Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Dragon Girl Transforms into a Man (因圓趨果 轉女成男)
Date: May.28.2018
“The offering of the pearl represents wisdom. The Buddha represents the principles. Her wisdom resonated with the principles. She comprehended the principles of prajna and true emptiness and the wondrous Dharma that contains the universe. She had perfected her causes in all actions and was approaching fruition. Dust-inked kalpas became like an instant. She suddenly appeared before the assembly and [her pearl] was quickly accepted. Then the dragon girl swiftly realized the fruit.”
Does everyone still remember? In the previous passage, the dragon girl offered the previous pearl, and the World-Honored One accepted it. Then the dragon girl asked Wisdom Accumulated Bodhisattva and Sariputra, “I offered this precious pearl and the World-Honored One accepted it. Did this happen quickly?” “Very quickly!” They replied, “very quickly.” “Yes, I offered it, and the Buddha accepted. This all happened very quickly.” So, the dragon girl’s offering of the pearl represents wisdom. Her wisdom was transcendent. The Buddha represents the principles. This means that the dragon girl’s wisdom surpassed everything, [especially] ordinary human beings. This means she transcended the nine realms and had come together with the true principles. This means her nature of True Suchness, the dragon girl’s intrinsic nature, was already in harmony with these principles. Her wisdom resonated with the principles. Her wisdom and the principles of her nature of True Suchness had come together. This represents her comprehension and awakening. These principles are the wisdom of prajna and true emptiness; this is not bias toward emptiness, but true emptiness. Since this is “true emptiness,” there must be “wondrous existence!” This Dharma of “true emptiness and wondrous existence” is contained within the universe and is extremely subtle and wondrous. Hence, “One speck of dust contains the principles of the universe.” The principles are right here. Even though we cannot see them, the true principles contained within have already manifested in full. The true principles of the universe all emerge in an instant. Now, the dragon girl showed that “She comprehended the principles of prajna and true emptiness and the wondrous Dharma that contains the universe.”
These principles are so intricate, subtle and wondrous. She had comprehended and awakened to them. So, “She had perfected her causes in all actions and was approaching fruition.” She had perfected her causal practice of “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions”; she had completely perfected it. Clearly, [there is more to] this dragon girl than the dragon girl we are seeing right now. For lifetime after lifetime, the dragon girl had practiced the Bodhisattva-path in the Six Destinies. Now, she had perfected her causes and was [approaching] fruition. She perfected her causes in all actions and actualized the Six Paramitas in all actions. Now it was time to approach the state of fruition. The dust-inked kalpas of the dragon girl’s past “became like an instant.” The path she had walked for dust-inked kalpas could be expressed in an instant. She offered the pearl and the Buddha accepted it. In this very instant, she was able to express how she had walked [this path] for dust-inked kalpas. This was such a long period of time, but she was able to express it in an instant. “She suddenly appeared before the assembly and [her pearl] was quickly accepted.” She appeared when Wisdom Accumulated was questioning Manjusri Bodhisattva. Wisdom Accumulated Bodhisattva could not believe this. She was eight years old and a dragon girl, an animal, so how was it possible that, when Manjusri Bodhisattva expounded the sutras in the dragon palace in the ocean, this eight-year-old dragon girl could so quickly accept such profound principles? Wisdom Accumulated could not believe this and hoped Manjusri Bodhisattva would explain it. Before Manjusri Bodhisattva could answer, the dragon girl suddenly appeared. She “suddenly appeared” before them and immediately prostrated to the Buddha. She immediately praised the Buddha for His wisdom and how He “deeply understands the marks of transgressions and blessings.” Quickly and directly, she praised the Buddha with these very profound principles. She also wanted the Buddha to express that she had comprehended and awakened to these very important principles. These are the principles of the wondrous Dharma which contain the universe. This wondrous Dharma of prajna and true emptiness, this true existence within the wondrous Dharma, this is the wisdom that she understood completely. Hoping that Sakyamuni Buddha would bear witness for her, she quickly offered Him the precious pearl, which the Buddha quickly accepted. This was a very swift confirmation. She expressed all of this through her conduct, through matters and appearances. Although she was silent, what she did spoke louder than words and clearly expressed her message. “If I completely understand these true principles, when I offer this precious pearl, the Buddha should quickly accept it.” As she expected, the Buddha accepted it very quickly. She did this so that everyone would see. The dragon girl appeared suddenly. There was no need for Manjusri to reply; the dragon girl just appeared. She had also come to prove [herself], so that Wisdom accumulated Bodhisattva would be able to understand clearly. As she offered the pearl, she asked Wisdom Accumulated and Sariputra, “The Buddha accepted it in this manner. Didn’t this happen very quickly?” They replied, “Very quickly. You offered the pearl and the Buddha accepted it. This really did happen very quickly.” Not only did they say, “very quickly,” the dragon girl immediately said to them, “With you spiritual powers, Wisdom Accumulated, and your spiritual powers, Sariputra, come and see how I will attain Buddhahood even quicker than this. I am going to attain Buddhahood. Look at how I offered the pearl to the Buddha and how quickly He accepted it, I will attain Buddhahood even quicker than that. Watch and see.” The dragon girl used these appearances to demonstrate how she had received the teachings, accepted the Dharma and quickly attained Bodhi. She did this to prove that. “She had perfected her causes in all practices and was approaching fruition.” This proved that she had attained such a state, and that throughout past dust-inked kaplas, she had walked this path. In such a short time, she was able to prove this to everyone. So, “The dragon girl swiftly realized the fruit.” The dragon girl realized the fruit very quickly.
Then those in the Vulture Peak Assembly all watched as the dragon girl suddenly transformed into a man. Replete with the Bodhisattva-practice of the Six Paramitas, she went to the undefiled world of the south. She sat upon a lotus throne and expounded the wondrous Dharma universally to all sentient beings in the ten directions.
Back then, at the Vulture Peak Assembly, everyone saw this, saw the dragon girl suddenly transform into a man. She suddenly turned into a man, and furthermore everyone could [experience] how she showed she was “replete with the Bodhisattva-practice of the Six Paramitas.” This appearance helped everyone fully and clearly understand that the dragon girl was actually a Bodhisattva, a Bodhisattva who had already “actualized the Six Paramitas in all actions. She went to the undefiled world of the south. She sat upon a lotus throne and expounded the wondrous Dharma universally to all sentient beings in the ten directions.”
This is how the dragon girl transformed her body and [manifested] so many appearances to help everyone at the Vulture Peak Assembly [feel], “Oh, now I understand completely. It turns out that the dragon girl has actualized the Six Paramitas in all actions. She is actually a Great Bodhisattva-practitioner. She has perfected her causes in all actions and is approaching fruition. Now she is quickly approaching fruition and will soon realize the state of fruition.” This is what the dragon girl wanted all of us to understand. Whether it was Wisdom Accumulated Bodhisattva and Manjusri Bodhisattva or Sariputra, Wisdom Accumulated Bodhisattva and Sariputra had their doubts about the dragon girl’s female body and animal form. They were doubtful about this; how could an animal accept the Buddha-Dharma so quickly? A female form has so many hindrances; why was she able to attain Buddhahood so quickly? Wisdom Accumulated Bodhisattva and Sariputra, on behalf of those with different capabilities, expressed their doubts and asked questions. Wisdom Accumulated Bodhisattva did this to help those with a Bodhisattva’s capabilities, those with great capabilities, to have a clearer understanding. So, he asked Manjusri with this purpose in mind. Manjusri replied, “Although the dragon girl is an animal, has a female body and is very young in age, when she listened to the Dharma, she was able to comprehend and awaken very quickly.” This shows that the Buddha-nature is equal in all. When Wisdom Accumulated Bodhisattva saw the dragon girl appear and heard her praise the Buddha, he and other people of great capabilities must have understood and been free of doubts.
Next, Sariputra, for the sake of ordinary beings, worrying that they would still have doubts, wanted to help people of later generations break through their view of sentient beings. The Buddha-nature is equal in both sentient beings and the Buddha. How could he help everyone understand this? Especially when it comes to women, typically, traditional society tends to look down on women. Sariputra wanted to make things clearer so that he could help ordinary begins break away from their “Five Hindrances.” The “Five Hindrances” of ordinary beings are something we discussed previously. They are greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt. Women are unenlightened begins among other unenlightened beings. According to traditional society’s discrimination, a woman’s mindset and way of life have always been biased toward cravings and attachments, and this is the weakness that women have. So, in the Textual Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, Ananda asked the Buddha, “After the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, how should we treat women when we meet them? Venerable Buddha, in your lifetime, there are groups of bhiksus and of bhiksunis. Everyone follows the Buddha’s teachings and upholds the precepts. Everyone gets along peacefully. But after the Buddha enters Parinirvana, how should we treat women when we meet them?” The Buddha replied, “Do not meet with them”. It would be best to avoid meeting with them. “If you encounter them, do not speak with them”. If they did see them, they should not talk to them. “If you speak with them”, if they had to speak with them, “you must focus wholly on the Buddha’s precepts.” This means they had to always be mindful and clearly keep in mind the Buddha’s teachings and precepts. Future bhiksus and practitioners would need to always be on guard around women and heighten their vigilance to prevent and guard against wrongdoing. Around women, they had to heighten their vigilance so they would not become lost and deluded by the female form. Therefore, we must focus our minds on the Buddha’s precepts.
The Buddha teaches us to always guard against wrongdoings so that, between men and women, no improper affection will arise. In the Textual Commentary on t he Lotus Sutra, it mentions Ananda’s questions to the Buddha about the issue of men and women after He enter Parinirvana.
In the Textual Commentary on the Lotus Sutra: Ananda asked the Buddha, “After the Tathagata enters Parinirvana, how should we treat women when we see them?” The Buddha said, “Do not meet with them. If you encounter them, do not speak with them. If you speak with them, you must focus your mind on the Buddha’s precepts.”
This because “we must help newly aspired practitioners renounce their lust for women.” This was the Buddha’s compassion. “Try your best to keep your distance.” If they needed to work together and be in the same place, if their initial aspiration and will to practice were not yet firm, then at this time they would need to earnestly engage in spiritual practice. As spiritual practitioners, we must renounce lust for the female body and not let it misguide and distract us. If we are tempted, we will become entangled. So we must be very mindful and earnestly engage ins spiritual practice. As for romantic feeling between men and women, we must renounce them so that the attraction and affection cannot tempt us. If we are seduced by them, there will be no end to [the entanglements].
Thus, this is shortcoming that women have. They can seduce people so their emotions cause their mind to be unsettled and it is easy for them to lose sight of their spiritual aspirations. So, we must heighten our vigilance! This is why, in the sutras and commentaries, people will often disparage and reject women, because women will behave in these ways. So, we must be very mindful. Women must repent and form aspirations so that they will not become someone who seduces a spiritual practitioner. We must not sway a spiritual practitioner’s mind.
There was a saying in the past. “The water in the river can be disturbed, but a monk’s mind must not be disturbed”. The water in a river is free for us to disturb as we please, but we must not disturb the mind of a monastic. If we disturb the mind of monastic, we can make them lose their will to practice, and the negative collective karma will be severe! So, we must heighten our vigilance. Between men and women, especially for spiritual practitioners, we must heighten our vigilance.
Next, we see that the passage below says, “At that time, the dragon girl had a precious pearl worth as much as the great trichiliocosm. She presented it before the Buddha, and the Buddha immediately accepted it. The dragon girl said to Wisdom Accumulated Bodhisattva and Venerable Sariputra, ‘I offered this precious pearl and the World-Honored One accepted it. Did this happen quickly?’ They replied, ‘Very quickly!’ The girl said, ‘Use your spiritual powers and watch as I attain Buddhahood even more quickly than that!’”
We know that when the dragon girl offered the pearl, this pearl was worth as much as the great trichiliocosm. The Three Realms refer to the desire realm, the form realm and the formless realm, meaning that the dragon girl had transcended the Three Realms as well as the nine realms. The Buddha had transcended the nine realms and reached His fruition. He had transcended the nine realms to attain Buddhahood, as had the dragon girl to attain Buddhahood, as had the dragon girl. Her mind was free of desires. She had even transcended the form realm and the formless realm. From “Prajna and true emptiness”, she reached the state of wondrous existence. Therefore, she had already “perfected her causes in all actions and was approaching fruition.” She was approaching the state of fruition. The dragon girl offered the pearl, such a valuable pearl, and the Buddha accepted it. This describes the state [she was in]; it was a transcendent state, a state equal to the Buddha’s. So, this happened very quickly. Thus, [she] purposely asked Wisdom Accumulated Bodhisattva and Sariputra, “Was it not fast? I offered the precious pearl and the Buddha accepted it. Was it fast? Yes, it was very fast!” Then the dragon girl said, “Use your spiritual powers and watch as I attain Buddhahood even more quickly than that!”
So, following that, the next passage says, “at that time,” which refers to the time after the dragon girl spoke. At that moment, those at the Vulture Peak Assembly all watched as the dragon girl instantly “transformed into a man, [became] replete with Bodhisattva-practices [and] went to the undefiled world of the south.”
Very quickly, the dragon girl transformed into a man, became replete with Bodhisattva-practices and went to the undefiled world of the south to attain Buddhahood. At Vulture Peak, everyone at the Vulture Peak Assembly saw this. So, at that time, everyone listening to the Dharma at the Vulture Peak assembly saw she “suddenly turned into a man.” The saw the dragon girl suddenly transform into the body of a man. Moreover, she was “replete with great actions.” “Great actions” refers to the Bodhisattva-practice. Her causes” in “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions had been perfected. So, this woman manifested the appearance of a great man. To attain Buddhahood, one must have the appearance of a great man. This says that she had eliminated all her desires and now her body was complete pure.
“She suddenly turned into a man: All phenomena are illusory, with no fixed appearance, so why would she need to change at all? She transformed without changing. Thus she was a mane as a woman.”
This expresses the true Dharma, that all phenomena are illusory, “like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow.” Thus, all phenomena are always changing. Male and female appearances are no exception, and neither are the forms of the Six Destinies. Male and female appearances and the forms of the Six Destinies all change according to our karma! According to the karma we create, in the Six Destinies we will transform into a certain form and take on a certain way of life, in the “Four Forms of Birth, there is womb-born. As a womb-born, will we be born of the human womb, or the womb of a cow, horse, Sheep, or pig? That depends on our karmic forces. With our karmic forces, if we uphold the Five Precepts and do not create the karma that we will [cause us to be born as] animals, we will naturally be born into the human realm. Our outer appearance as a human, whether male or female, depends on our causes and conditions. What causes and conditions did we create? Are our karmic conditions that of a woman’s body? Did we come to the world to enjoy blessings or endure suffering? Or did we come to transform sentient beings? This is just like Guanyin Bodhisattva, who appeared in a woman’s body to transform sentient beings. This depend on which appearance will be used in the human world, in the Six Destinies and the nine realms. This all follows [the principle] that. “All phenomena are illusory, with no fixed appearance.” From whatever aspirations we formed and whatever practice we want to engage in, we will manifest a form accordingly and come to this world to transform sentient beings. The dragon girl was like this too. The Buddha used the dragon girl as an example teach and transform sentient beings, to remind women to be alert and to caution us about male-female relationship. Everyone can understand why we must be vigilant. The Buddha said, “All sentient beings are equal.” This is the reason for the dragon girl’s appearance, which was to teach and transform sentient beings and to help the Buddha to teach and transform. This is all inter-related.
So, “Why would she need to change at all? All phenomena are illusory, with no fixed appearance.” How do we transform them? “She transformed without changing.” She could transform without changing. So, “She was a man as a woman.” Women can also be men. This all happened in an instant. “She was a man as a woman.”
This is what the dragon girl wanted to express, that “the Buddha-nature is equal [in all]. She went to the undefiled world of the south.” So, the land she would respond to and transform was located in the south. This is how the dragon girl perfected the Bodhisattva-practice and left an example for the Saha World left an example for the Saha World that could be used to teach sentient beings. She perfected her practice of the Six Paramitas and then headed for the world of the south. The world of the south is called “undefiled.” This means that is pure. She went south to arraign Buddhahood. “She instantly turned from female to male. This reveals that all phenomena are illusory. It also shows these are no fixed appearances.”
She instantly turned from female to male. This reveals that all phenomena are illusory. It also shows there are no fixed appearances. How could she possibly change [into a man]? If we understand the cause, [we will know] that she changed without changing. Being a man as a woman, what need was there for her to change? The dragon girl had already gone through dust-liked kalpas and had perfected all the causal practices of Bodhisattvas.
We all need to understand that her instantly becoming a man represents how “all phenomena are illusory.” It also represents that “there are no fixed appearances.” Within the nine realms, there are no fixed appearances. In transforming sentient beings, there are also no fixed appearances. Within the Six Destinies, we form great aspiration to transform sentient beings and to be able to accord with the needs of sentient beings. When we have the karmic causes and conditions we should go and transform them. “How could she possibly change [into a man]?” When it comes to how she would change. If we understand the cause, [we will know] that she changed without changing.” If we are able to understand this “causes,” the causes to practice the Bodhisattva-path, if we understand it, we will naturally change without changing. So, “Being a man as a woman, what need was there for her to change?” Women can also take on the form of great men and transform sentient beings. Bodhisattva like Clear True Dharma Tathagata, the present Guanyin Bodhisattva, did the same thing. Clear True Dharma Tathagata also manifested with the appearance of a great man. For the sake of transforming sentient beings, he is now called Guanyin Bodhisattva. Being a man as a woman, what need was there to transform herself? The dragon girl had “gone through dust-inked kalpas,” continuing [her practice] throughout dust-inked kalpas, which is an incalculable and infinite time, and continued practicing to this day. She “had perfected all the causal practices of Bodhisattvas” in all her actions. She had perfected everything, without a doubt. Regarding how the dragon girl attained Buddhahood, Bodhisattvas had doubts, Hearers had doubts and unenlightened beings had even more doubts. So, with this passage, everyone can understand clearly.
In the next passage, she transformed her body, “sat upon a jeweled lotus flower and attained universal, perfect enlightenment with the 32 Marks and the 80 Excellent Characteristics. She expounded the wondrous Dharma universally to all sentient beings in the ten directions.”
Like this, she transformed her body and attained perfect enlightenment. So, she was replete with the 32 Marks and the 80 Excellent Characteristics of a Buddha.
“She sat upon a jeweled lotus flower and attained universal, perfect enlightenment.” This means her Bodhisattvas-practice was complete. She “attained universal, perfect enlightenment,” and “her wisdom resonated with the principles.” So, her reward was this magnificent body, known as her “reward-body”.
This reward-body was replete with “the 32 Marks and the 80 Excellent Characteristics.” This is the wondrousness of attaining Buddhahood. “She expounded the wondrous Dharma universally to all sentient beings in the ten directions.” Having already attained all 32 Marks, she began to expound the Dharma.
She expounded the wondrous Dharma universally to all sentient beings in the ten directions: Teaching the Dharma means to expound all Dharma in accordance with the principles of the one reality. This foremost and supreme wondrousness is inconceivable; it is called “the wondrous Dharma”.
After attaining Buddhahood, of course she would teach the Dharma. So, she “expounded all Dharma in accordance with the principles of the one reality.” She likewise taught the principles of the one reality according to capabilities. To also teach according to capabilities, she had to use skillful means. To expound all Dharma, she had to look at the capabilities of sentient beings and teach in ways that sentient beings can accept. So, “This foremost and supreme wondrousness is inconceivable” and is the wondrous Dharma; these are the teachings He taught. The dragon girl taught according to capabilities in the world of the south, expounding the Dharma in a way that sentient beings could accept. This is called the wondrous Dharma. “The Buddha’s Dharma-body has no appearance; it fundamentally has no appearance of male or female to speak of.”
The Buddha’s Dharma-body has no appearance, it fundamentally has no appearance of male or female to speak of. Moreover, in our innate enlightenment, if one thought resonates with [the principles], we can awaken in that moment. So how could there be any appearance of the 32 Marks? The magnificence of circumstantial and direct retributions is only to demonstrate the superior appearance of attaining Buddhahood. This is also the reward-body. This is how the Buddha’s name became known.
The Buddha’s appearance is fundamentally without the appearance of being male nor female. “Moreover, in our innate enlightenment, if one thought resonates with [the principles],” if our nature of True Suchness can come together with these principles and resonate with them, “we can awaken in that moment.” We can awaken in that instant. Currently, for us, we have discriminating minds but lack discerning wisdom. We always have a discriminating mindset, but lack discerning wisdom. So, in this present moment, I hope we can work hard to be mindful. “The Buddha’s Dharma-body has no appearance; it fundamentally has no appearance of male or female to speak of. Moreover, in our innate enlightenment,” in our innate enlightenment, if, in the span of a thought, our nature of True Suchness resonates with the principles, then “we can awaken in that moment.” This is enlightenment. Instead, the way we are, our innate enlightenment, our intrinsic nature, still cannot resonate with the true principles. So, naturally we do not have any ofthe32 Marks to demonstrate. We still have the appearance of unenlightened beings. So, “the magnificence of circumstantial and direct retributions” means the magnificent body of circumstantial and direct retributions and of the Dharma. It exists to demonstrate the superior appearance of Buddhahood. If we can resonate with the true principles, within our circumstantial and direct retributions, we can manifest [the appearance of] Buddhahood. Didn’t Sakyamuni Buddha rely on His circumstantial and direct retributions? In His human form, He became a crown prince who engaged in spiritual practice to seek the Dharma. As He engaged in spiritual practice, He whole-heartedly underwent ascetic practices. After He attained Buddhahood, He manifested the magnificent 32 Marks. This is the Buddha’s magnificent body, which demonstrated the “superior appearance” of Buddhahood. “This is also the reward-body” This is the reward-body. This is how the Buddha’s name became known.
So, this was her “answer without words.” The dragon girl appeared like this and offered the precious pearl to the Buddha, and the Buddha quickly accepted it. This shows that it is best to express ourselves through real matters. This proves that, in the animal realm, other species also have the nature of True Suchness. This is the best testimony, the best answer. This also broke through [the attachments of] “Venerable Sariputra and others.” This refers to the Dharma that all the Hearers and the people listening to the Dharma at the Vulture Peak Assembly, as well as future sentient beings, were attached to. They all had discriminatory [mindsets] from their attachment to Dharma. This is how the dragon girl manifested to help us and future sentient beings to future understand that all sentient beings have Buddha-nature.
Her answer without words broke through Sariputra’s and the others’ discriminatory mindsets from their attachment to the Dharma. This demonstrated that the power of this sutra is inconceivable.
This passage is so profound; it is very hard to explain and hard to understand. So, we must repeat it many times so that everyone can clearly understand. This is not a story, but [a set of] principles. This is to help everyone, even those in future lifetimes, to understand that we must engage in spiritual practice and break away from these “discriminatory mindsets from [our] attachment to the Dharma.” We must break from this attachment to the Dharma. So, we must break away from our attachment to matters and appearances and also break away from our state of attachment to the Dharma. We must break away from these attachments. This is called “true emptiness” and “wondrous existence.” “The principles of prajna and true emptiness” means that all forms and appearances are illusory, and we must break away from them all. This “demonstrates that the power of this sutra is inconceivable.” This demonstrates that within this sutra, there lies so much inconceivable Dharma. I hope that we all will be able to understand even more clearly. This body, this Buddha-body, is attained wholly through spiritual practice. Though we say everyone has Buddha-nature, everyone still needs this appearance to complete it. So, “When all Buddhas, in Their cultivation of blessings and wisdom, have perfected Their merits and virtues,” they must attain the 32 Marks and 80 Excellent Characteristics. This reward-body comes from the cultivation of many blessings, wisdom, merits and virtues. When everything is perfected, [The Buddha] “manifests [this body] of joyful use which realizes [Dharma-joy].” When we ourselves have realized Dharma-joy, we will always feel joyful. Our minds resonate with the Dharma, so we will feel very joyful. In our minds, the nature of True Suchness resonates with the principles. When wisdom resonates with principles, the body “which realizes Dharma-joy” is called the “reward-body.” This is the body of attaining the Buddha-fruit. This is called the “reward-body.” Our “reward-body” must be replete with the 32 Marks and 80 Excellent Characteristics.
Because of this, the dragon girl turned around, transformed from a woman into a man, became replete with 32 Marks and 80 Excellent Characteristics and went to the south to attain Buddhahood to begin expounding the Dharma.
When all Buddhas, in Their cultivation of blessings and wisdom, have perfected Their merits and virtues, the body they manifest of joyful use which realizes Dharma-joy is also the body of attaining the Buddha-fruit.
This is how the dragon girl attained Buddhahood. Actually, she had “actualized the Six Paramitas in all actions.” She had perfected cultivating blessings and wisdom. Now, she manifested with this appearance to come to the world to reveal [the Dharma] and help the Buddha make the Wondrous Lotus Sutra even more complete. She could express the principle that “The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings are no different [in their nature],” that this subtle and wondrous Dharma exists. She achieved perfection; she was complete, so she went south to attain Buddhahood.
Everyone, these are truly very profound, subtle and wondrous principles. So, we cannot be lax in our spiritual practice. She was just short of [this last step], so she manifested this body. She was missing this final perfection of her practice, so “She perfected her causes and approached fruition” and attained Buddhahood. This is why we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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