Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Buddha’s Wisdom is Profound and Broad (分化無量 佛智深廣)
Date: January.26.2018
“Knowing that Many Treasures Buddha had such a vow, Sakyamuni’s multiple manifestations now gathered together. The one stupa of Many Treasures Buddha perfected the manifestations of the ten directions. Venerable Sakyamuni revealed His transformation-bodies. Ancient and present Buddhas all share the same path.”
We should understand this. We know Many Treasures Buddha made such a vow. We talked about this yesterday. Everyone wanted to see Many Treasures Buddha’s entire body in His stupa. So, Sakyamuni Buddha told everyone that Many Treasures Buddha had such a vow, that His stupa would [appear] any place where the Lotus Sutra was being taught; His stupa of treasures would manifest at the Dharma-assembly where the Lotus Sutra was being taught. There people could hear Many Treasures Buddha speaking from inside the stupa to praise and affirm [the teachings]. We should all remember this. We have talked about this many times. This is shows Many Treasures Buddha’s vow. His entire body in the stupa of treasures manifested at the Lotus Dharma Assembly. His vow was to listen to the [Lotus] sutra, and thus, the stupa of treasures emerged from the ground. Aside from listening to the sutra, He simultaneously affirmed for the world that the teachings given by the Buddha were true and not false. This is Many Treasures Buddha’s heartfelt effort. In addition to listening to the Dharma, there was another vow. This heartfelt wish was that the Buddha who teaches the sutra in the world, no matter which world or which Buddha it is, would gather His manifestations who were currently teaching the Dharma in other worlds so that these multiple manifestations could all be brought together. Only then would the karmic conditions be complete. Only with these causes and conditions satisfied would the door of the stupa of treasures open. Then, Many Treasures Buddha’s entire body would be revealed in the stupa of treasures. This is what this ancient Buddha vowed.
Now, Sakyamuni Buddha also had to express His sincerity by responding in kind to the ancient Buddha’s vow. [The ancient Buddha] needed the current Buddha of this world, meaning Sakyamuni Buddha, who was expounding the Dharma in the Saha world to respond to [His vow in kind]. From countless kalpas ago and a place very far away, Many Treasures Buddha had come here with His vow. Sakyamuni Buddha, as the host, had to respond to the gesture of this ancient Buddha who had come here. So, Sakyamuni Buddha began to call for His multiple manifestations to come back and gather. Thus, these Buddhas of the past and present responded to each other. Now it was time for Sakyamuni Buddha’s multiple manifestation to gather. His multiple manifestations that were expounding Dharma in different places now needed to gather together.
“The one stupa of Many Treasures Buddha perfected the manifestations of the ten directions.” The Many Treasures Buddha and His one stupa [appeared] in this place. Actually, all the multiple manifestations of Sakyamuni Buddha had begun to gather from all over. This was to reveal the perfect teaching. The perfect teaching is complete and harmonious. “[it] perfected [all of] the manifestations.” The one stupa of Many Treasures Buddha perfected [the conditions] for all of the Buddha’s multiple manifestations to gather together at the same time in the Saha world. From the ten directions, they would gather in one place. So, “Venerable Sakyamuni manifested His transformation-bodies.” Sakyamuni Buddha gathered all of the various bodies He transformed into and manifested from all the world of the ten directions. This shows that ancient and present Buddhas both share the same path. The ancient Buddha is Many Treasures Buddha. He [lived] a long time ago, very far away. Now, Sakyamuni Buddha called from faraway places in the ten directions. His multiple manifestations across the universe.
We talked about this yesterday. Light radiated from between His brows and illuminated many worlds, “lands in the east as numerous as the sands of 500 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers.” We should remember that Many Treasures Buddha came from countless asankyas of lands to the east. He came from a land that was very far away. Now, Sakyamuni Buddha emitted light from the tuft of white hair between His eyebrows. [The light was from] the white hair, and it illuminated the east; this was also the east. [It illuminated] lands as numerous as the sands of 500 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers. [Many Treasures Buddha] came from the land countless asankyas away, so far. Now, Sakyamuni Buddha called for. His [multiple manifestations] by radiating a light from between His brows. The light traveled over lands as numerous as the sands of 500 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers. From all these lands, He gathered all His multiple manifestations. This was just [describing] one direction, and the sutra in total had to [describe] all of the ten directions. For just one direction, in the east, He had multiple manifestations in lands as numerous as the sands of 500 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers that. He must gather together. Think about how inconceivable this is.
The practitioners of the Two Vehicles upheld the provisional Small Vehicle teachings. They only knew that the Buddha transformed and tames begins in the Saha World. They did not know that His multiple manifestations were countless in number. The gathering of the Buddha’s multiple manifestations now revealed the profound and vast wisdom of the Buddha.
“The practitioners of the Two Vehicles upheld the provisional Small Vehicle teachings.” They only knew that the Buddha transformed and tamed begins in the Saha World. When the Small Vehicle practitioners listened to the Dharma, all they understood was this Saha world. To transform [sentient beings] is to tame them. This is in the Saha world. These disciples only knew that the Buddha had manifested in the Saha world to teach and transform sentient beings. This is all they knew. They did not know that His “multiple manifestations were countless in number.” They did not know that Sakyamuni Buddha has countless manifestations in countless worlds of the ten directions. There were lands as numerous as the sands of 500 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers. In just this one direction, there were so many lands in which the Buddha’s multiple manifestations existed. “The gathering of the Buddha’s multiple manifestations now” [means that] now these many manifestations were all gathering together. This was to show “the profound and vast wisdom of the Buddha.” Actually, this shows that the Dharma, the Buddha’s enlightened state, is not limited to the Saha world. In this vast universe, of all these innumerable worlds, is it really [limited] only to our Earth? No, it is not. The Dharma that the Buddha understood and awakened to pervades the entire universe. There are countless Dharma-realms in the east. Of the ten directions, [the sutra] only spoke of one direction, the east. Beyond he east, there are still countless lands. These are the principles. The principles that the Buddha realized are truly very profound and broad; they are vast and without boundaries, not limited to the scope of the Saha world. This single beam of light that He emitted from His tuft of hair shone so far that it [illuminated] lands as numerous as the sands of 500 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers. The Buddha’s principles exist in all these lands; His enlightened principles abide there.
So, the previous sutra passage states, “At that time, the Buddha emitted a ray of light from His tuft of white hair. Immediately, they saw in the east Buddhas from lands as numerous as the sands of 500 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers.”
Just like that, the Buddha emitted a ray of light, that shone so far into the distance. This shows we need faith in the Buddha’s wisdom. He understood why this ancient Buddha from far away appeared in this world. Now He expressed His profound wisdom. This is perfect harmony of the wisdom of Buddhas both ancient and present, both one and many. The following sutra passage begins by saying, “In all those lands, the ground was made of crystal. Trees of treasures and precious clothing dignified the land. Countless trillions of Bodhisattvas filled the lands. Precious curtains were spread everywhere, and jeweled nets hung from above.”
Those lands in the east as numerous as the sands of 500 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers are referred to as “all those lands.” The number of sands of 500 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers is referred to with “all”. “All” means that there were many lands. In all those many lands, “The ground was made of crystal. Trees of treasures and precious clothing dignified the land.” Each land was very pure and magnificent. Countless trillions of Bodhisattvas filled those lands. In particular, precious curtains “were spread everywhere,” and there were many jeweled nets. Not only was the ground made of crystal, but in fact, from above, precious curtains and jeweled nets hung down. Clearly, these lands were very magnificent.
The ground was made of crystal: This represents a clear, undefiled, virtuous, pure, and uncontaminated mind.
So, “The ground was made of crystal. This represents “a clear, undefiled, virtuous, pure, and uncontaminated mind.” Every one of those lands was like this; they were all this pure and undefiled. In those places, everyone’s minds were virtuous and pure, without any attachments or defilements. These were the lands in the east as numerous as the sands of 500 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers. In terms of the environment there, the ground was very pure and clean. Most of the people there were Bodhisattvas. So, the body and minds of every Bodhisattva was very pure and without defilements. They had minds that were virtuous, pure and free from attachments or defilements.
Trees of treasures: This represents the Bodhi Tree King. Precious clothing: This represents gentleness and patience.
In the environment of these worlds to the east, “Trees of treasures and precious clothing dignify [the land].” All the trees one can see on that land are l trees of treasures. They are not like the trees in the Saha world, where leaves flourish during spring and turn yellow and become dry during autumn, when they begin to fall off onto the ground. The trees in those lands are green all year round. The trees of treasures that grow in those lands are all very magnificent. They represent the “Bodhi Tree King.” They are all in that place. “Bodhi” means enlightenment. Even the trees there bear the name “enlightenment”. So, everything that the eye can see there is all very magnificent. “Precious clothing” represent “the clothing of gentleness and patience.” For those who live in that land, the clothes they wear are the clothing of gentleness and patience. In other words, in those lands, everyone is a spiritual practitioner. Everyone practices the Great Vehicle and [follows] the Bodhisattva-path. [For them] “Great compassion is the room, gentleness and patience are the clothing.” [They] actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions. In these places, everyone is like this; there are many Bodhisattvas.
Bodhisattvas: Bodhisattvas are awakened sentient beings who form great aspirations. Their every thought is of compassion.
In that place, there are “countless trillions of Bodhisattvas. Nearly everyone there is a Bodhisattva. Everyone there is a Bodhisattva, so they fill that place. Thus, Bodhisattvas must wear the clothing of [gentleness and] patience. They are those who engage in the Bodhisattva-practices, awakened sentient beings with great aspirations. Everyone there is replete with compassion. Their every thought is on sentient beings. People from that land are like this. They all engage in spiritual practice like this. Clearly this land is very auspicious and very magnificent. People there all dignify themselves. So, bringing [these elements] together, the environment of those lands the environment of those lands is quite magnificent.
With Bodhisattvas as the state they connect to, they form great aspirations to seek the unsurpassed path for the sake of sentient beings. So, they are called Bodhisattvas. They are replete with their great vows to benefit themselves and others because they seek great Bodhi to benefit sentient beings.
Here, it expresses that, “With Bodhisattvas as the state…” which means that their external conditions are [those of] Bodhisattvas. The conditions of the world to the east are [those of] Bodhisattvas, who are awakened sentient beings. This is the state of the world to the east. This means that all of them have “formed great aspirations to seek the unsurpassed path for the sake of sentient beings. So, they are called Bodhisattvas.” The word Bodhisattva [is abbreviated as “Pusa.” “Bodhi” means enlightenment while “sattva” means sentient being. Every person here is an awakened sentient being; they are called Bodhisattvas. This is because they have awakened and seek the path to Buddhahood. They have yet to reach Equal Enlightenment, so they are learners who have formed great aspirations. They have yet to attain [complete] realization or truly reach the same state as the Buddha. Thus, they must seek the path to Buddhahood. They are people who seek the unsurpassed way. They have to seek the path to Buddhahood and transform sentient beings. So, they are called Bodhisattvas. They are replete with “great vows to benefit themselves and others.” They are Bodhisattvas. They seek the path to Buddhahood and transform sentient beings they benefit themselves, while they also transform sentient beings in order to benefit others. So, they “seek great Bodhi to benefit sentient beings.” They seek Bodhi, or awakening, in order to benefit sentient beings. They do not seek this for themselves; their goal is to benefit sentient beings. They are Bodhisattvas who have great aspirations. They are not selfish; they are Bodhisattvas who form great aspirations. This is like those in the word who study medicine. They study medicine to save others”? I asked medicine because I want to help others. People choose to be nurses because they want to look after patients. By the same principle, Bodhisattvas seek the Buddha-Dharma to transform sentient beings. So, they “seek great Bodhi to benefit sentient beings.” They want to benefit and transform sentient beings. This is what Bodhisattvas seek; this is a principle. The Buddha emitted a light from between His brows. The lands in the east [that were illuminated] are very magnificent. Everyone there seeks the path to Buddhahood, and everyone puts the [teachings] into practice. In order to save and transform sentient beings. There, the Buddha-Dharma is widespread. Once they accept the Buddha-Dharma, their minds are naturally purified. Naturally, the jeweled trees, the Bodhi trees, will grow in the ground of their minds. Their states of mind are such that [everyone] is covered in the clothing of patience. Our hearts must also be covered by the clothing of gentleness and patience. This is seeking the path to Buddhahood and transforming sentient beings. We must form aspirations to seek the Dharma so that everything we do benefits sentient beings. All those who benefit sentient beings can be called Bodhisattvas. [His] ray of light illuminated the east, where “Precious curtains were spread, and jeweled nets were hung from above.”
Precious curtains: This refers to being covered with compassion. Jeweled nets: This refers to the jeweled net of the precepts.
We have often mentioned the precious curtains; this refers to being covered with compassion. These precious curtains are woven from very fine threads. This represents the compassion that covers us. Not only are there precious curtains in that land, but there are also jeweled nets. The jeweled nets form a canopy, like putting up a tent. The precious curtains and jeweled nets cover those lands as if in the shape of a ball. It is like a sphere covering the lands. “This refers to the jeweled net of the precepts.” This is an analogy for the precepts. We must uphold the precepts like jewels. We connect the jewels one by one with strings, otherwise, the jewels will be scattered. The jewels must be strung together with strings in order to be woven into a net. This is called a “jeweled net.” As we learn the Buddha’s teachings, we must follow the rules of the precepts. It is as if we are in this net, which guards against wrongs and stops evils. We do not cross the boundaries. We must abide by the precepts. It is the same principle. So, when we learn the Bodhisattva Way, we must uphold the precepts. Only then can we truly become Bodhisattvas. By refraining from all evil, we abide by the precepts. By doing all that is good, we seek the Dharma and transform others. By practicing diligently, this is the Dharma.
The following passage of the sutra states that. “The Buddhas of those lands, in a great and wondrous voice, expound all Dharma. They also saw the infinite trillions of Bodhisattvas all over those lands expounding the Dharma for the assembly.”
All these lands, the lands as numerous as the sands of 500 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers [are like this]. In every one of these lands, the environment is as we described before. A Buddha is present in each of these lands, and these Buddhas use their wondrous voices to expound all Dharma.
The Buddhas of those lands, in a great and wondrous voice, expounded all Dharma: Each and every one of those Buddhas expounded all the teachings in a great voice.
In every land, there is a Buddha. In these 500 trillion lands, there are 500 trillion Buddhas. “Each and every one of those Buddhas, every Buddha in each of these lands, expounded all the teachings in a great voice. The Buddha in each of these lands spoke with a wondrous voice. This means that the Dharma is [heard] throughout the country and everyone takes the Dharma to heart. Many people’s minds seek the True Dharma. When one Buddha speaks the Dharma, infinite Bodhisattvas will listen and take it in. “Did you hear the Dharma? Did you hear it?” Everyone there heard the Dharma. So, it is called a “great voice,” which means the voice reaches all universally. Thus, everyone can listen and take it to heart. This is called a great voice.
When we listen to the Dharma, if we hear it and allow it leak away, then it is as if we never heard it or as if it was never taught. If so, the voice does not reach all universally. When the voice does not enter peoples’ hearts, it is the same as having no sound at all. If they take the voice to heart, then it is a great voice. Not only will the voice be very clear in peoples’ minds, it will last a long time and forever remain there. When the voice of the Dharma never ceases, this is a great voice. This is like [what happened] yesterday, in our humanistic culture mission planning meeting. Everyone shared [their experience], and during that, someone shared that it has been 30 years since the medical mission was first established. Our staff began to talk about our mission of medicine. Medicine cannot exist without our doctors. So, they began to interview the doctors from the earliest days. They interviewed Dr. Chen Ing-ho; he was the first doctor to come join our hospital. He was also the first to vow that, “If I go to Hualien, I will never leave Hualien.” With that vow, for the past 30 years, he has accomplished [a lot]. Even though he is in eastern Taiwan, in Hualien, [he has treated] many international patients during these 30 years with difficult illnesses in the orthopedics department. [There are many cases] where, in other countries, doctors were unable to treat the patients. Those patients, some of whom were poor, were brought to Hualien by Tzu Chi volunteers to receive treatment; there are many like this. “Turning one’s life around,” describes Dr. Chen Ing-ho and his experience. People say to him, “It is such hard word!” “No!” he says, “I do it willingly with joy.” His motto is one of the [Jing Si Aphorisms]. “Everyone has limitless potential.” He said that this motto, for the past 30 years, has been in his mind. Although his body may inevitably become tired, his mind is not tired. With his limitless potential. He can exercise his many strengths to save very many people. When we think about the orthopedics department, just within the past two or three years, even last year or as recently as this year, he is still “turning lives around.” Tzu Chi volunteers brought Chen Tuanzhi from China back [to Hualien for treatment]. At birth, her legs folded the opposite way. From birth to adulthood, for 26 years, the bottoms of her feet never touched the earth. This is because she was born with legs that bent forward. When we kneel and move forward, we use our knees. But in her case, her feet were in front of her. Her knees were inverted, so she moved forward with the back of her knees. Finally, at 26, she was brought to our hospital, and she spent a year here. After 6 or 7 different surgeries, she was able to stand up. After half a year [of treatment], she stood up. She then spent the other half of the year learning to walk through physical therapy. Finally, she stood upright elegantly and went back to Xiamen. In addition to this young lady, Chen Tuanzhi, there are also many other patients like this [that he treated]. These are wondrous skills, wondrous techniques and wondrous treatments. This is his potential; he has an infinite amount of potential. Even though he may feel tired physically, in his mind, there is still so much potential he can exercise to save [even] more people. This saying, “Everyone has limitless potential,” has remained in his heart for a long time. He can use wondrous techniques to save others. Was he the only one who heard this saying? There are many who heard it. The principle is the same. So, the great voice reaches all universally. When [the Buddhas teach] people, and people can take their words to heart, then this voice is great and effective; the words will be etched into their minds, and the voice will always remain there. Doesn’t this reach all universally? So, here it expresses that all Buddhas in the lands as numerous as the sands of 500 trillion nayutas of Ganges Rivers taught with such a great voice. So, those lands were filled with Bodhisattvas, “countless trillions of Bodhisattvas.”
They also saw the infinite trillions of Bodhisattvas. They also saw the infinite trillions of Bodhisattvas all over those lands expounding the Dharma for the assembly: Each and every one of those lands was full of Bodhisattvas, who each expounded the Dharma for their assembly.
Because the Dharma was like this, it was able to enter many people’s minds, so many sought the Dharma in order to transform sentient beings. These infinite trillions of Bodhisattvas seeking the Dharma were all over those lands, expounding the Dharma for sentient beings. The Dharma is constantly being transmitted. What the Buddha spoke once would be passed on from mouth to mouth; each person passes the Buddha’s teachings along. These trillions of Bodhisattvas spread the Dharma. The voice would come from one Buddha’s mouth and infinite Bodhisattvas would spread the Buddha-Dharma like this. “Each and every one of those lands was full of Bodhisattvas.” There are many Bodhisattvas throughout each of those lands. Each Bodhisattva has sentient beings that he transforms, and he expounds the Dharma to those he transforms. Bodhisattvas seek the Dharma to benefit all beings. So, they must quickly expound it for them. This means that, to learn the Buddha’s way, we must mindfully listen to the Dharma. Is there truly any such light that can illuminate so many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the worlds to the east? All we can say is that wherever the principles abide…. The Dharma is intangible without substance or form but the Dharma exists everywhere. I have been speaking of this to everyone recently. Similarly, when I was in Hualien yesterday, many leaders of our humanistic culture mission all returned here to share their experiences. [However], one of the leaders did not come back. Xiao Yijun [was missing from among them]. Jianming said to me, “He also had matters to report to Master, but he was unable to come back. Let us listen to him personally give his report to Master.” Everyone [wondered], since he was not here, how could he report to me personally? Then, on the screen Xiao Yijun appeared from a studio in Taipei. He was in a studio with nothing else inside. The studio was empty. This is called a virtual studio. It is virtual, but things can be created from nothing. If you want a chair, a table or any other furnishings, those things do not need to physically exist there. Everything can appear virtually, as if there is actually something there. This is true emptiness and wondrous existence. Hualien is so far away from Taipei. When we were holding the meeting here, when He Jianming told me that Xiao Yijun also had something to report to me, I saw him just like that standing [in the studio]. He began to explain to me what the [studio] is like, that they were just testing it right now. They asked Superintendent Chien to try it out. When Superintendent Chien began by walking in, there was nothing just like [before]. But when he was about to speak, all these [virtual things and decorations] appeared [around him]. It was truly amazing. Isn’t this wondrous? It was wondrous! In the world, the Dharma can be like this. This is how profound and broad the Buddha’s wisdom is. This is something that humans have developed, using technology to create this environment. In the Buddha’s era, with the Buddha’s profound and broad wisdom, these things were already in the Buddha’s mind, in His ocean of enlightenment wisdom. We have already discussed before. His ocean of enlightened wisdom. It was all within the Buddha’s mind. So, the scenes that the Buddha described were in fact all illusory. However, the principles truly exist. The stupa is illusory, but actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions is real.
In summary, the Dharma that the Buddha taught was meant to teach everyone to comprehend the Buddha-Dharma, take it to heart and put it into practice on the Bodhisattva-path. “Each and every one of those lands was full of Bodhisattvas.” There were Bodhisattvas everywhere. Thus, those lands are filled with Bodhisattvas. I hope that everyone’s hearts are filled with Bodhisattva-thoughts. This is the Dharma that the Buddha taught. Are we all able to comprehend this? For those who are mindful, the Dharma will forever be in our minds, and we must put it to use. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
