Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Buddhas Manifest Infinite Worlds in One Thought (諸佛一念 示現無量)
Date: February.20.2018
“In one thought, all Buddhas manifest the infinite worlds of the mind and the merits and virtues of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions. It is difficult to describe the nature of all Dharma in words. The stupa of treasures stood as testimony to the multiple manifestations of the Buddha. In one thought, the Buddha manifested the magnificence of all Dharma throughout the infinite worlds as testimony to this pure land of the mind.”
Be mindful! In one thought, all Buddhas can manifest the infinite worlds of the mind. Meanwhile, for us ordinary beings, what can we do in the span of one thought? Can’t our minds also, in an instant, think about many things? Not only can they imagine many things, our minds can also instantaneously connect with many places. When I say to you, “Where did your child go to study?” “The United States?” “England?” “Japan?” No matter the place, without even needing to say the country’s name, when I ask you, “Where is your child studying now?” your minds will instantly go to the country where your child is studying. The more kids you have, the more thoughts you will have. How many of your children have gone abroad? Ordinary beings have these kinds of thoughts, to say nothing of the Buddha who, in one thought, can manifest infinite worlds. Shouldn’t we have faith in the Buddha’s thoughts?
Our own thoughts can be unobstructed like this, to say nothing of the Buddha’s thoughts! However, ordinary beings think only for themselves. The Buddha thinks for the sake of all sentient beings in this world. The Buddha hopes that all sentient beings can, in a single thought, take the Dharma to heart and thoroughly understand the principles. These are the Buddha’s thoughts. As ordinary beings, our thoughts are all about our families, relatives and loved ones. But the Buddha’s thoughts are on all sentient beings on earth.
So, “the merits and virtues of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions…”. In the minds of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, their every thought is on sentient beings. So, they actualize the Six Paramitas, and have spent lifetime after lifetime [in the practice of] the Six Paramitas, which are giving, upholding the precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. This is what is on the Buddha’s mind at all times; among sentient beings, in all actions, He creates blessings among people. He goes among sentient beings to transform them, turning their afflictions into Bodhi. These are the thoughts of all Buddhas. So, regarding the thoughts of Buddhas, “It is difficult to describe the nature of all Dharma in words.” [The Buddha] must accord with sentient beings’ capabilities. Regardless of what their capabilities may be, the Buddha has to accord with these capabilities. For however much ignorance and however many afflictions they have, He must respond with just as many different kinds of Dharma to transform sentient beings. This is the state of mind of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They manifest infinite worlds in a single thought. All Buddhas are like this. When Sakyamuni Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra in this world, that ancient Buddha, Many Treasures Buddha, manifested His stupa of treasures to stand as testimony. So, the Buddha [gathered] His multiple manifestations, His many manifestations, which are His teachings. From wherever [His teachings] had spread, the Buddha’s manifestations of the Dharma there all came back. So, in the span of one thought, the Buddha shone out a ray of light from between His eyebrows. This was the light of His mind, which illuminated the east. He revealed [the worlds] in the span of a thought, calling upon the Dharma to come back. Naturally, [They came] from the east, and from the south, west, north and the four intermediate directions, They all came without exception. I keep telling everyone about “the Dharma returning to its place.” The Buddha returned this Dharma to its place within His heart. When we all listen to the Dharma, do we take it into our hearts like this? We listen to the Dharma often, but do we just forget it after we hear it? Do we let it leak out and fall away [from our minds]? When we listen to the Dharma, we find it in our everyday lives; we must apply it and verify it. We must hurry to return the Dharma [to its place]. Only then will we have Dharma to transform sentient beings. This is called, “having a way (Dharma) to do it.” “Have you done this thing?” “You might not have a way, but I have a way to do it.” So I need to take this way and take it into my heart, so that I will always have a way to do it. The principle is the same.
So, “[He manifested] the magnificence of all Dharma throughout the infinite worlds as testimony to this pure land of the mind.” The infinite worlds refer to how, as we listen to the Dharma, we take it in, into the ground of our mind. After we listen to the Dharma, where do we put it? Where does it go? Now is the time to bear testimony to it, the time to return the Dharma to its place. When the Dharma returns, all is magnificent. It is a “testimony to this pure land of the mind”. When we listen to the Dharma, we must always keep our hearts clean and pure, free of afflictions and defilements. With a mind free of afflictions and defilements, we can constantly accept the Dharma into our minds. This is time to put it to use; we must return the Dharma to its application. This is the moment in which we truly learn how to apply the Dharma.
Let us look at the previous sutra passage. “At that time, Sakyamuni Buddha’s multiple manifestations from the east, all those Buddhas throughout lands as numerous as the sands of billions and trillions of nayutas of Ganges River, who each taught the Dharma, came to gather here.”
Now the Buddha [gathered] this Dharma and one after another, They returned. Everyone present must have recalled the Buddha’s limited and Middle Vehicle teachings from the past and. Now they had been returned to the Great Vehicle, the Great Vehicle Dharma of the Lotus Sutra. In the Introductory Chapter, [the Buddha] began to radiate light, Maitreya Bodhisattva asked the Buddha to teach the Dharma but the Buddha was still in a state of tranquility and stillness. He was silent, but He radiated light. Manjusri Bodhisattva understood Maitreya Bodhisattva’s intention, and these two began to engage in discourse. This was in order to dispel the doubts of those present. They were all doubtful. The Buddha had finished teaching the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, but it seemed that this Dharma-assembly had not dispersed yet. The Buddha still sat in meditation, radiating light. It seemed He still had Dharma that He wanted to continue teaching. Everyone sat in that place for a long time, for a very long time, and still the Buddha did not emerge from Samadhi. We must bring ourselves to this state. This is the Dharma. To begin, we must take it into our hearts. Have we taken the Dharma to heart? Once it is in our hearts, then we will be the Dharmakaya, the Buddha’s multiple manifestations. We must quickly call [the Dharma] back to us, to the ground of our mind.
This spirit of listening to the Dharma must be called back to us. The spirit of a spiritual practitioner is this kind of focused mind; we cannot lose [this spirit] once [the teaching] is over. We cannot! Once [the teaching] is over, [the spirit] is still there. This living Dharma will still live on in our hearts. So, starting with the Introductory Chapter, the beginning of the Buddha’s perfect teachings, we must bring it back to us again. This is what the Buddha meant by the analogy of the stupa of treasures suddenly emerged, [representing] transcending the place where the Five Destinies coexist and simultaneously surpassing the Five Vehicle teachings. The Dharma we have been discussing lately should be clear to everyone by now. The Great Vehicle Dharma surpasses the Bodhisattva-path because [the Buddha] actualized the Six Paramitas in all actions. Throughout many kalpas, He went among people, constantly creating blessings for others, widely transforming sentient beings, without ever deviating from the Six Paramitas. This practice of the Bodhisattva-cause will result in the fruit of Buddhahood. From when we first began listening to eth Dharma to now, we should have surpassed the Five Destinies as well as the Five Vehicles. These are the Buddha’s multiple manifestations, which means the Dharma the Buddha teaches. This Dharma resides in the ground of our minds. We must quickly bring clarity and purity into the ground of our minds and return the Dharma to its proper place. In the span of a single thought, He was able to call upon so much Dharma to come back and return. This was in the span of a single thought; we can do the same thing! We [can do it] the span of a thought.
We were just discussing how, back in the Introductory Chapter, once the Buddha finished teaching the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, He sat in meditation. Has everyone begun to remember? Remember that aspiration, our aspiration to listen to the Dharma. This can be called back to us in the span of a thought. Those who take [the Dharma] to heart can call it back. Those who do not take [the Dharma] to heart are like those from the previous (sutra) passage. “The various heavenly beings were moved to other lands.” This is because they heard the Dharma but didn’t really take it to heart. Their capacities were not suited for it, so His teachings did not remain in their hearts. Because of this, they were moved elsewhere. Or, because those in the asura, hell, hungry ghost or animal realms lacked that aspirations and lacked that vow, they lacked the causes and conditions. Thus they were elsewhere as well. So, we are now talking about the eight directions. The Buddha is compassionate, so why would he [move] these heavenly beings to some other place? It is because their capabilities had yet to mature. They are just like us humans. They listened to the Dharma, and protected the Dharma but when asked to form aspirations to engage in spiritual practice and focus on walking the Bodhisattva-path, they said, “Oh, I still can’t do that.” In the same way, we want to focus on our spiritual practice; however, our minds are unfocused; we hear the Dharma and it leaks out. Likewise, in this [state of mind], we will be unable to bring in the Buddha’s multiple manifestations. This is like forgetting right after hearing; we will have no way to bring it back. If we hear and remember, if it left an impression, we will be able to bring it back [into our minds]. Within the span of a single thought, all Buddhas returned to gather together.
So, “At that time” refers to Sakyamuni Buddha’s many manifestations [coming] from the east. The Dharma Sakyamuni Buddha taught in the past, does it reside within our hearts? After this Buddha from the past, Sakyamuni Buddha more than 2000 years ago taught the Dharma, it has been retained all the way up to the present day. Today we take His Dharmakaya and His multiple manifestations and bring them back into the ground of our minds. In the ground of our minds, have we taken the Buddha’s teachings to heart? We have. Do we remember what He taught in the past? We remember. It will come back to us. With everything He taught in the past, we put in the effort, so we are able to remember it, and we are able to teach it. this is the meaning of multiple manifestations. This is not just one person. When we are able to understand these teachings, when one person teaches [the Dharma], many people will listen, and those who are able to understand and take the Dharma to heart will not be in the minority. There are “billions and trillions of nayutas”. Because it has been such a long time, those who have heard the Dharma have grown more and more numerous. So, there are many of them. And not just in this place; the more we pass it on, the wider it spreads. So “lands as numerous as the Ganges’ sands” means the more people there are, the more widespread the Dharma becomes.
So, out there, in whichever country the Dharma is spread to, the Dharma can be put to use there. This is how the Dharma returns to our hearts. “Each taught the Dharma [and] came to gather here. People come and go. Recently, there have been so many people, people who listen to the Dharma, who returned here. Not only have they returned here, they implement the Dharma in their own countries. What is it that they do in their countries? They go back and share with them. Aren’t the principles always coming together like this?
So [they come] “in this sequence. “Sequence” means one after the other. “Those Buddhas from the ten directions all came to gather”. All the Buddhas from the ten directions came, “sitting throughout the eight directions”. This is the Dharma taught in the past; the people who listened to it and the teachings gathered were now all brought together like this. At first it talked about summoning the Buddha’s many manifestations to return to be seated throughout the eight directions. Now it talks about the ten directions, which refers to how the Dharma the Buddha taught also reached above and below. “Above” is like the heaven realms. “Below” is like the hell realms. This kind of Dharma begins from the teachings on suffering and continues to the teachings on eliminating samsara and reaching the state of Buddhahood. The people who heard it were all gathered together. We have listened to these teachings, and now we should talk the Dharma into our hearts so we can remove all kinds of afflictions. We must bring the Dharma in and return it to this Dharma-assembly.
For this reason, it says, “At that time, in each direction, 400 trillion nayutas of lands were filled with those Buddhas and Tathagata’s”.
So, this passage says that in each direction, there were 400 trillion nayutas of lands. This Dharma can transform so many people and pervade such an expansive [number of] lands. When everyone hears it, the Dharma can be circulated, circulated across such an expansive area. So it says, they “were filled with [Buddhas]”. Thus, “The Buddha’s many manifestations filled the eight directions”. This was just like a picture of the Avatamsaka assembly, just like the world of the Louts-treasury.
At that time, in each direction, four trillion nayutas of lands were filled with those Buddhas and Tathagata: This means that the Buddha’s many manifestations filled the eight directions. This was as magnificent as a picture of the Avatamsaka assembly. This is like what it says in the Avatamsaka Sutra, “The inexhaustible ocean of all Dharma-doors is all within the same assembly of the people of enlightenment of One Dharma. “Such [Dharma-nature] is taught.
The Dharma is like this. “The inexhaustible ocean of all Dharma-doors” means the teachings of all Dharma-doors are universal and expansive so that infinite sentient beings can all accept them. Those in the human world as well as in heaven and hell should all be able to accept them. The principle is the same. “Such [Dharma-nature] is taught”. It is just like this. When we fully take the Dharma into our hearts, [our hearts] will become like a lotus pond, like the world of the Lotus-treasury. Then it says, “In a single thought, all Buddhas manifested infinite worlds [and] all kinds of indescribable Buddha-bodies”. This testifies to our many manifestations. So, within the Buddha’s single thought, all the Dharma the Buddha taught was able to be manifest within everyone’s hearts. So long as we take the Dharma to heart, anyone can manifest this Dharma within their hearts and remember it clearly.
It also says that in one thought, all Buddhas manifested infinite worlds [and] all kinds of indescribable Buddha-bodies. This confirms that the multiple manifestations, within the span of one thought, manifested infinite worlds. By all sorts of causes and conditions. They fulfilled Their power of vows, became magnificent and were able to realize this pure land.
We can also put this into practice. So many people from different lands and countries, from such faraway places, came [here]. They came here to diligently advance. Look at how, two or three days ago, [they traveled] such a long way from Indonesia to Taiwan. Their hosts in Taiwan, these Taiwanese Bodhisattvas, went to welcome them and accompany them back. They came back [to the Abode] together; these Bodhisattvas far and near undertook the bowing pilgrimage at the same time. Doesn’t this mean that, regardless of their religion, coming here is part of their same aspiration? By undertaking the bowing pilgrimage together, aren’t they all practicing the same Dharma? Their state of mind during the bowing pilgrimage is the same exact thought. The Buddha’s state of mind is this way, and our state of mind as unenlightened beings can be this way as well. Hence, “the mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in their nature]”. Our state of mind is broad and open. We just need to eliminate our afflictions and ignorance, become completely clear and pure and return all Dharma to our hearts.
Then won’t this be a beautiful sight to behold? So, there are so many things that are “Indescribable”. This testifies to the multiple manifestations. We must not say, “Is this possible? The Buddha summoned all His many manifestations. What did these manifestations look like?” The multiple manifestations are the Dharma. So, “Within the span of one thought, [They] manifest infinite worlds”. A moment ago I asked everyone how many kids they had, where they study, whether it is in this country or abroad. You all quickly [imagined] all of these countries, any place your child has been, any place your family has been, or any place you yourself have been; all of these countries quickly appeared before your eyes. This state of mind is such that one thought contains infinite worlds and all sorts of causes and conditions. They all go through causes and conditions. The thoughts that appear in our minds all have their causes and conditions. The thoughts appearing in the Buddha’s [mind] show sentient beings also have affinities with Him. But what appears in the Buddha’s mind is always magnificent.
It is because of His power of vows, His causes and conditions and His power of vows, that He brought this magnificent world to fruition. This emerged in its entirety. All this confirms that everyone’s ground of the mind is a pure land. Yesterday I spoke about “transformation He thrice transformed the pure lands”. I will supplement that to make it a bit clearer for you all.
The initial transformation the third transformable thing, which is the discriminating consciousness of the six sense organs. The second transformation represents transforming the second transformable thing, which is the manas consciousness. The third transformation represents transforming the first transformable thing, which is the alaya consciousness.
The initial transformation represents “transforming the third transformable thing, of the six sense organs”. Our Six Consciousnesses are the Six Roots that connect to our external conditions of form, sound, smell, taste and touch; these are the Dusts. So, we connect to [phenomena], thus we can take them in. The mind-consciousness takes them in, and they become pure or defiled phenomena Is this a pure or defiled phenomenon? A highly cultivated person [knows all] worldly suffering, just as the Dharma teaches us. There are many suffering sentient beings and “Bodhisattvas are connected to suffering sentient beings”. So, we must hurry to save sentient beings. They have so many afflictions, so we must hurry to teach the Dharma to transform sentient beings, applying the Buddha-Dharma among people. This is also our Roots, our consciousnesses, connecting us to external conditions.
So, we make use of the our bodies and minds and actions to do the work of saving others. Thus, “Bodhisattvas are connected to suffering sentient beings”. This is called purity, pure phenomena.
.What about defiled phenomena? This is when we connect to form sound, smell, taste and touch, when we come in contact with these things, and we want them, want to satisfy our desires. So, by any means necessary, we take what does not belong to us. This is also want happens when our Six Consciousnesses connect to conditions. Actually, as the Six Consciousnesses make contact, they pass this on to the seventh consciousness Hence, the “second transformation”. After the Six Consciousnesses make contact, they pass this on to the second transformation. That is, they come to the manas consciousness, which is the seventh consciousness.
Our Six Roots connect to external conditions and pass them on to [the manas consciousness, turning it into the defiled consciousness. This is what unenlightened beings are like. As more external things are passed in, we become more and more muddle and defiled. Because of this, we have a sense of self and put ourselves first before everything else. Greed, anger and ignorance all come from our view of self being primary, so, this all gives rise to the delusions of self-pride and self-attachment. This ignorance, this perspective, arrogance, self-pride, self-attachment and view of self, these are all delusions. This is all because the sixth consciousness takes in [external conditions], thereby contaminating the seventh consciousness.
So, we have “consciousness,” which is our mind-root and our mind-consciousness. That which “constantly contemplates and calculates with a sense of self is the seventh consciousness. The seventh consciousness is just like this; everything we see outside us is fabricated by our mind-consciousness.
In Sanskrit, “manas” means “defiled consciousness”. “Defiled” means it constantly possesses the four delusions of self-ignorance, self-pride, self-attachment and view of self. “Consciousness” means to constantly contemplate and calculate with a sense of self. This is the seventh consciousness.
So, “The initial transformation also represents eliminating deluded views and thinking. For us to begin, we must first transform. We must transform this consciousness. We must begin by eliminating deluded views and thinking. We cannot just let our Six Consciousness connect to the interpersonal conflicts in society and all sorts of desirous thoughts. We must eliminate all of these; only then will we be able to overcome this ignorance. So, we must eliminate deluded views and thoughts. When it comes to the first pass, that of external conditions, we must not cling to whatever we see. When external things come into our sixth consciousness, we must remove ourselves from them and not simply accept them at face value. With this kind of separation, we will naturally remain undefiled by them. If we can do this, then we will be able to put an end to the cycle of birth and death and exist the burning house.
Otherwise, the burning house of the Three Realms will burn us with flames of unbearable suffering. So, the initial [transformation] that occurs is the burning house we talked about in the Chapter on Parables. It is eliminated of deluded views and thinking. All the desirous thoughts of the human world must be eliminated.
The initial transformation also represents eliminating deluded views and thinking to escape from the burning house. The second transformation represents eliminating dust-like delusions to escape from the conjured city. The thord represents eliminating the delusion of ignorance to reach the place of treasures.
The second transformation represents eliminating dust-like delusions. This is from the Chapter on the Parable the Conjured City, when Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, [ taught] the 16 princes. The perfect teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Also, the guiding teacher made vows to lead sentient beings so that they could leave the conjured city. After we sentient beings listen to the Dharma, we remain stubbornly attached to this illusion. The Buddha wants to eliminate this illusion for us. We must not just remain in the state of Hearers and Solitary Realizers, attached to our own liberation. We must destroy [this attachment]. We must go among people and refine ourselves so that no type of delusion can ever come into our minds, can ever infiltrate our of mind.
If we are very clear and lucid, we will not become confused or deluded. This is the second [transformation], “eliminating dust-like delusions, which is like the Dharma taught in the Chapter on the Parable of the Conjured City. In the haze, when we see the conjured city before us, we must not allow it to delude us. We must begin to experience and understand.
Next, the third transformation is eliminating the delusion of ignorance. This is when we will be able to arrive at the true place of treasures and receive predictions of Buddhahood and so on. so, we must learn through experience.
Alaya consciousnesses is our eighth consciousnesses. the eighth consciousnesses is called the “storehouse consciousnesses“. This consciousnesses “contains the good and evil seeds of all phenomena”. Everybody knows this now. This is the eighth consciousnesses. So, as Buddhist practitioners, we must mindfully seek to comprehend this, starting from our daily lives. With worldly affairs and material things, once we comprehend this, our minds must not allow external conditions to sway us. Spiritual practice requires a mind of Samadhi, of concentration. We must refrain from letting any sort of unreal, illusory external conflict disturb our minds. We must [abide by] the precepts. not only do we need to guard our conduct, we also need to guard our minds when it comes to these illusory, unreal things, we all must work hard to be vigilant of ourselves. No one knows where the wind of ignorance comes from, or from whose mouth. Unture things are transmitted falsely. as soon as our mind is no longer upright, these illusory thoughts will disturb our state of mind. This is like how in a typhoon, when the power goes out, many people cry out, “How come we still don’t have any electricity?” They do not think about the people who, after the typhoon has passed, are outside trying to do repairs to get the electricity to work again. Those people are so hard-working! They also have families, and they have to leave their families behind. Their homes have also been damaged. Their homes have also lost water and power. They have to leave behind their homes and go out into the wind and rain to perform repairs out there. Maybe the electrical pole fell down or the high voltage tower fell down or the electrical wires got cut and so on. they risk their lives, going level ground to the mountains, this is all very dangerous. [They work] in the wind and rain or under the hot sun, all to do repairs to fix the electricity. See, they put their lives on the line to serve others. It is just like how in our world, so many people, without regard for themselves, give of themselves for the sake of other people. The people who receive this sort of help can have their suffering relieved for little while. But some Bodhisattvas accompany others for a long time, saving people while also saving their hearts. This is long-term companionship. Only in this way can we understand that this is the way to give unconditionally.
However, what about the majority of people? Those who forget, those who do not understand, or those who have no connection are still there giving rise to the wind of ignorance. This is the same. So, we must earnestly discipline our minds and [understand] the Dharma clearly. After we listen to it, we must not let it leak out. We must put effort into being mindful in our daily lives. In the span of one thought, we are able to see the whole world clearly. “Within the span of one thought,” “[we can] manifest infinite worlds.” We must actualize the merits and virtues of the Six Paramitas in all actions at all times, and constantly help others in this way. This is the Dharma. The Dharma resides within our everyday lives. We must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)