” Because our lifespan is limited, we seek one path to specialize in and focus on. We understand clearly the path we can practice. “Thus, the various sects and schools were formed.”
This was how they were formed.
They especially
“Sought faith, understanding, practice and realization as well as to open, reveal, realize and enter the Buddha’s views and understanding.”
This was all to help us understand. We should be clear on the teachings, principles, practice and realization. Thus, for us sentient beings to learn the path, we must mindfully comprehend the Dharma.
In the Buddha’s era, [He taught us] the Dharma was like this, and that we needed to understand it. Most important is that we must practice the Bodhisattva-path and go among people, coming and going with ease. We must practice to the point where we will not be tempted by sentient beings. Whether in adverse or favorable conditions, our spiritual aspirations must remain firm. This is what is most important. But in which direction should we go? Our life is limited and time passes by quickly. What should we do?
For instance, as members of Tzu Chi, at this time, we need to pass on the Dharma and establish our school of Buddhism. We are starting to establish our own. Buddhist studies research institute. But what syllabus should we teach? I have told them, it should be all about Tzu Chi. How do we set up an outline for the past 50 years? How do we categorize the details? The world today is full of turbidities, so we need even more Living Bodhisattvas who form aspirations and willingly go among people to bring purity to people’s hearts and give of themselves for the world. Thus [we should teach] how, in these 50 years, these teachings have benefited sentient beings. [Tzu Chi] has gone from non-existence to existence and is now spread throughout the world. How was this Dharma established? This is what we must focus on. I hope we will seek faith, understanding, practice and realization as well as to open and reveal for sentient beings to realize and enter the Buddha’s understanding and views. We must be clear on the teachings and principles. This is very important. So, everyone, please always be mindful!