Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Yasodhara Receives a Prediction of Infinite Life (耶輸受記 佛壽無量)
Date: June.15.2018
“Seeking to benefit both oneself and others to perfectly fulfill the fruit of Buddhahood is the great practice of all Bodhisattvas. These are the causes that Bodhisattvas perfect by actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions through giving, upholding precepts and so on. These 500 disciples secretly cultivated the Bodhisattva-practice inwardly, while outwardly appearing as Hearers.”
We must mindfully seek to experience this and be even more mindful as we try to understand it. We have seen all along how the Buddha was always recruiting people for the sake of the Dharma. What he hoped for most was for His disciples to be able to understand the importance of spreading the Dharma. He encouraged them to uphold the Dharma, spread the Dharma and apply the Dharma in the world; this was the Buddha’s greatest goal. Sentient beings are lost and confused; only the Dharma can correct the direction of their lives. If the person giving directions does not know the lay of the land, how can this person point out the path for others and give them directions? So, the Buddha was very mindful. He hoped everyone would work hard to understand. We need to know how to walk the path back to our nature of True Suchness. This is very important. So, we must engage in spiritual practice and rid ourselves of our discursive thoughts, which are like a fog. When we walk the path, if this fog is thick, we cannot see where we are going at all. Are the conditions and the path safe? We do not dare to walk straight ahead.
Therefore, first we must clear away the fog; only when the fog clears can we proceed forward. The principle is the same. Our ignorance is like this; our ignorance is like a fog that envelops us. We cannot see what is ahead of us, the direction or the path. Thus, we must work hard to [eliminate] the afflictions and ignorance that surround us, clearing them away completely surround us, clearing them away completely. So, we must form good affinities with the people around us in our lives and not attract negative affinities. We must be very mindful of this.
This is why we must eliminate our own afflictions and rid ourselves of ignorance. We seek the Dharma in order to understand our direction in life. This is something that “benefits oneself”. As for “benefitting others,” we [must] understand that all worldly phenomena are impermanent. Even though all phenomena are impermanent, amidst this impermanence we keep multiplying our ignorance and afflictions. This is wrong. Only after understanding the Buddha-Dharma do we begin to see that this is wrong. Only then do we start to seek out the right principles and head in the right direction. This is how we can find the path that is right. So, we must benefit ourselves by understanding our own direction. Once we have reached a state of clarity by ridding ourselves of ignorance, we can proceed to advance forward. Now that we [see things] clearly, now that we have become experienced and have come to understand, when we see other people lost in confusion, in dangerous circumstances, we should reach out and lend them a hand, point them in the right direction so they can safely walk the same path that we walk.
This is what it means to “benefit others”. In this way we “perfectly fulfill the fruit of Buddhahood.” This is “the great practice of all Bodhisattvas.” Actually, it is very simple to be a Bodhisattva. This is the path we have walked ourselves, one that we have experienced ourselves. As we go among people, we lead them toward the right path. This is called the “Bodhisattva-practice”. Life is full of so much suffering. When we have more Dharma, we must share it with others. When we have more benefit, we must go and give to others. When have more strength, we must use it to guide people. Sentient beings suffer from countless unbearable hardships, so we must use all kinds of methods to respond to their suffering. This is the great practice of Bodhisattvas, “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions,” which are giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. These practices that we cultivate are known as “the Bodhisattva-path.”
Charitable giving benefits others, and upholding the precepts benefits oneself. Benefitting others comes first, while benefiting ourselves is our basic duty. Whether we benefit others and ourselves, it is all part of practicing the Six Paramitas. This is all known as the Bodhisattva-path. With the Six Paramitas, we are walking this path. Lifetime after lifetime, for such a long time, we have been putting them into practice, actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions. As our causes and conditions ripen to perfection, the fruit of our retribution will manifest. This is known as “perfecting the causes”; what follows from this is “perfect fruition”. A single seed gives rise to an ocean of fruits. This requires a very long time to cultivate. So, the Buddha bestowed predictions upon the 500 disciples because they “inwardly secretly practiced as Bodhisattvas while outwardly appearing as Hearers”.
In the Chapter on 500 Disciples Receiving Predictions, in the sutra text, this is what the Buddha said. Those 500 disciples had long ago begun practicing the Bodhisattva-path. They engaged in practice for many lifetimes. They had engaged in spiritual practice not just in this lifetime, but for a very long time before; they had spent many lifetimes engaging in spiritual practice. They always [sought] to benefit themselves as well as others, seeking the path to Buddhahood while transforming sentient beings. They already knew their direction. Through inwardly cultivating the Bodhisattva-practice, they already had these seeds within them and were replete in the causal practice of Bodhisattvas. Thus, it says that they “inwardly secretly practiced as Bodhisattvas”. The Bodhisattva-seeds inside them were already perfect and complete.
However, they “outwardly appeared as Hearers” because in order to deliver sentient beings, they still had to join in [as Hearers] again; when the Buddha appeared to attain Buddhahood, He needed the two groups of monastics to complete the Singh.
So, there were already Bodhisattva-practitioners in the Singh. They had already engaged in this practice throughout many lifetimes, even if they had yet to complete it. This is like the dragon girl. She had also spent a long time engaging in spiritual practice during her previous lifetimes. Then, finally, in the dragon palace and then at Vulture Peak, she made use of these causes and conditions and transformed her body, went toward the world of the south and attained Buddhahood. This was one more way for the Buddha, as He was transforming the beings of the Saha World, to help everyone to understand the principle that all sentient begins are equal. The principle that all sentient begins are equal was still not really understood by some people. Some people still had doubts about it. However, the dragon girl took advantage of this opportunity. She was replete with the causes and conditions to transform her body, attain Buddhahood and head to the world of the south to teach and guide sentient beings. We should understand this very clearly as well. The principle is the same. The 500 disciples who inwardly cultivated Bodhisattva-practices already understood this very well.
So, the seeds inside them were already complete. Of course, when we say they were complete, from the perspective of this world, they still needed to engage in spiritual practice for a bit longer. This is like Sariputra, who was also cultivating the Bodhisattva-practice. In the past, in the Jataka Sutra, he had formed Bodhisattva aspirations, but when he faced a challenging situation, he retreated from his Bodhisattva-practice. Nevertheless, those karmic conditions still remained. When the Buddha came to the world, Sariputra lived at the same time as the Buddha.
By the time the Buddha attained Buddhahood, Sariputra also had a great deal of wisdom. When [Sariptura’s] mother was pregnant with him, his mother inherited her unborn child’s wisdom and became especially eloquent. After Sariputra was born, when he was still quite young, he was so proficient in the principles that he could go on stage to teach the Dharma. When he grew up, he became a religious teacher and was good friends with Maudgalyayana. The two of them challenged and encouraged each other as fellow spiritual practitioners and good friends. However, the Buddha’s principles moved them. Compared to the practices they were cultivating, the [Buddha’s principles] were much more profound than they had realized, so they took refuge with the Buddha and began practicing within the Sangha. Thus, “Inwardly they [were] secretly Bodhisattvas”.
They inwardly engaged in the Bodhisattva-practice, while outwardly appearing as Hearers. This refers to the spiritual practice that they had cultivated over many past lifetimes. But what about the future? They still had a long period of spiritual practice ahead of them. Although “The true principles exist everywhere,” they still had to wait for the Buddha’s predictions. After they received predictions, they felt sure of themselves. They still had to continue to engage in spiritual practice. They still had to continue to remain in the world. So, “The Buddha bestowed predictions upon Bodhisattvas in the world”. In this world, they still had to keep engaging in constant spiritual practice.
The true principles exist everywhere. The Buddha bestowed predictions upon. Bodhisattvas in this world. The Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from the workings of the world. He had one great cause for coming to the Saha World, [a world] that is truly difficult to endure. Awakened sentient beings go among people to experience the Four Noble Truths, the Dharma of suffering, causation, cessation and the Path.
So, the Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from worldly phenomena. There is one great cause for coming to the Saha World, [a world] that is truly difficult to endure. Why did they have to come to the Saha World? Because the Saha World is a world that must be endured. Sakyamuni Buddha came due to His vows. Those spiritual practitioners also came because of their vows, following the Buddha into the Saha World. For the sake of this one great cause, they came to this world that is difficult to endure. They went along with what the Buddha needed; whatever the Buddha taught, they would demonstrate it in their lives, in the way that they lived, so as to help us better understand. This was causes and conditions coming together. They shared the same mission and the same path.
Although they had the same mission and path, some were ahead of others. Those who formed aspirations earlier and those who were more diligent would attain Buddhahood sooner, and then they would deliver those who had still not attained Buddhahood. Earlier, it was the same for Path-of-Great-Love. She led a retinue of 6000 [practitioners] to follow the Buddha. Each of the 6000 had the karmic conditions to form aspirations to engage in monastic practice. They, too, practiced very earnestly. The Buddha also bestowed predictions upon them. In the future, they will all be able to meet 6.8 trillion Buddhas, engage in spiritual practice in those worlds and become Dharma teachers. They will listen to the Dharma, teach the Dharma and also transmit the Dharma. Everyone formed great aspirations and made great vows, so they will also be able to attain Buddhahood in the future. They will [transform] each other and bestow predictions upon one another. These who attain Buddhahood earlier will then bestow predictions on the later ones.
When those people attain Buddhahood, they will then pass it on to the even later ones, bestowing predictions upon them in turn. The principle is the same. This all depends upon how diligent they are in this world, whether they are making progress or if they just take it easy or stop altogether. But whether they make progress, take it easy or just stop altogether, these seeds will still be stored within them. Thus it says “inwardly” and “secretly”. With the predictions received from the Buddha, they felt sure of themselves, so they began their Bodhisattva-practice again, advancing forward once again. They will need a very long time, as they transform one another. This all depends on whether we practice diligently. Although we all engage in spiritual practice, some of us are very diligent and can comprehend the principles more clearly; some have a much clearer understanding. I often hear about those among us who listen to the Dharma every day, digest what they listen to and then analyze it and share it with everyone. This makes me very happy they are constantly seeking to improve. This requires constant repetition of the cycle. We must listen; then, after listening, we [must] confirm it for ourselves. After we confirm it, we must take it to heart so that we are also able to share it with others. Every day is the same process. This is how we spend our time each day. For many lifetimes, we have always done the same.
We often say that, when it comes to the past, present and future, yesterday is in the past and today is the present. In particular, this moment is the present. From today’s future to tomorrow’s future, just how much of the future is there? It is all just a continuation of the present. This is just like the numbers we always hear about. “Oh my! They are so large!”.
In addition to representing lengths of time, these numbers also refer to the Dharma we practice, such as “6.8 trillion”. We should treat it as Dharma to uphold. What does the digit “6” refer to? The six senses. Every day in our spiritual practice, we should always remember [to ask ourselves], have our eyes been deluded by forms? Have our ears been disturbed by sounds? It is the same for [the other senses]. This digit “8” refers to our ignorance and afflictions. Just a single discursive thought can throw off so many people’s direction in life. Listening to the Dharma is like this. Dealing with matters is also like this. If we meet someone who says something off, we may think that what he says is right. Actually, he is wrong! Whether we think something is right or wrong is influenced by the way people spread their [opinions and conflicts]. Something might sound “right” to us [at first], but someone else might say the opposite later. This refutation will confuse our minds. So we say that the six senses can stir up the 800 billion afflictions, [causing us to] take in large amounts of ignorance and afflictions. So, the Buddhis sutra are often full of numbers. These numbers can also represent the Dharma, or can represent our past, present and future. There is the immediate past, present and future. There is also the distant [past], such as [the time] before yesterday, before last month, before last year or even before our past lifetime. These are all part of time. There is the future of today; there is the future of this lifetime; there is the future of our lives to come. So, our time can be long or it can be short, but we need to make the best use of it. Diligent people can always shorten long periods of time into shorter ones and “seize the moment and sustain it forever”. We must persist in doing what is right and never let our six senses or the sounds we hear, the sounds of [conflict], shake our spiritual aspirations. We must never let forms delude our eyes or confuse our future path; we must never allow this. By seizing the present moment, the aspiration we form right now, we can sustain it forever. This is “guarding the gates of the six senses”. This is what we must mindfully seek to experience. So, “The Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from the workings of the world. He had one great cause for coming to the Saha World, [a world] that is truly difficult to endure. The Buddha came to this world precisely because it is the world that is difficult to endure.
So the Buddha, because He was compassionate and could not bear to let others suffer, came to the world to open and reveal [the Dharma] for sentient beings to awaken to and enter. The Buddha was like this, and all of His disciples were like this, too. So, it says, “Awakened sentient beings go among people”. “Awakened sentient beings” are Bodhisattvas. They go among people to experience the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths personally. Since this world is difficult to endure, the Buddha taught us the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths, suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. If we never go among people, how will we ever experience this for ourselves? So, awakened sentient beings go among people to “experience the Four Noble Truths”. They go to experience the principles of the Four Noble Truths personally. So, we should mindfully seek to experience this and never let our time go to waste. Our time may be long or it may be short, we need to mindfully seek to realize this.
So, the previous sutra passage described how Mahaprajapati, Yasodhara and the rest were waiting expectantly for the Buddha to bestow predictions of Buddhahood upon them. The Buddha now began bestowing predictions. he had already bestowed predictions upon Gautami. In the future, she would attain Buddhahood. She would also be replete with the Ten Epithets.
These are “One Worthy of Offerings, Completely Awakened One, One Perfect in Wisdom and Action, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer, Teacher of Heavenly Beings and Human and Buddha, the World-Honored One.
Gautami was the Buddha’s mother’s sister. The Buddha had bestowed predictions upon her that she would attain Buddhahood in the future with the name All-Beings-Rejoice-in-Seeing Buddha.
Gautami! This All-Beings-Rejoice-in-Seeing Buddha and the 6000 Bodhisattvas will receive predictions in turn of attaining Anuttara-Samyak-sambodhi. At that time, Ragula’s mother, Yasodhara Bhiksuni, had this thought, “As the World-Honored One bestowed predictions of Buddhahood, only my name was never called.
Next, it was Rahula’s mother, Yasodhara, who would also receive predictions from the Buddha. she was thinking the same thing then, “Why has Buddha still not called my name while bestowing predictions? We discussed this previously “Sakyamuni Buddha is bestowing predictions, but still has not called out my name”. This was what Yasodhara was thinking, so the Buddha spoke to Yasodhara, saying, in the future, amidst the Dharma of countless Buddhas, you will cultivate the Bodhisattva-practice, become a great Dharma teacher and gradually complete the path Buddhahood, telling here specifically that “in the future, you will also be able to gradually complete the path to Buddhahood”. This was because Yasodhara was thinking “Why hasn’t He mentioned my name?” actually, as part of the 6000, He had already bestowed predictions upon her that she would be able to be amidst Dharma of countless Buddhas and would also become a Dharma teacher. She would also listen to and teach the Dharma.
The Buddha tole Yasodhara, “In the future, amidst the Dharma of countless Buddhas, you will cultivate the Bodhisattva-practice”: The Buddha was about to bestow predictions upon Yasodhara. The Dharma of countless Buddhas is all about cultivatind each and every thought; when we purify the workings of the mind, that is said to be the smallest unit of thought.
All Buddha-Dharma is inseparable from a mindset of spiritual practice. Every Buddha is like this. They all have to form aspirations to practice the Bodhisattva-path, leave the lay life and clearly fulfill Their Bodhisattva-practice. With Their each and every thought, they cultivate all that is good, “retain all teachings, uphold all goodness,” and purify Their minds. Thus this is called “purifying the workings of the mind”.
So, “You will become a great Dharma teacher and gradually complete the path to Buddhahood. As a teacher who constantly expounds the Dharma for everyone, the Dharma for everyone. “She will gradually complete the path to Buddhahood.
She will be a great Dharma teacher. As soon as she hearts the Dharma, she will take it to heart. Once she takes it to heart, after analyzing it, she will explain it so that others may understand it. Thus, because [Yasodhara] will constantly expound the Dharma for the assembly, she will be called a Dharma teacher. Though she will be able to teach, this does not mean she will understand everything. She also must simultaneously listen, learn and explain. She will still need to put the Dharma into practice.
So it says, “She will gradually complete the path Buddhahood. Just being able to take is not enough; she still has to put into action. As she engages in spiritual practice like this she will also be transforming sentient beings and putting the teachings into practice. She will have to be replete in all of these, continuing until she attains Buddhahood. So, spiritual practice actually means putting the teachings into practice.
The next sutra passage then says, “in a virtuous land, you will attain Buddhahood. In the future, after continuously engaging in spiritual practice, in the very end, in a virtuous land, you will become a Buddha with the [epithet] Replete-with-Millions-of-Radiant-Marks Tathagata. Because she will always practice good deeds, in her future retribution, the land will be very pure and full of good people and good deeds. There she will attain Buddhahood and her name will be Replete-with-Millions-of-Radiant-Marks Tathagata.
In a virtuous land, you will become a Buddha: Foe cultivating virtuous causal actions, her fruit will be to manifest in a virtuous land. A virtuous land: A land of purity.
She will be in that place, because “in the causal ground, she will constantly make offerings to countless Buddhas”. When it comes to Yasodhara, the future direction of her spiritual practice will be to make constant offerings to countless Buddhas. I always tell everyone that all sentient beings have the nature of True Suchness. Sentient beings are all replete with Buddha-nature. We must use love and thoughts of goodness to serve all sentient beings. They are all future Buddhas! We must understand this! Never-Sighting Bodhisattva [said], “I dare not look down upon you, because you will attain Buddhahood in the future. If we maintain this kind of mindset, then the countless Buddhas will all be there before our eyes. If we are able to be mindful and treat everyone with gratitude, respect and love, this, too, is making offerings. We must along harmoniously with people, encourage one another, always express the gratitude in our hearts and form good affinities with others. This will bring people joy and enable them to listen to the Dharma just like us and practice the Bodhisattva-path just like us.
This, too, is a way of making offerings. I have told you before that serving others is also making offerings. Otherwise, we will think, “Oh my! I have to make offerings to countless Buddhas? It is not easy to encounter a Buddha in the world. How long will it take to fulfill this [condition] of making offerings to countless trillions of Buddhas?” In fact, in our hearts, if we take these numbers in terms of the Dharma, [we will see] everyone as a Buddha.
In the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, it says, “Infinite Dharma-doors will readily appear before us”. Every single person is a door to the Dharma for us. Every single person is a training ground for our spiritual practice. So, if we can have this kind of mindset, these numbers become Dharma for us; there will be countless Buddhas there before us in our lives.
So, we should earnestly put our hearts into experiencing this. This is how we “fulfill the Bodhisattva-path”; we will be able to fulfill the Bodhisattva-path. “Thus in her supreme state of fruition, she will be replete with millions of radiant marks”. [She] has perfected her causes and is approaching fruition. When she reaches fruition, she will be called “Replete-with-Millions-of Radiant-Marks”. She will be an “Honored One with the Ten Powers”. She will have attained Buddhahood.
… with the [epithet] of Replete-with-Millions-of Radiant-Marks Tathagata: In the causal ground, she will make offerings to countless Buddhas and fulfill the Bodhisattva-path. Thus in her supreme state of fruition, she will be replete with millions of radiant marks and become an Honored One with the Ten Powers.
When Yasodhara manifested in the world, her current name was Yasodhara. Yasodhara also demonstrated great compassion.
Yasodhara’s manifestation represented great compassion. She was full of Dharma-joy and great wisdom. She exercised both wisdom and compassion. Then she became replete in myriad virtues and millions of radiant and magnificent marks. So, as her fruition, her epithet will be Replete-with-Millions-of Radiant-Marks. This means her appearance will be magnificent, and the radiance of her body will be infinite.
“She was full of Dharma-joy and great wisdom.” She took joy in other’s merits and helped Sakyamuni Buddha lifetime after lifetime to be able to fulfill His vow. So, when it came to the Buddha’s attainment, Yasodhara also had a karmic affinity with Him. She had these affinities lifetime after lifetime. Thus, she had “great wisdom”. So, “She exercised both wisdom and compassion,” exercising compassion and wisdom in parallel. “Then she became replete in myriad virtues”. Yasodhara was always joyful, always giving rise to thoughts of goodness, so she had “gratitude, respect and love”. By the same token, if we wish to go and help people, and there are people who help us and join with us to help others, we should be very grateful to these people. As for the people we helped, we must also be grateful to them as well. If we are always grateful, if we always respect each and every person, then naturally we will always be joyful. What we receive now is due to the love we gave before. This is being “replete in myriad virtues”. This is “exercising both compassion and wisdom”. When you are really and truly willing to give, this is wisdom. This is exercising both compassion and wisdom. With “millions of radiant and magnificent marks,” her body will have millions of marks and will be radiant and beautiful to all who see her. She will be very magnificent. So, “As her fruition, her epithet will be Replete-with-Millions-of Radiant-Marks”. She perfected her causes and approached fruition. By exercising both compassion and wisdom, her mind will always be bright and radiant. She will have no ignorance, no afflictions, none.
By engaging in this kind of practice, when she attains Buddhahood in the future, she will have millions of radiant and magnificent marks. This will be her fruit. This means the “radiance of her body will be infinite”.
Then [it lists] the Ten Epithets she attained. “One Worthy of Offerings, Completely Awakened One, Perfect in Wisdom and Action, Well-Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer, Teacher of Heavenly Being and Humans and Buddha, the World-Honored One”.
These [virtues] adorn her body; she is replete with the Ten Epithets. This Buddha’s lifespan will be “infinite asankya kalpas”. All Buddhas share these Ten Epithets. These Ten Epithets mean that. She will be replete in virtues. So, will this Buddha’s lifespan be long? It will be infinite asankya kalpas long. This is a very long life. So, when this Replete-with-Millions-of Radiant-Marks Buddha abides in the world, Her lifespan will be infinite. That is how it will be. She will live for a very long time. This is because her course of spiritual practice will also take her a very long time. Since that land will be so virtuous, there will be a lot of benevolent people; they will emerge constantly. So, because of this, since their hearts will be so broad-minded, since they will all be well-tempered people without any bad habitual tendencies, the lifespans will be longer there. Especially in a land like that, where they are extremely carefree, their lifespans will naturally be very long there. So, “Her lifespan will accord with conditions”. Because that country is so virtuous, everyone’s lifespan will be long. Our Sakyamuni Buddha lived in a world that is difficult to endure, where everyone is engulfed in ignorance and evil turbidities, creating so much [negative] karma. Thus, people’s lives here are shorter. In a place of compassion and virtue, people’s lifespans will naturally be longer. This is due to “conditions”.
So, “Her lifespan will accord with these conditions and She will abide in this world for a long time as well”. This is what Yasodhara’s karmic conditions will be when she attains Buddhahood in the future. She will be in such a good environment, and naturally everyone’s lifespans will be longer.
This Buddha’s lifespan will be infinite asankya kalpas: Replete-with-Millions-of Radiant-Marks Buddha will abide in this world for a long time. Benevolent people will be born into this world with long lifespans, so her lifespan will accord with these conditions and she will abide in this world for a long time as well.
You can see that here in Taiwan, among our Tzu Chi volunteers; there are also many who are long-lived. See how Wang Chengzhi is 100 years old already, and he still goes around to collect [donations]. Everyone calls him “old Guardian Spirit.” There are also people over 90 years old who are getting certified to fulfill their vows. [One of them] was in his eighties when he first wanted to get certified, but his wife said to him, “You are too old! What can you possibly do? Do you really think that they will certify you?” As it was, he was already pretty much finished with his training then. This single remark made him give up the idea of becoming certified then. Later, his wife passed on. His wife had passed, and he was all alone. His children had careers that kept them busy. So, Tzu Chi volunteers went again to visit him and brought him out to do recycling with them. He was happy to do it. He is still in good health and has been volunteering for nearly 10 years now, at least for seven or eight years. One day, he thought, “I am already 90 now, I wonder if I still can become certified.” Once, when I went to Taoyuan, he asked me, “Master, I am already 90. I wanted to get certified in my eighties, but because of something my wife said to me, I ended up putting it off more than 10 years! Master, I am still very strong. I love working in the recycling station. Some Dharma-brothers encouraged me, saying with my [good] physical condition, I should register to become certified. Master, do you think that I am too old?”
I asked him, “How old are you?” “I am this old.” I said, “Oh! That is not too old! If you have the aspiration,” “then do the training. Do the introductory and the advanced training.”
He said, “So long as Master says so, then I will get to work.” He started his introductory and advanced training. He was over 90 years old when he got certified. On my last trip to Taoyuan [in 2017], he told me, “Master, I am already 93. It makes me happy to do this. You are still so healthy! You can keep at it!” Look at how long-lived he is! However, he does not admit that he is old. He is still capable of doing many things. At the recycling station, after certifying as recycling volunteer, he became a certified Faith Corps member. Together with his Faith Corps Dharma-brothers, he still takes turns being on duty. If you think about it, such longevity comes from having an “open heart and pure thoughts.” If something is good, we should just do it. When it comes to benefiting others, our heart’s direction is to benefit others. This is what it means to be radiant. This is “virtue.” “Virtue” is the radiance in our hearts. With open hearts and pure thoughts, we dedicate ourselves to our work. Our longevity lies in our work. If we do no work, then no matter how long we live, we do not really contribute anything to the world.
In any case, when we make use of the time in our “lifespan,” this is what it means to be long-lived. If we do not make use of our time, then it is no different from not having any time. So, we should always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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