Episode 1324 – Resonating with the Path in a Rare Encounter
>> “With the natural karmic affinities of their past lives, they converged in resonance with the path. Had it not been for this king, the mystic would have had no one to take as a companion. Had it not been for the mystic, this king would have had no one to honor as his master. When the king sought a master, the mystic came readily. This kind of encounter is extraordinary” .
>> Since distant kalpas ago, this king had been seeking the Great Vehicle Dharma . From the very beginning all the way to this day, . He resonated with the path, so they suddenly met in this place .
>> “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]
>> “At that time a mystic came and said to the king, ‘I have the Great Vehicle Dharma’ ‘known as the Wondrous Lotus Sutra’ ‘If you do not go against me,’ ‘I will teach it for you'” . [Lotus Sutra, Chapter 12- Chapter on Devadatta]
>> At that time a mystic came and said to the king: . Because the king sought the Dharma and had publicly issued a proclamation, there came a mystic . This shows that the mystic’s agreement to impart the Dharma was in exact accord with the king’s wishes to accept the Dharma and serve him reverently . The mystic said this to the king and the king was delighted . Thus they connected in resonance with the path . Had it not been for this king, the mystic would have had no one to take as his companion . Had it not been for the mystic, this king would have had no one to honor as his master .
>> I have the Great Vehicle Dharma known as the Wondrous Lotus Sutra: . That mystic said, . “I have the great teaching known as the Wondrous Lotus Sutra” . When the king sought a master to pass the wondrous Dharma unto him, the mystic came readily .
>> The teacher and student, request and response were all in harmony . This kind of encounter is extraordinary . It is the manifestation of the great provisional and is incredible .
>> “Nevertheless, this wondrous sutra’s principles transcend the Four Agamas, so it is called the Great Vehicle. Its teachings encompass the One Vehicle and “contain all Small and Middle Vehicle teachings, so it is called the wondrous Dharma. The Four Agamas: Ekottaragama, Madhyamagama, Dirghama and. Samyuktagama.” .
>> If you do not go against me, . I will teach it for you: . If you do not go against my wishes, then I will teach it for you . Do not go against: This means that he must not go against his master’s wishes . So long as the king did not go against his instructions, the master would readily impart the teachings .
>> Do not go against me: . He must call the teacher of the path his master . The king must listen to his words and follow his actions, instead of just relying on his own status . The mystic was testing the king to see if he still clung to anything, such as his nobility and power . If the king was like this, he would be not worthy of being taught the Path .
>> When the Buddha transformed sentient beings, . He completely accorded with their minds to teach and transform them . At that time the mystic was only willing to teach if people did not go against his wishes . This shows that he was a friend providing adverse conditions.
“With the natural karmic affinities of their past lives,
they converged in resonance with the path.
Had it not been for this king,
the mystic would have had no one to
take as a companion.
Had it not been for the mystic,
this king would have had no one to
honor as his master.
When the king sought a master,
the mystic came readily.
This kind of encounter is extraordinary” .
This means that everything happens due to karmic conditions . Let us recall the previous sutra passage . In the king’s “search for the Dharma throughout the four directions,” he “beat drums to announce” this . He posted proclamations in search of a master; he looked for someone who could teach him the wondrous Dharma . This kind of person would serve as his master and guide him to enter the wondrous Dharma . Although this king was the ruler of his kingdom, he did not cling to his country, nor did he cling to his position or his wealth and so on . Life invariably follows the laws of nature . Our lives are finite, but what he sought was infinite wisdom-life .
Our wisdom-life comes from the Dharma; it grows through the Great Vehicle Dharma . Only with our wisdom-life can we resolve the many hardships of sentient beings . So, because of this, for himself and for others, [the king] hoped to attain the wondrous Dharma . Therefore, he posted proclamations in search of the Dharma throughout the four directions . Who was willing to teach him the Great Vehicle Dharma? . This is in the previous sutra passage . As long as someone was willing to come and teach him [the Dharma], the king was willing to dedicate both his body and mind to him . This was his sincere aspiration to seek the Dharma .
Yet it is not that we can get it just by asking; it all depends on karmic affinities . “With the natural karmic affinities of their past lives, they converged in resonance with the path” . Moreover, “Had it not been for this king, the mystic would have had no one to take as a companion” . [They were] teacher and student, master and companion . This mystic knew that he had this ability . But this mystic did not want to transmit the Dharma to ordinary people . It was just that the king had such good conditions to seek a master; he [sought] someone who could teach him the Great Vehicle Dharma . This mystic had great confidence in himself; he was confident that he had this wondrous Dharma to teach,
and the person he would teach it to was the king . He felt that [this king] was the right recipient for him to pass on the Dharma to . So, “Had it not been for this king, the mystic would have had no one to take as a companion” . In other words, the mystic was choosing a disciple or a recipient [of his teachings] . [The mystic] would not accept anyone without the status of a king . However, “Had it not been for this mystic, this king would have had no one to honor as his master” . The king was seeking a confident person like this, someone who had the wondrous Dharma and confidence in himself . This was the person he was seeking .
This teacher had to have confidence, and this Dharma had to be very wondrous; it is the subtle and wondrous Great Dharma . Because of this, the king was willing to accept this [mystic] who had confidence in himself . The king was willing to honor this teacher as his master, and he was willing to accept his teachings . This was also because of what the mystic was like; otherwise, the king would not honor him as his master .
So, because this king sincerely sought the Dharma, and especially since he sought the Great Dharma with sincere aspirations, . “When the king sought a master, the mystic came readily” . The king’s requests suited this mystic, so [the mystic] came; this was due to their karmic affinities . “This kind of encounter is extraordinary” .
Think about it; this majestic king sought neither fame nor fortune nor riches . All he sought was the Wondrous Dharma of the Great Vehicle . In this world, a king like this is very extraordinary . He was respected by his people, yet was willing to seek the Dharma, the Great Vehicle Dharma . He was not tempted by worldly pleasures; . His heart was dedicated to the Dharma . This is not easy to come by; this is very extraordinary in this world . Moreover, there was this mystic who had such confidence; he was confident that his Dharma was unsurpassed . So, he dared to express to the king that he was confident and he had this wondrous Dharma . Think about it . Isn’t this an “extraordinary encounter”? . These two people were both like this; they each had such confidence . This is not easy to come by .
We know that, “For many distant kalpas, this king had been seeking the Great Vehicle Dharma” and not just in this lifetime alone .
Since distant kalpas ago, this king had been seeking the Great Vehicle Dharma . From the very beginning all the way to this day, . He resonated with the path, so they suddenly met in this place.
Yesterday we discussed how this process lasted many kalpas . Throughout lifetime after lifetime, he never forgot to seek the Great Dharma . The Great Dharma cannot be attained in one lifetime . Many causes and conditions needed to be fulfilled . Just knowing it is not enough; we must put it into action by fulfilling the “Six Paramitas” . We must truly seek to experience it by genuinely going out to serve others . It is not enough to just know the . Dharma’s names and appearances . We must genuinely go among people and learn from experience .
What does it mean to give? . What we give to others is more than just external objects . What we give comes from both the outside and the inside; we are willing to give with every part of ourselves . Even if it means giving our lives, we are willing to give . This practice of giving also [creates] great affinities . This is what it means to put the Dharma into action . Not only must we give, we must also uphold the precepts . We must give and uphold the precepts . Upholding the precepts is not just something we talk about . To uphold the precepts, one also need this kind of environment . Even as a king, he did not lose his aspirations to the temptations of desire and pleasure . He still remembered to seek the Dharma . The Dharma and our wisdom-life are even more important than our own lives . The Dharma is more precious than any worldly pleasures . So, his every thought was on the Dharma . He was not deluded by pleasure and desire . Thus, he guarded against wrongs and stopped evils . His mind was free of greed and desire . When it came to his throne, his wife and so on, he was willing to give them all up and uphold the precepts .
He did not fear hard work and was willing to serve as a slave . He was willing to become a slave to follow his master . “I will offer myself to him as a slave” . We also discussed this yesterday . He was a king, and yet he was willing to offer himself as a servant . He was willing to become a slave and give his master everything that he wanted . He was willing to humble himself and work hard without complaint . Even if it cost him his head, eyes, marrow and brain, he was willing to give . This was how he was willing to give his life and engage in the practice of patience . He not only upheld the precepts; he also practiced patience . He was willing to serve as a slave; this is diligence . In order to seek the Dharma, he was diligent . This is also a testament to his power of Samadhi throughout many kalpas; he focused on seeking the Dharma and never lost sight of [His aspiration] . This is wisdom . Throughout lifetime after lifetime, throughout many long kalpas, this king sought the Great Vehicle Dharma, practiced the Six Paramitas and perfected them all throughout the course of many lifetimes . He put the Dharma into action . He did more than just know about it or talk about it; . He physically devoted himself and put it into action .
“From the very beginning all the way to this day” means that [he sought the Dharma] from the very beginning all the way to now . Thus, “He was able to resonate with the path” . Now, he was a king . He sought a master and his master came . The mystic came to accept him and teach the Dharma . Isn’t this because they both resonated with the path? . [The king] was seeking, and the mystic came in response to His request, “so they suddenly met in this place” and had this encounter . So, this is how they came to meet each other at this time . One of them sought the Dharma, and the other said, . “I have Dharma to teach you, and here are my conditions…” . Then he began to reveal his conditions . This is because they both connected in resonance with the path .
So, the previous sutra passage says, . “The people of the world at that time had an immeasurably long lifespan” .
“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'”.
At the time when he was king, people had very long lifespans . This was when people’s lifespans lasted up to 84,000 years . After every 100 years, one year was subtracted . This is because sentient beings’ greed grew greater and greater, and they killed more and more beings . This is the collective karma of sentient beings . Their lifespans decreased every 100 years, and this decreasing continued . So, now we see very few people who live past 100 . This is because we are in a decreasing kalpa .
So, when this king was alive, it was during the era when people had immeasurably long lifespans . “But for the sake of the Dharma, he renounced his royal position” . He wanted to seek the Dharma, so he [renounced] his royal position as king and entrusted it to the prince . He did not cling to his royal position as king . He gave up his title and position and focused on seeking the Dharma . Who was the person he sought, the one to teach him the Wondrous Dharma of the Great Vehicle? . So, “The drums were beaten to announce his search for the Dharma throughout the four directions” . He sought [the Dharma] everywhere and
even announced his conditions, . “For whoever can teach me the Great Vehicle,. I am willing to offer myself as a slave for all my life” . This would be for his entire life! . It was not a temporary thing . A slave is an enslaved servant . He was willing to offer himself up and take orders . He was originally in the position to give orders and tell others what to do . He only needed to speak; he never needed to lift a finger . Now, he was willing to use his body for whomever could teach him the Dharma, serving that person . This is how sincerely the king sought the Dharma .
In the next sutra passage, the Buddha said, .
“At that time a mystic came and said to the king, ‘I have the Great Vehicle Dharma’ ‘known as the Wondrous Lotus Sutra’ ‘If you do not go against me,’ ‘I will teach it for you'”.
This mystic had seen the king’s proclamations posted everywhere that he was in search of a master . He saw this proclamation being made, and this is when the mystic appeared . He came to the palace on his own, went before the king and said, . “I have the Great Vehicle Dharma. This Great Vehicle Dharma is called the Wondrous Lotus Sutra. If the king will not go against my conditions,. I am willing to teach you” . These were the conditions he presented to the king . He did not only want the king to be his slave, he also had very demanding conditions .
So, it was because the king “sought the Dharma and publicly issued a proclamation” that this mystic appeared .
At that time a mystic came and said to the king: . Because the king sought the Dharma and had publicly issued a proclamation, there came a mystic . This shows that the mystic’s agreement to impart the Dharma was in exact accord with the king’s wishes to accept the Dharma and serve him reverently . The mystic said this to the king and the king was delighted . Thus they connected in resonance with the path . Had it not been for this king, the mystic would have had no one to take as his companion . Had it not been for the mystic, this king would have had no one to honor as his master.
This shows that the mystic was already willing and had already agreed . He agreed to [teach] the king and told him, . “I have confidence. I have the Wondrous Dharma of the Great Vehicle, which is called the Lotus Sutra. I am willing to teach it to you” . This “was in exact accord with the king’s wishes” . Nothing else was important to the king . The most important thing was the Wondrous Dharma of the Great Vehicle . This was what was in true accordance with the king’s wishes . Because of this, the king accepted with utmost respect . One was willing to give and the other was willing to accept; they were in mutual accord .
The mystic told [his conditions] to the king . “As long as you promise to do every single thing I say,. I am willing to teach you and pass this Dharma on to you” . The king heard this and rejoiced . He was delighted and bursting with joy . He heard [the mystic] had the wondrous Dharma, and this was exactly what [the king] was seeking, so he was full of joy . This is “connecting in resonance with the path” .
One sought the Dharma, and the other said, “I have confidence that. I have this wondrous Dharma that I can give you” . One had a request, and the other was willing to give it to him; this is “connecting in resonance with the path” . So, “Had it not been for this king, the mystic would have had no one to take as a companion” . If it had not been for this king, this mystic would not have appeared . This is because this mystic was very proud and had a very arrogant personality . If he had not been a king, [the mystic] would not have been willing to impart the Dharma to him . So, had it not been for this king, this mystic would not have appeared . So, “Had it not been for the mystic, this king would have had no one to honor as his master” . Because the king saw that this mystic was very confident, the king gave rise to great joy in his heart . This is resonance . This was their karmic affinities . This is connecting in resonance with the path . [Thus,] the king honored him as his master .
The mystic said, . “I have the Great Vehicle Dharma known as the Wondrous Lotus Sutra” .
I have the Great Vehicle Dharma known as the Wondrous Lotus Sutra: . That mystic said, . “I have the great teaching known as the Wondrous Lotus Sutra” . When the king sought a master to pass the wondrous Dharma unto him, the mystic came readily.
That mystic said to the king, . “The wondrous Dharma I have is called the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Sutra” . This was just what the king needed . Just hearing the words . “Wondrous Dharma Lotus Sutra,” he could not help but give rise to joy . The mystic came and the king rejoiced . It was incredible! . This was their karmic affinity .
The teacher and student, request and response were all in harmony . This kind of encounter is extraordinary . It is the manifestation of the great provisional and is incredible.
“The teacher and student, request and response were all in harmony” . The teacher came, and the student had a request . So, when it says “teacher and student,” the “teacher” refers to the instructor, and the “student” refers to the pupil, the one who sought the Dharma . The teacher was there because the student sought the Dharma . So, he had to reach deep inside himself to find sufficient teachings to to suit his student’s needs . This is the “teacher and student” . So, “request” here refers to the request of the student . The teacher had to meet this request . Thus the “request” accorded with the “response” . They were in harmony; they were in perfect accord with each other . So, “This kind of encounter is extraordinary” . It was “an extraordinary encounter” .
The mystic who came had many great demands . He used all kinds of challenges to test him . There was nothing he did not ask him to do . [The king] very willingly accepted them . So, the teacher and student had this request and response for each other . “Whatever the teacher asks me to do,. I will absolutely do it” . When the teacher had a request, the student also had to respond . The Dharma that the student sought was something his teacher could give to him . If students do not first serve as apprentices, then how can their masters pass on their skills to them? .
It is the same principle . So, requesting and responding are mutual . One sought the Wondrous Dharma, so the other was willing to give it to him . One said, “I have the Dharma, and I am willing to give it to you, but I have many requests for you before I give this Dharma to you” . This was a mutual request and response; both sides were willing to accord with one another . This is truly an “extraordinary encounter” . Even when [the mystic] made unreasonable requests, [the king] was still willing to serve him . He underwent so many trials and tribulations without blame, regret or complaint . In so doing, he fulfilled the Six Paramitas . Thus, he sought the Dharma with great sincerity .
This was the “manifestation of the great provisional” .
The king was a sage of great wisdom . We have said before that [despite] being a sage of great wisdom, he did not hesitate to serve as a slave and was willing to bear all kinds of tribulations; he did all of this willingly .
This is the great provisional . [The Buddha] applied it here to teach us about how this king was able to seek the Dharma with such sincerity, so for us insignificant ordinary beings, what is there to be afraid of? . What suffering is there to fear? . The king was willing to humble himself in order to seek the Dharma . For us average people, what kind of status are we so concerned about? . How much arrogance do we still have? . What qualifications [do we claim] to feel so haughty and arrogant? . Our aspiration to seek the Dharma is very sincere to begin with, so we must let go of all views of self and seek the Dharma with determination . In seeking the Dharma, we must go out to serve others . This is the great provisional,
using skillful means to teach the future world . He was willing to use this kind of teaching, to reveal [the Dharma] in this way, so He also needed someone like this to be an adverse and harmful friend . [He needed] this kind of spiritual friend to treat him in this way . So, He was free of hatred and regret . This was incredible; it was the revelation of the great provisional . If he did not have someone come to test him, then how would we be able to see this spiritual practitioner’s ability to willingly put everything aside to serve others? . This is the “manifestation of the great provisional” . This is the role model of the wise sage seeking the Dharma . This is the “manifestation of the great provisional” . It truly is incredible .
So, “Nevertheless, this wondrous sutra’s principles transcend the Four Agamas, so it is called the Great Vehicle. Its teachings encompass the One Vehicle and “contain all Small and Middle Vehicle teachings, so it is called the wondrous Dharma” .
“The Four Agamas” are the “Four Agama Sutras” . The Agama Sutras were later divided into four, the “Ekottaragama,” the “Madhyamagama,” the “Dirghama” and the “Samyuktagama” .
“Nevertheless, this wondrous sutra’s principles transcend the Four Agamas, so it is called the Great Vehicle. Its teachings encompass the One Vehicle and “contain all Small and Middle Vehicle teachings, so it is called the wondrous Dharma. The Four Agamas: Ekottaragama, Madhyamagama, Dirghama and. Samyuktagama.”
The Agama Sutras are divided into these four .
The Ekottaragama is the Dharma spoken by the Buddha . These are the short, fitting verses that, during the compilation of the sutras, were gathered together again . This is called the “Ekottaragama” . What about the “Madhyamagama”? . Those are stories from the sutras that are neither long nor short and are suitable for our usual Dharma studies . How do we choose models [for us to follow]? . In this sutra, there are stories we should learn that are suitable for our use .
What about the “Dirghama”? . When it comes to the “Dirghama,” this sutra text is fairly long, with long stories . This is the “Dirghama” . As for the “Samyuktagama”, all kinds of teachings have been compiled together in this sutra . As long as they could inspire people’s minds and be of use to everyone, they were all gathered together here . This is known as the “Samyuktagama” .
As long as it could inspire people’s minds, [it was included] . When the Buddha taught the Dharma, sometimes, on the road, . He would observe His surroundings and teach the Dharma accordingly . This is all recorded in the sutra .
For example, one time, while walking down the road, a gust of wind blew a piece of paper [before Him] . The Buddha said to Ananda, . “Come, pick up that piece of paper” . He picked it up . Then the Buddha said to Ananda, . “Smell it. What does this paper smell like?” . Ananda took it and smelled it . “This piece of paper is very unusual; it is so fragrant!” . The Buddha then asked Ananda, . “Why is this piece of paper fragrant?” . Ananda answered, . “It is very simple. Venerable Buddha, this paper was probably used to wrap incense. That is why this paper is so fragrant. It smells like fragrant wood” . Yes, this made sense .
They walked farther and saw some string . “Ananda, bring that string over here and smell it” . He picked it up . “Ack! Venerable Buddha, this string stinks like rotten fish” . The Buddha asked, . “Ananda, why does the string stink like rotten fish?” . Ananda said, . “This string has a fishy odor. It smells like rotten fish. Buddha, this string must have been used to wrap fish” .
The Buddha said, . “Yes, this is grass twine used to wrap fish. This is just like us humans. Whatever environment we are in, whatever kind of people we interact with, we will be influenced by them. If we are around good people, diligent people, then naturally we will be diligent. If we are around lazy, unwholesome people, we will become the same as the lazy and unwholesome people. It is the same thing. We need to choose our friends wisely” .
This is all written in the Agama Sutras . The Ekottaragama, the Madhyamagama, the Dirghama and the Samyuktagama are generally referred to as the Four Agamas . These are the Agama Sutras; they are divided into the Four Agamas .
However, the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra has already surpassed the Four Agamas . It not only surpasses the Four Agamas, but it also surpasses the Vaipulya and surpasses the Prajna . So, the Buddha has opened up the provisional to reveal the true . This is the One True Great Dharma known as the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra . So, this is a wondrous sutra . It is the most subtle and wondrous sutra . Its principles surpass the Four Agamas and even the Vaipulya and the Prajna . This is true emptiness and wondrous existence, the wonderful Lotus Sutra . So, it has surpassed [all else] .
“Its teachings encompass the One Vehicle” . This means that it encompasses everything in the Middle and Small Vehicle teachings . The Lotus Sutra encompasses all these teachings and principles . So, “Its teachings encompass the One Vehicle” . So, everything in the Small and Middle Vehicles, whether it is the Small Vehicle or Middle Vehicle, all that Dharma is encompassed in the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Sutra . All of the principles this sutra contains are free of contradictions; it contains everything . [This sutra] distils the essence of all sutras . It is free of any miscellaneous elements . The Buddha has [filtered through] the Small and Middle Vehicle Dharma and encompassed its essence within [the Lotus Sutra] . Even the Mahaprajnaparamita sutras are integrated within [this sutra] .
So, the Lotus Sutra is the king of all sutras . It is the essence of all Dharma and encompasses all . Middle and Small Vehicle teachings, “so it is called the wondrous Dharma” . All Dharma is a method . Everything that these methods have to teach us is within this Wondrous Dharma .
So, “If you do not go against me,. I will teach it for you” .
If you do not go against me, . I will teach it for you: . If you do not go against my wishes, then I will teach it for you . Do not go against: This means that he must not go against his master’s wishes . So long as the king did not go against his instructions, the master would readily impart the teachings.
This mystic came, and this is what he said . “I have such good teachings. It is the most subtle and wondrous Dharma. King, if you do not go against my requests, my orders and whatever I tell you to do and so on, if you do not disobey me,. I will teach it to you” . This was a very demanding request . [He made this] very, very demanding request, in hopes that the king would not go against him . Thus he said, . “If you do not go against my wishes, then I will teach it for you. This is what I want and you must act in accordance with my wishes” .
So, “do not go against” here means “do not disobey the master’s wishes” . Whatever the master wants, his disciple must obey him . “The king [must] not go against his instructions. Whatever I tell you to do, you must do it; you cannot disobey my wishes. If you can manage this,. I will readily impart the teachings. If you can follow me and do not disobey my wishes,. I will naturally impart to you this Dharma ” .
So [he said], “Do not go against me” .
Do not go against me: He must call the teacher of the path his master . The king must listen to his words and follow his actions, instead of just relying on his own status . The mystic was testing the king to see if he still clung to anything, such as his nobility and power . If the king was like this, he would be not worthy of being taught the Path.
“Do not go against me” means that “he must call the teacher of the path his master” . [The mystic] would impart the teachings of the path unto him, thus [the king] must call him master . So, “The king must listen to his words and follow his actions” . Since these were the words of his teacher, this disciple absolutely had to listen . For everything [the mystic] said, [the king] “listened to his words and followed his actions” . No matter what it was, he had to be very respectful and obedient . He could not “just rely on his status,” no . He could not say, “I am the king, and you are a mystic. You came to teach me, and you must respect me because I am the king” . He could not have this mindset . “Do not think that because you are the king,. I must respect you; no. You cannot use your title of king to win any favors from me. Rather, you have to obey my teachings” .
This is how [the mystic] tested him [to see if he] “still clung to anything” . Did he have any [hidden] intentions, such as “clinging to his nobility and power”? . Being a king, this was such a noble position . He had power; he was the king . The authority was in his hands . So [the mystic felt] just because he was the king he did not need to have that nobility and status . “Since you are going to become my disciple, you have no wealth or status now; now you have no power as king” . [Thus,] “If the king was like this, he would not be worthy of being taught the Path. If you are like this and feel that you have a king’s position, or that you still have special authority, if you are like this, [you are] not worthy of being taught the path, and I will not teach you the Dharma. If you still have this mindset, then I will never teach the Dharma to you. Let me be clear about that. You do not have a king’s status. You do not have a king’s authority. You do not have a king’s nobility. You have to listen to everything I say and serve as my slave. This is what you must do” .
So, “When the Buddha transformed sentient beings,. He completely accorded with their minds to teach and transform them” . We should know that the Buddha wanted to transform sentient beings, so He had to give everything He could give . He had to fulfill the Six Paramitas . If sentient beings did not make a request, . He did not respond . For everything they sought, He had to answer . This is to say nothing of the manifestation of the great provisional . The Buddha revealed this [teaching] so people in future lifetimes could understand that seeking the Dharma is a very serious, very precious and sacred matter . So, “When the Buddha transformed sentient beings,. He completely accorded with their minds to teach and transform them” . This is the revelation of the great provisional so that everyone would understand that this is the process of seeking the Dharma .
“At that time the mystic was only willing to teach if the person did not go against his wishes” . For this mystic to impart his teachings, the recipient could not disobey his wishes . Only then would he be willing to teach the Dharma . So, his request was that . “You must act in accord with my wishes. This shows that he was a friend providing adverse conditions” . We already know this . We have discussed earlier about favorable and adverse conditions and positive and negative affinities . Both positive and negative affinities are assisting conditions . His encounter with this mystic now was an adverse condition, an adverse and negative affinity that came to temper and refine him . He was a friend providing adverse conditions .
When the Buddha transformed sentient beings, . He completely accorded with their minds to teach and transform them . At that time the mystic was only willing to teach if people did not go against his wishes . This shows that he was a friend providing adverse conditions .
As Buddhist practitioners, we must be understanding and forgiving . I constantly tell everyone that in dealing with people, if someone treats us like this, we must quickly change our mindset to one of understanding, forgiveness and gratitude . “You have treated me this way;. I am very content” . When we can use this kind of contentment, understanding, forgiveness and gratitude to face every kind of condition in this world, they will all become assisting conditions . Is it a beneficial adverse condition or a positive assisting condition? . If we want to engage in spiritual practice, we must know that whatever the conditions may be, we have to adapt to them all . Then we will be able to truly fulfill the Six Paramitas . Therefore, we must always be mindful