Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Delivering Oneself and Others (以智自度 以悲度他)
Date: April.13.2017
From Beginningless Time to the present, their heartfelt aspiration has been to deliver all in the world who suffer. With wisdom they deliver themselves, and with compassion they deliver others without rest. Thus they and others will all escape from the suffering of Leaks, ignorance and delusions. They deliver and transform countless numbers of those they had formed affinities with during the time of Great Unhindered Buddha.
This is saying, from Beginningless Time until now, their only wish has been to deliver suffering sentient beings. All Buddhdas share the same path, and every Bodhisattvas does as well. All have the same heartfelt vow; they are willing to give by delivering sentient beings in the world. As we engage in spiritual practice, we all have the same goal, to escape the suffering of the world. We should actually say we want to escape from the suffering of the Five Realms and the four forms of birth. This is because in the Five Realms and four forms of birth, without any control, we face all kinds of suffering in life. Everyone hopes not only to transcend the suffering of the world, but also to understand the principles. Our life exists amidst the karma created from ignorance. So, the Five Realms consist not only of the human and heaven realms, but also the hungry ghost realm, the animal realm and the hell realm. The human realm is suffering. The heaven realm is an exception; they enjoy heavenly blessings there. But likewise, once their blessings are depleted, they will descend to the human realm or to the hell, hungry ghost or animal realms. This all depends on their time in the human realm in the past, how much good karma they created through benefiting others. However, though they may have created blessings while in the human realm, they may at times have still done evil, since while they were in the world, they did not fully understand the principles. The world has always been filled with traps so we say it is a mix of both good and evil. There is good, and there is evil. In some, their good intentions may be awakened. They may passionately give to help others and create many blessings. They accumulate many blessings, but never thoroughly understand the Buddha-Dharma. So naturally, they will also commit evils, because their ignorance is not yet eliminated. With this yet-to-be-eliminated ignorance, it is always easy for them to commit evils.
If their blessings are great and the karma created through ignorance is relatively small, they will naturally first to be born in heaven to enjoy heavenly blessings. Once their heavenly blessings are depleted, with the negative causes, conditions and karma that they created, with their blessings depleted, karmic obstacles will begin to manifest and these forces will drag them down. Those with lighter karma may return to the human realm, while those with heavier karma will go to the hungry ghost, animal or hell realm. The law of karma is without any error. If one has more blessings, one first enjoys blessings. But just the same, when blessings are depleted, evil karma then begins to surface again. Some may say, I have done many good deeds. How could I still have [evil] karma? When their karma begins to manifest, they may suffer physical pain, problems in their families, setbacks in their businesses or something else. Many things will not go the way they wish. I do good deeds; why are all these painful things happening in my life? Those who fully understand the principles will understand that they have the blessings to do good in this life because of causes from past lifetimes. With blessed karmic conditions, we can be in the environment we are in now. So, in this life we continue our past affinities to create more blessings. The blessings we create in this lifetime will be enjoyed in future lifetimes. The blessings we enjoy now in this lifetime were created during past lifetimes. In past lives we also had ignorance. In past lives we also formed negative affinities. In past lives we created all kinds of karma which we have carried into this present lifetime.
So, we are good deeds in this life, because the causes and conditions brought from our past lifetimes extend into our present one and allow us encounter opportunities to create blessings which accumulate for the future. However, [negative] conditions we have carried with us from past lifetimes begin to manifest now in our present one. But we can say, I am willing to accept this. With these karmic causes and karmic conditions, in this lifetime, I will write them off in one stroke. In this present lifetime I am willing to accept them joyfully. Then we will not, due to facing hardship, stop in our resolve to create blessed karma. We will not be affected by [suffering] but continue accumulating good karma as usual. Our evil karma is eliminated in this way. We must do this willingly; since we happily took action in past lifetimes, we must willingly accept [the consequences] now. However, when we give in this lifetime, we should give willingly. So, with all things, we want to be joyful, to accept things joyfully. We must understand this principle very clearly, then we can be firm in our spiritual aspirations.
From Beginningless Time to the present, from Beginningless Time right up until now, we must have had aspirations. As for these aspirations, whether the aspirations from our past lives, aspirations in this present life or aspirations in lives to come, lifetime after lifetime, we are always continually accumulating the same aspiration. Thus, our aspiration is to deliver all in the world who suffer. We have made the vow to deliver all in the world who suffer. If, lifetime after lifetime, we can carry on this aspiration, it will accumulate, and this must be done for a long time. It will continue to accumulate until causes and conditions have matured, and our wisdom manifests. With every measure our blessings increase, a measure of evil is eliminated. We are willing to accept the karma we have created in past lives. Thus, when we face difficulties in this life, we will mindfully exercise wisdom to resolve them.
You can often hear Tzu Chi volunteers say, Take suffering life a tonic. When you meet someone you owe, you should willingly repay the debt. If one repays willingly, there is a discount! If one is unwilling, it will accrue interest. This sounds like a very common principle, yet within this common sense, there is a very profound meaning. When people hear things like this, they think it ordinary. This is how people, matters and things are; everyone knows this. But if we think carefully about it, such a simple [analogy] has such profound principles. If we can understand this and constantly train our minds to follow this path of goodness, we naturally will not make any more errors, and as we go among others, our wisdom will increase. The causes and conditions we have accumulated will mature. Then naturally, in every lifetime, everyone we meet will be virtuous friends. By meeting virtuous friend and accumulating all kinds of wisdom, when our causes and conditions mature again, we can be born at the same time as a Buddha and hear Him teach the Dharma. We can further increase our understanding and in that Buddha’s time we will again make vows. Thus we deliver ourselves, but in delivering ourselves, we can also unlock our great aspirations. We form aspirations of great compassion and make vows to go on to deliver others, lifetime after lifetime without rest, constantly continuing to deliver ourselves and others. We hope to transcend the Five Destinies and the four forms of birth. In order to transcend these, we first need to have precepts, Samadhi and wisdom without Leaks. We must hone our skills through external practice and inner cultivation, thus accumulating merit and virtue. We can do this ourselves and then further encourage everyone to eliminate their ignorance and uphold the precepts and the rules. In this way, we practice ourselves and encourage others to practice as well. We deliver ourselves and can also deliver others. We simultaneously benefit ourselves and others. This is what we must be mindful in doing. Thus they and others will all escape from the suffering of Leaks, ignorance and delusions.
The world indeed is beyond our control. Look at those Living Bodhisattvas who are attending to the suffering people in the world. We currently have a group of volunteers in Turkey. Yesterday marked their fourth day there. The many videos they sent back were indeed very moving. They have inspired many people there, consoled many suffering refugees. These refugees’ hearts are filled with knots; they have many complaints. Even as they accepted our help, some still vented their frustrations; they said some things that were truly resentful. These refugees after coming to that country, had suffered much unfair treatment. They felt wronged in many ways and vented their frustration and would at times lose self-control. The Tzu Chi volunteers hurried to console a woman. They told her,” Look,” we have come from Taiwan, from very far away all for the sake of one thing, love. We are bringing love from so many people. Here in Turkey, the government and these certain officials have provided assistance that allowed us to complete such a heartwarming [distribution] of giving with our love. We consoled her like this. This person who lost control of her emotions was thus able to subdue her afflictions was thus able to subdue her afflictions and give rise to gratitude. She said, “I am truly very grateful for” receiving such heartwarming love, thank you! She then apologized for previously losing her temper. There were even those who said, We will certainly return to our country, and when we do, when society is again peaceful, if you are able to come to Syria we will certainly open our doors to welcome you. They also said things like this. This is how we give; we are very willing. Many people paid their own way and traveled thousands of kilometers, making their way to those faraway places. Once there, they never wasted a minute, continuing to give without stopping. Only by witnessing suffering can we realize our own blessings. Upon seeing those who are suffering, people give of their money and their strength. Upon seeing those who are suffering, people give of their money and their strength. In that place, one can see the refugees there and all the difficulties they face. They have suffered such serious mental and physical torment. After arriving in that county, having left their homes, every day their lives are so painful. They have no work and their lives are bitter. The way they live is truly… they live in difficult conditions and are lacking food and material supplies. In the past, in their own country, they lived in abundance, but now they are lacking everything, so they are filled with grievances. Everything is difficult for them; their lives are very difficult. So, because of this, there are Living Bodhisattvas willing to give, breaking through any attachments or mental obstacles with regard to religion, with regard to ethnicity, with regard to grievances. They removed these from their minds layer by layer until, in the end, they were filled with gratitude. Isn’t this breaking through ignorance and delusion layer by layer? With gratitude in their hearts, they also wanted to give back. This day will come, and this is a feeling they will always remember. That is the feeling of love; we give with love, which is great compassion. When others hurt, I ache. When others suffer, I grieve. With great love in their hearts, we exercise our lasting compassion. We constantly extend and carry on this lasting compassion and great love. We do this lifetime after lifetime, always willingly giving to others.
It is the same in Jordan. [By 2015] in Jordan, we had been [providing aid for refugees] for more than four years. The Syrian refugees have been fleeing along such a bloody path. As they run, the shots explode all around them. Wave by wave, when those in front all, those in the rear continue to flee. As they try to escape this way, the road they travel upon is covered in blood. It is truly heartbreaking! They run on foot; once they cross the border their lives are saved. Though their lives may be saved, they may not necessarily all be healthy. Some have suffered many injuries. Having to escape like this is indeed great suffering. There are now more than 600,000 people living in desert refugee camps, in that vast and empty land. They have tents there, and after so many years, many of their tents have become degraded, letting in wind, rain and moisture from the ground. Indeed, how did they ever get through these thousands of days? In particular, those who suffered the most were the ones who were wounded. Not only are they injured, they have to suffer living in refugee camps. These are the ones whose lives are most difficult. In Jordan, those receiving long-term assistance need help every month; this includes about 80 or 90 households. These are the refugees who continually receive assistance each month from Tzu Chi volunteers in Jordan. Beside occasional large-scale aid distributions, the long-term assistance is for those who, if we did not help them, would have no way to survive. There are also more than 80 households like this. So, we give them aid every month. If there are not many members in the family, they get 100 lira or so, equivalent to NT$3600 or NT $4500. This is to help them get by each day. Even more pitiable are those who have been wounded.
There was a very pretty girl named lman who is only 23 years old. During an airstrike in Syria, in her effort to escape from the attack, she panicked and ran into a staircase where she injured her eye. Due to this, she had not been able to see through that eye. She is only able to see about ten centimeters in front of her and nothing any further. Meanwhile, she escaped from Syria to Jordan. She is a very pretty girl but has nearly lost her sight in her one eye. Our Jordan Tzu Chi volunteers did not give up on her, but brought the girl to get medical treatment, to see an eye doctor. Now, after two surgeries, the girl’s eye has recovered. The two surgeries, including the medicine and surgical expenses, were paid for by the Tzu Chi volunteers. Now, her vision has recovered and she can see the world around her.
Recently, they also held a free dental clinic there. She appeared there as well and expressed her gratitude to the Tzu Chi volunteers. Before, Tzu Chi helped me regain my vision so that I could see the world again. Now, because of the dental clinic, the dentist has helped me. Now that my teeth are fixed, I am not afraid to smile. After my teeth have been fixed and they have given me dentures, I can smile again. I will be grateful all my life, for now I can see and smile happily and with confidence. I no longer feel embarrassed or insecure. So, this girl is very grateful.
There was another, a five years old boy, who during an aerial bombing had suffered severe wounds and whose condition was critical. Although he and his mother had escaped to Jordan, he was still in very critical condition. In the hospital, he received medical treatment with help from a charitable organization. He was operated on in the hospital, then remained there in intensive care. Chi Hui had gone one day to the hospital to visit those there who were suffering. He visited the sick as well the doctor told Chi Hui that there was a child in intensive care, that he and his mother were in a pitiful state. The mother was waiting helplessly outside while her child remained in intensive care. When Chi Hui heard about this, he quickly went to see them. The mother was indeed waiting there helplessly, so Chi Hui began taking on this case. He entered the entered the ICU to see the child and made arrangements for the mother to care for her son firsthand. He first helped her get settled in a place to be nearby to her son. Then the mother could be at peace mentally and physically in order to care for her son. The child went through two surgeries and was returned to intensive care both times. Later he began to gradually recover. During this time, Chi Hui kept visiting the intensive care unit to see this child, to be there as he gradually regained consciousness. When he opened his eyes, they were expressionless, but Chi Hui went every say to interact with him. Then gradually his spirit began to return and he began talking with Chi Hui. He was transferred out of the ICU into the regular ward. There he would share with Chi Hui things like what he had eaten that day, or what he wanted to eat. They were just like family, the way the child would speak his mind, telling him what he liked earing that day and what he wanted to eat the next. This was their interaction, as if they were family.
This is to say, with so much suffering in the world, the world needs the loving care of Bodhisattvas with care like this, those who are suffering can get through, they can get through their most difficult crises. I have heard that this mother and child have already returned to Syria and are back together with their family. However, Syria is still not at peace. Although it is unsafe, it is still better for them to be with their family than wandering around as refugees. This is how they view it.
Of course, there are many who have already left with their entire families, who dare not return. There are now still 600,000 of them in Jordan.
Alas, there is so much suffering in the world! So, by helping people like this, we will be able to do more good deeds in Jordan, have more people working together with Chi Hui, and our power to help the suffering people there will grow stronger. So, this is how With wisdom they deliver themselves and with compassion they incessantly deliver others. As we walk the Bodhisattva-path, we understand the principles, witness all the suffering in the world and increase our wisdom. this is how we deliver ourselves. By witnessing suffering, we will have a greater understanding of the law of karma.
In these bordering areas, as one by one things happen in each country in the Middle East, the refugeed always flee to Jordan. So, seeing all the suffering in these countries, their belief in the law of karma becomes more and more firm. Thus they and others will all escape from the suffering of Leaks, ignorance and delusions. The more they come to understand, those who help others will have stronger and stronger spiritual aspirations. Those that receive help will be freed from their difficulties. Why is there so much suffering in the world? They deliver and transform countless numbers of those they had formed affinities with. Although the 16 princes, over their many lifetimes, may have all been born at different times, they all similarly dealt with life, similarly faced suffering and similarly engaged in spiritual practice with great determination. It is with such determination that they “delivered and transformed countless numbers. These were the countless numbers of associators in the assembly of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha. [The princes] served them over countless lifetimes by delivering and transforming them. So, when Sakyamuni Buddha was in the world, how many did He ultimately transform?
During the Buddha’s time, frankly speaking, the population was not very large and at them time there were many other religions in India. During that time, He suffered from being wronged many times, and underwent many hardships. From that suffering, His will to practice became even more firm, and He shared the principles with those who had affinities with Him. There are those who teach and those who listened; those who listened to the Dharma were all those who had formed affinities during the era of the 16 novices. This continued on lifetime after lifetime. There is much suffering in the world there are manmade tragedies, the natural disasters of the macrocosm, as well as the calamities of physical illnesses. Some people who are born bring with them [latent] genetic problems. When the time comes, the physical illness starts to manifest. None of this is under our control. When this happens, it results in mush suffering, possibly decades of torment. All this is the suffering of life.
So, since there is so much suffering, we must be firm in our spiritual aspirations over many lifetimes. In the future, there is sure to be even more need for Bodhisattvas in the world.
Now, let us look at the previous passage. The previous sutra text reads, The Buddha in the northeast is called Destroyer of All Fear in the world. The 16th is I, Sakyamuni Buddha, who in the Saha World have attained Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi.
We already reached the Buddha in the northeast. He is called “Destroyer of All Fear in the World”. Because the world is full of fear, fear of natural disasters, manmade calamities and the karma we have wrought, this makes people very uneasy. This Buddha helps everyone feel at ease. He looks for ways to help eliminate our ignorance and fear, to completely get rid of them. Of course, to do so He must also teach the Dharma and deliver sentient beings. Our Sakyamuni Buddha lived in the same world as we do. He was born in this world, attained Buddhahood in this world and delivered sentient beings in this world; He is the founder of our religion. In the desire, form and formless realms, He is the “guiding teacher of the Three Realms and the kind father of the four kinds of beings”. This is Sakyamuni Buddha.
The next passage says, “Bhiksus,” we each taught and transformed countless trillions of sentient beings, as many as the Ganges’ sands.
This is Sakyamuni Buddha starting to again call on all the bhiksus listening at the Vulture Peak Assembly. The sentient beings I have transformed are countless, as many as the Ganges’ sands.
Bhiksus, when we were novices: Across boundless space and time, the cause of the fundamental state has existed for beginningless dust-inked kalpas. From Beginningless Time till now, the ability to manifest the transformation-body that He manifests is called the innate body that can manifest, which is the beginningless causal seed of the fundamental state, none other than the Buddha’s Dharma-body of ultimate reality. This is the inexhaustible fundamental state. Beyond this, there is no true body that can manifest.
Across boundless space and time, the cause of the fundamental state has existed for beginningless “dust-inked kalpas”. Dust-inked kalpas ago, in Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha’s time, Great Unhindered Buddha also told how the 16 novices had already made offerings to countless trillions of Buddhas in the past. Clearly this implies boundless space and time. This is inexhaustible time and boundless space. Not only is time like this, but space is boundless as well. In this boundless space, since Beginningless Time, we have had the cause of the fundamental state. This is our intrinsic nature. Our intrinsic nature, our True Suchness, has existed for dust-inked kalpas, since time before Beginningless Time, all the way to today. So, [He has] the ability to manifest the transformation-body that He manifests. This is His ability and the transformation-body that He manifests. His “ability to manifest” refers to how now, He manifests a transformation-body in the Saha World. When Sakyamuni Buddha came to the Saha World, He manifested the Eight Aspects of Attaining Enlightenment. He attained Buddhahood, taught the Dharma, then finally entered Parinirvana. It was 80 years from the time He was born until the time He entered perfect rest. This is how He manifested in the world, hence, “the transformation-body that He manifests”. At that time, He was born in the world. The Buddha-Dharma, the Dharmakaya, is forever in the world. His transformation-body manifests in the world, and He teaches the Dharma according to sentient beings’ capabilities. He manifested in a worldly palace, engaged in spiritual practice for a period, and so on. In the world, the “innate body that can manifest” is the [beginningless causal seed] of the fundamental state. Here, in this Saha World, after His awakening. His nature of True Suchness and the universe became one. With His physical body and His nature of True Suchness, the fundamental state since Beginningless Time, lifetime after lifetime, the causes and seeds [that He creates] are so clean and uncontaminated. That seed, the seed of attaining Buddhahood, is in fact, the Buddha-nature intrinsic to all of us. This seed of Buddha-nature continues on, lifetime after lifetime.
None other than the Buddha’s Dharma-body of ultimate reality means it was none other than the Buddha’s Dharma-body of ultimate reality. With the appearance He manifested in the world, He could exercise the true principles of the universe. There was nothing He did not know, nowhere He was not. These true principles, the Dharma-body, can manifest only after a Buddha awakens. This is “the cause of the fundamental state,” the Dharma-body, our pure intrinsic Tathagata-nature. All of us have this, but we are unable to manifest such appearances, for our minds are full of afflictions and full of the karma we have created. Our bodies are still creating karma through our behavior in the midst of confusion. We are still in the midst of confusion, creating karma whenever we speak. In our confused state, we behave in ways that harm others and such, our minds always lost in discursive thoughts. With unenlightened bodies and minds, how can we ever manifest this Dharma-body of ultimate reality like the Buddha’s? This is why we must engage in spiritual practice.
None other than the Buddha’s Dharma-body of ultimate reality…. This is the “cause of the fundamental state”. The cause of the fundamental state, in hindsight, is the intrinsic Buddha-nature. Everyone has the same intrinsic nature as the Buddha. This is the inexhaustible fundamental state. Beyond this, there is no true body that can manifest. If we can transcend, we [reach] that state, for that fundamental state is inexhaustible; like the boundless universe. Apart from this, there is no true body that can manifest. Besides this, there is no other. If we can understand all of these principles, after understanding them we will know that there are no principles more true than these. This is the ultimate goal of attaining Buddhahood. We each taught and transformed countless billions and trillions of sentient beings, as many as the Ganges’ sands.
We each taught and transformed countless trillions of sentient beings, as many as the Ganges’ sands: These are those whom they had delivered and formed affinities with over many lifetimes. This indicates that they had accepted the Great Vehicle Dharma and would not retreat. They abide in the unsurpassed path.
They had already attained these principles, which are inexhaustible, and manifested Their nature of True Suchness. They taught the Dharma in that fundamental state, wanting everyone understand that all of us inherently have this spiritual state. This is how They taught and transformed. It was through Their pure Buddha-nature that They continually developed. Their teaching of the Dharma. They led by example; through Their way of spiritual practice. They let us see how it is done, thus teaching and transforming us. He taught and transformed countless trillions of sentient beings, as many as the Ganges’ sands. When it comes to the sands of the Ganges River, before even talking about a river, we cannot even count the grains of sand inside the nail of one finger, let alone the sands of the Ganges, let alone these billions and trillions of beings, as many as the sands in the Ganges. Obviously, lifetime after lifetime, these true principles exist forever without any interruption. Enlightened people continually teach these principles and pass them on lifetime after lifetime. These are those whom they had delivered and formed affinities with over many lifetimes. In every lifetime they deliver and transform those with affinities. It was in the time of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha that He started to teach the Great Vehicle to deliver and transform sentient beings. This indicates that “They had accepted” the Great Vehicle Dharma and would not retreat They abide in the unsurpassed path. When they began teaching the Great Vehicle sutra, that was when they truly began forming extensive affinities. From then, they continually abided in the unsurpassed path. They always remain on the unsurpassed path, the highest and most supreme state, universal and perfect enlightenment. This is Buddhahood. The Buddha’s mind is enlightened. He manifested a worldly appearance with true substance and dignified demeanor, all for us to see. Through His voice, by using His voice, He taught us the true principles of all things in the universe, taught us the ultimate reality of cyclic existence in the Five Destinies and four forms of birth. He wanted us to know these principles. But for us sentient beings to accept them and truly understand them is truly difficult in many ways! When we suffer, we have no way, it is beyond our control. We have no way to transcend it. It is like being caught in an inescapable net. Karma that is already fixed cannot be altered; since it has arrived, we must accept this suffering in its entirety. Yet in the midst of suffering, after we have accepted the Buddha-Dharma, we come to understand that this is fixed karma, so we willingly accept it. Thus, each day we pass like this, we eliminate one day’s worth of karma. As we thoroughly understand the principles, we become willing to accept this. At the same time, We must use all our mental strength to understand the principles. Just understanding is not enough; we must also put them into practice and be able to change our mindsets.
For instance, during the distribution in Turkey which we just talked about, there was one person who stood up and vented about all the suffering she had endured. After arriving in that country, she received a lot of unfair treatment and so on. Yet, someone immediately consoled her by saying, You must willingly accept it. So, she subdued the ignorance and afflictions until they were eliminated. Then her gratitude manifested. Think about and try to understand how, though this story involved a Syrian [refugee] in Turkey, this affinity is tied to Taiwan, as our volunteers brought Taiwan’s love to Turkey. Causes and conditions like these are indeed inconceivable. Their suffering is like an inescapable net; they are already caught in it. Only when this violent wind of karma passes can this net of ignorance be broken. Then they will be able to return and rebuild. However, when they return to rebuild, when they get back to their country, will their houses still be there? Will they have the strength to rebuild? The future is unclear! So, when it comes to the inescapable net of fixed karma, we should always willingly and joyfully accept it and earnestly establish a new, correct view of life. This is the only way. What else can we do? So, we must always abide in the principles in relation to people, matters, objects and principles, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
