Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Receiving the Assembly in the Empty Air (佛以神力 令眾住空)
Date: March.02.2018
“Out of compassion for this world that must be endured, through His power of vows, Sakyamuni Buddha came to transform [all beings]. Thus the assembly listened to the teachings and upheld the Great Vehicle Dharma. He adapts to capabilities and benefits all beings, forever teaching the Right Dharma that nourishes wisdom-life. The great causal practice of the Bodhisattva-path benefits both us and other sentient beings.”
This is a world that must be endured! Sakyamuni Buddha, for the sake of sentient beings, comes and goes in this world that must be endured. This is the Saha World. In the Saha World, Sakyamuni Buddha willingly comes and goes to deliver sentient beings. He does this out of compassion. Sentient beings are stubborn and are difficult to train and transform, but throughout countless lifetimes, Sakyamuni Buddha never abandons or gives up on them. This is why He keeps returning to this world that must be endured, to widely deliver sentient beings. This is due to the power of His vows. We heard previously how Sakyamuni Buddha bestowed predictions upon all His disciples. The disciples came to comprehend the Great Vehicle Dharma, so the Buddha had faith in them. Since they had formed great aspirations, they must have had firm resolve and faith. Thus, they would not retreat or allow [the Dharma] to leak from their minds. This was why He bestowed predictions upon them. But there were still many who had not yet heard the Dharma, or had heard it but only partially understood it, or had understood it but had forgotten it. Sentient beings are drifting aimlessly; He can never finish transforming them all! The Buddha has to keep coming back; this is His power of vows. Through His power of vows, He comes to transform [all beings]. Sentient beings keep sinking, so the Buddha has to keep coming again in the hope of transforming this world that must be endured into a pure land. This is what we have been talking about. As the Buddha’s manifestations were coming, [the Buddha] kept transforming defiled lands into pure lands. This symbolizes teaching the Dharma to bring purity to the minds of sentient beings. He hoped to transform the ground of their minds from contaminated grounds into pure ones, guiding them from ignorance and afflictions onto the path of awakening. So, the Bodhi-path to awakening is something all sentient beings should learn and practice. This learning starts with becoming a Hearer. The Dharma comes from the Buddha’s speech, and sentient beings need to mindfully accept it. So, the Hearers were spiritual practitioners who listened to the Buddha’s voice, took the Dharma to heart and experienced it for themselves. Thus they advanced in their practice and became Solitary Realizers. Solitary Realizers understand the principles of the law of karma. They thoroughly comprehend the Four Noble Truths and the 12 Links of Cyclic Existence. But the Buddha wished to guide them further, to help them elevate [their practice], so they could all form great aspirations and practice on the Bodhisattva-path. Once they had purified their mental state, they could not allow it to be contaminated again. Since everyone had taken the Dharma to heart, He went further to teach them that they had to go among people. For the sake of sentient beings, they had to accumulate good affinities and create blessings by benefitting others. Being among people, [we experience] all kinds of ignorance and afflictions. Some people are stubborn, with a violent temper. Some are weak; although they have the Dharma, they dare not make use of it or teach it. They already know the principles and are aware that in dealing with matters, as they interact with others, they need to change in certain ways to correct their past mistakes. Although they know all these things, they do not dare discipline themselves. Though they understand the Dharma, they still have obstacles in their minds. Their ignorance and delusions remain within them. Due to these afflictions, they cannot express the Dharma or clearly articulate the principles. Though the Dharma may be in their minds, they are still unable to use it among people.
This is because they are still lacking in wisdom. They must still undergo training. There are also those who understand the principles but have not yet eliminated their habitual tendencies. They are still stubborn and hard to tame. They clearly understand the principles, but their habitual natures [remain]. Only after their habitual natures flare up do they know that they have done something wrong. They know that they have made a mistake, but in their interactions with people, they have already caused disharmony once again, and by then it is too late to correct it. This is what happens when sentient beings know the principles but cannot articulate them. They [understand] the Dharma but are unable to make use of it. This is because they still harbor ignorance and afflictions. The Buddha wanted us to earnestly train ourselves. We must clearly articulate the principles we understand. When we hear the principles, we must earnestly accept them. After accepting them, we must implement them in our daily living, in our interactions with others. This is the Buddha’s teaching to us. We must put effort into being mindful, otherwise [we will have no choice but to] endure in this world. As soon as we are not careful, we will again descend into cyclic existence. This is unbearable suffering. Our suffering will continue to accumulate as all these people, matters and things keep causing us afflictions. Then this life too will pass without our control and we will again carry our karma into our next life. We [remain within] the limits of our suffering, which keeps accumulating and multiplying. This means we remain in the realm of unenlightened beings.
The Buddha came to the world to explain [the teachings] to us one by one. Don’t all the many Buddhist scriptures discuss where ignorance and afflictions arise from? We have heard so much about this, yet we have not applied it in our interactions with people. So, though we understand the principles, afflictions still keep arising in us. Ignorance and afflictions still keep multiplying and we end up creating more and more karma. Due to sentient beings’ collective karma, the world’s turbidities are becoming more and more severe. This is why we call it a defiled land, a world of contamination. Sentient beings are stubborn in mind and nature. They are becoming more stubborn with time; this is what created so many waves of refugees. Even in our own minds, we cannot escape our hindrances of afflictions and ignorance. This is because we too are very stubborn. The Buddha felt very helpless, but in His compassion He still perseveres in [carrying out] His vows. He still keeps coming back in order for “the assembly [to] listen to the teachings” and “uphold the Great Vehicle Dharma”. His goal has always been to [help] the assembly, sentient beings, those who have already heard His Dharma. Some have already heard the Dharma, but how many have not yet heard it? Those with affinities had already heard the Buddha-Dharma and gone on to form great aspirations. They had already formed great aspirations. They had accepted the Buddha’s teachings, so they were willing to escape the burning house and leave the conjured city. They had now formed aspirations and made vows and had attained the Buddha’s predictions. This means that they had taken up the teaching of the Great Vehicle Dharma. Section by section, we have come to the point where all those supposed to receive predictions had already received them. They had all taken up the Great Vehicle teachings.
So, “He adapts to capabilities and benefits all begins, forever teaching the Right Dharma that nourishes wisdom-life.” The Buddha, in teaching and guiding us, always does so according to our capabilities. We say we have formed great aspirations, but we have not yet put them into practice and still have not truly actualized the Six Paramitas in all our actions as we practice on the Bodhisattva-path. The causal practice of Bodhisattvas is something we have only just started. In this lifetime, we are now only at the start, so we are called newly-inspired Bodhisattva. After forming great aspirations, we are newly-inspired Bodhisattvas. This means we know we have Buddha-nature, and we have understood that the nature of True Suchness is intrinsic to everyone. Our awakened nature and ocean of wisdom are no different than the Buddha’s; we are equal to the Buddha. It is only that we just started making aspirations. We are newly-inspired; we have only just taken the first steps, begun practicing the Six Paramitas.
So, we are now learning to adapt to capabilities and benefit sentient beings. This is [why] the Buddha came, to adapt to our capabilities and benefit us. This is what we also learn, to take up the Great Vehicle teachings. Now that we have heard the Dharma and understood the Dharma, [we can say], “This is what the Buddha’s teachings are like.” So, we need to learn from the Buddha to likewise make vows to deliver sentient beings. We must likewise adapt to sentient begins’ abilities. Since the Buddha taught according to capabilities, we too should adapt to capabilities and benefit all begins. We too should go among people to forever teach the Right Dharma.
For a long time in the past, I continually shared with everyone about those who listen to, teach and transmit the Dharma. That’s right! You should all remember this. So, we need to adapt to capabilities, benefit others and forever teach the Right Dharma. We hope the Dharma can be just like water. The ground of sentient begins’ minds is dry. When the ground of the mind lacks eth Dharma, when we lack Dharma-water, it is as if the ground of our minds lack water. Even if there are seeds, they cannot be planted. Even if seeds are planted, if there is no water, they still will not sprout. There is no way for them to grow.
So in our minds, we should accept the Dharma and let the Dharma-water nourish the ground of our minds, helping our wisdom-lives to grow. Since we have this aspiration and want to emulate the Buddha’s heart, we must teach according to capabilities. We cannot bear to see sentient beings harbor ignorance and afflictions and create karma. So, we need to go among people, patiently teach and guide them, benefit begins and forever teach the Right Dharma to nourish sentient beings’ wisdom-life. So, “The great causal practice of the Bodhisattva-path benefits both us and other sentient beings.” We are already walking the Bodhisattva-path; we have formed great aspirations and have begun walking on the Bodhisattva-path, so we should benefit ourselves and other sentient beings. Let us be mindful of doing this.
Realizing the essence of the enlightened path is to journey upon the path of True Suchness to attain perfect enlightenment. This is the Tathagata’s true body. This also means that by using the wisdom of True Suchness, He journeyed on the path of True Suchness and came to the Three Realms. The Awakened One: This refers to the Tathagata that has manifested. This is meaning behind the wondrous Dharma. Sakyamuni Buddha was teaching now and the meaning behind. Many Treasures Tathagata praising this as “excellent”.
So, He had realized the essence of the path; He “journeyed upon the path of True Suchness to attain perfect enlightenment”. He had to walk this path. In this way, He came to the world, entering the Saha World to deliver sentient beings. He engaged in practice and delivered beings. “This is the Tathagata’s true body”. This was the true body of the Tathagata. Sakyamuni Buddha learned through experience, so it says, “Using the wisdom of True Suchness, He journeyed on the path of True Suchness and came to the Three Realms”. For dust-inked kalpas, Sakyamuni Buddha constantly trained Himself by journeying on the path of True Suchness to come to the Three Realms. Everyone knows the Three Realms. So, journeying upon this path, He continually trained Himself and at last attained perfect enlightenment.
Thus, “the Awakened One” refers to the Tathagata that manifested. After He had awakened, because of His compassion for sentient beings, He could not bear for sentient beings to suffer, so He responded to the needs of the world by returning to this world. This is the Tathagata that manifested. “This is meaning behind the wondrous Dharma Sakyamuni Buddha was teaching now”. The place where Sakyamuni Buddha manifested, the place where He lived, was the Saha World. It was in the Saha World that the Buddha came and manifested, came to teach the Right Dharma, the wondrous Dharma He was teaching now.
In this world that must be endured, He taught the Dharma, teaching according to capabilities. Finally, the stupa of treasures appeared. This was when the Buddha taught the Wondrous Louts Sutra, the perfect teachings. He continually taught to capabilities in order to awaken sentient beings’ Great Vehicle aspirations. It was when He taught the Great Vehicle Dharma that the stupa of treasures appeared. This happened as He taught the wondrous Dharma. So, “[This is] the meaning behind Many Treasures Tathagata praising this as ‘excellent’”. Many Treasures Buddha’s stupa emerged from the ground, and He began calling out in praise, “Excellent! Excellent! Sakyamuni Buddha is teaching the Wondrous Lotus Sutra! I have come to listen to the Lotus Sutra”. When should all remember this previous passage. The Buddha, in this world that must be endured, had already tamed stubborn sentient beings by teaching according to their capabilities. They had already begun forming great aspirations, so the Buddha began formally teaching them the wondrous Dharma. As He opened up the door of skillful means and reveal the True Dharma, at that time, the stupa of treasures manifested and [Many Treasures Buddha] gave praise. This is the meaning of this. Let us all mindfully seek to understand this.
So, although we have already discussed these previous sutra passages, after we have heard them, we should mindfully recall them. For several days, I have been saying that after listening to the Dharma, we must recall it. Otherwise it will lead away; we will forget it after listening to it. Thus, we must continually review it and remind ourselves of it. So, we must be mindful!
[Let us review] the previous sutra passage. “Immediately, Sakyamuni Buddha entered the stupa and sat upon half of the seat in the louts position”.
The stupa of treasures had emerged from the ground and had risen into the sky. Sakyamuni Buddha had gathered. His manifestations and had opened the door to the stupa. Many Treasures Buddha inside the stupa yielded half of His seat, inviting the Buddha to sit beside Him. We have already spoken of this and analyzed it. Sakyamuni Buddha was sitting on half the seat in the lotus position.
The next passage goes on to say, “At that time, the assembly saw the two Tathagata inside the stupa of Seven Treasures sitting on the lion’s throne in the lotus position. They each had this thought. The Buddhas’ seat is high and distant”.
Sakyamuni was in mid-air as He opened the stupa and entered it. Many treasures Buddha offered half His seat for Sakyamuni to sit down. The assembly could see the two Buddhas sitting together, but they still felt They were very far away. Although everyone could see [the Buddhas], they felt They were still far away.
The next passage goes on to say, “Our only wish is that the Tathagata will use His spiritual powers to enable us all to stay in empty air. In that instant, Sakyamuni Buddha used His spiritual powers to receive the entire assembly in the empty air”.
The Buddha exercised His spiritual powers. Everyone felt that while they had seen the stupa and the Buddha, they still seemed very far away. So, [the assembly] still hoped that they might get a little closer. The two Buddhas were in the air, so they hoped to come closer to Them. This was everyone’s wish. “Our only wish is that the Tathagata will use His spiritual powers to enable us all to stay in empty air”. This explains that Sakyamuni Tathagata was about to receive these sentient beings in mid-air. “They all wished He would use His powers.” They had to rely on the Buddha’s powers in order to, just like the Buddhas, stay in the empty air. We spoke of this before; the stupa in everyone’s heart had already emerged before them. The Buddha has opened the stupa’s door for us. He has the door to our minds, and He has entered into our heart. “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different [in their nature]. I constantly tell everyone, when we are always mindful of the Buddha, the Buddha enters our hearts. We must “take the Buddha’s heart as our own heart”. We have already taken the Buddha-mind as our own. Since Beginningless Time, our nature of True Suchness has neither increased nor decreased. It is intrinsic to everyone. It is like how Many Treasures Buddha is an ancient Buddha, while Sakyamuni Buddha is our present Buddha. this ancient Buddha has, since Beginningless Time, been the Buddha inside each of our hearts. It is just He has always been obscured by our ignorance. Sakyamuni Buddha, journeying on the Dharma of Suchness, came to the world in a physical body and manifested the appearance of Buddhahood. He left the palace to engage in spiritual practice. through His method of spiritual practice, He should the armies of Mara. This means that He vanquished all ignorance in His mind. He completely eliminated all afflictions, delusion and ignorance. This is how the Buddha guides us.
We too ought to learn from the Buddha. we are not “studying Buddhist,” we are Buddhist practitioners. As Buddhist practitioners, we must have resolve to engage in spiritual practice, for spiritual practice requires enduring all kinds of difficulties. We must endure this world. Once we resolve to engage in spiritual practice, we must constantly subdue all afflictions and ignorance in our minds and constantly purify the ground of our own minds. When the ground of our minds is purified, we can take the Dharma into our hearts.
Where does the Dharma come from? From manifestations, from the Bodhisattvas who have manifested here. The Tathagata manifested here and attained Buddhahood in this world. He expounded this Dharma for us. Only when we rid ourselves of ignorance can we accept the Dharma and take it to heart. The Buddha manifested to teach us where to go, but we are the ones who must subdue our own afflictions and our own ignorance. We must improve our tempers and rid ourselves of afflictions and discursive thoughts. We need to distance ourselves from arrogance and eliminated all kinds of ignorance and habitual tendencies in our daily living so that the ground of our minds will be clean. Then, the Buddhas manifestations can appear. They represent the Buddha’s teachings. Only in this way can all the teachings He taught return to our memory. Once we remind ourselves of them, these teachings will return to their place.
This is what we have been talking about recently. If you allow [teachings] to leak away, then the teachings I give now will still be very confusing for you. If you remember the Dharma taught in the past, then when you hear what is taught now, it will be like how Sakyamuni opened the stupa. The stupa’ door opened with a push of His finger. Now as soon as the Dharma is taught, we will completely and thoroughly understand it. As for the past teachings, we will be able to understand clearly how to leave the burning house.
We will be clear about how to leave the conjured city as well as how to attain the predictions of Buddhahood. This was all done in a sequence. The teachings return one by one to their place. This is a matter of our memory. If we can remember clearly, it is like how Sakyamuni Buddha with a single push with His hand opened the stupa’s door. Not only did the door to the stupa open, but we also saw the two Buddhas, the ancient and the present Buddha. our own nature of True Suchness, which we have had since Beginningless Time, had now appeared before us. “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings…”. we have discovered our Buddha-nature. This is like Many Treasures Buddha. this Buddha of [our] intrinsic Dharma-treasures has always [existed in us], but it was when our present Sakyamuni Buddha opened the door to door the stupa that everyone could see Him. We, too, have seen it, but we are still very far away. Our practice of the Six Paramitas in all actions has only just begun.
We are still very lacking in the causal practice of Bodhisattvas, so it is impossible for us to, like the Buddha, rise into the air just like that and enter the stupa. We are still very far from this [state].
So, we still must make vows. “our only wish is that the Tathagata will use His spiritual powers”. We still need to rely on the Buddha’s powers; we must still listen very mindfully. We must be mindful regarding every single teaching we need to trust in the power of the Buddha, but we should also put in effort ourselves to help others as well as ourselves. For this, we must rely on ourselves.
So, though the Buddha guides us like this, we must nevertheless develop this power of vows. So, “[We wish He will] enable us all…”. We have only just formed aspirations, formed Great Vehicle aspirations; we are still very far from the Buddha’s [state].
Therefore, we hope that He can help us all draw nearer [so that we can] “stay in empty air”. The Buddha understood this. In the past, He had taught about existence and emptiness. Now He was teaching the wondrous Dharma, “wondrous existence and true emptiness”. He had to further guide everyone. They already understood that phenomena are empty. What is there to quarrel about in life? All matter, including the earth, is subject to “formation, existence, decay and disappearance”. Moreover, in life our bodies are subject to “birth, aging, illness and death”. Our bodies will become ill. We may not even necessarily make it to old age. How long will our lifespan and our causes and conditions in this world last? What is there still to quarrel about? If we do not put in effort to establish vows now, if we are not firm in our aspirations and fall back into the habitual tendencies of ordinary beings, if in this way we remain attached to our habitual tendencies, our afflictions and karma will only increase. When that happens, we will always remain far from the Buddha. Even if we form aspirations and make vows, we will still be very far away from the Buddha.
So, the Buddha had already taught us the Prajna sutra. He taught the Prajna sutra for 22 years, He taught “emptiness” for 22 years and taught “existence” for 12 years. He taught the Agama for 12 years before turning to the Vaipulya. During the Vaipulya period, He began to guide us to free ourselves of the Small Vehicle mindset of benefiting ourselves and began to teach that we must go among people. This was during the Vaipulya period. He used these skillful mans to guide us. After that, He entered the Prajna period. In the Prajna period He taught about “emptiness”. During the Agama and Vaipulya periods, He was still teaching about “existence”. He did this for a total of 20 years. The Prajna period then lasted for over 20 years.
In summary, He taught both existence and emptiness. What Sakyamuni Buddha wanted to tell us during the past 42 years, He had already told us. Now, after 42 years, He began expounding the perfect teachings, the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. He “taught about emptiness and existence”. What we are comprehending now is “emptiness,” “true emptiness and wondrous existence”. Sakyamuni had already guided us into “emptiness”. To “stay in empty air” is to have prajna. During the Prajna period, they came to understand that all things are empty. Since life is impermanent and brief, we should hasten to use the Buddha-Dharma to rid ourselves of our habitual tendencies. We need to sweep everything away; all contamination and afflictions in the ground of our minds must be eliminated. The Buddha taught us how to do this; He had already guided us there. He “led sentient beings to abide in emptiness”. This emptiness is [the nature of] all things. What is there still to quarrel about? We should benefit sentient beings, benefit others as well as benefiting ourselves. [Having formed] these aspirations, we should be mindful and earnest in eliminating our view of self and our afflictions and ignorance.
So, “They all wished He would use His powers”. Everyone hoped that the Buddha would give them some of His powers, that He would receive them and “lead them to abide in empty space”. Though we are learning the Buddha’s teachings, we still maintain our view of self. We have never been able to get rid of it, so we still rely on the Buddha’s power. We still need His Dharma to instruct us.
So, “In that instant, Sakyamuni Buddha used His spiritual powers to receive the entire assembly in the empty air”. The Buddha received us like this. This was due to His compassion. “He granted their wish”. Since sentient beings had a wish, the Buddha had to respond accordingly. So, using “spiritual powers,” He received these sentient beings, enabling them all to abide in empty space. He used His spiritual powers. Having spiritual powers is to be unhindered in responding to sentient beings’ abilities, in teaching in ways that they can accept. He used these spiritual powers to received sentient beings, enabling them all to abide in empty space.
“Spiritual powers” are [powers of the mind], the abilities with which we reach [our goal]. We often say that we need to apply a bit more strength. If the direction is correct but [the way] is blocked, we just need to apply a little more strength. This strength is the power to [overcome obstacles]. As long as our direction is correct, we should keep applying the power of our minds to achieve realization of the Dharma.
[Sakyamuni Buddha] used His spiritual powers to receive the entire assembly in the empty air: This is a metaphor for using the power of the wisdom of skillful means to guide sentient beings to be completely free from any attachments and rise upward toward the Middle Way of the One Vehicle.
So, “He received the entire assembly in the empty air”. We should be very mindful of the Buddha’s Dharma; we must mindfully seek to comprehend it. Since the Buddha adapted to sentient beings’ abilities, sentient beings should put in effort to accept the teachings. This is a metaphor for using “the power of the wisdom of skillful means”. The Buddha taught about existence and emptiness using the power of the wisdom of skillful means “to guide [sentient beings]”. He wished to lead them, “to guide sentient beings to be free of any attachments”. We all need to free ourselves of attachments. This is why the Buddha taught the Prajna sutras, to help us free ourselves of all attachments. We should give without expectations; the joy that arises in our heart is enough. This is giving without expectations. So, “[He] guided sentient beings to be free from any attachments and rise upward toward the Middle Way of the One Vehicle”. They had already arrived at the Middle Way of the One Vehicle. The Middle Way of the One Vehicle is the Wondrous Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra; this is the Middle Way of the One Vehicle. It is the perfect teaching.
This shows that the Three Vehicle practitioners and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors had already received predictions of Buddhahood. They all dwelled within the ultimate truth of wondrous existence and true emptiness. The above shows that the Buddha’s manifestations had finished gathering from afar.
It “showed that the Three Vehicle practitioners and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors had already received predictions of Buddhahood”. We have seen how the Buddha had already bestowed predictions on His disciples, and even bestowed predictions on heavenly beings, on the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. He gave all these predictions in previous passages. The Three Vehicle practitioners, those practicing the Hearer, Solitary Realizer and Bodhisattva Vehicles, received their predictions in previous passages.
So, His disciples of the Three Vehicles and the eight classes of Dharma-protectors had already received the Buddha’s predictions. “They all dwelled within the ultimate truth of wondrous existence and true emptiness”. Everyone had already accepted the Dharma that the Buddha taught. What the Buddha taught was the ultimate truths; we need to earnestly seek to understand them. ”The above shows that the Buddha’s manifestations had finished gathering from afar.” These passages conclude what was taught before about the manifestations gathering from afar and the stupa of treasures manifesting, emerging from the ground. Do you all still remember? A great voice sounded from within the stupa, praising Sakyamuni Buddha for expounding the Lotus Sutra in the Saha World. At that time, Many Treasures Buddha said from within the stupa of treasures, “I have come to listen to the Lotus sutra.” He even brought His stupa of treasures with Him.
Do you all still remember? Why did Many Treasures Buddha come to listen? It was because in the past, when He was a Buddha, His conditions were slightly lacking. Before He entered Perfect Rest, He lacked the conditions to teach the Lotus Sutra. No one came to request this Dharma from Him, to request that He give the perfect teaching. But His affinity with the world had already ended. Thus He lost [His opportunity]. In that era, He lost the chance to give the perfect teaching. This was Many Treasures Buddha’s great regret. Sakyamuni Buddha, dust-inked kalpas ago, in the era of Great Unhindered Wisdom Superior Buddha, heard the Lotus Sutra and began to repeat the Lotus Sutra to others. These were His causes and conditions. Thus, lifetime after lifetime His vow was to come again to teach the Lotus Sutra. In response to the world, He attained Buddhahood and taught the Lotus Sutra to complete a lifetime of teachings. However, Many Treasures Buddha lacked these causes and conditions. Before entering Parinirvana, He instructed His disciples to build a stupa of Seven Treasures and place His entire body within that stupa. In the future, wherever the lotus Sutra would be taught, His stupa of treasures would be there to listen and affirm that the Lotus Sutra taught by that Buddha is the perfect teaching, the True Dharma. He came first to testify and second to listen to the sutra.
However, He had one condition. To open the door to the stupa, the Buddha’s manifestations would all have to gather together. So, in the previous passages, the Buddha’s manifestations kept returning and gathering together. So, by now we should all more or less understood this section. When the Buddha came to the world, He taught the Dharma for 49 years. For the first 42 years, He taught about emptiness and existence. For the last seven years, He taught the perfect teachings, the Lotus Sutra. We need to understand the principles behind this passage. So, I hope we all wish to learn from the Buddha by mindfully listening to and accepting the Dharma. We must not let the Dharma leak away but always remember it; it should always be etched in our memories. The Dharma must be found in our daily living. If in our daily living we use the Dharma in the world, then we will never forget it. If all we do is study and research Buddhism, then we will soon forget it, for we have no real-life experience. Since we have no real-life experience, we are merely floating in empty air; we have no solid ground [under our feet]. So, with true emptiness we also need wondrous existence. Wondrous existence in true emptiness is the ultimate principle; this is the truly perfect teaching. So, let us always be mindful in listening, recollecting and applying the Dharma in the world. We need to always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)