Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: They All Gathered So That the Dharma Would Abide (為法久住 故集於此)
Date: March.09.2018
“Having heard the Dharma and realized the great Path, all sentient beings are able to give rise to right faith, contemplate its meaning and, in accordance with the teachings, engage in the flawless causal practice that leads directly to the fruit of Buddhahood. This is the world’s precious treasure of passing on the Dharma.”
We must be mindful! Passing on the Dharma is very important. We are always thinking about how to comprehend the great path. To comprehend the great path, we must form the supreme aspiration.
At the morning and evening recitation every day, don’t we take refuge in the Three Treasures? As we take refuge in the Three Treasures, as we take refuge in the Buddha, we say we must “comprehend the great path and form the supreme aspiration.” This is how in our morning and evening recitations, we must all frequently remind ourselves to seek the Buddha-Dharma. We must turn our hearts from the darkness to the light and eliminate ignorance and afflictions, that dark side [of ourselves]. We must advance toward the great path of light with diligence. This is taking refuge in the Buddha. To abandon the ignorant and darkened mindset of ordinary people, we must constantly be mindful. We must seek and advance towards the great bright path of wisdom. When it comes to the Awakened One’s guidance and teaching, we must faithfully accept it and practice accordingly. So, we must constantly remind ourselves that we have taken refuge in the Buddha. Since we already took refuge in the Buddha, the Buddha is constantly in our hearts. So, having taken refuge in the Buddha, we must comprehend the great path. We must put effort into mindfully understanding the Buddha’s teachings and then put them into practice in our daily living. So, we must take refuge in the Buddha, comprehend the great path and form the supreme aspiration.
It is also not just about forming the supreme aspiration ourselves. We must also wish the same for all sentient beings. After taking refuge in the Buddha, we understand the principles. We also wish that sentient beings can be just like us and take refuge in the Buddha together; we hope they can also comprehend the great path and form the supreme aspiration with us. This is the vow we make every day. It is not just every day; it is our vow in every moment.
So, we definitely must include taking refuge in the Three Treasures in the morning and evening recitations. As for taking refuge in the Dharma, we must wish for sentient beings to deeply enter into the sutra treasury so that they can have wisdom like the ocean. We hope that we will understand the Dharma. We all intrinsically possess the ocean of enlightened wisdom; it is our nature of True Suchness. Since we understand [the Dharma], we have to hope that all sentient beings can be just like us. We must understand that everyone intrinsically has the nature of True Suchness, and we hope that everyone can also understand this. When the Dharma enters our heart, “Leaning [to make] one corner, we know the other three.” This means that, by understanding one thing, by grasping one truth, we understand all truths. We should put our hearts into comprehending this. If we are told about one thing, we will know how the principles of matter that exist within this thing can be applied. Once we know this, it awakens our intrinsic nature. We already comprehend and resonate with the principles of this world, so this is called comprehending. It is also called delving deeply. In our enlightened nature, we have truly understood the principles, so we have delved deeply into our ocean of wisdom. Because “the mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different in their nature,” by grasping one truth, we understand all truths; we can understand all without exception. In this way, when we look at one thing, we are able to understand many things. We hope that we can comprehend the Buddha-Dharma and furthermore hope for sentient beings to be able to do the same. From one example, we can deduce the rest; by hearing one principle, we understand thousands. By talking about one principle or making one analogy, we can understand [all]. “This way, I understand it all!” This is awakening our intrinsic nature. The ocean of enlightenment of our nature of True Suchness exists in all of us. So, we can have wisdom like the ocean. If we can comprehend all this, we hope that we can all awaken our Buddha-nature. We ourselves know that we must have deep faith without doubt in our nature of True Suchness and diligently advance on the path to Buddhahood. To do this, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path.
On the Bodhisattva-path, we have to widely transform sentient beings. To widely transform sentient beings is to lead the people. Everything we teach, sentient beings are willing to accept. They can use it, apply our teachings to their minds and implement them in life. If everyone could live such a life, then wouldn’t world be pure, like the realm of the Buddha. “[May all sentient beings] lead the people harmoniously without obstructions.” We hope that sentient beings can also together enter into the supreme ocean of wisdom.
So, it says, “Having heard the Dharma and realized the great Path, all sentient begins…”. Having heard the Dharma, we understand it. As for the great path, not only must we comprehend and realize it, but we also [need to let] everyone understand it. These people, having formed great aspirations and made great vows, now set off and start walking the Bodhisattva-path. After hearing the Dharma we have faith in the Buddha. He Buddha has entered our hearts and constantly awakens our hearts so that we are equal to the Buddha. We spread the Dharma to all sentient beings, hoping that everyone can likewise eliminate deviant understanding, deviant views and delusions. We hope that everyone can enter into the Dharma of proper faith. Our minds must constantly be contemplating the Dharma. Once we listen to the Dharma, we must earnestly reflect upon ourselves; in our daily living in the past, how much have we deviated? If we have deviated, we must hurry to correct ourselves. In the past, we had so many discursive thoughts; we could not settle our minds. In the past, we could not settle our minds due to the Roots and Dusts. The Roots refers to the Five Sense Organs. When external sense objects trouble us, our minds follow the sound [and think], “That thing sounds disagreeable to me; it makes me feel very afflicted. I really want to pursue this thing. Other people can get it or achieve it. Why can’t I get it? Why can’t I achieve it?” We feel afflicted! This is the suffering of not getting what we want. These external Roots and Dusts come and disturb our thoughts. When we listen to the Dharma, we must reflect a bit. Were we like this in the past? Does our present state of mind still have these sorts of afflictions? Do we still harbor interpersonal conflicts in our minds, unable to resolve them? If so, then after hearing the Dharma, we must hurry and eliminate what was incorrect, completely sweep away the ignorance in our minds, focus our minds and contemplate the Dharma. This Dharma, what the Buddha taught, has been passed down in sutras until today, and it still is the wondrous medicine for our minds. Since our minds have these sorts of mental aliments and afflictions, we must quickly review the Dharma and see what method to use to cure the problems of our minds and find a way to eliminate afflictions. So, we must contemplate this. To contemplate, we must start from a heart of right faith. We must constantly give rise to right faith, right thinking, right understanding, right views, right mindfulness, right conduct and so on. They must all be correct.
Sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness are our fundamental duty. As we constantly listen to the Dharma, we must also, with great sincerity and a heart of right mindfulness, absorb the Dharma we hear. So, giving rise to right faith is very important. We must accept [the Dharma] with right faith. [As we take in] the external sense objects, the external conditions, our roots will then be able to correct what is deviant. When our hearts deviate, then we will have deviant thoughts, deviant views and errant perspectives. If we always have right faith and thoughts of contemplation, if we can accomplish this, naturally, [as we take in] external conditions, we can correct [deviant thoughts] and return to what is right, right mindfulness. This is contemplating with the right mindset. Our faith must be right faith, right thinking, right views and so on. We must absorb [the teachings] into our hearts and earnestly contemplate the principles. Then, our ignorance and afflictions can be gradually eliminated, and we can gradually draw near our nature of True Suchness. With every bit of ignorance we eliminate, we get one step closer to our nature of True Suchness. This is its meaning.
So, we must constantly, “In accordance with the teachings, engage in the flawless causal practice that leads directly to the fruit of Buddhahood.” We must practice according to the teachings. Whatever the Buddha-Dharma teaches, we should accept. This is practicing according to the teachings. [We must uphold] “precepts, Samadhi and wisdom” and “listen, contemplate and practice”. We must not let anything leak out. The Buddha-Dharma teaches us to “refrain from all evil and practice all that is good”. We must eliminate all kinds of afflictions and take in right thinking and right views. For this, we must put effort into being mindful. Precepts refer to eliminating all evil thoughts, evil deeds and evil thinking. This is “[upholding] the precepts”. As for all these improper things, we cannot do, we cannot say and we cannot think about them. Our body, speech and mind must not deviate in the slightest. If something is improper, is not correct, we must always be vigilant. This is to have “flawless precepts”.
Samadhi means we must be settled in the Buddha-Dharma and in right thinking. We have Samadhi by being settled in our pursuit of being a Bodhisattva and actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions. This is the causal practice. This is to have “flawless Samadhi”. [Finally, there is] “flawless wisdom”. Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are obtained from within the teachings. The Buddha’s teachings are like this; is all that we do in accordance with the Buddha’s teachings? Are we actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions? As for this causal practice, have we deviated from it or not? If we have not deviated, then our minds should be in Samadhi.
Furthermore, we must be diligent. We must inspire in ourselves right understanding, right views and right conduct, and then diligently advance further. The causal practice of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions is concentrating on advancing forward. This is called [going] “directly to the fruit of Buddhahood”. The Bodhisattva-path is what the Buddha taught. It is what the perfect teachings of this sutra teach us. It teaches the Bodhisattva Way. The Lotus Sutra states very clearly that it teaches the Bodhisattva Way. Since the Bodhisattva-Dharma is about actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions, do what we practice and what we do converge with this path? Are we all “upholding our mission and following the path”? Then, “Our path will be great. With only broad learning and love for the Path”, the Path will be hard to attain. This was mentioned in the Sutra of 42 Chapters. If we only think, “I want this; I want to obtain this level of scholarship. I want that; I want that diploma”. As soon as we get a diploma or academic degree, we forget our scholarship. Whatever it is we want to say, we have to carefully write it all down in a script and just read from the script. Can this be considered a thesis? Is it coming from us? It came from the words, not from actually putting something into practice and thus comprehending it. If it is like that, then we are just playing with words.
We should take the Dharma to heart, take in the Dharma just as if we are absorbing nutrients. Nutrients enter our mouths and into our internal organs so that we can take these nutrients and distribute them inside our bodies. We must also be healthy to be able to absorb these things. The nutrients must go to the right place. Going to the incorrect place is no good, either. This is a part of biology which we should also understand well. What are bacteria? Bacteria are inside our bodies in infinite numbers. There are many, many different varieties. Some are able to take the things we eat and break them down, turning them into nutrients inside our bodies. They supply our brain, our spleen and stomach, and all of our internal organs with the nutrients they need, which we from the things we eat. When our bodies and our internal organs are healthy, we will naturally absorb these things to supply our body’s health. This is the microcosm of our bodies. If [our bodies] are not healthy, then the things that we eat get absorbed by bad bacteria, thereby fostering pathogens and allowing many pathogens to grow. All kinds of illnesses are caused by bacteria in our own bodies, causing disharmony within our bodies and making our bodies imbalanced. So, our bodies suffer from illness; isn’t it the same for the macrocosm of the world? The macrocosm is in disharmony. There are so many beings on this earth, and humans are just one kind of being. In this macrocosm of the world, we humans have caused so much destruction to the land and pollution in the air and so on, causing it to be in disharmony. There are also many who pass on the Dharma in this world, who teach and transform sentient beings and guard the true principles of this world. The ancients said to “do good on behalf of the heavens”. This means that, on behalf of the world, we must find a way to bring harmony to all things so that we may all coexist in peace. [We must find a way] to not destroy but to protect the earth, protect this world and keep the air fresh. On Earth, whether plant or animal, all things are likewise beneficial to the earth. Take trees for example; flowers, grass, and trees all support the earth. They can absorb the polluted air; they absorb impure air and emit fresh air. This is why we need to protect forests. We must protect the trees, for they can emit the fresh and absorb the impure. They can emit fresh air and take in the pollution from the air take in the pollution from the air. When it rains, trees draw in the water and ever so slowly release it into the earth. This is the earth in harmony. Rainforests and other forests all have this ability. As for lawns, these days we tend to use artificial turf we lay down artificial turf on the ground. We take all the grass out and lay the artificial turf on top. We should all know that the grass roots also protect the earth! they protect the earth’s soil. But we completely remove the grass and cover it up with artificial turf. Artificial turf is made out of plastic, it looks just like grass [but] it is artificially manufactured. People manufactured it to look like real grass and put it on top of the earth. This way, the soil cannot breathe; air cannot penetrate it. Furthermore, the earth does not have the grass roots protecting it. In this way, nature is damaged. This is how people destroy the earth, manufacturing artificial turf and covering up the earth like that. It is not right. People violate the principles if nature; this is our world.
Originally on Earth, people and animals and plants all lived in balance. [But] the human population kept increasing, and humans kept opening roads, turning the earth, this natural land, into cement or asphalt. [We] kept building tunnels in the great mountains, turning [nature] into what is like [today]. We say that a developed transportation system leads to a thriving economy. This is how we humans are! We first destroy to derive profit. This profit is short-sighted and short-lived. It is not natural and it is not everlasting. The earth undergo formation, existence, decay and disappearance.
Because humankind has already damaged nature and damaged it rapidly “decay and disappearance” will come sooner. What was countryside in the past has now become metropolitan regions. What were woods and forests in the past, even natural fields, have now turned into multi-story buildings. Think about it! This is how human beings within the macrocosm constantly go in a direction that is against the path. They destroy; they destroy the macrocosm.
So, inside the macrocosm of the world, there are many living beings that are injuring and destroying one another. The principles of the microcosm of our body and just the same as this. these days, many speak of rare diseases. That is because our food and our air, what we absorb, have caused the organisms in our body, the small organisms in the microcosm of our body, to go into disorder. They are in disorder, and we also damage them. With what we need to absorb the regular bacteria that provide us with nutrients, have begun killing each other. Good bacteria have now been killed off, while bad bacteria slowly increase in numbers.
Look at the manmade calamities in the world now. People procreate yet kill each other. The principle is the same. So, we need the Buddha-Dharma.
The Buddha-Dharma is this world’s wondrous medicine. We must find a way to harmonize the earth, and we must find a way to make humankind healthy. To do this we need to practice according to the teachings. The mind must first be healthy before our bodies will be healthy. People must be harmonious before this earth can be harmonious. These are the true principles. We should be able to understand them; this is the Buddha-Dharma. The Buddha-Dharma can harmonize this earth. when the principles are in order, the four elements will naturally be in harmony. When the elements of the macrocosm are in harmony then the four elements of the microcosm will also be in harmony.
So, we must, “In accordance with the teachings, engage in the flawless causal practice that leads directly to the fruit of Buddhahood”. The causal practice is the Bodhisattva-practice, “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions”. We must be firm in our aspiration and go forward directly to the fruit of Buddhahood. “This is the world’s precious treasure of passing on the Dharma”. We must all be firm in our faith, and use the Buddha-Dharma to “comprehend the great path, form the supreme aspiration, delve deeply into the sutra treasury, have wisdom as vast as the ocean and “lead the people harmoniously without obstructions”. All these are what we need to ceaselessly advance forward. We should not only uphold these during recitations. Rather, we all must constantly have them. So, we must mindfully seek to comprehend this.
The previous sutra passage says, “This Buddha who entered Parinirvana countless kalpas ago goes everywhere to hear the Dharma because it is rare to encounter. That Buddha’s original vow was, ‘After I enter Parinirvana, wherever I go, I always go to listen to the Dharma’”.
See, Many Treasures Buddha had lond since entered Parinirvana. He would go everywhere Form the Land of Treasure Purity in the east, after He entered Parinirvana, His vows were such that wherever the Lotus Sutra was taught, His stupa of treasures and entire body would appear before [everyone] there.
The Buddha from Treasure Purity in the east, after entering Parinirvana, [relied on] the power of His vows; the sarira of His enter body entered the stupa. Wherever Buddhas teach the Lotus Sutra, He will surely appear before Them.
We have already talked about this. [Many Treasures] is our nature of True Suchness, which we have had since Beginningless Time. When we listen to the teachings, we must be very attentive, for the Lotus Sutra is rare to encounter. We should understand these perfect teachings that teach the Bodhisattva Way. In this era, while teaching the bodhisattva Way, our stupa of treasures, our nature of True Suchness, should become awakened. So it says, Many Treasures Buddha, for the sake of hearing the Dharma, had now come.
Sakyamuni Buddha said, “Also, my multiple manifestations, those countless Buddhas as numerous as the Ganges’ sands, come wishing to listen to the Dharma and to see this Many Treasures Buddha who has entered Parinirvana”.
This shows that from the time Sakyamuni Buddha started to form aspirations and make vows, in the era of 16 princes, after He had heard the Lotus Sutra, His aspiration was to not only teach the Lotus Sutra again in that lifetime alone, but to do so lifetime after lifetime. After walking the Bodhisattva path and attaining Buddhahood, He still teaches the Lotus Sutra. This is the Dharma that has been taught for countless kalpas. So, He said, “my multiple manifestations”. [He] had already taught so much Dharma. The Buddha’s manifestations are principles. The Buddha is enlightened; this enlightenment is the principles. All these principles came together, and there were so many of them. They were as numerous as the Ganges’ sands. This kind of Dharma, the past teachings of existence and emptiness, all gathered together to bear witness. Bearing witness means that everyone came to see this Buddha who had entered Parinirvana. Nirvana means all the Dharma has returned to be one place. It is tranquil and clear, is returning to that tranquil and clear state. This is how it was for Many Treasure Buddha.
The following sutra passage says, “They have each abandoned Their wondrous lands and assemblies of disciples, the heavenly beings, dragon-gods and all their offerings. To let the Dharma long abide, they thus came here.
They have each abandoned Their wondrous lands” means they no longer have any attachments. In the past, [He] spoke of existence, and then of emptiness. In the past, everyone sought to attain the cessation of samsara. They wanted to eliminate afflictions, so they did not want to interact with other people. This is not right. So, now everyone had abandoned the perspectives they were attached to. That is like abandoning wondrous lands. “They have each abandoned Their wondrous lands and assemblies of disciples, heavenly beings [and] dragon-gods”. Even what They took pleasure and comfort in, those attachments, had now been let go. So, “Each Buddha abandoned Their lands and followers”. As for the fourfold assembly’s offerings and comforts, they abandoned all of them at once. They cleared all of them away. All Buddhas had arrived, which means the Dharma was returning to its place. “To let the Dharma long abide, they thus came here”. We should re-organize the Dharma we heard before and put effort into refining it into its essence, the most refined and true Dharma. We should organize [the Dharma] we heard in the past a little bit.
So, “They thus came here,” to “let the Dharma long abide”. They hoped to clearly organize the Dharma, and make it orderly and neat. This is returning the Dharma to its place. “They all gathered here”. So, the past teachings had all been organized and returned to their place.
The following sutra passage states, “To seat those Buddhas, I used my spiritual powers to move countless beings and purify the lands. Each one of these Buddhas went beneath a tree of treasures. They are like lotus flowers dignifying a clear, pure pond”.
This is the verse repeating how the Buddha thrice transformed the pure lands. Earlier it said that Sakyamuni Buddha, in order for the multiple manifestations to come, used spiritual powers to move heavenly beings elsewhere. This refers to those heavenly beings whose capabilities were still incapable of accepting the Dharma. They were not willing to form aspirations to walk the Bodhisattva-path. All those who had no way of accepting it were moved elsewhere like this.
In order to seat those Buddhas, I used my spiritual powers to move countless beings and purify the lands: This is a verse in praise of [the Buddha] thrice transforming the pure lands. Sakyamuni, in order to seat all those Buddhas from the ten directions, manifested His spiritual powers to move the assembly of heavenly beings to other lands, dignifying and purifying these lands.
In order to receive those who wished to accept this Great Dharma and were quickly gathering together, He moved all heavenly beings “to other lands, dignifying and purifying these lands”. He made the environment in these lands more open and spacious so as to contain more of His manifestations, which symbolize the Dharma. If our hearts have not emptied out those afflictions, then the Dharma has no way to enter our hearts. So, “Each one of these Buddhas went beneath tree of treasure”. All the many manifestations had gathered, and beneath the trees of treasure, They sat in Their own seats. This shows that like this, all the teachings continuously arrived at their own place. “They are like lotus flowers dignifying a clear, pure pond” They were like “lotus flowers dignifying” a pond. This tells us not to fear going among people. Lotus blossoms emerge from the mud. In the past, I have constantly told everyone that mud becomes beautiful because of lotus flowers, and lotus flowers, by absorbing turbid nutrients from the mud, are able to be strong and grow very healthily. Lotus blossoms then become very magnificent. This is like what we were just talking about, how we eat and are able to absorb [nutrients]. After absorbing them, there is also some waste. This waste must be eaten by other bacteria so that it can become nutrients and then be filtered and then recycled. The principle is the same.
It is like when we say we want to recycle resources for environmental protection and for the earth. It is just like the lotus blossom in the mud, which can flourish and be very magnificent. So, “The pond is a metaphor for the land and the lotus flowers represent the Buddhas.” Within this land there is good and evil. The lotus blossoms are like the Buddhas who go among the good and evil people to engage in practice and attain awakening. So, “The lotus flowers represent the Buddhas.” Just like this, everyone gathered together beneath the trees of treasure, “like lotus blossoms in a pond.” “Their forms and appearances are majestic.” It was so endearing. This muddy and turbid pond of water was purified because of the lotus flowers; this is endearing and worthy of admiration. This represents “the many manifestations who came to listen to the Dharma.” They came to hear the Dharma. They wanted to understand how to walk the Bodhisattva-path and “hoped to open the stupa together to see the Tathagata Themselves.” They hoped to participate in this distinguished meeting, to open the stupa of treasures and then listen to the teachings so that They could truly open Their nature of True Suchness and [see] Their inner Buddha of True Suchness.
They are like lotus flowers dignifying a clear, pure pond: The pond is a metaphor for the land and the lotus blossoms represent the Buddhas. Those Buddhas sat beneath the trees of treasures like lotus blossoms in a pond. Their forms and appearances were majestic and greatly endearing. This verse praises the many manifestations who came to listen to the Dharma and hoped to open the stupa together to see the Tathagata Themselves.
So, all Buddhas from the ten directions converged and arrived there. They did not come without causes and conditions; they all came with a purpose. “They did so to ensure that the Buddha-seeds would not end in the era of Dharma-degeneration,” They hoped the Buddha-seeds would not be cut off. The Dharma certainly must continue being passed on. In short, for the Buddha-Dharma to always circulate the world, the only way is for us to be very mindful in “comprehending the great path,” and to be very mindful in “delving deeply into the sutra treasury.” We must be very mindful in going among people to transform sentient beings. Only in this way will the Dharma not end and will the Buddha-seed not be cut off. This is what we must put great effort into.
When those Buddhas from the ten directions gathered there like clouds, this was not without cause. They did so to ensure that the Buddha-seed would not end in the era of Dharma-degeneration, but would long abide in this world. Thus they came to gather there.
In this world, the Buddha-Dharma is very important. It is the wondrous medicine to save this world. Right now in this world, the macrocosm is ill; there are even more illnesses in the microcosm. People’s spiritual illnesses make it so that things cannot go smoothly on Earth. People’s bodies create contamination and pollute the earth. The things we plant, when we go test them, contain mercury or many other chemical components. Filthy water pollutes our water sources in this way. Even the oceans are polluted like this. Yet people still eat these polluted organisms and thereby contaminate their own bodies. This kind of endless pollution endlessly damages nature’s ecology. Now think; won’t the cycle of formation, existence, decay and disappearance in this world accelerate? Won’t things be destroyed more quickly? Since the environment our bodies are in is worsening, how can our bodies be healthy? So, we must use the Buddha-Dharma to bring purity to people’s hearts. Only then can we “ensure that the Buddha-seeds will not end but will long abide in this world.” When Bodhisattvas listen to the Dharma, they gather together like this. We must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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