Episode 1322 – Unstintingly Giving Up His Own Life
>> “He vowed to engage in the Bodhisattva-practice, desiring to attain the fruit of Buddhahood. Thus He earnestly increased His diligence and was never indolent in the slightest. In seeking the Dharma,. He would not hesitate to give His life. He diligently engaged in the causal practice of the Six Paramitas. He feared that they would be unwilling to diligently seek the path to Buddhahood, so He used His own story as an example” .
>> For spiritual practitioners, both favorable and adverse conditions are beneficial . These [people] are actually beneficial adverse friends for Buddhist practitioners . In particular, when we come together with adverse and negative conditions, if we take them as favorable, they are beneficial, thus they are beneficial adverse conditions . [People like these] are called virtuous friends .
>> He had been a king in the past . The people had the utmost respect for Him . Yet He did not hesitate to give His life and serve as a slave to seek the Dharma . Noble beings with great wisdom are easiest to teach, yet He attained Bodhi only in this lifetime . This shows the difficulty even within easiness .
>> “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” . [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 12- Chapter on Devadatta]
>> “I earnestly practiced giving, begrudging nothing in my heart, not elephants, horses, the Seven Treasures, kingdoms, cities, wives, children, slaves, maids, servants, not my head, eyes, marrow, brain, body, flesh, hands or feet. I would not even begrudge my own life” . [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 12- Chapter on Devadatta]
>> Perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas: . The formal name for giving is the dana paramita . Guarding against the Seven Branches [of karma] is called the paramita of precepts . Enduring physical or verbal abuse without resentment is called the paramita of patience . Persevering in something the whole way through is called the paramita of diligence . Engaging in skillful contemplation is called the paramita of Samadhi . Wisdom is called the prajna paramita .
>> The Seven Branches: . Among the ten evils, the first seven evils are called the Seven Branches . They are the three evils of the body, killing, stealing and sexual misconduct, and the four evils of speech, lies, flattery, gossip and harsh words .
>> The Six Paramitas: . Through practicing these Six Paramitas, we will cross from this shore of samsara . We will cross the currents of afflictions to reach the other shore of Nirvana . The Lotus Sutra’s Introductory Chapter states: . For the sake of the Bodhisattvas, . He responded by expounding the Six Paramitas .
>> I earnestly practiced giving, begrudging nothing in my heart: . Among the Six Paramitas, giving is foremost . The dana paramita encompasses all practices . Thus, He said He earnestly practiced giving, sparing nothing, to teach the people of the world the foundations of spiritual practice .
>> This means that those who cultivate the Bodhisattva-practice vow to seek the fruit of Buddhahood. And so they earnestly increase their diligence without the slightest bit of indolence and widely gather all roots of goodness.
>> Elephants, horses, the Seven Treasures, kingdoms, cities and so on show the external forms of giving . This is being able to part with external wealth . To remain unattached to love and desire and to give wives, children, slaves, maids etc. is an internal-external form of giving .
>> Nor my head, eyes, marrow, brain, body, flesh, hands, feet. I would not even begrudge my own life: The giving of the head, eyes and the like, refers to the giving of one’s own life. So long as someone requested it, He would give it to them.
“He vowed to engage in the Bodhisattva-practice,
desiring to attain the fruit of Buddhahood.
Thus He earnestly increased His diligence and
was never indolent in the slightest.
In seeking the Dharma,. He would not hesitate to give His life.
He diligently engaged in the causal practice of the Six Paramitas.
He feared that they would be unwilling to diligently seek the path to Buddhahood,
so He used His own story as an example” .
Previously, we have often talked about how Sakyamuni Buddha, lifetime after lifetime, earnestly and diligently practiced . Lifetime after lifetime, He never forgot . He always practiced the Bodhisattva-path . Sakyamuni Buddha, the Great Enlightened One, succeeded [in His spiritual practice] because He never forgot His initial aspiration . He never let His earliest aspiration leak away, even over the course of countless lifetimes . Whatever His environment, . He always vowed to practice the Bodhisattva-path . He never forgot . As unenlightened beings, in this life we are unaware of what happened in previous lifetimes . But Sakyamuni Buddha, over countless lifetimes, never let this leak away . It remained fresh in His memory . Thus, He never forgot His initial aspiration, never forgot that time when . He made His initial aspirations . Dust-inked kalpas before, during the era of the 16 princes, . He made a vow to uphold the Lotus Sutra and to continually seek the Great Vehicle Dharma . Continually, over the course of countless kalpas, it was the always the same . “He vowed to engage in the Bodhisattva-practice” .
So, He “desired to attain the fruit of Buddhahood” . He had but one aspiration, which was to attain the fruit of Buddhahood . He sought nothing else . This was His vow . So, “He earnestly increased His diligence and was never indolent in the slightest” . He always did all He could, was always dedicated . He was always earnest and increased his diligence . Each lifetime He was more dedicated than the last, always seeking the Buddha-Dharma . Regardless of the environment He found Himself in, whether favorable or adverse, whether joyful or harmful, no matter the conditions He encountered, these only strengthened His will to practice . His only goal was to attain Buddhahood . As He earnestly increased His diligence, . He was never in the least bit indolent . Whatever His environment, . He was always very mindful and diligent .
“In seeking the Dharma,. He would not hesitate to give His life” . The lifespan of one’s body always follows the laws of nature . However, our wisdom-life is boundless . This time when I went traveling [around Taiwan], . I kept hearing how everyone listens to the Dharma and takes it to heart . They have come to understand the meaning of physical life and wisdom-life . Everyone already understands this . We must not just care for our physical lives and use this as excuse to become indolent . Even our elderly Bodhisattvas are all aware that life is just a road leading from birth to death . This is natural . However much we cherish and care for our life, it is still the same .
Although some wear feeding tubes down their nose, they still come to the recycling center every day . [One volunteer] works there very joyfully . He said, “What’s the difference?. I am still ill, that doesn’t change. If I sit at home all day, it is very boring. When I’m by myself, the more I think about it, the worse my illness gets. The less I have to do, the more afflicted I feel. I’m better off coming to the recycling station, where I can chat and laugh with others. There, I am not wasting my time away. I can do work there like everyone else, sorting recyclables to the best of my ability. What I gain is my own. I may not accomplish that much, but what I gain is my own. There is companionship and conversation,. I can hear the sound of laughter there and that of people repeating the Dharma [they heard]” . By turning his thoughts around, he could open his mind . A lifetime’s worth of time passes away like this . Since he is ill, it is even more important for him to turn his physical life into wisdom-life .
This is also like Dr. Hong . Both he and his wife are doctors . If this pair of doctors would have kept their clinic open every day, they would have had many patients . Wouldn’t they have been able to make lots of money by keeping their clinic open every day? . Nevertheless, they [prefer] to volunteer with our medical association . They go to visit villages in the mountains, hold free clinics in the countryside and so on . Many in those communities are older than them and have families that are in difficulty . Some are disabled and some are poor and are thus unable to go see a doctor .
They feel that, since those people cannot go out, they should go there to see them . That way they can visit many people, give them medicine, understand their physical conditions and comfort and care for them . They feel that, compared with sitting in their clinic and seeing patients for money, it is better to go out and give people medicine, personally going to those places to care for them . This brings them great joy .
Whether here in Taiwan or whenever they hear that medical assistance is needed abroad, they are very happy to [dedicate themselves] . They may go for half a month or for a month . Sometimes they go back and forth several times . They felt that it was better for them to close the clinic, so their minds could be without hindrances . Then, they could focus on freely going to the mountains or to the countryside and on often going into the community to serve . They say that they are turning their physical life into wisdom-life . And they are not the only ones benefiting . They packed up their clinic and turned it into a spiritual practice center . Every day, more than 100 people come there to listen to the Dharma . They can accommodate more than 200 people .
They feel so happy! . Although they do not earn any money, when they see so many people, they “[wish for] all sentient beings to comprehend the great path” . They see so many coming to listen to the Dharma, mutually sharing what they have learned and developing their wisdom-lives together . They all study the Dharma together; “delve deeply into the sutra treasury and have wisdom like the ocean” . During the discussions, [some may say,] . “I didn’t understand [before], but hearing others share their realizations,. I realized, oh, that is how it is!. Now I understand!” . They encourage and spur each other on to “delve deeply into the sutra treasury and have wisdom like the ocean” . They are so joyful! .
They also hope everyone can “lead the people harmoniously” . They have this spiritual practice center where people can come and go freely . There, everyone can accept the Buddha-Dharma, realize what makes life valuable and learn how to go about helping people in suffering . Having this opportunity to help society grow in love and bring purity to people’s hearts makes them even happier than they would be earning money . In seeking the Dharma like they do, they are unstinting with their time and do not fear hard work; they use their bodies to give in this way . Moreover, they do not wish to earn money; they have already earned more than enough . Now it is their time to give . They live a simple life, and their children are grown and successful . With a change of mindset, they use the money they earned from this world to help the world and use the specialties they have learned, these wondrous skills, to become wondrous humanitarian doctors . Isn’t what they are doing in fact the causal practice of earnestly and diligently actualizing the Six Paramitas? . They don’t just donate money but put the Dharma into action by doing what they do, by giving the way they do .
Sometimes, helping others is not all that easy; difficulties can pile up one upon another . In our relationships with others, sometimes whatever we do, we are unable to satisfy everyone . Nonetheless, giving, precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom are all present in [these doctors’] acts of giving . By giving of ourselves like this among people, in our own lives we sow wholesome seeds in the ground of our minds . Isn’t this something we are all presently able to do in the world? . We should all be able to do this .
We do not hesitate to give our own lives . We might not yet, like the Buddha, “[give our] heads, eyes, marrow and brains to others” . We have not yet reached that level . However, putting the Dharma into action and going to help others is something we should all be able to do . Nowadays, we even frequently hear about people who willingly donate a kidney to save another or [part of] their liver; when there is a match, there are those willing to give their liver in order to save someone else . Is it always between family members? . Not necessarily . Nowadays, there are many fathers and mothers who donate to their children and children who do this for their parents . There are daughters donating to their fathers! . Our modern technology is very advanced; in the Buddha’s time, it shows His wisdom that . [He said,] “head, eyes, marrow and brain were all given to others” .
In this era now, when people are lacking [functioning organs], it is not difficult to donate to them . The hospital will care well for us, and our bodies can tolerate a short time of pain . In this way, we can save people . Isn’t this happening now? . In particular, with bone marrow donation, we often see reunions of donors and recipients . From inside their body, they can extract that which can produce blood . They now use peripheral blood which contains stem cells that can be filtered out . After drawing [the blood], it can save people by providing the function of producing blood cells .
The Buddha’s wisdom was truly incredible . In that era, . He was surprisingly able to say, . “[My] head, eyes, marrow and brain were all given to others” . Although today’s [medical] science has not yet reached the point where we are able to perform head transplants, although this is not possible yet, there are countries now where they can already do successful face transplants . Medicine has now advanced to such a level that as long as we are willing, we can donate anything .
Actually, “In seeking the Dharma, not hesitating to give [one’s] life” is not difficult . As long as we do not begrudge using our hands and feet to help others, as long as we are able to persevere and, with both our physical life and wisdom-life, seize the time we have, not hesitating to use our hands and feet to serve others, this will all be considered “not hesitating to give one’s life” . Even though that elderly person was sick, he felt he was too lonely by himself, so he would come out to enjoy conversation and laughter . Even though he still carried that tube, he was still able to give of himself . He too does not hesitate to give his life; he keeps working like this . He is joyful, happy and willing to do it .
So this is “diligently engaging in the causal practice of the Six Paramitas” . It is by no means easy, but it is not impossible . This is something we too can do . So, the Buddha told us many stories from His past lifetimes . There are many [stories] in the Jataka Sutra, all with the purpose of encouraging us to diligently advance . He worried that we would no longer diligently advance . This was because, as we discussed earlier, the Buddha had already bestowed predictions on His disciples . He worried that those who had received predictions would think, . “I have already received predictions;. I will attain Buddhahood in the future anyway” and thus begin to slack off and become indolent . So, the Buddha, “fearing that they would be unwilling to diligently seek the path to Buddhahood,” then began to “use His own story as an example” . He recounted stories from His own past lifetimes so that everyone would understand .
These tell how, “For spiritual practitioners, both favorable and adverse conditions are beneficial” .
For spiritual practitioners, both favorable and adverse conditions are beneficial . These [people] are actually beneficial adverse friends for Buddhist practitioners . In particular, when we come together with adverse and negative conditions, if we take them as favorable, they are beneficial, thus they are beneficial adverse conditions . [People like these] are called virtuous friends .
For spiritual practitioners, it does not matter what conditions they encounter . Spiritual practitioners treat both beneficial or adverse conditions as assisting conditions that all increase our determination to practice . They all increase our experience as practitioners as they all serve to temper us . Thus, they are all assisting conditions . Even if we face gentle temptations, like wealth, food, fame and lust, our minds will remain very stable . Likewise, if we face harsh negative conditions adverse conditions that pile up on top of us, we will remain very firm in our aspirations . “These [people] are actually beneficial adverse friends for Buddhist practitioners” . Whether our conditions are adverse or beneficial, these people are all good friends who help us succeed in our spiritual cultivation . Whatever [challenges] they present to us, they all serve to help us succeed in our spiritual practice .
So, especially when we find ourselves facing adverse and harmful conditions, we should accept them as favorable . They are actually positive; though they are negative [conditions] that oppress us in all kinds of ways, if we think something is the right thing to do, we will not hesitate to give our all to achieve it . When adversity comes, we accept it as favorable . These people are also our virtuous friends! . They allow us to test our strength . So, it is just like a tug-of-war . Will our adversary win, or will we win? . They want to drag us over there, so we must find a reserve of strength . Not only must we not be dragged there, in the end we must bring them here instead! . Only an adversary enables us to test our strength and learn how much strength we actually have .
So, [these are] “beneficial adverse friends” . Since we are learning from the Buddha, we must take adversity as favorable and see [adversaries] as our beneficial friends . “In particular, when we come together with adverse and negative conditions, if we take them as favorable, they are beneficial” . Whatever adverse conditions we may encounter, we do not fight them, but patiently bear their force; we are able to endure them . “Thus these are beneficial adverse conditions” . These are known as beneficial adverse conditions; they are not favorable, but adverse conditions . We also call people like this “virtuous friends” .
These people are also “virtuous friends” . If we can be understanding and accommodating, then is there anything that could be in opposition to us? . So, we must practice gratitude . Being understanding is having gratitude . By being understanding, we can be accommodating . This is like how “He had been a king in the past. The people had the utmost respect for Him” . The present Sakyamuni Buddha in a previous lifetime was a king for whom the people had the utmost respect .
He had been a king in the past . The people had the utmost respect for Him . Yet He did not hesitate to give His life and serve as a slave to seek the Dharma . Noble beings with great wisdom are easiest to teach, yet He attained Bodhi only in this lifetime . This shows the difficulty even within easiness .
“Yet He did not hesitate to give His life and serve as a slave to seek the Dharma” . He even became a slave in order to seek the Dharma . He 否能 a mystic who told him, . “If you become my slave,. I will teach you the Dharma” . Even with this, He was able to endure! . So, people like this are “noble beings with great wisdom” . They “are easiest to teach” . People like this are the easiest ones to teach .
We just talked about how for Sakyamuni Buddha, lifetime after lifetime, regardless of the environment He found Himself in, . His will to seek the Dharma and engage in practice always increased and never decreased . This was true no matter what environment He was in . So, this describes how “noble beings with great wisdom are easiest to teach” . The environment never mattered . “Yet He attained Bodhi only in this lifetime” . Due to these [difficulties], it was not until now, until the era of Sakyamuni Buddha, that He manifested an appearance of engaging in spiritual practice and uniting with everything in the universe, attaining great awakening . There was nothing in the world that . He did not understand . He understood everything without hindrance .
This shows the “difficulty even within easiness” . [In that lifetime] when He was a king, there was nothing He could not do . However, the mystic had one condition for teaching Him the Dharma . “You must come and serve me. Whatever I want done, you can never disobey my orders or my instruction. Whatever I want done, you have to satisfy me” . So, He was originally a king, but He was asked to turn Himself into a slave in order to seek the Dharma . Mustn’t this have been difficult for Him? . So, this was to help us realize that, even with such difficulties, . He overcame them in His quest for the Dharma . Otherwise, who would willingly submit himself to such requirements? . In particular, as a king of the people, one with utmost respect and nobility, for the sake of seeking the Dharma, . He was willing to become someone’s slave . Who would subject himself to such stipulations? . Only the Buddha; this was how He valued the Dharma . So, in the Jataka Sutra [there are stories] like this about noble beings of superior wisdom that were able to do this .
Thus, the previous 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” .
He did all this solely to perfect His practice of the Six Paramitas . It was not that He did not know the principles of the Six Paramitas, it was just that He sought opportunities to experience them, to put them into practice and apply them . Just knowing them is not enough . Even if we already know all these principles, we need the opportunity to practice them . For example, yesterday at the morning assembly, . CEO Tsai [Ping-Kun] told us about what he saw at the Tainan Tzu Chi Middle School sports competition . The principal was not standing on the podium giving people orders; he came down to join the students and teachers in the competition . He exercised together with them, joining them on the sports field . He did not just stand on the podium giving orders . No, he joined everyone to “work together” with them, competing together with them . This is the same principle .
So, the next sutra passage says, .
“I earnestly practiced giving, begrudging nothing in my heart, not elephants, horses, the Seven Treasures, kingdoms, cities, wives, children, slaves, maids, servants, not my head, eyes, marrow, brain, body, flesh, hands or feet. I would not even begrudge my own life” .
As a king, in order to practice giving, . He was able to give up everything [including] external things like elephants, horses and the Seven Treasures, . His kingdom, wives and children, slaves, maids and servants . These are all external wealth; . He could give them all up . As for His “head, eyes, marrow, brain, body, flesh, hands or feet,” . He did not begrudge any of these things . These are internal wealth, things that are parts of His body . He “would not even begrudge His own life” . He was willing to give even this . So, all of this was to “perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas” .
Perfect the practice of the Six Paramitas: . The formal name for giving is the dana paramita . Guarding against the Seven Branches [of karma] is called the paramita of precepts . Enduring physical or verbal abuse without resentment is called the paramita of patience . Persevering in something the whole way through is called the paramita of diligence . Engaging in skillful contemplation is called the paramita of Samadhi . Wisdom is called the prajna paramita .
So, the formal name for giving is “the dana paramita” . Charitable giving is called “the dana paramita” . Of the Six Paramitas, “giving” is called “dana” . This is giving in order to transform sentient beings; it is being willing to give of oneself . Actually, by giving, we transform ourselves . Using the method of giving to others, we can cross from this shore to the other, turning this unenlightened state into an awakened one . Only by seeing past things was He able to give willingly . To give means to let go of all belongings, let go of all cravings, desires and afflictions . This is “the dana paramita” . Through giving, we can transform ourselves while helping others succeed [in their practice] .
“Guarding against the Seven Branches is called the paramita of precepts” . The Seven Branches are the three evils of the body and the four evils of speech .
The Seven Branches: . Among the ten evils, the first seven evils are called the Seven Branches . They are the three evils of the body, killing, stealing and sexual misconduct, and the four evils of speech, lies, flattery, gossip and harsh words .
The three evils of the body are killing, stealing and sexual misconduct . The four evils of speech are lies, flattery, gossip and harsh speech . These are called the Seven Branches . We should earnestly guard against the Seven Branches . Otherwise, our bodies will create negative karma and harm others and as well as ourselves . When we open our mouths to speak, if we gossip, speak harshly, tell lies, flatter others and so on, this also harms our virtue . These are the Seven Branches, the four of speech and the three of the body . Together these make seven . Thus, we must pay close attention to the precepts, uphold the precepts to protect ourselves against bodily and verbal transgressions .
So, “Enduring physical or verbal abuse without resentment is called the paramita of patience” . When we encounter [people] who have negative affinities with us, we must gladly accept this . No matter how adversely or harmfully they treat us, we must not repay them in kind . We must not “take an eye for an eye” but remain accommodating and willingly accept it . This is called “patience” . With “the paramita of patience,” we use patience to transform our minds . This is why it says, . “Enduring physical or verbal abuse without resentment is called the paramita of patience” . With patience, we transform our minds .
“Persevering in something the whole way through is called the paramita of diligence” . When we first form aspirations to do something, no matter what [challenges] we encounter, we must never change, from start to finish . Even throughout dust-inked kalpas, we never change . The 16 princes sought the Great Vehicle Dharma and listened to the Lotus Sutra, hoping to be able to open and reveal [the Dharma] and awaken to and enter the Buddha’s understanding and views . They would open and reveal to sentient beings until all beings were able to awaken to and enter the Buddha’s understanding and views . With this kind of diligence, having formed their initial aspirations, they never allowed themselves to become stuck or to give up half-way . Never! . So, . “Persevering in something the whole way through is called the paramita of diligence” . This is diligence . Whatever the environment was like, [they thought], . “Since I have formed an aspiration,. I will keep going like this. I will keep doing this the whole way through” .
So, “Engaging in skillful contemplation is called the paramita of Samadhi” . Our minds are never rocked by outside situations; we maintain our power of Samadhi . We remain uninfluenced by the outside environment . Whether conditions are favorable or adverse, our will to practice and to seek the Great Vehicle Dharma is never shaken . This is known as skillful contemplation . This is Samadhi, the power of Samadhi . This is what we must be very mindful of .
“Wisdom is called the prajna paramita” . We need to have wisdom . All of these things, including charitable giving such as giving of material wealth, are very important . From our external wealth all the way to [taking parts] of our own bodies, we [are] willing to give it all for others . Starting from this, we then arrive at how to interact with people and deal with matters . We must take great care when it comes to the Seven Branches, with what we say and how we treat people . We inevitably need to speak to others, so we must be very careful . In our actions and conduct, we must never transgress through killing, stealing, sexual misconduct and so forth .
If in this way we can carefully uphold the rules, not only will we not harm others, we will also be able to transform ourselves . These are all good things . Thus, favorable and adverse situations are all assisting conditions . So, we must never be vengeful . This is also a test of the strength of our will to spiritual practice . We must be patient; this is something we must be able to do . When we do things, we must be firm in our initial aspirations . If something is right, we must be resolute in accepting and upholding it . If we do not resolutely accept and uphold it, [we may think], “I give without any expectations. Why must I face so much ignorance?. Why must I suffer so many insults?. Why?” . We do it only for the Dharma .
How do achieve this? . By putting the Dharma into practice . It is not a matter of talking . It is not about yelling orders from a podium . We must come down and break a sweat and get involved ourselves . Only this is true spiritual practice . This is diligence . Our minds must be resolute; this is Samadhi . Samadhi does not mean just sitting in meditation . In fact, chopping wood and carrying water is also Samadhi . In all we say and do, we can be in Samadhi . Samadhi is having a resolute mind . If we can do this, then this is wisdom . Only with wisdom can we achieve the first five paramitas . The first five let us transform our own minds and firmly establish our wisdom . They enable our wisdom to be even more complete .
So, the Seven Branches come from our minds . Thoughts of greed, anger and ignorance are what cause the Seven Branches to stir . It is due to greed, desire, lust and so on that our body will kill, steal and engage in sexual misconduct . These all result from thoughts of greed . There are Ten Evils of body, speech and mind . The first seven of these are known as the Seven Branches . The Seven Branches include the three of the body, killing, stealing and sexual misconduct, and the four of speech, lies, flattery, gossip and harsh words . These three and four together make up the Seven Branches . These all arise from our minds .
So, there are the Six Paramitas; we “practice these Six Paramitas” . Everyone should more or less know this . They enable us to cross from this shore of samsara . This is delivering ourselves . When we practice the Six Paramitas, the Six Perfections, we might think that we are always doing good deeds for others . In fact, we are doing good deeds for ourselves . We are delivering ourselves . In this way we can cross from this shore of samsara .
The Six Paramitas: . Through practicing these Six Paramitas, we will cross from this shore of samsara . We will cross the currents of afflictions to reach the other shore of Nirvana . The Lotus Sutra’s Introductory Chapter states: . For the sake of the Bodhisattvas, . He responded by expounding the Six Paramitas .
Presently, as unenlightened beings, we do not know when birth or death will happen; when impermanence comes is beyond our control . In life, natural disasters and manmade calamities, the length of our own lives etc. are all things we cannot know about . Nobody knows when these will happen . These are some of life’s sufferings . We should now put effort into spiritual practice and rid ourselves of ignorance, afflictions and deluded thoughts . Then naturally our minds can be very clear and stable .
We have often spoken of “great perfect mirror wisdom” . If we can wipe the mirrors of our minds clean, then we naturally will remember, and not only everything in this lifetime; our memory of countless lifetimes in the past will also be very clear . People nowadays constantly remain in ignorance . Now, people often say that in this present age, they worry about the problems of the elderly . Their memories [fail]; as soon as they hear something, they forget . In their own daily living, they may have just eaten but then forget that they had just eaten . They may forget that they just had tea or food . They forget this too . This is called dementia .
Something that is so close, something they experienced with their own body, has been completely forgotten . This is what happens to ordinary beings . The Buddha could talk about His past lives, things that happened countless kalpas ago etc. . Was there anything in the world He did not know? . This resulted from His spiritual cultivation . He had already crossed from this shore of samsara . He already understood samsara; it was very clear to Him . “We will cross the current of afflictions 1000-foot swells rise in the river of cravings” . I often mention to everyone that from this shore of unenlightened beings, to get to the other shore of noble beings [we must cross] the great river between them . Once the wind of ignorance blows, the waves surge . So, crossing this current of afflictions is truly not easy .
However, the Six Paramitas are methods we can use to deliver ourselves . By giving to people in this world, we transform the ground of our own minds and help the ground of our minds settle . This current of afflictions is not something outside of us . It is inside our own minds . If we can calm this flow of afflictions in our minds, we naturally arrive at the other shore of Nirvana . In the Lotus Sutra, a passage from the Introductory Chapter says, . “For the sake of the Bodhisattvas,. He responded by expounding the Six Paramitas” . The Buddha came to the world with the objective of “expounding the Six Paramitas” for all Bodhisattvas . This was the Buddha’s goal in coming to the world . This was His one great cause .
So it says in the sutra, . “I earnestly practiced giving, begrudging nothing in my heart” .
I earnestly practiced giving, begrudging nothing in my heart: . Among the Six Paramitas, giving is foremost . The dana paramita encompasses all practices . Thus, He said He earnestly practiced giving, sparing nothing, to teach the people of the world the foundations of spiritual practice .
This is the earnest and sincere practice of giving . His mind begrudged nothing . So, “Among the Six Paramitas, giving is foremost” . This is “the dana paramita” . This is charitable giving . “[It] encompasses all other practices. Thus He said He earnestly practiced giving,” that He very sincerely gave of Himself, “sparing nothing, to teach the people of the world the foundations of spiritual practice” .
So, “Those who cultivate the Bodhisattva-practice vow to seek the fruit of Buddhahood” . They enter the world seeking to attain Buddhahood . “Thus He earnestly increased His diligence” . Because of this, we must always be earnest and always increase our diligence “without the slightest bit of indolence” . We cannot afford to be indolent . Thus, we “widely gather all roots of goodness” .
This means that those who cultivate the Bodhisattva-practice vow to seek the fruit of Buddhahood. And so they earnestly increase their diligence without the slightest bit of indolence and widely gather all roots of goodness.
So, “elephants and horses, the Seven Treasures, kingdoms and cities” meant He could give them all away . These are all external forms of giving . This is the willingness to give of one’s external wealth .
Elephants, horses, the Seven Treasures, kingdoms, cities and so on show the external forms of giving . This is being able to part with external wealth . To remain unattached to love and desire and to give wives, children, slaves, maids etc. is an internal-external form of giving .
“To remain unattached to love and desire” means . He gave His own wives, children, slaves and maids . These are internal-external wealth . If one has desirous thoughts and cannot give these things away, these are still half-internal wealth . As for wives, children, slaves and maids, if someone wanted them, He would give them to him . These also count as external wealth . However, if in our minds we have thoughts of craving and desire, we remain attached to these and are unable to give them up . If we can give up the [desires] in our minds too, this is considered to be an internal-external form of giving .
So it says, “head, eyes, marrow, brain, body, flesh, hands and feet…. I would not even begrudge my own life” . Giving one’s head, eyes and so on are all “giving of one’s own life” . This is being willing to give the life inside us . “So long as someone requested it,. He would give it to them” .
Nor my head, eyes, marrow, brain, body, flesh, hands, feet. I would not even begrudge my own life: The giving of the head, eyes and the like, refers to the giving of one’s own life. So long as someone requested it, He would give it to them.
Whatever people requested, . He would give it to them . This is charitable giving, to take all internal and external wealth and, without begrudging anything, unstintingly give it all away . Even if they wanted His life, . He would give it to them . When one’s mind is without desires and cravings, one will naturally give . So, this is vowing to engage in the Bodhisattva-practice . If we seek to attain the fruit of Buddhahood, we must earnestly increase our diligence . We cannot be indolent in this .
Everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, this is how we must practice . We must learn not to be attached to anything . We must not be grasping, but be willing to give of ourselves . However, we often say, . “Take good care of your health!” . That’s right! We need to care for our bodies too! . We should not do useless things and be unnecessarily wasteful . Some people waste their bodies doing nothing; this is abusing our own bodies . With our bodies, we can do meaningful things . This is like those elderly Bodhisattvas; they are willing . “I am ill, but what can I do at home?. If I go out, at least I can do something and gain some joy at the same time!” . They are making good use of their lives, still serving others . They give of their wealth and of themselves . “I can go outside. I am free to help many people” . They are joyful, for they too are able to give . We should use our wisdom to analyze this power of love . Thus, we must always be mindful!