Episode 1323 – Toiling Throughout Many Kalpas to Seek the Dharma
>> “He raised as an example how He toiled throughout many past kalpas. He did not hesitate to give his life or serve as a slave to advance in seeking the wondrous Dharma. He did this to inspire those people. How could they not seek to diligently follow the Bodhisattva-path of diligently advancing? Noble beings of great wisdom who approach the great path to Buddhahood are most easily taught and transformed and most easily attain Bodhi.”
>> “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]
>> “The people of the world at that time had an immeasurably long lifespan. But for the sake of the Dharma, I renounced my royal position and entrusted the government to the crown prince. The drums were beaten to announce my search for the Dharma throughout the four directions ‘For whoever can teach me the Great Vehicle, I will offer myself as a slave for all my life.'” [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 12- Chapter on Devadatta]
>> The people of the world at that time had an immeasurably long lifespan: At that time in the past, peoples’ lifespans were very long. Kalpa: An immeasurably long time, so long it is difficult to fathom.
>> But for the sake of the Dharma, I renounced my royal position and entrusted the government to the crown prince: Out of His desire to seek the wondrous Dharma, He readily abandoned His position as king and entrusted the affairs of the kingdom to the crown prince.
>> The drums were beaten to announce my search for the Dharma throughout the four directions: The great drums were beaten, announcing his proclamation to seek the wondrous Dharma throughout the four directions.
>> For whoever can teach me the Great Vehicle, I will offer myself as a slave for all my life: For the sake of seeking the Great Dharma and a teacher of the Great Vehicle, he vowed to attend to and serve his master for his entire life.
>> By saying “all my life”, He meant this would not be merely temporary. By saying He was willing to become his slave, He vowed to remain at his disposal to run errands for him in order to provide what he needed and act as his servant.
>> If one is not humble, how can one learn the Dharma? If one is not patient, how can one endure toilsome hardships? For the sake of the people of the world, He set an example as a noble being to help those who seek the path follow the principles.
>> All the favorable conditions we benefit from, as well as our direct retributions, our family and so on are all part of our own blessed retribution. He was no longer attached to these and was willing to give up this retribution to seek a master who could expound this Lotus Sutra. Moreover, he was willing to serve his master for all his life.
>> Since distant kalpas ago, Sakyamuni had diligently sought out this sutra. He viewed internal and external wealth such as this as defiled and impure. He abandoned it and remained unattached to desire.
“He raised as an example how He toiled throughout many past kalpas.
He did not hesitate to give his life
or serve as a slave to advance in seeking the wondrous Dharma.
He did this to inspire those people.
How could they not seek
to diligently follow the Bodhisattva-path of diligently advancing?
Noble beings of great wisdom
who approach the great path to Buddhahood are most easily taught and transformed
and most easily attain Bodhi.”
We must mindfully seek to understand this! In His compassion, Sakyamuni Buddha used the principles to help us understand. It was not easy [to do it this way], so He used matters and appearances to help us understand even more clearly. He began to speak of the past, about how, countless kalpas in the past, He engaged in spiritual practice. Throughout many kalpas in the past, for a very long period of time, for lifetime after lifetime, He persisted in. His spiritual aspirations to seek the Great Vehicle Dharma. So, He toiled lifetime after lifetime; He [worked] very diligently and was not afraid of hard work. At the same time, He did not hesitate to give His life, even if it meant serving as a slave. This is how He advanced in seeking the wondrous Dharma. In particular, as a king who held a position of utmost respect and nobility, he willingly served as a slave to seek the Dharma and advanced in seeking the Buddha-Dharma this way.
This was no simple aspiration; how could an average person do this? So, He used this appearance to encourage us, encouraging us ordinary people, us practitioners, to have this kind of spirit. This was the process that. Sakyamuni Buddha went through in seeking the path to Buddhahood. So, what about us who have now formed aspirations and made vows? We must emulate Sakyamuni Buddha. This is what it means to learn the Buddha’s teachings. To learn means to emulate. To learn from the Buddha, [we must practice] as the Buddha practices, taking what the Buddha tells us to do and practicing according to what we have heard. This is to encourage us.
In Sakyamuni Buddha’s past lives, lifetime after lifetime, He walked this path. Now, since we have formed aspirations, we must form aspirations for lifetime after lifetime in the future. What Sakyamuni Buddha did in the past is what we [must do] in the future. We must also learn from the Buddha and not be afraid of hard work. The Buddha was very straightforward in letting us know that spiritual practice is no short-term matter. He did not say, “Let me tell you; if you just obey me, you will be saved.” It is not that at all! “It depends on you. If I teach you something, you must comprehend it and engage in spiritual practice accordingly. This is not just for a short time. This is not just for one lifetime. This must be done lifetime after lifetime.”
This is because, for lifetime after lifetime, we have accumulated so many habitual tendencies; we have already formed habits, which are ignorance and afflictions. Our minds are full of delusions. We really do not understand anything. They have accumulated for a very long time. Lifetime after lifetime, they have led us to become lost led us to become ignorant. We cannot see matters clearly, to say nothing of the principles. How could we quickly come to a realization? To eliminate our habitual tendencies and eliminate our ignorance and afflictions is not easy at all! We can all comprehend this now. We must eliminate afflictions. We must eliminate ignorance. When it comes to our own afflictions, in our everyday lives, we clearly understand, “Ah, I should not be afflicted over this matter. Ah, I should not get angry over that small comment. Is that necessary?”
We should ask ourselves this; if we can say, “Let it go. Not only must I be free of resentment and hatred, I must also eliminate my bias toward this person. I must work hard to form good affinities with him.” Are we doing these things? If we are, this shows that our habitual tendencies and ignorance have already been reduced. And if we are not, this shows that we are still our old selves. If we still remain the same, then spending a long time [in spiritual practice] will still be of no use. This is why the Buddha came to encourage us. In His past lifetimes, He toiled throughout many past kalpas. For a long time, He had gave his life unstintingly. He had the high status of a king, but for the sake of seeking the Dharma, He was willing to serve as a slave to seek the wondrous Dharma.
He was able to do it; are we able to do it? When we do some small thing for others, and they give the slightest look or tone, we begin to give rise to arrogant thoughts and a [bad] attitude. We are such unenlightened people; just from giving to someone else, we become proud and have such haughty and arrogant thoughts that we are unable to control them. This is to say nothing of a person of such high status [as the king]! He was willing to humble Himself and, for the sake of seeking the Dharma, serve as a slave to be ordered around, without hesitating to give up His life. Would we be able to do this? This is very difficult. However, the Buddha truly was able to do this. The Buddha does not speak falsehoods or make overstatements. What He speaks is the truth. So, when He speaks of the past, we should have faith in it.
Once we have faith in it, we should make vows to understand it. To understand it, we must put it into practice so that we will be able to realize it and experience it. Only then will we truly be able to experience it, understand it and attain realization. If we do not believe in what was said to us, how can we be willing to make vows to understand it? To understand it, we must put it into practice. “Only the person who drinks the water knows if it is hot or cold.” If someone says, “This cup of tea is very bitter,” how would we know? “It is bitter; do you dare drink it? Taste it.” When we taste it, “It really is bitter! You have to drink it all. I don’t dare to.” So, only the person who tries it will know. If we are brave, “As long as it is good for me, I will drink it.” If we take the medicine suited to our illness, this will be helpful to our body and mind. Good medicine tastes bitter. If we do not try it to see what it tastes like, how will we know that good medicine is bitter? We would not know.
The principle is the same. In His compassion, the Buddha spoke of His past to inspire people. “I did it, so why can’t you do it?” This is how the Buddha encouraged us. “I was not afraid to toil and did not hesitate to give up my life. How is it that you are all afraid to do it? Why don’t you diligently seek to advance? In the past, I also took this path. Why won’t you dare to take this path? I came on this path, walking this diligent Bodhisattva-path. This is the direction of the Bodhisattva-path. This is the path you must take. How could you not have faith in it? “Do you dare not to walk this path? You must have faith, make vows and take action. You must have faith. You must make vows. You must put it into practice in order to experience and comprehend it. Then we can go from that place to this place.” This was to encourage us.
“Noble beings of great wisdom approach the great path to Buddhahood.” The fact is that we are not willing to walk [this path]; we think too much of ourselves and are afraid of hard work. So, we have difficulty [doing this]. What about the Buddha? He was a noble being of great wisdom. He was eager to approach the great path to Buddhahood. Due to His great wisdom, He also sought to attain enlightenment. He sought to do so very extensively so that He could become one with the universe. He wanted to understand things to this extent. So, [He was] a “noble being of great wisdom.” His aspiration was to approach the great path to Buddhahood. [Attaining] Buddhahood is enlightenment; this is approaching the great path to awakening. When people have this kind of determination, they are the easiest to teach and transform. This is what it takes for people to easily accept [the Dharma]. If people lack this great wisdom, they will not be willing to approach the path to awakening. It will be very difficult.
For us, we must truly be able to listen to and receive the Dharma. We must also put it into practice. In our interpersonal relationships, we must also truly have understanding and tolerance and maintain a mind full of gratitude in all matters. Just being able to do this is not easy on its own, not to mention approaching the great path to Buddhahood. This is very difficult. Only noble beings of great wisdom [can do this]. This kind of person of great wisdom is willing to approach the great path to awakening. To approach Buddhahood is to approach awakening, to approach the great path to awakening. A person like this is the easiest to teach and transform. A person like this is capable of attaining Bodhi.
So, people must go through many kalpas, an incalculable amount of time. Thus those in the world who want to attain Buddhahood are few. Although the present Buddha Sakyamuni [lived] over 2000 years ago, for the next Buddha to come, for one who has attained Buddhahood and realized the true principles of the universe to appear in this world, we must continue to wait several billion years for Maitreya Buddha. Now, we still call Him Maitreya Bodhisattva. In the future, He will be Maitreya Buddha; at that time, He will truly find this great path to Buddhahood to walk upon.
It is possible that Maitreya Bodhisattva is among people in this world now, humbling himself and serving without fear of hard work. We have seen quite a few people [like this] by now. Who of these Living Bodhisattvas is Maitreya Bodhisattva, who humbles himself and truly goes among people to serve without fear of hard work? There are many people who are like this now. But have these people truly reached [the point where] they do not hesitate to give their life and serve as a slave to advance in seeking the wondrous Dharma? Do they have this kind of determination? Do they diligently seek the Bodhisattva-path? Are they so diligent that they are actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions?
It is the same with us. In lifetime after lifetime, sometimes our practice [in a monastic community] cannot compare to the many [who practice] outside at the recycling station, or in their communities or coming and going internationally. They are all serving others like this. They also must undergo this for a long time. In this lifetime, they must be tempered. These seeds [in our] consciousness must be continually accumulated. As we serve others, these resulting seeds will gradually be accumulated and stored in our eighth consciousness.
Within our eighth consciousness, with our current behaviors, ignorance and afflictions will gradually decrease. Within our eighth consciousness, our ignorance, afflictions and dust-like delusions will gradually decrease. This takes a very long time. Bad seeds will continually be eliminated, while good seeds will continually grow. Bad seeds [such as] afflictions, ignorance and dust-like afflictions will continue to decrease until none remain. What remains in the eighth consciousness is pure. This is returning to our nature of True Suchness. This pure ninth consciousness is [found] by the most completely pure seeds returning to the ninth consciousness. If there are still any seeds of contamination, we remain in the eighth consciousness.
So, how long will it take before our seeds of affliction are completely eliminated? When will these seeds be able to be completely pure and return to our ninth consciousness? At that point we become one with the universe; between heaven and Earth, there will be no principles that we do not thoroughly understand. This is how those with great wisdom approach the great path to Buddhahood approach the great path to awakening. When our eighth consciousness is continually purified, we can become noble beings of great wisdom. The more we purify ourselves, the more our ignorance gradually decreases. Being noble beings of great wisdom means we gradually approach [the state of] noble beings. We develop our great wisdom and decrease our ignorance and afflictions. This way, naturally our mind and efforts will approach the great path. Then, when we listen to the Dharma, we will hear one teaching and understand 1000. When we hear the Dharma, we must understand it deeply. We must not only understand, but also form great aspirations, make great vows and put them into practice. This way we can easily attain Bodhi.
This is why we must put great effort into spiritual practice. Sakyamuni Buddha has already attained Buddhahood. He explained how, before He attained Buddhahood, this was the process by which He sought the Dharma. He told us about many kalpas ago, a very, very long time ago. “It takes a very long time [to attain Buddhahood]. Does this scare you?” In the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City, they were on a very long journey. “The road ahead may also be very dangerous. It is still very far, so I don’t dare to go. I think I will just stop here. I want to go back.” Perhaps most people were like this. So, the Buddha wanted us to first know, “There is still a very long way, so everyone must be mentally prepared for this.”
The Buddha does not speak falsehoods. He absolutely did not say, “If you listen to me, you can attain Buddhahood right away.” He did not. We must still spend a long time serving like this, being unafraid of suffering or facing resentment. When adversity and evil come to torment us, our hearts will be free of resentment. This means we have polished away the afflictions and ignorance in our minds. Our hearts are free of resentment and hatred, and we are still willing to give. “I am grateful! The one who was testing me also has the Buddha-nature in his mind. In the future, he can also attain Buddhahood.” This is what is admirable about the Buddha. He had enduring perseverance and taught us with true words. So, we must really have faith in the Dharma that the Buddha taught us.
The previous sutra said,
“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.”
[He said,] “I gave both external wealth and internal-external wealth, such as wives and servants, which were most beloved to me. These wives, princesses, children and so on were what I loved most and was most attached to. I had to give them all up. These people were outside of my own body. They were apart from my own body, but they were the people I was most attached to. If I had to completely give them up for the sake of the wondrous Dharma, I was willing.”
But for people nowadays, if the person they love falls in love with someone else or if another comes to fight over the one they love, they cannot stand it and will fight others to the death. This is how ordinary people are. For noble beings, “Even the person I love, I am willing to give them up. I will allow the two of them [to be together], so I am willing to let go.” But ordinary beings cannot do this with this half-internal, half-external wealth. “I am willing to give it up. Even if I need to give up my own life, then that is what I will do. I want to develop my wisdom-life, so I am willing to do this. I can give up my life; our lives are limited in years, but our wisdom-life is endless. I can still seek the wondrous Dharma and grow in wisdom-life. I am willing to give my life.” Sakyamuni Buddha was one who sought the Dharma like this in a past life and told us about it. Are we able to do it?
The next passage says,
“The people of the world at that time had an immeasurably long lifespan. But for the sake of the Dharma, I renounced my royal position and entrusted the government to the crown prince. The drums were beaten to announce my search for the Dharma throughout the four directions ‘For whoever can teach me the Great Vehicle, I will offer myself as a slave for all my life.'”
This passage is very simple; it is like a story. This was the Buddha’s past life many kalpas ago. At that time, people in this world had very long lifespans. We have explained before what a “kalpa” is. In a kalpa, how long is the longest lifespan? It is 84,000 years. It is because of sentient beings’ karma that [their lifespan] decreases by one year every 100 years. In this way, humans’ lives in this world continue to shorten gradually. Our lives today are only several decades long. Although there are people in this world who live to be over or nearly 100 years old, there are [many instances of] impermanence nowadays. The population is large and there is imbalance in nature and in people’s minds. There are manmade and natural disasters.
Especially now that transportation is so advanced, many people travel back and forth, so anything can happen at any time. Now we even see cases with people who have rare disorders. Take diabetes for example. Although it is very common now, previously it was not until someone was older that they developed diabetes. Now, even children have diabetes. Young people also have it. Now there are more and more rare disorders.
There are cases like these that show the impermanence of life. This is to say nothing of brain or heart disease. Someone will be talking and laughing, and suddenly they pass away. This happens too! People’s lives these days are short.
In the past, [human] lives were, on average, 84,000 years. They have continually decreased. Now, people’s lives are, on average, only several decades long. Their lifespans continue to get shorter with the spread of natural and manmade disasters. Every time [a disaster] occurs, there is a sudden great loss of human life. In this way, on average, human lifespans will become ten years. The more disasters there are, the shorter and more impermanent human lives will be. Each day, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. So, we should be very clear about this.
But what the Buddha said about how. “The people of the world at that time had an immeasurably long lifespan,” was a very long time ago. Back then, a very long time ago in the past, people’s lifespans were measured in “kalpas.” A “kalpa” is an immeasurably long time, “so long that it is difficult to fathom.” This is a very long [time].
The people of the world at that time had an immeasurably long lifespan: At that time in the past, peoples’ lifespans were very long. Kalpa: An immeasurably long time, so long it is difficult to fathom.
At that time, [people’s lifespans] were very long; they were immeasurable kalpas long. They were immeasurable.
“But for the sake of the Dharma, I renounced my royal position and entrusted the government to the crown prince.” This was for the sake of seeking the Dharma. At that time, he wanted to seek the Dharma, so he was willing to renounce his royal position and turn the government over to his prince. This was in order to seek the wondrous Dharma; this was “for the sake of seeking the wondrous Dharma.” Thus, he immediately renounced his royal position. “I renounced my royal position and entrusted the government to the crown prince.”
But for the sake of the Dharma, I renounced my royal position and entrusted the government to the crown prince: Out of His desire to seek the wondrous Dharma, He readily abandoned His position as king and entrusted the affairs of the kingdom to the crown prince.
He wanted to make the most of his time and wanted to immediately seek the Dharma. He felt this was very urgent, so he quickly turned the kingdom’s rule completely over to his son.
“The drums were beaten to announce my search for the Dharma throughout the four directions.”
The drums were beaten to announce my search for the Dharma throughout the four directions: The great drums were beaten, announcing his proclamation to seek the wondrous Dharma throughout the four directions.
Since he had turned the government over to his son, he focused solely on finding a teacher. To understand the wondrous Dharma, he needed someone to teach and guide him. But where was this person? As the king, he “beat the drums to announce his search for the Dharma throughout the four directions.” He made a proclamation, seeking throughout the four directions for someone who understood the wondrous Dharma.
So, it says, “For whoever can teach me the Great Vehicle, I will offer myself as a slave for all my life.”
For whoever can teach me the Great Vehicle, I will offer myself as a slave for all my life: For the sake of seeking the Great Dharma and a teacher of the Great Vehicle, he vowed to attend to and serve his master for his entire life.
Who would be capable of understanding the Great Vehicle Dharma? This is not the Small Vehicle Dharma but the Great Vehicle Dharma, the path to attaining Buddhahood. “For whoever has this wisdom and Dharma and can teach and guide me, I am willing [to serve him]. For my whole life, my entire life, I am willing to offer myself to [serve] him. I will use my body [to serve] him.” This was all for the sake of seeking the Great Dharma. To seek the Great Vehicle Dharma, “He vowed to attend to and serve his master for his entire life.”
This is not something an average person can do. He had the noble status of a king; he was the king of a country and was highly respected by people. He turned the entire kingdom over to his son. For the sake of seeking the Dharma, the Great Vehicle Dharma, he was willing to act as a servant for his master for the rest of his life. This really was not an easy thing to do, to toil for and serve his teacher. This was not an easy thing to do.
When he said, “all my life,” this means not for a short time. It means it will be a very long period of time. So, he said, “I am willing to become his slave.” This means that he “vowed to remain at his disposal to run errands for him.” He was willing to be ordered around. He was “willing to run errands for him to provide what he needed,” acting as his servant.
By saying “all my life”, He meant this would not be merely temporary. By saying He was willing to become his slave, He vowed to remain at his disposal to run errands for him in order to provide what he needed and act as his servant.
“Whatever my master says, I will do. I am not afraid of hard work. Even if I have to act as his servant, I am willing to do it all.” For the sake of the Dharma, he was willing to be a slave.
So, if we have no humility, if we humans are not humble, then how will we be willing to do this? If we want to hear the Dharma, we must be very humble. We must follow the rules and listen to the Dharma.
If one is not humble, how can one learn the Dharma? If one is not patient, how can one endure toilsome hardships? For the sake of the people of the world, He set an example as a noble being to help those who seek the path follow the principles.
To listen to the Dharma, we must humble ourselves. If we are still aloof, proud and self-arrogant, it will be very difficult to continue listening to the Dharma. When we listen to it a little, [we say,] “I have heard this already. Why does it need to be repeated again?” Look at the Lotus Sutra. The Dharma is taught in the long-form prose. Why must it be repeated in verse form? “The Dharma is basically like this. Why do we need so much time to teach it?”
Sakyamuni Buddha spent over seven years teaching the Lotus Sutra alone; it was nearly eight years’ time. This is not to mention that for us now, in this present age, [to explain] the sutra passages, matters and principles must come together. This requires a lot of time to explain. We use matters to understand the principles and use the principles to accord with matters. This way, there is evidence of what is taught. We will not be talking about what we cannot see or a path that we hear about and know is good but are not able to walk; it is not like this. It is a [destination] we absolutely can reach. [We can do it] as long as we are willing to form aspirations and are not afraid of hard work; if we truly believe in it, make vows and want to start walking [this path], we can definitely reach our destination. This is a true path. But it will take a very long time. If we are not very mindful about being humble and putting aside our pride and self-arrogance, how will we ever be able to accomplish this? So, we must be very mindful.
“If one is not patient, how can one endure toilsome hardships?” If we are not humble, how can we listen to the Dharma? If we do not wish to be patient, how can we endure toilsome hardships? Even the king was willing to become a servant to the one who would teach him the Dharma. So, for us who want to seek Dharma, how can we not work hard?
Spiritual practice has always been about diligence and hard work. If we do not work hard in our lives, we are unable to truly call ourselves spiritual practitioners. In the lives of spiritual practitioners, whether it is materials, environment, people and so on, if we are impatient, we will truly be unable to endure these hardships. In today’s environment, people live in their own suites, but for us spiritual practitioners, do we each have our own suite? No one does. Several people sleep together in one room. Furthermore, in the middle of the night, we have to walk through a long hall to get to the bathroom. This is how we engage in spiritual practice.
Can we handle this kind of life? Those who cannot handle it are unable to do it. They cannot get past the first step. The environment is unsuitable for them, to say nothing of the people and matters. People come from different families and from different places. To have everyone be in harmony, accomplish [a task] with concerted effort and work in concert with unity, is in fact not so easy to do. So, we must be patient; if we cannot be patient, /”how can we endure toilsome hardships?”
So, “For the sake of the people of the world, He set an example as a noble being.” We must first emulate noble beings. How did they toil through this path? How did they patiently walk on this path? What vows did they make to seek the Dharma? What kind of conditions were they willing to be tested by and go through? “For the sake of the people of the world, He set an example as a noble being.” [Our path] must be like the one Sakyamuni Buddha took as He engaged in spiritual practice. We have to be humble like this in order to listen to the Dharma; engaging in practice requires patience and diligence. We must be able to do this, just like how, in a past life, Sakyamuni Buddha also walked this path. This is setting an example as a noble being. This is “helping those who seek the path follow the principles.” For those who seek the path, they must follow the principles and rules as they walk upon this path. Otherwise, how can this be considered spiritual practice?
All the favorable conditions we benefit from, as well as our direct retributions, our family and so on are all part of our own blessed retribution. He was no longer attached to these and was willing to give up this retribution to seek a master who could expound this Lotus Sutra. Moreover, he was willing to serve his master for all his life.
So, [it says,] “All the favorable conditions we benefit from, as well as our direct retribution, our family and so on.” These are the favorable conditions we benefit from. For those of us living in this era, everything is about convenience; everything is about enjoyment. However, even with all these indulgences, we do not seek to enjoy them and are willing to give them up. For our direct and circumstantial retributions, we are willing to give up [what is enjoyable] and are willing to engage in practice. Our direct and circumstantial retributions have been continually discussed in the past. We have a very favorable environment, so why would we want to give it up to engage in spiritual practice? It is so we can understand the Dharma and develop our wisdom-life. So, we can endure these kinds of conditions. Even when it comes to our direct retributions and our family, we are able to leave our families and loved ones. These are all our blessed retributions.
If you are just enjoying things, those are simply your own blessed retributions. In your past lifetimes, you were blessed, so in this life, you were born into a good environment. Since we have now come to engage in practice, we should “no longer be attached to these things.” We do not need to think, “I have such a great environment at home! I can stay home and enjoy it.” There is no need. This is just like how Sakyamuni Buddha, in His past life, gave up his throne to the prince. In order to listen to the Dharma personally, he was willing to act as a slave. He had no attachments in His mind. He was not attached to fame or position.
So, “He was willing to give up this retribution to seek a master who could expound this Lotus Sutra.” This was in order to earnestly study the Dharma, to attain Buddhahood in the future and be able to teach the wondrous Dharma. Previously, we discussed seeking to hear, seeking to have faith in, seeking to understand and seeking to realize [the Dharma]. This is seeking in order to “open, reveal, realize and enter” the Buddha’s understanding and views. This is the process of seeking the Dharma. So, “He was willing to serve his master for all His life.” This was all for the sake of seeking the wondrous Dharma. In order to seek the Dharma of the Lotus Sutra, he was willing to serve for his whole life and do things for others.
So, “Since distant kalpas ago, Sakyamuni had diligently sought out this sutra. He viewed such internal and external wealth [as defiled and impure].” Previously it said, he was willing to give up “kingdoms, cities, wives, children, slaves, maids” and so on. He was even willing to give his life and his body; he was willing to give everything, both internal and external wealth. “He viewed such [wealth] as defiled and impure. He abandoned them and remained unattached to desire.”
Since distant kalpas ago, Sakyamuni had diligently sought out this sutra. He viewed internal and external wealth such as this as defiled and impure. He abandoned it and remained unattached to desire.
He considered all these things as trash. His status, fame, fortune and so on, to Him, it was all worthless. The most valuable thing was the wondrous Dharma. In order to seek the wondrous Dharma, He gave up all of this fame, fortune and status.
So, as Buddhist practitioners, we must also learn this. We must be willing to give up and relinquish all pleasures. We must put our emphasis on the Dharma to develop our wisdom-life. This is the direction we should go in. Therefore, we must always be mindful.