Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Expounding Pure Dharma to Both Sharp and Dull (知根利鈍 暢清淨法)
Date: July.19.2017
“The true principles the Buddha realized are the pure Dharma-eye. The Small Vehicle practitioners heard the Dharma, saw the Path and observed the Four Noble Truths. Great Vehicle practitioners of the first ground observed the principles and wisdom of the Twofold Emptiness. The Buddha has realized pure wisdom of true enlightenment. There is nothing He does not know.”
“The true principles the Buddha realized” are the pure Dharma-eye. As we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must learn to purify our mind’s eye, so that we can thoroughly and clearly see all the matters, objects and principles of all things in the universe. Everything we see is the Dharma, is the true principles. This is having a pure mind’s eye. It is also being able to thoroughly understand the true principles we encounter. This state is that of the true principles that the Buddha realized. These true principles are what Sakyamuni Buddha realized. He is not the only one who can realize them. Sakyamuni Buddha told us all that everyone can achieve the same realization; it is just that our minds have been covered by ignorance and afflictions. We just need to put in the effort, just need to take our minds and our nature of True Suchness and completely purify them. By eradicating ignorance and afflictions, naturally our nature of True Suchness will be purified. This is the pure Dharma-eye. The pure Dharma-eye is what the Buddha realized. If everyone relies on this Dharma, as we engage in spiritual practice we can likewise realize it too. Our mirror will likewise be pure. Everyone has this mirror in their minds; it is just that some make an effort to polish it, while others do not make any effort to keep it clean. This mirror is intrinsic to everyone, and the Dharma-eye is just like this mirror. So, when Small Vehicle practitioners listen to the Dharma, they can see the Path. They understand the Dharma the Buddha taught; they understand the Four Noble Truths. Suffering stems from causation, from the accumulation of all kinds of past karma, the accumulation of afflictions and ignorance. These drive us to become [trapped], unable to free ourselves in our lives. This is suffering! When we are unable to break free of our ignorance and afflictions, this truly is suffering. In life we [feel that we] lack many things. Often we suffer from not getting what we want. This also results in much suffering. There are many things we want but cannot attain. We also often [suffer from] parting with loved ones. All kinds of things result in suffering. So, when Small Vehicle practitioners listened to the Buddha expound the Dharma, they understood. Whether the Buddha explained the principles or used people, matters and things as analogies to verify those principles, they understood. Small Vehicle practitioner understood that the world was truly filled with suffering. So, having observed the Four Noble Truths, they thoroughly understood. These Small Vehicle practitioners, these Hearers, after having heard this Dharma, could achieve realizations, could understand. As for Great Vehicle practitioners of the first ground, they observed the principles and wisdom of the Twofold Emptiness. They formed great aspirations. Forming great aspirations means that after they understood the Buddha-Dharma they began to feel inspired. With this first inspiration, they were already forming Great Vehicle aspirations. This was when they began to learn, began to make vows to be one who would walk the Bodhisattva-path. This was what their minds could observe. After listening to the Dharma, they recognized that all things are empty; they are empty! This is true emptiness! As for wondrous existence, indeed they believed that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, that everyone could attain Buddhahood. So, they formed great aspirations, made great vows and were willing to seek the Dharma and transform sentient beings. These are Great Vehicle practitioners. They formed great aspirations and have already reached the first ground.
The first ground is the ground of joy. They are very happy and very willing to go among the people. Working for the sake of sentient beings, they remain joyful no matter how taxing the work. Having entered the ground of joy, they could observe the Twofold Emptiness, the principle of wondrous existence. When this kind of wisdom is unlocked, they form aspirations. Don’t we also know that what we are saying now about giving rise to joy means we willingly go among the people. Regardless of how many afflictions and difficulties we may encounter, we willingly and joyfully overcome all of them. This is all for the sake of sentient beings. We believe that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. Sentient beings are the spiritual training ground for Bodhisattvas, so Bodhisattvas joyfully dedicate themselves to them.
Right now in Serbia, the volunteers have no taken a break yet. Their busy day is already over, and it is nighttime now. Those Bodhisattvas from Europe, those many volunteers, gathered together there. Everything posed difficulties, yet they overcame all of these. After they overcame these difficulties, they completed their mission. So, every day they were joyful. We can imagine what their days were like. I believe it is around this time that they begin sending the day’s work journal to us. Every mooring at 6 am our time, we receive it precisely on time. Where they are now, it is sometime after 10 pm when they begin to send their information back to us. They send it here, and when we receive it, it is 6 am. Every day this lets us understand the situation of the Bodhisattvas from [12] countries who have gathered there. Every one of them has such rich stories, filled with many touching things.
Yesterday, our Da Ai TV reporter returned to Taiwan from Serbia. She arrived in Hualien around noon. She brought some news with her. We could see from her pictures the true suffering of the refugees. Those inmages of suffering were unbearably tragic. My heart goes out to them. In every scene we saw, every person, whether child or adult, looked so [tragic]. If this had never happened to them, I believe that in their country their standard of living would have been better-than-average. When it comes to actually escaping, the impoverished and suffering are not able. Every step of the way is difficult. Only those with the strength are able to flee successfully. It takes such a long time to pass through one country after another. Every single country poses its own set of hurdles. This makes things very difficult. It has already been a very long time. Now, they have nothing at all; the only things they carry are very old and the very young. They are a handsome people; all these men and women appear to be people of good character. Yet these people have been living the lives of refugees. We saw women who were about to give birth stuck in a tent city in Macedonia. Recently it has been raining continuously. They are in these tiny, thin and tattered tents. The area inside of each is only a little more than three square maters, and they are set up on wet and muddy ground. When they step outside the tent, there is enough water to reflect their image. This whole tent city was reflected in the water. We could see how they were completely drenched. Yesterday, our media staff told us, “It is so sad. They are sleeping on the ground, soaking wet. You can see how their backs and their headscarves are all soaking wet. Everything is wet.” Because our Da Ai TV staff are very dutiful, during those few days they spent in Serbia, they seized every opportunity [to document]. They traveled 10-plus hours to reach Macedonia to see how the refugees there lived, to see the conditions there. So, when our reporter went into that tent city, she saw women holding their children, soaking wet and sitting on the ground inside the tents. This was their life. When it came to food, some were starving, with nothing to eat, but others had received dry provisions for relief. They ate dry provisions daily, washed down with cold bottled water. This was how they lived. Our reporter said this made her very sad and that she had left her heart there. She was pleading on their behalf for us to return. She herself was willing to go. She hoped to have the chance to return to that refugee camp, to see those refugees and find ways to help them. This is a Bodhisattva’s heart. This is a heart of love. They were there for more than ten days, almost half a month. Over that time, they had gone through so much amidst hat suffering and had only just returned. Yet they were already trying to find an opportunity to go back. Every day she saw many people like this. Every day she was with those refugees; she was by their side. She described how hard Tzu Chi volunteers worked. Moreover, among the refugees, many had developed colds; quite a few had gotten sick. Everyone was coughing. When Tzu Chi volunteers arrived, they wanted to share the love in their hearts, to demonstrate respect. The custom there is to embrace one another, so even though the refugees were sick, the volunteers still gave them an embrace. This expressed their care and respect for them. This is what she described to me yesterday. “Those brothers and sisters are all so exhausted, and everyone has caught colds.” She told me about the things they had done. She mentioned a Bodhisattva, a lay practitioner, and the way in which he dedicated himself and the kind of spirit he had.
I told them, “Please! Write those people’s stories down during the few days you are here. All the people you told me about are truly Living Bodhisattvas; the average person cannot do these things.” She even told me about Mr. Yang. “Uncle Yang” is what she called him. She said, “He owns a restaurant, so the first time we approached the refugee committee, we talked to them about buying package food, then heating and serving it to the refugees.” “When they agreed, he was very happy and went right out and bought some. They were very happy to cooperate with Tzu Chi. They even opened up their kitchen to us, a fully outfitted kitchen for Tzu Chi to use. Then Mr. Yang quickly displayed his skills; this brought him great joy. The refugee committee placed a restriction upon us, that we were only allowed to heat to packaged foods. This is all we could serve. So, we heated up this food and served it to the refugees, which made them very happy”. Everyone was very happy to have vegetarian food. This is another way that we demonstrated our compassion and our respect for life. We not only have love for human king, we cannot bear for any animal to suffer either. Introducing this vegetarian mindset to them also brought great joy. Mr. Yang’s visa was expiring, so he had to leave. But, he could not bear to leave the refugees. Still, he had no choice but to leave. He had to depart. Although his restaurant was doing very well, he had set it aside to fully devote himself in Serbia for nearly half a month. But now he had no choice but to leave. So, he left the country for one day and went to a neighboring country. He left for a day, and then returned. He said, “I can’t bear to leave them!” So, he went back again. He only left for a day. He went out, then came right back. The way he interacted with everyone there, he showed an attitude of love and care for them. This was in his actions and his intent. Although he had also caught a cold, he never stopped for a moment. Every volunteer there is like this. It is so touching. They are truly Living Bodhisattvas! He was happy and willing to be there. He set aside a successful restaurant. Earning money is not that important. What is important was going to help suffering sentient beings who are in difficulty.
He had seen the emptiness of wealth. It is empty; everything is empty. “What good will come from earning more money in this life? Everything is empty. Yet, when I help suffering sentient beings, I feel at peace; I feel free and at ease. I am happy that they have received help. I can see that they have eaten these hot meals that enable them to maintain their health. By helping them maintain their health, it will help them to get to their destination”. This is a mindset of wondrous existence. Those people had nothing to do with him, had no kind of karmic connection with him. But he seized this [opportunity]. They were not related to him in any way, yet they shared an affinity like that of Buddhas and bodhisattvas with sentient beings. He seized these causes and conditions in order to benefit people and help sentient beings. This was the vow of a Great Vehicle practitioner of the first ground. The first ground is the ground of joy. “I am happy to go and help others. I am very willing to give”. This results from thoroughly understanding the principle of “true emptiness and wondrous existence”. He had comprehended this; thus he was willing to set aside his business and take action to help suffering sentient beings. He is like a Great Vehicle practitioner of the first ground, who observes the true principles of the Twofold Emptiness.
At the start, the Buddha had this kind of vow. Lifetime after lifetime He set aside everything. Lifetime after lifetime He went among the people to give of Himself like this, accumulating merits and virtues. “He ultimately perfected His merit and virtue. We talked about this previously. Didn’t Purna Maitrayaniputra do the same thing? Yes, this was what he did. So, “The Buddha has realized pure wisdom of true enlightenment”. We do not need a prior connection with someone in order to help them. Even if there is no connection, I am willing to give to all sentient beings in the world. This is the “pure wisdom of true enlightenment”. This is what truly enlightened people do lifetime after lifetime. They have penetrated the principles of the world; that is why they can do this. If they had not penetrated the true principles of all things in the world, they would not be able to do this; they would be unwilling. Why would they go so far away? They pay out of pocket, get on a plane, set aside their businesses and willingly helping suffering people this way. This is because they have already thoroughly understood the principles. With the true principles they realized, they have a pure mind’s eye with which they see the world’s sentient beings. So, the way the express this leads people to have great admiration for them. This is truly “practicing with reverence”! He has reverence for everyone, so he is willing to help them. Because of his willingness to give, everyone who sees him respects him. This is certain. This is “practicing with reverence”.
Come, let us look at the previous passage. “He could teach without fear and enable people to take joy in it. He has never been weary before, and with this assists in the Buddha’s work. He has already attained great spiritual powers and possesses the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms.
In fact, “He could teach without fear” also applies to the Bodhisattvas in South Africa. They are just like this. They constantly travel to other countries, seven in all. In a span of four or five years, they have made close to 50 trips abroad. This is in order to spread the Tzu Chi spirit, to spread these seeds of love. When I see the details they send back to me, I am genuinely moved. Each time I hear this phrase, “He could teach without fear and enable people to take joy in it”, the image that comes to my mind is that group of “Black Pearls”. Every one of them is luminous. Indeed, people can achieve this now, let alone during the Buddha’s lifetime. The Buddha explained to everyone the principles of the past, even if they were the principles of a time dust-inked kalpas ago. Even though these disciples were before Him now, He verified that this is what they had done in the past, across a long time and vast expanses of space. They had accumulated this wisdom and this understanding of the true principles of all things in the world. Thus they could teach the Dharma without fear. We too must listen to many teachings and store them up in our minds. Then we will be able to answer any question that people may ask and help them open their minds and understand. We have to continually accumulate [the Dharma] in this way; we must not only listen, but also get involved among the people. Only then would their mental states truly connect and interact with this Path. This kind of living Dharma is not just something we have heard, but something we have truly experienced. This is the only way we can persuade others, so that when they hear us speak they will be happy and convinced. When what they hear makes them happy, there is nothing for them to argue over. This is something that must be accumulated. So, we say, “Thus have I heard; thus do I act.” We have to both hear and act in order to realize all these principles. Thus, “He could teach without fear and enable people to take joy in it. He has never been weary before.” He needed to be very earnest, very diligent. “With this he assists in the Buddha’s work.” Over the course of many lifetimes, at the training ground of each Buddha, he always helped those Buddhas teach the Dharma and deliver and transform sentient beings. “He has already attained great spiritual powers and possesses the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms.” We spoke about this yesterday.
The next passage in the sutra says, “He knows all capabilities, sharp or dull, and constantly teaches the purifying Dharma. He freely expounds the meaning of suchness and teaches billions of people, enabling them to able in the Great Vehicle Dharma. Thus he purifies his own Buddha-land.”
“He knows all capabilities, sharp or dull, and constantly teaches the purifying Dharma.” Since he understands sentient beings’ capacities, whatever kind of capabilities they have, he will use that kind of Dharma to teach them. Thus the Dharma that he teaches will always purify people’s minds. He helps them get rid of their afflictions and ignorance. By eliminating ignorance, they grow in wisdom. This requires observing capabilities in order to give teachings. Some disciples had dull capabilities, some sharp. Some had afflictions; they had the Ten Agents (afflictions), the five acute and the five chronic agents. All of these are considered ignorance. I have explained these in the past, and in a moment I will review them again.
He knows all capabilities, sharp or dull, and constantly teaches the purifying Dharma: In learning, some are sharp and some are dull in comprehending, some are nimble, some slow. He knew whether sentient beings’ capabilities and natures were dull or sharp, so he constantly taught the purifying, supreme and wondrous Dharma.
“In comprehending, some are nimble, some slow.” When it comes to comprehension, “How much do you understand?” “Well, I understand a little.” “Are you able to comprehend all of it? Can you put it into practice?” “I’m taking it slowly.” These are people of duller capabilities. Some say, “I understand it all. I am very happy that I have received this Dharma and taken it to heart. Having heard this Dharma, at any time, no matter what situation I encounter, it is like it I speaking directly to me!” Some are nimble and some are slow. The nimble know enough to go deeper; they know to accept the Dharma. The slow have duller capabilities “I’m just taking it slowly!” Some have sharper capabilities, while others have duller capabilities.
So, “He whether sentient beings capabilities and natures were dull or sharp.” Those who formed Great Vehicle aspirations have already undergone training. This is like Purna Maltrayaniputra. Whenever he talked to anyone, he also had to understand their capabilities in order to teach the Dharma. I have mentioned previously how when he went to difficult places, he had to first humble himself. When someone was sick, he gave them medicine. When someone was poor, he gave them food. When people had afflictions, he used the Dharma to approach them. Because he understood people’s capabilities, he gave them what they needed. This is from “knowing whether sentient beings capabilities and natures were dull or sharp.”
So, “He constantly taught the purifying supreme and wondrous Dharma.” No matter what, the things he gave to sentient beings always suited their needs, what they needed most. He would awaken the gratitude and joy in them. One they eradicated their ignorance and afflictions, anger and hatred, a pure heart of joy and gratitude would arise. This is purifying Dharma.
What are the “five acute agents”? They are “the agent of view of self, the agent of extreme views, the agent of deviant views, the agent of stubborn views and the agent of views of deviant precepts.”
The first is the agent of view of self, of this body. Our great liability in life comes from having a body. We also continually multiply our ignorance because we have this body.
The first of the five acute agents is the agent of view of self: It is the afflictive view of sentient beings as they deludedly cling to name and form, the Five Skandhas, the Twelve Entrances and the Eighteen Realms as their “self”. Because this view of self drives and orders the mind, it will cycle incessantly. Therefore this is called an agent.
We have this body in this world. It is because we have this body that we come in contact with everything. So, it says, “Sentient beings cling to name and form.” Once we have a body, there will be names and various appearances, things of all kinds of shapes and colors. Then there are the Five Skandhas. In life, everyone likewise has form, feeling, perception, action, consciousness. When we see external conditions, when we take them in, we feel that we must find a way to help, or find a way to oppose something and so on. It is because we have this body that we have so many feelings that leads us to create negative karma. In the end, the karma we create is stored in our consciousness. These are the Five Skandhas.
There are also the Twelve Entrances. The Roots come in contact with the Dusts. We have the Six Roots and there are the Six Dusts. These make up the Twelve Entrances and then the Eighteen Realms. When the mind connects to the Six Dusts, [giving rise to Six Consciousnesses,] three times six gives us eighteen. These are the Eighteen Realms. It is because of the body that there are the Eighteen Realms. This is the affliction of “deludedly clinging to ‘self.’” This is talking about our body. We are always taking issue because of our body. The thinking that arises when the body comes in contact with external conditions leads us to create karma. So, this is called “the agent of view of self.” Upon contact, [a reaction] happens quickly. It is “acute”; it is quick. I hear these words, and I immediately become unhappy. I see this thing happen, and I immediately get angry. This happens very quickly. So, many things then happen like this. It happens quickly, so it is called “acute.” Upon contact, it quickly goes into effect. This is how karma is created.
The reason there are so many refugees is also because of this. With this view of self, people crate so much karma. A single thought that arises in the mind can cause so many disasters. This is the agent of the view of self. This view of self drives our minds, so they “will cycle incessantly.” “Therefore this is called an agent.” Our minds are driven by this. The reason we see things in this way and experience things this way is because we have this body. Thus we go and do so many things.
The second is “the agent of extreme views.”
The second of the five acute agents is the agent of extreme views: This is when sentient beings, regarding the previous view of self, either cling to nihilism or cling to eternalism. Because these extreme views drive and order the mind, it will cycle incessantly. Therefore this is called an agent.
“Extreme views” are “when sentient beings, regarding the previous view of self, either cling to nihilism or cling to eternalism.” We previously spoke of the view of self. When we see something, we will be so adamant that things are like this and go no further, that there are no future lives. This is nihilism. Some cling to nihilism. Some cling to eternalism. Clinging to either nihilism or eternalism is an “extreme view”. So, clinging to nihilism is not right. Clinging to eternalism, we think, “I am human, so I will be born human again in my next life. If I do not practice well in this life, in my next life I will be human again and can practice some more.” Is this really how it works? Some commit all kinds of crimes [and think], “I am human in this life, and I will be human again in the next.” They do not know that there is transmigration in the Six Realms or that the Five Destinies coexist. They do not know any of these principles. So, they “cling to eternalism.” Or they “cling to nihilism.” “When life ends, it ends After it is over, there is nothing.” So, they deny the law of karma. This is “cling to nihilism” Clinging to either nihilism or eternalism is incorrect. “Because these extreme views drive and order the mind, it will cycle incessantly. Therefore this is called an agent.” This is clinging to an extreme. They have not understood the principles within.
The third is “the agent of deviant views.”
The third of the five acute agents is the agent of deviant views: This is when sentient beings take in principles with a deviant mindset, deny the law of karma and cut off all roots of goodness. Because these deviant views drive and order the mind, it will cycle incessantly. Therefore this is called an agent.
This is when sentient beings “take in principles with a deviant mindset” and “deny the law of karma”. Thus, we “cut off all roots of goodness.” If we deny the law of karma, if we have no concept of cause and effect, then because of this, we will not fear karma and will commit all kinds of crimes and continue on in this way. We will cut off all roots of goodness. If this is what drives and orders the mind, then with all our actions, we will continuously do bad deeds, will continuously be covered by afflictions and will continuously multiply our afflictions. This is “is the agent of deviant views.”
The fourth is “the agent of stubborn views”.
The fourth of the five acute agents is the agent of stubborn views: This is the mindset sentient beings give rise to when, with what is not true superior Dharma, they erroneously cling to Nirvana. They take and cling to deviant views, stubbornly believing them to be right views. Because stubborn views drive and order the mind, it will cycle incessantly. Therefore this is called an agent.
This is saying, “With what is not true superior Dharma, we erroneously cling to Nirvana.” The method of spiritual practice that people use can deviate. In India at that time, there were many heretical teachings. Their methods of practice were mistaken. However, people still clung to them. They clung to their deviant views as right views. Clearly, their views were deviant, but they clung to them as if they were right. This happened to the Three Kasyapas. In the past, they had practiced like this. Although everyone respected them, they still had not resolved their own afflictions. This is the same principle. But transformed by the Buddha’s teachings, they returned to practicing the Right Dharma. So, in our spiritual practice, sometimes we deviate without knowing it. This causes us to cycle incessantly. This is very painful.
The fifth is “the agent of views of deviant precepts”.
The fifth of the five acute agents is the agent of views of deviant precepts: This is when all heretical practitioners mistake what are not precepts for precepts, such as taking and implementing the deviant precept of [acting as] a rooster or dog. Because this view of deviant precepts drives and orders the mind, it will cycle incessantly. Therefore this is called an agent.
“The agent of views of deviant precepts” means to “mistake what are not precepts for precepts.” In their spiritual practice, they say they cultivate ascetic practices. This meant living like chickens or dogs…. Anyways, they used ascetic practices of all kinds. They said, “Our ancestors’ legends say chickens will be born in heaven.” So, they looked to chickens to see the manner in which they lived. Or they observed how pigs or dogs lived, and then followed that as a spiritual practice. This is incredible. For ascetic practice, some may live just like dogs or whatever other kind of animal. They say they want to be liberated from this life’s suffering, and this would liberate them. These are “views if deviant precepts”. They also order and drive the mind so that we deviate from proper spiritual practice and likewise transmigrate in the Five Realms and the Four Forms of Birth. The Buddha’s teachings are not like this. The Buddha’s teachings teach us about our own human nature, how as humans we should live according to our human nature. What the Buddha taught us was precepts, Samadhi and wisdom.
The Buddha teaches His disciples precepts, Samadhi and wisdom for humans. When we practice and uphold purifying Dharma, we will comprehend the great path and realize true enlightened wisdom, and there will be nothing that we do not know.
Upholding the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds, or the Ten precepts, is a very reasonable thing to do. Living in this world, we must earnestly uphold these. Then we can purify our body, speech and mind; we must cultivate them well. When we practice and uphold purifying Dharma, naturally, “We will comprehend the great path and realize true enlightened wisdom.” “There will be nothing that we do not know.” This is the Dharma that we ought to learn. What the Buddha taught us was not to cultivate deviant or evil practices. The five acute agents easily lead us astray. And the five chronic agents? These are greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. These are the five chronic agents. The afflictions that accumulate in our mind, that we accumulate unconsciously in daily living, are considered “chronic”. So, greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt are the five chronic agents. Thus, the five chronic and five acute agents all cause afflictions to continually and incessantly multiply. Because of this, the Buddha and His disciples were very mindful. How could they go about purifying the world? So, He “freely expounded the meaning of suchness.” He freely expounded this, helping everyone to understand how the five acute agents and the five chronic agents cause us to continually cycle in our afflictions. So, the Buddha had to constantly clarify and explain these one by one for us. He “freely expounded the meaning of suchness and teaches billions of people.”
He freely expounds the meaning of suchness and teaches billions of people: He spreads and freely expounds the meaning of suchness, teaching countless of people.
Purna Maitrayaniputra took the Buddha’s teachings and continually imparted them to the world’s sentient beings. In this way, he freely expounded the meaning of suchness, teaching countless billions of sentient beings, “enabling them to abide in Great Vehicle Dharma. Thus he purifies his own Buddha-land.”
[He] enables them to abide in Great Vehicle Dharma. Thus he purifies his own Buddha-land: He enables everyone to abide in the Great Vehicle Dharma. Though he manifested as a Hearer, his mind was always purifying his Buddha-land.
Actually, while accumulating and forming affinities with many people over many lifetimes, he had actually been purifying his own Buddha-land. He helped everyone attain the Great Vehicle Dharma, to go from being unclear on the principles to being able to understand the principles and realize the great path and enter the Great Vehicle Dharma. This is using the Great Vehicle Dharma to teach. It is a teaching suitable for our human world, not one of deviant understanding and views. Everything he did was to teach everyone to enter the Great Vehicle Dharma and benefit sentient beings. Though he manifested as a Hearer now, His mind was actually very pure. As he engaged in practice now, his mind was actually very pure. This is the Buddha describing Purna Maitrayaniputra. He had already, for dust-inked kalpas, been helping the Buddha promote the teachings.. Actually, he was helping himself reach fruition. He was developing his own wisdom. He was also purifying his own Buddha-land. In the future, he would attain Buddhahood, the Buddha already bestowed a prediction on him. As Dharma Clarity Tathagata, his future Buddha-land will be very pure. So, in our spiritual practice, we say that we are helping others, but in fact we are helping ourselves develop our own wisdom-life. So everyone, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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