Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Many Treasures Buddha’s Stupa Opens (如來按指 寶塔門開)
Date: February.26.2018
“Now the Tathagata pressed His fingers upon the doors of Many Treasures’ stupa, which opened at that moment. They all saw Many Treasures Buddha. We all have a stupa of Many Treasures. We all have a Many Treasures Buddha. It is only because presently this Buddha is unresponsive that we are unable to press with our fingers and the stupa’s doors have not opened, so Many Treasures has not been revealed.”
Let us be mindfully as we read this passage. Many Treasures Buddha, in His stupa of treasures, was now floating in the air. Sakyamuni Buddha was going to fulfill the wish of the great assembly, as well as the wish of Many Treasures Buddha, but before Many Treasures Buddha’s stupa could be opened, the Buddha’s multiple manifestations first had to all be gathered together. Now the multiple manifestations were all gathered, and they all only had one wish, to see Many Treasures Buddha inside of His stupa.
Now, Sakyamuni Buddha, “the Tathagata, pressed His finger upon the door of Many Treasures’ stupa.” He used His finger to open the door to Many Treasures Buddha’s stupa. The door then promptly opened. He only had to touch it. It was not as if He had to push it open. There was no need. He just touched it for a moment with His finger and the door then opened. Then we know that everyone saw Many Treasures Buddha. At the moment the door opened, everyone quickly looked inside and what they saw was Many Treasures Buddha. “We all have a stupa of Many Treasures.” This tells us that everyone has a stupa of Many Treasures and in everyone’s stupa of treasures is a Buddha. To open that stupa and see the Buddha is not hard. All it takes to open the stupa and see the Buddha is a touch from our finger and the stupa door will open. So, “We all have a Many Treasures Buddha.” Not only do we all have a stupa of Many Treasures, we all also have a Many Treasures Buddha inside it. “It is only because presently this Buddha is unresponsive” means that now, in each of our minds’, is a Buddha that is still unresponsive. Sakyamuni Buddha was able to gather all of His multiple manifestations together.
I have been constantly telling everyone that the Dharma the Buddha felt He had to teach had now already been taught. He had taught emptiness and existence; starting from limited teachings, He moved through the Middle Vehicle, to the Great Vehicle Dharma. The Buddha already gave us these teachings, but have we been able to gather all of these teachings together in our minds? For all of us, it is still not enough. Though the Buddha had already bestowed predictions of Buddhahood upon His disciples, would it be enough for them to attain Buddhahood? No, not yet. After they had received predictions, they would have to start again from the beginning. When we have decided to practice the Great Vehicle Dharma, after forming aspirations we must put them into practice.
So, they had only just recently formed aspirations. During the Buddha’s lifetime, He tried to help everyone to remember the Dharma, tried to help them to remember all the teachings. They had already gone through three great sections [of the sutra]. The first section helps everyone know that the world is full of suffering. It is just like a burning house, a burning house we should hasten to get out of. Now, people knew that the elder had set up three carts outside. He called upon all of them to hasten outside. There was a deer-cart, a sheep-cart and a great white ox-cart. The great white ox-cart was adorned very wonderfully inside. There were many treasures inside it. Everyone should choose the great white ox-cart! However, most people remained stuck in the sheep-cart or remained stuck in the deer-cart. So, the Buddha still had to begin all over again. With the conjured city, everyone had been driving these carts along the way, in the direction of the conjured city. There was a city of treasures and they had a guiding teacher leading them there. The route they took was so rough and rocky that they turned to the guiding teacher and told him, “This is too hard! It still looks a long way off! We don’t want to go any further. If you don’t keep moving forward, it will really be a great pity, not to mention how dangerous the return journey will be!” Yet everyone thought it would be too bumpy to keep moving forward, that the road would be too long. The guiding teacher had to employ his wisdom to persuade everyone by saying, “Let’s keep moving forward. It is not far now; look there’s a city up ahead.” This was the conjured city.
“When we arrive at the city you can rest.” This served to lift everyone’s spirits. It inspired them, so they could keep moving forward. It was after they left the conjured city that they began to understand the need to put in effort. The road of life can be very rocky, so we should all know to be extremely cautious when it comes to karma. With the Great Vehicle Bodhisattva teachings, we must go among people; only this is truly the ultimate. To rid ourselves of afflictions and ignorance, we must go among people and gain experience.
So at this point, when Maitrayaniputra began to go out, this is truly what he was doing. He formed great aspirations and made great vows. He did not fear difficulties. This was the Buddha’s original intent. He freely carried out the Buddha’s original intent. There are some who truly understand that the Buddha came to the world expressly to transform sentient beings. Purna feared neither difficulties nor hardship; he willingly gave of himself to sentient beings. The Buddha began bestowing predictions and continued with predictions through two chapters. Now they had seen the treasures and they had also understood everything. When it came to understanding the Buddha-Dharma, the Buddha had to repeatedly remind them.
In these past three sections of the sutra, the Buddha had helped everyone understand. He then again told everyone how to Lotus Sutra is the great perfect teaching, that it is the perfect teachings, the greatest and most perfect method of teaching. After having gone through all of this, everyone understood this teaching very clearly. They knew to treasure dearly the perfect teaching of the Great Dharma, the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. The Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra is the world of the lotus flower which blooms and thrives in the mud. This is like what happens to us through our training in the world. The lotus flower lives in the mud. The lotus blooms so beautifully because of the mud and the mud is purified by the lotus flower.
Because there are Bodhisattvas in the world, because of good people like this in the world, [the world is beautified]. This is the Buddha-Dharma in the world. To attain Buddhahood, we must train ourselves in the world; we must be able to give of ourselves among people. The Buddha came for one great cause, hoping everyone would understand that we all already have the Tathagata’s wisdom-nature. Everyone has it. Everyone had the nature of True Suchness. Anyone can attain Buddhahood, as long as we are mindful to free ourselves from the world’s suffering. This helps us again to remembers.
So, if we can thoroughly understand these things, we will be like Sakyamuni Buddha who used a mere touch of His finger. It will be like how we now turn on a light, not like in the past, when we had to light oil lamps one by one. There is no need now. Now we just need to press a light switch. When we press the switch, everything lights up. The principle is the same. When opening a door now, it is the same; with the touch of a button, we can open even the heaviest of iron doors. The principle is the same. When this principle is applied to what we said, we come to thoroughly understand things. Think of opening an iron door with the touch of a button. How many people had work to design this, to research and develop it. When there is electricity, there must be electrical wiring connected to a power supply. Then, when everything is ready, you just need to touch the button lightly for the thing to work. It is the same principle. So, the stupa of treasures’ door promptly opened. This expresses the fact that everyone can see Many Treasures Buddha. It is really that simple. When we understand the principles, we reflect upon our own nature, which is the nature of True Suchness. Then we come to thoroughly understand that the nature of True Suchness exists in everyone, that there is a stupa of treasure in everyone, that there is within everyone a Vulture Peak.
The principles of the Lotus Sutra are stored within us. It was in order to listen to the sutra, the stupa of treasures emerged from the ground this means that, once we have heard the sutra, a stupa of treasures should emerge within our own mind as well. It should have appeared there. So, everyone has a stupa of treasures. We all have a stupa of treasures inside. It is just that we only know about it, but have still not put in the effort. We still have not put in the effort. We need to put in the effort. The Buddha told us that we understood all the basic principles, that now we have graduated. But starting now we need to become researchers, to gain experience by going among people to go and experience this for ourselves. “You have understood the skills; now you must go research them.” It is like electricity. How many have researched it before for us? When it comes to electricity, if our homes did not have it now, it would make living very difficult.
Look what happens when a typhoon comes, how difficult life becomes when power is lost. Without electricity, without water, there is not much we can get done. If we lack the principles in our intrinsic nature, it is like not having fire to cook with; there is nothing we can do. We now cannot do without electricity. You ordinarily never see it, but it is everywhere! Electricity is in the air. Electricity is in our brains. Through people researching it, it has become a great convenience for our lives. It expands our spiritual powers. Even a large electronic door, by the mere touch a button, can be opened like that. We have just not deeply researched things, have still not put them into practice, so we are not able to put everything together. How do we put all of these things together? When putting them together, if we have completely done research and everything is put together correctly, then naturally it will function universally. However, without electricity, it will be unresponsive. It means you have will not done all your research. You have not put these tools together properly. The principle is the same. So, although we clearly are equal to the Buddha, nevertheless, we are still very distant from Him. The Buddha is a long way out in front of us. For dust-inked kalpas, from times in the distant past, He has constantly for lifetime after lifetime, accumulated the causal practices among people. Thus, He has now attained the fruit of Buddhahood. However, for us, we have only just begun our causal practice. This causal practice is continually advancing upon the Bodhisattva-path. We have not made it yet to that stage of responsiveness. So, “We are unable to press with our fingers and so the stupa’s doors have not opened”. We still have not yet made it to the place where we can touch the stupa. The Buddha and the stupa in our minds, these principles, are still far from us. We have not been able to touch it yet, so we are “unable to open” it. The door of the stupa has just not opened “so Many Treasures has not been revealed”. There are so many treasures in our nature of True Suchness that have not yet revealed themselves.
Gathering the Buddha’s multiple manifestations has three implications. First, it expresses that this is a great assembly of the perfect teachings wherein. He manifested the perfect and affirmed the true. Many Treasures Buddha’s entire body was present, which forever stores the truth. After the stupa emerged and a voice was emitted, they then all saw the intrinsic Buddha, the Buddha-nature within their own mind.
“Gathering the Buddha’s multiple manifestations” means in the sutra, the Buddha’s manifestations had by then all been gathered. He wanted to ask them all, “After hearing the Dharma, has it all returned? Do you remember it?” The multiple manifestations came one by one. This was in hopes everyone could recall the Dharma. “Having you left the burning house? Have you left the conjured city? Have you reached the treasure yet or not?” The three cycles of Dharma had already been taught. This shows that the assembly of perfect teachings revealed the perfect and affirmed the true. As far as Sakyamuni Buddha was concerned, He had already begun the teaching of the Lotus Sutra. He had already competed the three cycles of teaching the Dharma. This was the Main Teachings [section]. When it came to what He truly had to say, He had already said it, and everyone should have comprehended it.
So, “Many Treasures Buddha’s entire body was present”. We should all understand that our Buddha-nature is intrinsic. Our nature of True Suchness forever stores truth. We will always have this nature of True Suchness. The many Treasures Buddha and stupa in our mind are the nature of True Suchness stored within us. “After the stupa emerged and a voice was emitted, from it, they all saw the intrinsic Buddha”. Now the stupa has emerged. Truly, within the ground of our mind, the stupa has emerged. From the stupa that has emerged there again comes a voice from inside. “After the stupa emerged and a voice was emitted, from it, they all saw the intrinsic Buddha”. Only now do we have a way to see our own intrinsic Buddha.
Yesterday, the first batch of 2016 introductory and advanced trainees from abroad, who are making pilgrimages to Taiwan, came down from Taipei for their closing ceremony. Two days ago there was another big group, more that 1000 people, who came from a pilgrimage. Everyone was so diligent. Listening to them speak, their words were full of flavor of the Dharma. When today’s Tzu Chi volunteers speak, they often cite the feeling they get from listening to the Dharma and how the Dharma matches their daily living. They have gradually come to implement the Dharma in their actions in the world. The Dharma circulates in people’s daily lives. It makes me very happy to see everyone, especially in hearing them share yesterday during the closing ceremonies. They were all young people and all of them listen to “Wisdom at Dawn”. They are all immersed in the Dharma. It is as if the stupa has emerged within them, as if their Buddha-nature has already begun to stir within them. This bring me great joy. When I see everyone and hear them express themselves so sincerely, it is like hearing the voice from the stupa, like hearing the True Suchness within them beginning to emit sounds. Hearing everyone share like that brought me great joy indeed. This joy is what we call “Dharma-joy”, the joy we feel when we hear the Dharma. This is because the Buddha’s manifestations have already all appeared. The entirety of the principles began to appear one by one.
The previous sutra passage says, “Scatter these precious flowers on the Buddha as offerings. Then say these words”.
Scatter these precious flowers on the Buddha as offerings. Then say these words. “That Buddha, So-and-So, hopes You will open this stupa of treasures”. All Buddhas dispatched Their messengers in this same way. At that time Sakyamuni Buddha saw that His multiple manifestations had all gathered, each sitting upon a lion’s throne.
Because the Dharma had all been gathered, the flowers in people’s hearts were in full bloom. This was a joyful occasion! With Great reverence, they scattered flowers as offerings. This showed that this was a very happy occasion. So, “That Buddha, So-and-So hopes You will open this stupa of treasures. Because all of these messengers came to great and make offerings to the Buddha, to scatter flowers as offerings before the Buddha, it indicated that the Buddha’s manifestations had all already been gathered, had all arrived and convened together. Everyone’s hope was that the door of the stupa of treasures be opened. “All Buddhas dispatched Their messengers in this same way”. Like this, the teachings had all been brought together, the multiple manifestations had all been gathered. They first sent their Bodhisattvas. They sent their Bodhisattvas as messengers, as this was the necessary etiquette. “At that time, Sakyamuni Buddha saw that His multiple manifestations had all gathered”. All the teachings had now been brought together. “Each was sitting upon a lion’s throne”. All the Buddha’s manifestations had arrived. All had been seated, all had returned to their proper seats.
So, the sutra goes on by saying, “He heard that all those Buddhas also hoped to open the stupa of treasures. He this immediately arose from His throne and hovered in empty space. The entire fourfold assembly stood up with palms together gazing single-mindedly at the Buddha.”
Now that Sakyamuni Buddha had heard that what the other Buddhas really wanted was to have opened the stupa of treasures, because of this, “He thus immediately arose from His throne and hovered in empty space. The entire fourfold assembly stood up with palms together, gazing single-mindedly at the Buddha. How would the Buddha open the door of the stupa of treasures?
The stupa hovered in empty space Sakyamuni Buddha also hovered in empty space. From this we can se that all Buddhas ultimately return to emptiness.
This represents a principle. The stupa emerged from the ground and hovered in the air. If the Buddha wanted to open the stupa’s door, then He likewise would have to rise up into the air. This shows how Sakyamuni Buddha’s nature of True Suchness had already merged with all things in the universe. The stupa transcended the Five Vehicles. So, this was the fruit of Buddhahood; all things had been perfected; had been perfected; the fruit of Buddhahood had been attained. So, Sakyamuni Buddha, who had already attained Buddhahood, also hovered there in empty space. It shows how, when it comes to Sakyamuni Buddha, when He is compared to us sentient beings, the Buddha still transcends us. So, “From this we can see that all Buddhas ultimately return to emptiness. We can understand. We can look at ourselves, reflect upon nature. Since we have attained the Dharma, we know all things ultimately return to emptiness, understand the “Three Principles and Four States”. We have understood all of these. The Three Principles and Four States are clear to everyone. So, everything “ultimately return to emptiness”. Open the stupa of treasures represents the opening of the provisional. Seeing the Buddha represents revealing the true. This is using matters to reveal principles. It is the perfect harmony between matters and principles. As for “unlocking the door to the stupa, the opening of the stupa door represents all obstacles of attachment to manifestations have already been eliminated. The attachments that obstruct ordinary people’s minds have all been eliminated. We have eliminated afflictions and ignorance. Once afflictions are eliminated, the door just has to be touched lightly; it does not need to be pushed. He only touched it lightly, and then it opened. This is why we must reflect upon our own nature. So, we should be very mindful, try to mindfully comprehend these words.
“He heard that all those Buddhas hoped He would open the stupa of treasures”. The vows of Buddhas are everyone’s vows. He began fulfilling everyone’s wished, so opening the stupa is opening the provisional to reveal the true. This shows that the True Dharma had already been heard and taken in by everyone.
He thus immediately arose from His throne and hovered in empty space: He wanted tp open the stupa, but the stupa was wondrously high. Had He not rose up into empty space, how could He ever have reached it? So, He rose up and hovered in empty space.
He thus immediately arose from His throne and hovered in empty space. This is a kind of representation. It says, “He wanted to open the stupa”. The stupa was very tall. If you remember, it was 500 yojanas high, already surpassing the Five Vehicles. So, it was wondrously tall. “Had He not rose up into empty space, how could He ever have reached it? If the Buddha did not rise up into the air, how could He have opened the stupa’s door? This shows that the Buddha had already attained Buddhahood; that is why He was able to come to the world for one great causes, to teach the Dharma to sentient beings. The principle is the same. The Buddha’s own stupa had already transcended [everything]. The door to His stupa had always been open. He had already risen into empty space. Now He was manifesting as the Buddha, manifesting as Sakyamuni Buddha in the world in order to transform sentient beings. it shows He had transcended the world. This is why He ascended into the air. It shows when it comes to the Buddha and to ordinary people, ordinary people are still on the ground looking up in admiration at the Buddha. When the Buddha rose up into the air, the fourfold assembly had to look upward to observe the Buddha, to see the Buddha. this is because the Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, had already begun to open the sutra door. He Himself arose and stood in mid-air.
The stupa stayed in the air and Sakyamuni also hovered in empty space: when He teaches about emptiness, He teaches about emptiness with existence. Thus this does not obstruct existence. When He teaches about existence, it is also emptiness. Thus it does not obstruct emptiness. Emptiness and existence are interwoven in harmony, without obstruction. This is a metaphor for abiding in emptiness without obstruction.
The stupa hovered in empty space and Sakyamuni went up to the same level as the stupa. That is why He was able to open the stupa door. This represents how the Buddha, having already realized wondrous existence and true emptiness, again returned to the world and taught emptiness, emptiness with existence. He taught us emptiness, the emptiness of all phenomena. Through the great suffering in the world, He helped us to understand and gradually enticed us.
For 12 years He taught the Agama, for eight years the Vaipulya and for 22 years the Prajna teachings. Think of what a long time that was! He taught emptiness for more than 20 years.
However, it is “emptiness with existence so it does not obstruct existence. Since it was emptiness with existence, the emptiness He taught did not obstruct existence. When He teaches existence it is also emptiness, so “it does not obstruct emptiness”. Emptiness and existence come together. This is “wondrous existence in emptiness”. So, “Emptiness and existence are interwoven in harmony, without obstruction”. “Emptiness” and “existence” are interwoven, in perfect harmony without obstruction. So, this is a metaphor “abiding in emptiness without obstruction. We can understand that we have no need to take issue with one another. Everything is empty in the end, goes through “formation, existence, decay and disappearance”. There is no need to take issue with anything. This is what happens to material things. Since our lifespans are short, we need to seize hold of the time. As it is, we are born, grow old, get ill, and finally we too will die.
So, what can there be to take issue with? Put effort into seizing hold of your thoughts, for our thoughts similarly undergo “arising. Abiding, changing and ceasing”. This is the nature of our mind.
So, in our spiritual practice, we should abide in “wondrous existence”. This is our nature of True Suchness. To abide in the nature of True Suchness is “wondrous existence”. The nature of True Suchness can respond to any kind of world phenomena without attachment. This is “wondrous existence”. It is “true emptiness”. “True emptiness” is “wondrous existence”. So, this is something that we should try to clearly understand.
Those Buddhas who had gathered together all wanted to open it. This shows that Buddhas of the ten directions all wanted to, through Their the Tathagata-garbha, manifest the pure Dharma-body that They intrinsically possessed. Thus Sakyamuni first manifested as hovering in empty space to reveal the teaching of the Middle Way. By neither being attached to emptiness nor biased toward existence, He revealed the Middle Way.
So, “Those Buddhas who had gathered together also wanted the [stupa] door to be opened. Everyone had the same heartfelt wish, that the stupa door be opened. “This shows that those Buddhas of the ten directions all wanted to [manifest], Their the Tathagata-gardha”. Their wanting to open the door shows that everyone had already heard and had taken the Dharma to heart. The Tathagata is already contained in our hearts. The Tathagata is the Dharma. The Dharma of Suchness abides in our hearts.
So, “manifest the pure Dharma-body that They intrinsically possessed” means everyone of us has this pure Dharma inside. The Dharmakaya is intrinsic to all of us. Therefore, Sakyamuni Buddha “first manifested as hovering in the empty space. He first manifested as hovering in empty space, because the stupa hovered in empty space, Sakyamuni Buddha had to appear to hover in space. This was revealing the doctrine of the Middle Way. To open the Stupa door, He had to demonstrate hovering in empty space. This represents the Middle Way. He was not only constantly in the world, He also transcended the world. However, the Buddha still never left the world. He taught the path in the world for attaining Buddhahood.
So, being neither attached to emptiness nor biased toward existence represents the Middle Way. The teachings the Buddha gave us were in the hope of us eliminating all our afflictions. Nevertheless, we clearly still live in this world, and in worldly matters and affairs there clearly are still conflicts. Yet, the Buddha was never biased toward existence. These affairs, these worldly matters, all of them return into emptiness, so He was neither biased toward existence nor attached to emptiness.
Since everyone is like this, the Buddha could still use the Dharma to treat us and cure our inter personal conflicts. This is something the world needs to understand.
So, “He revealed the Middle Way,” He did not want us to be biased toward existence, but to get rid of ignorance. Once ignorance is eliminated, we will understand everything is empty. However, we cannot be attached to emptiness. If we are attached to emptiness, then we will not feel we need to do anything. So, we should be earnest and diligent. We still need to go among people. We cannot relinquish existence, for if we do it means we are attached to emptiness. Thus, we can neither relinquish existence, nor remain attached to emptiness. When we are not attached to emptiness nor biased toward existence, this is called the Middle Way. The fact is that we must give, but when giving, we give unconditionally. This is the Three Spheres of Emptiness.
So, “The entire fourfold assembly stood up with palms together gazing single-mindedly at the Buddha.
The entire fourfold assembly stood up with palms together gazing single-mindedly at the Buddha: the fourfold assembly and the others in the assembly at that time saw the Buddha leave His throne, so they all stood up, placed their palms together and single-mindedly gazed upon the Buddha.
The Buddha was already in the air. The fourfold assembly quickly stood up to demonstrate their respect. If we are still on the ground, we must get up and put our palms together manifestations. They “gazed single-mindedly at the Buddha”. This means they looked up at the Buddha as He hovered in the air. So, “The fourfold assembly and the others in the assembly at that time saw the Buddha leave His throne”. Every got up like this and put their palms together to show respect. They were still on the ground. We must mindful experience how everything in life is emptiness, yet clearly in this world these is “existence”. It is the “existence” in the world that causes us afflictions. Worldly afflictions are what truly cause us unbearable suffering. This is what we must truly realize.
So, the next (sutra) passage says, “Then Sakyamuni Buddha used His right finger to open the door of the stupa of Seven Treasures. It made a great sound, as if removing the bars and locks and opening the gates of a great city.
This is what the door sounded like when it opened. This what the door of the stupa of Seven Treasures sounded like when it opened. It was as if the door to a great city were opening. Using His right finger shows that He was accommodating. The Buddha came to this world and accommodated sentient beings’ capabilities. This means He had practiced the Bodhisattva-path over the course of many lifetimes. Bodhisattvas accommodate sentient beings by giving all different kinds of teachings. “First they use clever and skillful means to instruct them accordingly.” This enables us to understand that among people there are many kinds of afflictions Practicing the Bodhisattva-path means accommodating sentient beings. Whatever difficulties sentient beings may have, Bodhisattvas respond by giving what they need, and after giving, they then teach them anew. This “enables sentient beings to give rise to faith and joy in their hearts.”
They can accept it and be joyful. Then Sakyamuni Buddha used His right fingers to open the door of the stupa of Seven Treasures: Using the right fingers represents provisional wisdom. The right fingers: This represents being accommodating. This is a metaphor for how Bodhisattvas teach the Dharma to accommodate sentient beings. First they use clever and skillful means to instruct them accordingly, enabling sentient beings to give rise to faith and joy in their hearts. Then, they explain in detail the extremely profound Dharma of the Tathagata to enable them to easily understand and enter it and attain great benefits. This is what it means to accommodate [sentient beings] with clever and skillful means.
“Then, they explain in detail the extremely profound Dharma of the Tathagata.” First they meet people’s needs, then afterwards lead them into the profound meanings of the Dharma. This is to [teach the] ”extremely profound Dharma of the Tathagata” and “enable them to easily understand and enter it.” This is like what I heard yesterday at their closing ceremonies, of the reasons why some had come into Tzu Chi and the teachings they heard that opened their minds. We heard so much yesterday of their experiences in responding to sentient beings, how they had been transformed, had they received [aid], entered Tzu Chi and accepted the Buddha-Dharma. These are great benefits. It is greatly beneficial to sentient beings. This is teaching sentient beings by accommodating them with clever and skillful means.
It made a great sound, as if removing the bars and locks and opening the gates of a great city: When the Buddha opened the door to the stupa it made a great sound as if He had removed the bars and locks and opened the gates of a great city. The wondrous Dharma that opens the provisional to reveal the true is rarely heard by Two Vehicles practitioners, thus it says it made a great sound. It eliminates all of our attachments. Thus it says “as if removing the bars and locks.” It embraces people of all capabilities and guides them to return to the One Vehicle. Thus it says “opening the gates of a great city.”
So, “It made a great sound, as if removing the bars and locks and opening the gates of a great city.” To open it was very easy. He just touched it with His finger and it opened. “When the Buddha opened the door to the stupa it made a great sound.” At first it made a great sound; the Dharma was about to be taught. When the stupa door opened, it emitted a sound. So, this is “the wondrous Dharma that opens the provisional to reveal the true.” This is the Dharma that Two Vehicle practitioners need to listen to, that is also rare for them to hear. Two Vehicle practitioners are capable of comprehending and awakening to it. It is just like when Two Vehicle practitioners begin to listen to the Great Vehicle Dharma after having already eliminated their attachments. So, it is like opening a door. The door is locked, it is closed. It is locked and it must be opened. He was going to open the closed door because “It embraces people of all capacities.” He used provisional and true teachings to return them to the One True Vehicle Dharma. So it was like “opening the gates of a great city.”
Bars are like wooden crossbeams that keep the gates shut. Locks: These keep the gates locked. This represents eliminating the attachment to the manifest and awakening the capacity to reveal the intrinsic.
We form aspirations and make vows. If we have aspirations and vows, we need not be afraid the door will not open; we just need to truly uphold the teachings. Whatever the Dharma teaches, that is what we take in. The door to our heart often remains closed. Not only does it remain closed, there is a crossbeam locking it from behind, locking it tightly. Now that we realize this, we must begin to [remove] this lock. When we gently unlock this lock, the door will open. This represents our attachments. We always have attachments that have locked the door to our heart, that have bolted the door to our hearts. From the inside we can say it is bolted up, but from the outside, we say we unlock the door. We need to have a method to be able to open the door. How do we open the door to this treasure stupa? Of course, we do it by getting rid of the attachments and ignorance inside our minds. In opening the door to our stupa, this is the most critical key. This depends on our efforts in our practice. We must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)