Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Those with Mild Afflictions are Easily Transformed (煩惱病輕 則易化度)
Date: November.02.2018
“The World-Honored One has peace and joy and is free of oppressive afflictions. In His pure Dharma-realm, all appearances are tranquil and still. Having attained the Four Wisdoms, He is forever free of the harm of afflictions. Thus, He has peace and joy and is free of any oppressive afflictions. He can bring peace and joy to all sentient beings. His body is peaceful and His mind joyful, with no worries or afflictions. He peacefully abides in the practice of accommodating all. With His merits and virtues, He is able to abide in peace and joy.”
We must mindfully seek to comprehend this sutra passage. Previously, [the Bodhisattvas] asked, “World-Honored One, are You free of illness and worry?” Bodhisattvas came to show their care and ask after Him. “Venerable Buddha, is Your body healthy? Are You feeling [at peace]? Is transforming sentient beings going smoothly?” This was their etiquette. The Bodhisattvas had emerged from the ground and were now in this Dharma-assembly. Seeing the Buddha, they paid their respects to Him following this etiquette. Having followed this etiquette. Having followed this etiquette in their actions, they asked after Him. They asked after Him, saying, “Venerable Buddha, have You been well lately?” This is worldly etiquette. The Buddha was living in this world, so of course in their etiquette they must follow the ways of the world. This is very reasonable. So, now we need to understand this. “Does the World-Honored One have worries? How is the World-Honored One’s health?” We need to understand this. The World-Honored One “is free of oppressive afflictions.” When it comes to afflictions, the Buddha was already free and at ease. His body was at ease, and His mind was joyful. It was His vow to come to this world. He returned journeying on His vow, very willingly, for the sake of sentient beings’ afflictions and ignorance. There is so much suffering. The Buddha could not bear this, so He came to this world. He “worked willingly and happily accepted [the consequences].”
We often say this. Although it was very tiresome for His body in this world of endurance, the Buddha was very willing to come to this world to transform sentient beings. The Buddha understood the world’s suffering to begin with, so He came prepared. He already understood this suffering, and because of it, He came to this world to transform sentient beings. For this reason, naturally His body was at ease and His mind joyful. He was not forced. We ordinary beings are forced to come here. What is it that forces us to come? It is our karmic conditions and retributions. They are beyond our control; we create karma and are born into this world. When it comes to anything in the world, we are forced to do it; it is not that we do it willingly. We follow the circumstances of human life and are forced to age, experience illness and live in poverty. In this world, we are forced to [suffer from] all kinds of cold, heat, natural and manmade [disasters] and so on. We are unwilling to accept it, yet the environment may be very hot or very cold. The imbalance of the four elements renders our bodies unable to feel at ease. We cannot do anything about it! In what way is life impermanent? Why do we experience birth, aging and illness? [Time] passes by year after year. “With each passing day, we draw closer to death.” In our lives, we have afflictions from being burdened by these things. To sum it up, there are many afflictions in the world that [come from] being overburdened, these oppressive afflictions. This world is full of difficulties, but the Buddha was very free and at ease. He clearly understood these laws of nature, so He made vows to come to this world in this way. “The World-Honored One has peace and joy and is free of oppressive afflictions.” The world of the World-Honored One, the Buddha, is a “pure Dharma-realm [where] all appearances are tranquil and still.” In the realm where the World-Honored One lives, in the [state] He lives in, it is pure and undefiled. Since it is undefiled, all things are natural, and [He feels] free and at ease. In this state, He naturally returns to His pure intrinsic nature. This pure intrinsic nature is tranquil and still in the realm of the Buddha. His state is tranquil and clear; it is very clear. There is not the slightest bit of defilement or turbidity.
So, because of this, “In His pure Dharma-realm, all appearances are tranquil and still.” His state of mind is pure and free of obstacles and afflictions. “Having attained the Four Wisdoms, He is forever free of the harm of afflictions.” The Buddha has already attained the Four Wisdoms.
The Buddha’s Four Wisdoms are “all-accomplishing wisdom, profound discerning wisdom, universal equality wisdom” and “great perfect mirror wisdom.”
His wisdom is very expansive, and he can transform unenlightened beings’ first five consciousnesses into wisdom. This wisdom is pure wisdom. What unenlightened beings see, the external state they connect to is that of unenlightened beings. But the Buddha is able to transform it. When they encounter the external world, awakened beings do not give rise to the slightest bit of greed. Their minds are not enticed by the external world in the slightest. Instead, they remain at peace and at ease. So, they transform their five consciousnesses into “all-accomplishing wisdom,” which enables them to accomplish what needs to be done. External appearances are what they are. Whether it is sounds or appearances, in the realm of the Buddha, He transforms “appearances” into the wisdom of “no appearance”. He transforms “the conditioned” into “the unconditioned” which neither arises nor ceases and is pure. With “profound discerning wisdom,” He can also transform the sixth consciousness and is able to deeply comprehend that everyone can return to their intrinsic nature. So, how can the thoughts of sentient beings be transformed from defiled to pure? [This can be done through] wondrous observation and careful contemplation. By doing this, we can transform our sixth and seventh consciousness and turn our selfish, greedy thoughts toward a greater self free of selfishness, toward the thoughts of Bodhisattvas, and “actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions”. By “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions,” all the conditioned phenomena we create benefit sentient beings. This returns to our eighth consciousness. Without defilements, the eighth consciousness becomes like a great mirror.
In the past we have often talked about “great, perfect mirror wisdom”. This pure mirror will never be defiled. Starting from when our sense organs connect with the external sense objects, we turn what we see into “all-accomplishing wisdom”. We carefully observe what we see by [using] “profound discerning wisdom”. With this profound discerning wisdom, [our observations] enter our seventh consciousness where we carefully contemplate them. By opening our minds and doing great deeds, we “actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions”. Then, we turn [our consciousness] into this pure state, the great, perfect mirror wisdom. When the external state is reflected in this mirror, [the mirror] reflects everything very precisely. The entirety of the earth is reflected in this mirror, but the mirror itself does not become defiled. This is returning to our pure nature of True Suchness. When [our nature] is pure and without substance and appearance, we will have reached our nature of True Suchness, the pure ninth consciousness. This is the spiritual practice we must engage in.
Can we practice to attain this? We can. Our Five Consciousnesses connect with the external states. Unenlightened beings are drawn in by these states. As a result, in this state of mind, we will create ignorance and afflictions. As our minds create [ignorance and afflictions] our minds return to our eighth consciousness. This is how it is for us unenlightened beings. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are not like this. The Buddha has already attained “great, perfect mirror wisdom”. As conditions arise, [the mirror] reflects them. After the conditions [pass], nothing remains. It returns to the ninth consciousness. These are the Buddha’s Four Wisdoms.
So, the Buddha has already attained the Four Wisdoms. Of course, His body will not be affected by physical obstacles. In other words, His body is at peace. He is joyful; no afflictions can contaminate Him. This is joy. So, “Having attained the Four Wisdoms, He is forever free of the harm of afflictions.” No afflictions can disturb the Buddha’s mind. Although the Buddha cannot abandon sentient beings, the [way He feels for them] is different from how an ordinary being’s heart go out to their children. It is like how teachers heats go out to their students. This is different from parents’ hearts going out to their children. Between parents and children, this feeling is a burden. Between teachers and students, this feeling is a form of love, pure love, and [concern about] how to teach the students well. They do not feel burdened by this. But parents and children are related by blood and thus have the burden of family connection. This is different. This is to say nothing of the Buddha’s loving care toward sentient beings; He feels for them with purity and great loving-kindness. He does not have the kind of attachments that exist between parents and children, the expectation to carry on the family business, to be very successful, to have wealth, high status and great fame and fortune. This is the worry parents have for their children. They hope to leave their children a better life, so they continue to work hard for their children, continuously creating karma. The Buddha does not do this. The Buddha gave of Himself and worked hard on Himself to attain enlightenment and comprehend and awaken to all principles in the universe. This is such a wonderful thing. He awakened to all principles in the universe, so His body and mind are free and at ease. “His mind is without hindrances; there are no hindrances.” He has no hindrances of fear. He hopes to share this with everyone and help everyone understand the true principles. Compared to parents’ concern for their children, this is completely different. For this reason, the Buddha has already attained the For Wisdoms. These Four Wisdoms are always present. As for unenlightened beings, they create all kinds of karma is this blessed karma or karma of greed? They create a lot of karma of afflictions and ignorance and pass it down to their children. They leave tangible things behind for the children and carry the intangible [karma] with them. They bring their karmic retributions with them into their future lifetimes. This is beyond their control. They cannot take any of these many things with them when they die. Their descendants take everything. Thus, they leave behind karmic forces, the effects of karma, in the world. They take this karmic retribution with them. Their subsequent lifetimes are not under their control. Karmic conditions force them into this world, into the Six Realms and Four Forms of Birth into the animal, hell and hungry ghost realms. They go on and on like this. This is how we humans are lost in the world; the karmic forces we create are like this, and we follow them in a cycle. The Buddha is not like this. He realizes and understands.
First, He engaged in practice Himself and enlightened Himself. After He became enlightened, He taught the principles to which He awakened to everyone. We are equal. You and I are all equal. The Buddha is also equal [to us]. [We have] this great wisdom of universal equality. It is not that there will always be [someone] controlling us. It is not that. Everyone creates [their karma] themselves. Everyone comprehends for themselves. We must attain awakening ourselves. [The Buddha] gives us the methods that enable us to understand. So, the Buddha uses the Dharma to guide and transform sentient beings. When [conditions] pass, [our mind] is like a mirror where nothing remains. Even the mirror is gone. This is the ninth consciousness.
So, having attained the Four Wisdoms. He is already “forever free of harm and afflictions”. None of these afflictions disturb or burden Him. None. “Thus, He has peace and joy and is free of any oppressive afflictions”. There are none at all. Everything is completely clean. So, He “can bring peace and joy to all sentient beings. His body is peaceful and His mind joyful, with no worries or afflictions”. He truly is without worries or afflictions. He faces this world of sentient beings; although He physically abides in the world of endurance, facing harsh afflictions and stubborn sentient beings, the Buddha still brings peace and joy to all sentient beings. “All sentient beings” refers to all beings. In face of these [beings], His body and mind are still free of worries and afflictions. So, “He body is peaceful and His mind joyful, with no worries or afflictions”. There are none at all. He peacefully abides in the practice of “accommodating all”. Peacefully abiding in this practice, He accommodates all sentient beings. Because of this, through all the merits and virtues He has created, He is “able to abide in peace and joy”. The Buddha guides sentient beings in all that they do and accomplish so that sentient beings are also able to attain peace and joy and be peaceful and stable in the world. He hopes to change the world; He hoped that this world would be peaceful.
For this world to be peaceful, people must settle their minds. For people to settle their minds, they must eliminate their countless afflictions. So, since we must eliminate countless afflictions, we must be very mindful. The Buddha peacefully abides in the Four Wisdoms, so of course the Buddha would have no illness or worries. So, the Bodhisattvas asked, “Venerable Buddha, are You healthy?” “Are You free of illness” means “Are You healthy?” “Are you free of worry” means “Do You have any worries? Is Your body peaceful and Your mind joyful?” This was how the Bodhisattvas greeted the Buddha following the etiquette of this world, the etiquette of greeting.
So, the previous [sutra] passage says, “These four Bodhisattvas were, among that group, the foremost guiding teachers”.
These four Bodhisattvas were, among that group, the foremost guiding teachers. Before the assembly, they each placed their palms together, looked at Sakyamuni Buddha and spoke to Him in greeting. “World-Honored One, are You free of illness and worry? Do You practice in peace and joy? Do those who should be transformed easily accept the teachings without exhausting the World-Honored One?”
It was four Bodhisattvas who came to greet Him. We have mentioned previously that these four Bodhisattvas represent body, speech, mind and vows. They were all very diligent Bodhisattvas. So, to become Bodhisattvas, we cannot deviate from [our practices of] body, speech, mind and vows. We must be very diligent and truly engage in spiritual practice, continuing to advance forward. So, they had become leaders. Among so many Bodhisattvas in the assembly, these four Bodhisattvas led everyone in speaking [to the Buddha]. Everyone greeted [the Buddha] at the same time. These four were the leaders who first took up the word, leading everyone in greeting the Buddha. By the same principle, when we have a gathering, there is always someone who says. “Bow in greeting!” There needs to be a verbal cue. This is the same principle. So, they are called “guiding teachers”.
These four, “before the assembly, each placed their palms together”. They began to place t heir palms together, and everyone else also respectfully placed their palms together. Someone had to be in the lead and give the verbal cue. For everyone to speak at the same time, they needed a leader; this is the same principle. They faced Sakyamuni Buddha and made a bow to greet Him; after prostrating to Him, they also made a bow to greet Him. Then they began to ask after Him; this is a matter of etiquette. The words they used to ask after Him were, “World-Honored One, are You free of illness and worry? Do You practice in peace and joy?” [This means], “Is transforming [people] going smoothly? Are You safe and peaceful? Is the process of transforming [sentient beings] smooth?” It is the same principle.
So, “Do those who should be transformed easily accept the teachings? Are the stubborn sentient beings in this Saha World easy to transform? Are these sentient beings giving the Buddha any troubles? Are they easy to transform? Does the Buddha feel exhausted?” Because sentient beings are extremely stubborn, to teach them until they are willing to listen, to teach them until they are willing to listen, until they are capable of understanding and putting the Dharma into action is not at all easy. It is not easy. So, it is very tiring and exhausting. “They are so hard to teach; I am very tired”. That’s right! Sentient beings are so stubborn. They are so hard to teach, so it is tiring. But the Buddha came journeying upon His vows. He was not afraid of difficulties. He clearly knew that sentient beings are stubborn. He knew that this Saha World is hard to endure. Since He was willing to come and since He could patiently endure of course. He would not complain that it was difficult. But the Bodhisattvas had to greet Him with this king of etiquette.
The following sutra passage says, “At that time, the four great Bodhisattvas spoke in verse”. After they greeted Him, because the Buddha still sat in silence, after the Bodhisattvas greeted Him, they spoke again in verse form.
So, “At that time, the four great Bodhisattvas spoke in verse, ‘is the World-Honored One peaceful and joyful, free of illness and worry? Are You not tired of transforming sentient beings? Moreover, do all sentient beings easily accept Your transformation without exhausting the World-Honored One?’”
These disciples understood [the Buddha] very well. This is like when children return from abroad and ask their father, “Has our [family] business given you troubles? Father do you have difficulties? These expressions of etiquette are all the same. So, it says, “When their illness of afflictions is mild, sentient beings are easily transformed.
When their illness of afflictions is mild, sentient beings are easily transformed, and He does not become exhausted. In greeting the Tathagata, they were asking about His business of transforming sentient beings.
Everyone will understand this when they see this. The afflictions of sentient beings are an illness. If these sentient beings have milder afflictions and ignorance, have milder afflictions and ignorance, they will be easier to transform. When sentient beings are attached to ignorance, they are very hard to transform.
They may be attached to their beliefs, with each person attached to their own religious practice. Some [people practice] Right Dharma and can benefit people and awaken their wisdom. Some people practice only to benefit themselves; they only do things for themselves. Others have deviant thoughts and views, seeking to rely on spirits and ghosts and so on. These kinds of afflictions are very hard to correct and transform. [Beliefs] like these are very stubborn afflictions.
There are also sentient beings’ attachments to familial love as well as their desires for material things and their greed. This creates anger, confusion and ignorance. These matters really are very serious. So, when sentient beings’ defilements are severe, they will be difficult to train. When their illness of afflictions is mild, they will be easy to train, and this will not be exhausting. When sentient beings have severe defilements, when they are severely contaminated, [the Buddha] will be very tired. When the Buddha came to this world, He had to face sentient beings like these. But the Buddha came journeying upon His vows. Whether their afflictions are light or severe, the Buddha has no fears. “I will transform them regardless, first those with light afflictions and then those with severe ones. The Buddha could not abandon sentient beings, coming and going in this Saha World. These are the Buddha’s Four Wisdoms. He was able to transform the Five Consciousnesses of sentient beings into “all-accomplishing wisdom”. He could transform conditioned phenomena into “all-accomplishing wisdom” and transform sentient beings. He could do this. The Bodhisattvas, “in greeting the Tathagata, were asking about His business of transforming sentient beings. this was how they greeted the Buddha and asked about transforming sentient beings and whether worldly matters and serving [sentient beings] were giving him any hardships.
So, “As Bodhisattvas, He diligently engaged in all Brahma-conduct and did not grow lax”.
This means that as a Bodhisattvas, He diligently engaged in all Brahma-conduct and did not grow lax. Though He did not rest day or night, He excelled adjusting His body and mind. This is why He is always at peace and free of illness and worry.
Brahma-conduct refers to the purifying practices. As a Bodhisattvas, He was very diligent; He made the most out of His time and did not dare to be lax at all. So, although He did not rest day or night, “He excelled in adjusting His body and mind. He was like this back when He began to walk the Bodhisattvas-path, let alone now that He has attained Buddhahood. So, “This is why He is always at peace and free of illness and worry”. Starting from when He was a Bodhisattvas all the way through attaining Buddhahood. He has always been this way all along. No matter how stubborn sentient beings are, He was willing to come and actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions, let alone now that He has attained Buddhahood.
So, “At that time, the four great Bodhisattvas spoke in verse”. They spoke in verse form, repeating what they said.
At that time, the four great Bodhisattvas spoke in verse, “Is the World-Honored One peaceful and joyful, free of illness and worry”: The Bodhisattvas asked the World-Honored One about peace and joy, illness and worry. These words correspond to each other. Being peaceful, He would be free of illness: being joyful, He would be free of worry.
This is how they asked the World-Honored One if He was at peace and free of afflictions. So, they asked the Buddha if He was not tired of transforming sentient beings? As for the sentient beings in this world, since lifetime after lifetime they have been able to receive the Buddha’s transformation have their afflictions become lighter? In this lifetime, now that the Buddha has attained Buddhahood and come to transform others again, is it not easier for Him to transform [sentient beings]? this should not make the Buddha feel tired. When He engaged in Bodhisattvas-practice. He came to this world luifetime after lifetime. Now, having attained Buddhahood, the Buddha should not feel tired. When it came to transforming sentient beings, for some it was easy, but for others it was hard. Who knows how many difficulties there were? So, were these people causing much trouble for the Buddha? this was what they asked out of concern.
So, “If sentient beings in this world can be easily transformed, He would not become tired. So, do those sentient beings whem He transforms easily accept His teachings?
Now those whose afflictions were mild could be transformed. There were still many more who had yet to be transformed. Are these people easy to teach? The aforementioned Buddha’s disciples had all already been transformed. Their afflictions were mild, so they should not have given the Buddha too much trouble. But there were still many whom He had yet to transform. Were these people troubling the Buddha and making the Buddha feel heartbroken for them? Since the Buddha was old, were these people giving Him troubles? This was the concern the Bodhisattvas had. They were also concerned about the future.
“At that time….” The next sutra passage goes on to say, “At that time the World-Honored One, in the assembly of Bodhisattvas, spoke these words, ’Indeed, indeed! Good men, the Tathagata is peaceful and joyful, free of illness and worry.”’
The etiquette of these Bodhisattvas, whether it was prostrating, bowing in greeting or asking after Him, had been completely fulfilled. Then, the Buddha began to speak. So, “The World-Honored One [was] in the assembly of Bodhisattvas”. At the Dharma-assembly, the Bodhisattvas had all gathered already. In the “assembly of the Bodhisattvas, He spoke these words”. The Buddha began His reply “Indeed, indeed! Good men, the Tathagata is peaceful and joyful, free of illness and worry. Alright, alright, I am grateful, very grateful. It is like you said, I am well and at peace, and I do not have any afflictions in my mind”. This was what happened.
At that time, the World-Honored One, in the assembly of Bodhisattvas, spoke these words, “Indeed, indeed!”: “At that time” is what Ananda narrated. The World-Honored One responded, “Everything is indeed as you inquired; all is well”.
So, the words “at that time,” were narrated by Ananda. He saw that these Bodhisattvas had arrived. In the sutra passage preceding “at that time,” Ananda was the one describing these scenes. [He said] “at that time”. So, what the World-Honored One said in response was also Ananda’s [narration]. Ananda said, “Thus have I heard” He had to say what the Buddha said and talk about what kinds of people came and how the conversation went. As for what the conditions were like and how many people had come, Ananda had to describe this whole scene. So, what precedes “at that time” is Ananda’s narration. “I must listen to the Buddha. I must say what the Buddha said. At that time, there were Bodhisattvas from other lands and [Bodhisattvas] emerging from the ground. They were before the stupa of Many Treasures”. Wow! There were so many descriptions. So, after that, the Buddha waited for a very long time. He waited until everyone had gathered and settled down. Then, the Buddha began to speak. This was all narrated by Ananda. “The World-Honored One responded”. The World-Honored One began responding and said, “Everything is indeed as you inquired”. This was the World-Honored One’s answer. “Indeed, indeed!” This was Ananda’s narration.
The Buddha said “everything” is as everyone inquired. “All is swell.” Following this, the Buddha said, “Good men, the Tathagata is peaceful and joyful, free of illness and worry”.
Good men, the Tathagata is peaceful and joyful, free of illness and worry: He spoke to all the Bodhisattvas and replied that He was peaceful and joyful, that His body and mind were both at peace.
This was what the Buddha told the assembly. He replied to the assembly and to these great Bodhisattvas, saying, “I am peaceful and joyful. Not only is my body peaceful, in fact, my mind is also very joyful. I am at peace in body and mind; I am joyful in everything”.
So, the following sutra passage says this, “All sentient beings can be easily transformed, and I do not become tired. Why is this so? These sentient beings, for many lifetimes, have constantly accepted my transformation”.
This was how the Buddha replied. “As for everyone’s concerns, I am totally at peace. For these sentient beings, it is not so difficult to transform them because these sentient beings have already been transformed by me in past lifetimes. They are all my past students and I do not have trouble communicating with them. We had deep affinities in the past. Now, it is not difficult to transform them”. This was the Buddha’s reply, because it was easy to transform these sentient beings. This is due to the Buddha’s great patience. In this world that must be endured, He spent over 40 years patiently guiding [sentient beings]. When it comes to this world, He really had great patience and endurance. Just helping everyone learn that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature takes a lot of patience, he used so many methods and took such a long time to transform them. For this world, this really was a long time, but for the Buddha, the time was very short. In particular, the time of this world is different from the time in heaven. So, [heavenly beings’] state of mind transcends this world, let alone the Buddha’s state of mind. He was not troubled by these sentient beings at all, and He did not have any difficulties. So, He had no troubles and was not tired. Why was this?
All sentient beings can be easily transformed, and I do not become tired. Why is this so?: When sentient beings’ illness of afflictions is mild, then they can be transformed easily, and He will not become tired.
“These sentient beings illness of afflictions is mild” because they had been taught in the past. Now, upon listening, [they said,] “Oh! I remember. I got it”. The Buddha “gave one [teaching],” and they were able to “understand ten”. Although the Dharma is vast, they were able to listen to the Buddha-Dharma and understand so many things. There are many teachings in this world. The Buddha spoke one sentence, and it could encompass then thousand principles. The principles are very vast. So, having been transformed and having heard His teachings, they were able to remember it. In the past, in a past life, a past lifetime, they had heard the Dharma. When the Buddha taught the Dharma now, their minds were open and understanding; they were able to understand. So, they were easier to transform. “These sentient beings, for many lifetimes, have constantly accepted my transformation. These sentient beings’ minds can easily accept my transformation”. With these sentient beings, it was very easy, because in past lifetimes, they had all accepted [these teachings] before. Teaching them again now, they were able to comprehend them again; they could deeply comprehend them very quickly. Their minds were open and understanding. So, if we listened to it in the past, when we talk about it now, [we will say] “Oh, I understand”. This is called memory; we heard it in the past. Moreover, since we heard it in the past, we will have affinities with the Buddha-Dharma in this lifetime and will be able to draw near the Buddha-Dharma. We will be able to practice with body and mind, putting the teachings into action. So, “These sentient beings’ minds can easily accept my transformation.” They were like this because they had already been through it and been transformed before; they had heard it and understood it. This is because [people in] the world have already been transformed. So, “these sentient beings, for many lifetimes,” had already been taught and transformed. So, because of this, “He had already opened and revealed what He would say later.” Having heard [the Dharma] in a past life, when they heard it again later, the principles would naturally seem obvious to them and they could understand them clearly. This pertains to the Dharma He would teach next, the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan. For the upcoming Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan, He first paved the path. It is like the Chapter on Emerging from the Ground. In the preceding [chapter about] the Four Practices of Bringing Peace and Joy, it paves the path for the Chapter on. Emerging from the Ground. In the current Chapter on. Emerging from the Ground, we can understand the past “revealing of the manifest” and the present “revealing of the intrinsic.” [Some Bodhisattvas] came from other worlds and [some] emerged from the ground. This is something we can understand very well.
“These sentient beings, for many lifetimes, have constantly accepted my transformation” [means] He had already opened and revealed what He would say later. That is what is described in the following passage in the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan. This should refer to accepting the teaching and transformation of the World-Honored One in a previous Kalpa, when He was one of the 16 princes.
The Buddha hoped that Bodhisattvas in this world, Bodhisattvas in the Saha World, would form aspirations to transform [beings in this world]. Although Bodhisattvas in this world were slower, the Buddha skillfully guided those in other worlds to form aspirations. In the past, as Tzu Chi was growing, although it began in Hualien, among the volunteers in Hualien, in fact there were more from other places than locally.
By the same principle, local Bodhisattvas have now also begun to form aspirations. This is how it is. It is always those from afar who inspire those nearby to begin forming aspirations. This was how it started. This is “the intrinsic,” the Buddha’s original intent is for sentient beings in the Saha World. It is His One great cause. The Buddha came to “open and reveal,” hoping sentient beings can “realize and enter.” To “realize and enter,” we must “actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions.” We must put this into practice; we must return to our nature of True Suchness and put [the teachings] into action. We must not constantly rely on this Dharma to benefit only ourselves. We must benefit others by putting the Dharma into action.
So, the Chapter on Emerging from the Ground [paves the way for] the future Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan. In terms of this “lifespan,” when did we begin to form aspirations? When did our nature of True Suchness originate? That is “the intrinsic,” the origins of the Dharma and the origins of the “lifespan.” We must continue to enter it layer by layer. So, for the narration, we must remember what it said previously. We must understand these passages well. Every chapter that comes before and after, we must remember them very well. We must understand this so that when we hear it in the future, we will understand it. So, “this” should refer to how the World-Honored One, from the distant past, a very long time ago as one of the 16 novices, has taught and transformed all the way up to the present. So, I always tell everyone that our affinities with the Buddha are very deep. It is just that we are not mindful. We hear [the Dharma] and let it leak away. Because of this, now, in the Lotus Dharma-assembly, we must recollect these teachings. In the future, how will we be able to recollect [the Dharma] from the time of the 16 novices in that Dharma-assembly? So, if we are not mindful now, in the future we will still be very unclear. So, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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