Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Enlightened Nature Is Equal in All Beings (如法修持 覺性平等)
Date: June.14.2018
“They gave up the mundane world and royal status to engage in spiritual practice and seek the teachings of the path. [Yasodhara] must have known in her heart that she would receive the Buddha’s predictions. Upon seeing the noble mother, Path-of-Great-Love, attain predictions, she made a request to the Buddha, wishing to manifest her own virtue.”
This is what we should seek to experience and understand. The Buddha was a prince in the kingdom of Kapilavastu. In order to seek the Dharma, in order to help everyone realize that people are all equal in nature, and because he wanted to get rid of the caste system and also wanted to investigate life’s mysteries, He gave up the pleasures of the palace. He abandoned all status, position and so on, and renounced the lay life. He endured many different natural environments, as well as many challenges among humans. In his daily living, he had to face many difficulties, until finally, determined in his aspiration, He attained Buddhahood through spiritual practice. Afterward, He still first went back to those who needed Him, to transform those with whom He had the closet affinities.
The five bhiksus in the past had followed Him by His side in learning and practice, in spiritual practice, in learning the path. However, in the prince’s view, he felt that there had to be even more transcendent principles, not only those that could be sought outside, but those that came from inner investigation. So, he completely abandoned ascetic practices and, in order to pursue spiritual awakening, he left the five bhiksus and sat in meditation. He did not reach awakening just by meditating; he also had to thoroughly investigate heaven, earth and people he himself was human; how could he come to understand the true principles of all living things? He had to mindfully investigate life’s truths, and then consider things from the perspective of those truths of life. Then he could bring everything together with the true principles of heaven and earth. He had to first seek out that innate enlightenment within himself, life’s wondrously profound wisdom. Then he could bring it together with all things in the world and mindfully consider them with his wisdom. He carefully and meticulously considered them. So, he united with the universe, came together with it. His wisdom resonated with the principles. In this way, he suddenly awakened. His true nature and the whole universe were united as one. The principles are of one essence; there are no distinctions. This is what the Buddha, after He was enlightened, really wanted everyone to know. Our nature and the principles unite as one, so our wisdom resonates with the principles. This is the nature of True Suchness that everyone intrinsically has.
Although we often say this, our wisdom and our nature of True Suchness [cannot yet converge with] the principles. What exactly are these principles? How we do unlock and bring out the nature of True Suchness within us, so that it becomes one with the principles in the outside word? In fact, we are still very unclear about this. However, this is how the principles are. So, it constantly says in the Buddhist sutras. “It cannot be expressed in words.” This means that when it comes to the principles, they are very difficult to explain clearly using language. Everyone is able to accept them, to converge with them, but this must come from experiencing them oneself and then contemplating them in the heart.
So, several days ago, we kept talking about how we should shut the gates of the Six Roots, guard the doors to the six senses. When we see things, how do our minds connect to the forms we see? How do these shapes lead us to take action? How do we experience them? How does our eye-root meet these material objects, and after it converges with them, how do we experience them and how does our consciousness discern them? What is most important is how we distinguish among things, how we experience them and then what kind of actions we take. Do we, in our minds, want to pursue these things and possess them for ourselves? Or do we want to share these things with others in order to benefit sentient beings? This depends upon our mind, on the actions of our consciousness. These things are outside of us, while our Six Roots are in our body. But the way we experience and react to things depends upon the way our sixth consciousness contemplates and makes distinctions about how to get something or give it away. Do we want them for ourselves alone or do we want to benefit others with them? Then all of our limbs, the body-root, begins to take action. As we are acting, are we feeling for ourselves or for others? If I act for selfish benefit, then possessing such valuable things may make me very happy. But what a great cost I have to pay! We constantly see, either in novels or in society’s news or throughout history, many people who, for the sake of treasure, have sacrificed their lives. In their possessiveness, once they have sized these things, what were the ultimate results? These things are simply stored away. However, the process of acquiring these things must be very difficult. These things initially are not precious in their original form. In their natural state, these precious objects come from inside mines or they come from deep in the ocean. People go to great lengths to get them; this is truly….
Nature is actually quite simple. The principles of nature encompass everything, but these things that people want to take follow these principles to take shape as various substances. Then people use all kinds of tool to extract them, destroying many habitats in the process. These actions show human nature; this is how we acquire these things. Otherwise, why else are they considered treasures? Thinking they are treasures shows the discrimination in people minds. When it comes to treasures versus the things in nature that people need, can those treasures allow people to keep on living? The things we need to continue living are all very simple, like the crops we grow or the plants in the natural world like grasses, flowers, trees and so on that we can true into clothing that will keep us warm and so forth. In ancient times, clothing was made out of cotton, out of sisal and so on. Nature materials were processed and things were manufactured from them. They were turned into yarn, and then into cloth that people could use to protect their bodies, to keep their bodies warm. In the natural world, this was the natural cycle. However, with our human minds, the clothing we wear today no longer comes from growing cotton or from growing sisal to make yarn and cloth. We do not do this anymore. Now we extract [petroleum] from underground. This is completely different now. The contents of the universe have now been discovered by humans. We have given up on using hard work to attain the things that nature provides whole. Having abandoned these, we go about destroying the earth to get materials. We manufacture things in great quantities and throw away things in great quantities as well. People used to use an article of clothing for a long time. People are not like this now. They throw away clothing with the designer tags still attached to them. When we recycle them, we don’t know whether to treat them as garbage and recycle them or clean them up so we can sell them again. People today can get the same clothes at our recycling stations, really beautiful things, and can buy them for NY$30 or NT$50. Or they can buy them for NT$300 to NT$500. If you go to a boutique store, they would cost tens of thousands of dollars. The quality is all the same yet our minds discriminate like this. This is how people are; What does it means to be valuable? This is simply to become attached to a label. Thus we consider it valuable.
However, the Buddha understood all of these principles, understood the way humans discriminate. He wanted to find a way to teach us about this process. This was not something that someone with privileges of fame, wealth and status could teach people. He had to go through the process of leaving the palace like He did, all the way until reaching enlightenment. With patience and even non-arising patience, He had to endure these matters and ways of living so that He could declare to everyone, “I have awakened.” As it was, lifetime after lifetime, He already had an understanding of principles. So, there had to be these matters and appearances. The Lotus Sutra uses causes and conditions and analogies to describe very profound principles, likening them to easily understood situations or analyzing their causes and conditions. This was to enable us to understand. He used all kinds of ways so that people with all kinds of capabilities could accept them. It had to be done this way. So, “They gave up the mundane world and royal status to engage in spiritual practice and seek the teachings of the path.” This was something the Buddha experienced Himself. Form just these few sentences, we should be able to realize a great many principles. Between the “mundane world” and the “path,” there really is no distinction. The only distinction is due to the attachments of our mind.
All the forms and appearances of the mundane world can completely control us. This is what we call the “mundane”. And the “path”? On the path, time, space and interpersonal relationships must always be brought together. This is how our time usually passes. We follow the causes and conditions in this space. We are unified with this space, so in our lives we have day and night. The four seasons make changes to this space. As paganisms, we adapt to this space. So as we look at this human organism, in this time and space, just what is it that we are creating? “We follow the path to rectify ourselves”. When we live according to nature, we have our ethics and principles. This is all considered the path.
Unfortunately, we humans have already completely obscured these principles. We simply follow our external conditions as if in a dream beyond our control. We let external conditions transform us; we are controlled by these external conditions. This becomes the “mundane world”. We let the many things of the mundane world control us. So, because of this, we must use the Buddha’s teachings to distance ourselves from the mundane, to relinquish worldly glory. This is how we can return to the path of the true principles of time, space and human relationships and advance on this path of ethics and morality. We must understand more clearly and return to the natural way of life of our intrinsic nature.
Only by living very simple lives can we safeguard our minds properly so that the gates of our six senses are not opened to the outside, admitting many dust-like delusions that disturb our minds. So, because of this we must “engage in spiritual practice and seek the teachings of the path”. This is something all of us should know. So, “She must know in her heart that she would receive the Buddha’s predictions”.
Take Mahaprajapati and Yasodhara, for example. Their group of [bhiksunis] had also enjoyed comfortable lives in the palace. The Buddha had gone off to engage in spiritual practice and attained enlightenment. He had abundant principles to share and there was nothing in the world, nothing in the universe, He did not know. So, they truly yearned for the Buddha’s wisdom, for the true principles of the world. Thus, they had the karmic conditions as well as the aspiration. So, they too wanted to “give up the mundane world and royal status to engage in spiritual practice and seek the teachings of the path”. They too emulated the Buddha and left the palace, giving up their fame, wealth and status. They likewise followed the path that the Buddha had paved for them. They too had come to engage in spiritual practice. So, they were quite sure of themselves. Mahaprajapati, the Buddha’s maternal aunt, knew herself well through spiritual practice. She was also quite confident in herself. “The Hearers received the Buddha’s predictions, and we are also Hearers, so we should also be able to receive predictions from the Buddha”.
So, “Upon seeing the noble mother, Path-of-Great-Love, attain predictions” is talking now about Yasodhara. Yasodhara too saw the group of bhiksunis led by the Buddha’s aunt receive predictions from the Buddha, so Yasodhara was also thinking, “In the past I was the prince’s wife, the mother of Rahula. Why hasn’t He named me among those upon whom He has bestowed predictions? So, Yasodhara was feeling like this as well. In the past, Mahaprajapati had felt quite certain of herself, yet the Buddha never called out her name. Now, the Buddha had already bestowed a prediction upon Mahaprajapati that, upon attaining Buddhahood in the future, she would be All-Being-Rejoice-in-Seeing Buddha. The 6000 bhiksunis would become. Dharma teachers in the future with the Dharma of 6.8 trillion Buddhas. Each would engage in spiritual practice with those Buddhas while They were in the world. They thus successively received predictions. All of this had been made clear, but Yasodhara was still wondering, “Why has my name still not been called? So, she was hoping the Buddha would confirm this for her. “She made a request to the Buddha”. She was waiting, wanting to hear the Buddha say that she too had engaged in spiritual practice, that she too had made great efforts. Yasodhara should have had the causes and virtues to be able to receive a prediction too. This is what she hoped the Buddha would confirm.
In order to develop her wisdom-life, she abandoned worldly glory, destroyed her original form and upheld her integrity and resolve. She abided by the precepts and etiquette, followed the Buddha’s teachings and practiced according to the Dharma. She faithfully accepted and was certain of herself that the enlightened nature was equal in all.
This is talking about Yasodhara. “In order to develop her wisdom-life, she abandoned worldly glory”. She abandoned worldly glory like this, “destroyed her original form and upheld her integrity and resolve. She abided by the precepts and etiquette”. She too was still very young, but she wanted to engage in spiritual practice. She too had abandoned her vanity, shaven her head, went about wearing ordinary rags. This was how simple her life was. She had “destroyed her original form and upheld her integrity and resolve”. In the ceremony to become monastics, isn’t this what we say? She “followed the Buddha’s teachings”. This too is the same. In the Sangha, when the Buddha taught the Dharma, she was the same as the other Hearers who listened to the Buddha give His teachings. She too “practiced according to the Dharma” and also followed the rules for spiritual practice. So, Yasodhara herself felt that she “faithfully accepted and was certain of herself. I too am confident in myself. It is not only Path-of-Great-Love, the Buddha’s aunt, who is certain of herself. I too am certain of myself”. So, she was certain about what the Buddha taught, that “The enlightened nature is equal in all. I should also be able to attain Buddhahood”. This was what Yasodhara was thinking.
The previous sutra passage states, “Thus you will gradually fulfill the Bodhisattva-path. You will attain Buddhahood and your [epithet] will be “All-Beings-Rejoice-in-Seeing Tathagata”.
The Buddha said this about Path-of-Great-Love, about Mahaprajapati, when He bestowed a prediction upon her. Not only did Mahaprajapati receive a prediction, but the 6000 bhiksunis also received predictions. So, the Buddha said to Gautami, also known as Mahaprajapati, “Thus you will gradually fulfill the Bodhisattva-path”. He said “Be truly mindful in your practice and close the gates to the six senses 6.8 trillion” refers to how there are many doors to afflictions which we must take care to guard well. Then naturally the ground of our mind will be pure. By practicing “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions, she would “fulfill the Bodhisattva-path”. Thus she would be able to attain Buddhahood. She too would attain Buddhahood in the future and be called “All-Beings-Rejoice-in-Seeing Tathagata”. This is what the Buddha said to Mahaprajapati in the previous passage.
It continues below by saying, “One Worthy of Offerings, Completely Awakened One, One Perfect Wisdom and Action, Well-Gone One, Knower of the Worldm Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer, Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans and Buddha, the World-Honored One.
All-Beings-Rejoice-in-Seeing Tathagata will similarly be endowed with the ten epithets. These ten epithets are what all who attain Buddhahood must have. She will be “One Worthy of offerings: because she will be replete with virtue. “Completely Awakened One” means her wisdom will be unlocked. “One Perfect in wisdom and Action” means there is nothing she will not understand. “Well-Gone One” means she will come and go freely. “Unsurpassed Guide” is a high and transcendent positions; she will have transcended the profane. The “Tamer” can tame all sentient beings. so, a “teacher of Heavenly Beings and Humans will be a teacher for heavenly and human beings, a “guiding teacher of the Three Realms” and a “kind father of the Kinds of Beings”. the Awakened Ones are respected by the world. They are replete with the ten epithets we must realize and understand.
The next passage goes like this, “Gautami! “This All-Beings-Rejoice-in-Seeing Buddha and the 6000 Bodhisattva will receive predictions in turn of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”
What the Buddha is saying here is, ”Gutami! You must know that it is not only you who will be able to attain Buddhahood. After you have become a Buddha, there are also these 6000 Bodhisattvas, these 6000 people. They will learn from a great many Buddhas and will earnestly form aspirations to engage in spiritual practice”. They will receive predictions in sequence. The more diligent those engaging in practice and, the faster they will advance and the earlier they will attain Buddhahood. Those becoming Buddhas first transform later ones. “those who awaken first awaken those who come later.” Those who awaken earlier guide the people who come later. It is a mutual cycles like this. Those who have diligently advanced look back to transform those behind them. These were the Bodhisattva who were led by Mahaprajapati. They will gradually transform one another in turn. All-Beings-Rejoice-in-Seeing Buddha and those Bodhisattvas will constantly replace each other as they engage in spiritual practice in the world. They will mutually inspire one another, mutually transform one another. Thus it says they “will receive predictions in turn”. Those in front transform those behind. They will transform each other like this.
This All-Beings-Rejoice-in-Seeing Buddha and the 6000 Bodhisattvas will receive predictions in turn: The assembly of 6000 bhiksunis were also referred to as Bodhisattvas. This means that these 6000 [bhiksunis] in the future will perfect the Bodhisattva-path.
“The assembly of 6000 bhiksunis were also referred to as Bodhisattva. Those 6000 individuals “in the future” will be able to form these aspirations, will keep listening to the Dharma, teaching the Dharma and transmitting the Dharma. Though it will take them a very long time, they will “receive predictions in turn”. So, we must be diligent for a long time.
[They] will receive predictions in turn that they will Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi: One after another in sequence, they will receive predictions that they will attain unsurpassed, perfect awakening.
“In turn” means over the course of many lifetimes. It takes a great many lifetimes of practice, of actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions, “to perfect the causes and approach fruition”. They have to keep transforming others like this, so it says they will “receive predictions in turn”. They will bestow predictions upon one another and will attain unsurpassed, perfect awakening. Everyone has the ability to awaken. This is what He wanted everyone to be clear on. This is the group led by Mahaprajapati, the Buddha’s aunt.
Actually, Yasodhara, the mother of Rahula, was also among that group of bhiksunis. But she continued to wonder, “Why hasn’t the Buddha called out my name?” So, the next passage goes on to say, “At that time, Rahula’s mother, Yasodhara Bhiksuni, had this thought, ‘As the World-Honored One bestowed predictions of Buddhahood, only my name was never called’.”
He had called on Gautami. Why had He not named Yasodhara? They had both lived in the palace. One was the Buddha’s maternal aunt, while the other the wife of the prince. She should have received a prediction. The Buddha had named one of them, so why hadn’t the Buddha named the other? This is what she was thinking inside. So, Rahula’s mother, because the Buddha had not mentioned her name, was feeling a bit helpless inside. So, this woman’s heart was very sensitive. It was truly very sensitive. “Why haven’t you called on me?” She too was very expectant that the Buddha would bestow on a prediction upon her. So, “As the World-Honored One bestowed predictions of Buddhahood, only my name was never mentioned. She was very concerned that the Buddha notice her. Thus, “All Bhiksunuis would receive predictions. Mahaprajapati now knew her name as a Buddha and those 6000, one after the other, in the future will also become Dharma teachers, and through gradual practice attain Buddhahood. [Yasodhara felt], “This has been clearly relayed, so why haven’t I been called?”
Therefore, because of this, she was worried about whether the Buddha cared about her or not. It is in this sutra passage that. Yasodhara is then specifically named.
She had heard the general orediction, so how could she think she was not included? However, since she that the noble mother’s wish to attain predictions had been fulfilled, she also requested that the Buddha bestow predictions upon her, wished to display her own virtue and satisfy people’s.
She had heard the general prediction, so how could she think she was not included?” Actually, since she heard what would happen to Path-of-Great-Love, Mahaprajapati, and the 6000 she led, Yasodhara would be included among them. Everyone in this large group of bhiksunis had been included in the predictions made by the Buddha. This is called a “general prediction”. Yasodhara should have also known this. “I know that in the future I too will also be able to become a Dharma-Master and I too will receive predictions in turn”. She should have also known this. Because she saw the noble mother get her wish, she hoped the Buddha would call her name and bestow a prediction upon her. Then she could receive a prediction as she wished. So, Yasodhara too was hopeful. She hoped the Buddha would call out her name as well, would specifically call out her name and make a prediction for her. Yasodhara also thought that because her relationship with the Buddha was very special in the past, this was another reason why He should name her. This was Yasodhara’s state of mind.
She wanted to be named especially so that others would know how earnest she had been in her spiritual practice. She hoped everyone would understand the causes she cultivated and virtues she displayed. She was very mindful in her spiritual practice. Indeed! Being mindful in spiritual practice is our duty. However, at the level we are at now, we are still unable to awaken. Our state of mind is the same as theirs was. We ordinarily still possess a great many worries. We are still worried about our reputation. Isn’t this what Mahaprajapati and Gautami themselves worried about? They were both certain of themselves, but they greatly respected the Buddha. The Buddha had already bestowed predictions upon everyone, yet they still had not been named. They still had not received predictions. They also knew that the Buddha kept saying that all sentient beings are equal in nature, that they do not differ, despite their appearances. Since the Hearers had attained predictions, they themselves should be able to attain predictions as well. Indeed, this was what they were hoping for. They hoped that the Buddha would quickly give them a confirmation, that He would call out their names, announce their names so that everyone would know. These two would have names in the future; their names when they become Buddhas are included. Thus, they were very mindful of this; they were very concerned.
This kind of concern can be called worry. This kind of concern meant that they still had not relinquished their attachments. They had not let go of them, so these could be called afflictions, or dust-like afflictions. They still had many afflictions, subtle ones. They still had habitual tendencies like these.
So, we should be mindful. For instance, 33 people came from the Philippines, the provincial governor and some legislators, as well as the school principal, teachers and some parents. They said that ordinarily, if they were to leave the country, they would not be going together with the provincial governor, and head of the legislators, and the school principal. They greatly valued this trip to Taiwan. They came only for the sake of offering their gratitude to Tzu Chi.
Everything they said was very heartfelt. Their gratitude came from deep in their hearts; everything they said expressed Tzu Chi’s ideals, which they had taken to heart. They felt that Tzu Chi had done so much for them there. This was because in 2013, a large earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck them. Tzu Chi volunteers dedicated themselves to going there to take care of them. They were very moved by this. It was so far away and it was such a big disaster; they were fortunate to have Tzu Chi volunteers who could go there and who treated them so warmly. However, after just a few days had passed, just one week later, Typhoon Haiyan struck, and those Tzu Chi volunteers had to go to Tacloban. The people were thinking, “Won’t the Tzu Chi volunteers come back again to help us?” They never expected that only several days later, those Tzu Chi volunteers would return again. Our volunteer Cai Qingshan told them, “Master had carefully instructed us all that though the disaster was great in Tacloban and we had to move all our manpower there in order to dedicate ourselves to Tacloban, that we should not forget about Boholl. We still had to earnestly take care of them just the same”.
So, because of this, a group of Tzu Chi volunteers went back and forth to provide care. Moreover, because the children’s schools had been destroyed there, we quickly thought of a way in which we could construct temporary classrooms for the children there. We found the land needed, and then we very quickly constructed those temporary classrooms for them, so that those children there would quickly have a school they could study in. They were very moved by that. At the same time, for the poorer people there, we constructed more than 70 temporary homes. This moved them greatly. The very poor had homes they could live in and the children had a school in which to study. From then until now, we never abandoned them. In the meantime, for those who were sick, we arranged treatment. We are still there, helping the poor with their lives.
So, we are helping both the poor and the sick there. Moreover, we use Jing Si Aphorisms there to bring them peace of mind. We have even been promoting “the spirit of the bamboo banks” there so that they know the origin of how Tzu Chi came to be. This is all due to the mindfulness of our volunteers there in leading the local people to form aspirations. Right now (2017), those who adopted bamboo banks have surpassed 25,000 people. They bring together all these small amounts in order to help those who are even poorer. They were very grateful that we were able to guide the local people to use their own local resources. We have broadened the minds of those who would ordinarily not consider themselves rich by teaching them that even small amounts of love can accomplish great things. This way those who are poor there, who are living in extreme poverty, can also receive help. We also held large-scale free medical clinics. Those with cataracts, the many who had been led there or who had groped their way to these free clinics, were smiling from ear to ear when they came out from their operations. They were able to see things again.
There was even a child just a little more than 10 years old who one day suddenly suffered a stroke. Tzu Chi volunteers promptly helped him as well. They quickly got the child an operation, and in this way he recovered. There was also a woman a little over 30 who had a boil on her foot that really looked like a human face. From the picture they had taken, you could see a very thin woman with a lump sticking out from her foot that looked just like a head, like a human-faced boil. Later, when we were helping her, she had to have her foot amputated, so after the amputation, we fitted her with an artificial foot. Now she can take care of her children, she can take care of her family. She does not need two crutches anymore. Now by using just a very thin cane, she is able to get around.
We saw all these things as evidence. Now this group of 33 people came, among them the provincial governor, legislators, school principals, student representatives, parental representatives, as well as those who received our help. They came specifically for this purpose; it was very moving.
In any case, as Buddhist practitioners, though we may be still unenlightened beings, we are able to go among others to help them. So we speak of “newly-inspired Bodhisattvas.” Newly-inspired Bodhisattvas have already formed aspirations. Lifetime after lifetime we should diligently practice the Bodhisattva-path. Similarly, as the Buddha bestowed predictions, He told the 6000 that they should always form aspirations to practice the Bodhisattva-path in the future. So, “[The enlightened] nature is equal in all.” Everyone is able to practice the Bodhisattva-path. These Living Bodhisattvas were likely there at the same time as the Buddha.
Now each of them is devoted to practicing the Bodhisattva-path, rescuing the world from suffering. So, we should believe this, be certain of it. Thus, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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