Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Practicing and Cultivating Roots of Goodness (久遠恆修 植諸善根)
Date: December.11.2018
“The Tathagata forever cultivates the Six Paramitas. His seeds are the merits and virtues from His myriad practices, thus He attains the fruit of the Dharmakaya. Thus, this is called the Dharmakaya of merit and virtue that pervades all the Dharma-realms of the universe. His merit is from benefiting sentient beings, which is attained through cumulative lifetimes of practice. His virtue is from all conditioned acts of goodness. His virtue from nurturing [sentient beings] is deep and profound, and his grace is grand and vast.”
We must be mindful! We must be mindful and seize our time. We cannot live the same life twice. Day by day, the time passes, our lives become shorter, and our physical capabilities weaken. We must constantly remind ourselves to make use of time while our capabilities are sharp and bright and earnestly put in the effort! We must know that “the Tathagata forever cultivates the Six Paramitas.” The Tathagata, Sakyamuni Buddha, over a long period of time, over countless kalpas, always come in response to the Dharma of Suchness. So, He is called the “Thus Come One” (Tathagata). Over a long period of time, He has come again and again to this world, countless times. We are unable to calculate this. How long has it been? It has been dust-inked kalpas, a very long time. He has always responded to the Dharma of Suchness and responded to the needs of sentient beings. Sentient beings create karma because of their ignorance and afflictions.
In this world, they constantly incur layer upon layer of turbidities. This is because they are confused regarding their causes as well as the principles. They always live their lives lost in confusion. The Tathagata, in response to the confusion of sentient beings, continues to come to this world to guide them. No matter what afflictions and ignorance sentient beings have, the Buddha, the Tathagata, uses His wisdom to constantly awaken sentient beings. However, sentient beings are numerous; there are so very many of them, yet awakened beings are very few. Those who are able to truly awaken and are willing to endure a long period of spiritual practice and upholding the Dharma are extremely few. Thus, after people are transformed, they will fall once again. The Buddha, the Awakened One, will not give up. Over and over, continuously, He follows sentient beings’ suffering, serving them. He has done this for such a long time. Some may ask, “How can this take so long? With the Buddha’s virtues, how could He be unable to transform sentient beings?” It is not that He could not transform sentient beings; He has the Dharma to transform them, but sentient beings have layer upon layer of severe karma. They understand one thing, then get confused again. They know about one thing and understand it; they know a little bit and are willing to engage in spiritual practice. But very quickly, ignorance and afflictions will pull them away. Very quickly, they become confused again. Sentient beings are stubborn and hard to tame. So, the Tathagata ceaselessly responds to the capacities of sentient beings with the Dharma, ceaselessly returning to this world lifetime after lifetime. Like sentient beings, He keeps coming back in this way, but there is not much he can do.
All He can do is refuse to abandon them. Due to the Buddha’s love for sentient beings, He is not willing to abandon them. He returns repeatedly, over countless lifetimes, hoping to guide and transform them. In this way, He had spent a very long time. The Enlightened One forever upholds the principles; He never changes, while sentient beings are constantly changing. Sentient beings create karma and change in many ways. Thus, [the Buddha] unchangingly responds to these ever-changing [beings]. He still has to patiently return, coming to this world in response to the Dharma of Suchness, responding to conditions to come to the world. He responds to the Dharma and to conditions in coming to this world to deliver sentient beings.
He must “forever cultivate the Six Paramitas.” Forever, for a very long time, He has continuously gone among people to cultivate the practice of the Six Paramitas. He cultivates himself and awakens others; He has given so much. Sentient beings are lost and confused; it is truly praiseworthy how He cannot bear to abandon them. This is the seed of His attainment of Buddhahood. He has [cultivated] “the merits and virtues from His myriad practices.” This is because, over such a great length of time, with His patience, love and reluctance to abandon sentient begins, He has cultivated the Six Paramitas through many lifetimes; He has practiced these in all actions and accumulated merits and virtues. These are His “seeds”.
By accumulating them in this way, “He attains the fruit of the Dharmakaya.” The Buddha has attained the Dharmakaya. He has already accumulated His seeds and perfected “all actions”. Now His merits and virtues have borne fruit; this is His “Dharmakaya”. Thus, this is “the Dharmakaya of merit and virtue.” During His course of spiritual practice, “actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions” has brought merits and virtues. He has succeeded in attaining awakening, so He has attained the Dharmakaya. The “Dharmakaya” pervades the Dharma-realm of the universe. Regarding the essence of the Dharma, in truth, the Dharma cannot be seen; it is without essence or appearance. He engaged in spiritual practice in this world like this and taught the Dharma repeatedly, again and again. When people could not understand, He kept analyzing things until they understood. He not only helped them realize [the teachings], but also enabled them to experience them. After they comprehended [the Dharma]. He further led them to put it into practice. He had to do this again and again, over a long period of time, until [when He asked], “Do you now understand?” [They replied], “Yes, we understand”. There are people passing on the Dharma. [His practice] was extremely flawless and perfect, indicating that He has “perfected His seeds and fruits”. He has attained enlightenment.
In the story of the prince of Kapilavastu, when he sat beneath the Bodhi tree, he saw the bright start and became one with the universe. He attained enlightenment. His body contained the lengthened nature of the universe. In this way, the [enlightened nature] returned to His body. People could see [His body], [so He said,] “Come, I will tell you.” He spoke of the present and the past. Now, this body is called “the Dharmakaya”. It is accumulation of countless merits and virtues from the past and countless past meritorious practices. It was attained through the virtues from diligently practicing on the past.
Now He has “perfected the merits and fruits” and attained the Dharmakaya, that is, “the Dharmakaya of merit and virtue”. After practicing for so long, He finally attained Buddhahood at this time. This is “the Dharmakaya of merit and virtue”. This “Dharmakaya of merit and virtue pervades all the Dharma-realms of the universe. The Dharmakaya of merit and virtue” is everywhere, pervading the Dharma-realms of the universe. This body still exists to this day. Where is it? It is in the Dharma-realms of the universe. It is all [the Dharma] taught during the Buddha’s time. We now understand it through the sutra-treasury that has been passed down. It talks about everything under the sun, about worldly matters and principles.
In this way, the Buddha-Dharma becomes a path that we can now walk upon. This path, this principle, pervades the Dharma-realms of the universe. This is the sutra-treasury. The sutras are a path. We must understand them. After we understand them, we must teach them. After we teach, we will all comprehend them. When we all comprehend them, we must quickly follow their direction. We must quickly clear the path we must walk upon. It has always been there, but it has long been left uncultivated. We must seek to understand the principles again and clear the path again. We already know the direction.
The path has always been there, yet it is now [covered] by many weeds. We must begin working diligently to clear away the trees and weeds [covering it]. So, we must clear the path so that everyone can pave it and walk upon it. How long must we pave it? We need to continue paving it.
However far the earth extends, this is how long we must pave our path. For however much time we have, we must keep paving it. Those who pave the path behind us follow the path laid before them. They continue to clear the path and further lead those behind them to pave the way. Then the people [behind] take over and continue to clear the path ahead. In this way, they continue to accumulate and clear this path in the world, continuing to clear it ahead endlessly. Wherever the path is cleared, it is paved, and everyone can walk following this path. This way, the entire world will be purified. When people encounter this path, they practice on it in accord with the principles. So, we should still remember that. In the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions, the Buddha [said], “I predict that in the future, so and so, when you have perfected your merits and virtues in the future, you will also be able to attain Buddhahood. However, in the course of attaining Buddhahood, you will need to go through this long of a time. You will need to cultivate this kind of practice. You must continue to clear the path like this and pave it until your causes and conditions have matured and you attain Buddhahood. Those you have transformed will follow the path that you have paved. The Buddha-land of yours will be so magnificent. The path that everyone has paved will be so magnificent; “The ground will be made of crystal, ropes of gold will border the paths and so on.” Those Bodhisattvas will all have attained this as well. Bodhisattvas are those who pave the path together.
See, this is the meaning behind the Chapter on Bestowing Predictions. Before we attain Buddhahood, we must continuously engage in spiritual practice. To engage in practice is to clear the path in the [right] direction. We must put our heart into clearing it. As we clear the path, we are transforming others. Those who let us transform them pave the path together with us. We are clearing the path while they are paving the path. We continuously accumulate good affinities until all paths in this world are even and smooth.
Those who clear the path will attain Buddhahood, and those who pave the way will become Bodhisattvas. Therefore, that world will be very magnificent. Similarly, the Buddha chose [to come to] this world that must be endured. It is turbid and must be endured, and that is why He chose to be here. The sentient beings that He want to transform are stubborn and difficult to tame. He is willing to [return] lifetime after lifetime. So, He has accumulated merits and virtues, and succeeded in His spiritual aspiration. The principle is roughly like this; it encompasses everything in heaven and earth, and we have come to roughly understand it.
So, in His Saha World, countless Bodhisattvas follow behind Him and continue endlessly to clear the path and pave the way. In truth, Sakyamuni Buddha has not stopped. He still continues on. This is done in stages. The principles are everlasting, so He returns repeatedly. Thus, He journeys on the Dharma of Suchness and comes to this world. Constantly, after He finishes a stage, He will come again for another stage until this world becomes completely pure.
So, before Maitreya comes to this world, there will still be such a long time. During this time, Sakyamuni Buddha must still work continuously to completely purify this world and accomplish peaceful and joyous world. So, when it comes to the Buddha’s “Dharmakaya of merit and virtue”, the Dharma-nature “pervades all the Dharma-realms of the universe”. We must clearly understand this.
“His merit is from benefiting sentient beings”. “Merit” [arises] from benefiting sentient beings, ceaselessly serving for their benefit. [He] comes to benefit sentient beings and teach them how to benefit each other. Thus, He has to go through “many lifetimes”. He needs to continuously walk upon the path lifetime after lifetime to attain virtues. He has to accumulate His virtues over a long period of time. So, “His virtue is from all conditioned acts of goodness”. What does He attain? He attains all conditioned acts of goodness.
In the past, in the Chapter on the Practice of Bringing Peace and Joy, we talked about conditioned acts of goodness. We must ceaselessly engage in acts of goodness and continue to accumulate every tiny bit of goodness. As for these conditioned acts of goodness, we must use our body, speech, mind and vows to carry them out over a long time to accumulate such conditioned acts of goodness. This way, with our virtues accumulated over many lifetimes, we can nourish all living beings, all sentient beings. So, His virtues are extremely deep and profound. His grand and vast grace toward sentient beings has accumulated over many lifetimes. This is how the Buddha journeys on the Dharma of Suchness and comes to this world. He has practiced for a great length of time. Starting dust-inked kalpas ago, he has continued to accumulate the merit and virtue that He cultivates through actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions. These are His “seeds”.
Throughout this process, He has always benefited sentient beings. He has ceaselessly accumulated [merits and virtues] and given of himself. This is how the Buddha serves sentient beings. However stubborn sentient beings are, however difficult they are to tame, the Buddha never gives up on them. Every time, we [hear about] how the Buddha transforms sentient beings with compassion and loving-kindness, how He never tires. He serves earnestly, joyfully and willingly, unable to bear to abandon sentient beings. Sometimes as I see this and seek to understand this, reflecting upon myself, and I actually feel quite ashamed. There is still so much more that I need to learn. Now wonder we must continuously clear the path and continuously pave the way.
In this world, this tangible land, how many paths have we actually paved? How many sentient beings can we save? How much suffering can we alleviate? There are still many paths waiting for us to clear them; [the number of] sentient beings waiting for us to save them is still so great; there are very many. Thus, we need many, many people to quickly clear the path and quickly pave the way. There are still so many, countless paths to pave, and so many sentient beings’ hearts to purify.
So, we continue to see the accumulated karma of sentient beings and their karmic retributions, whether in the form of natural or manmade disasters. The collective karma in this evil world of turbidities is very prevalent. This all the more reminds us of how the Buddha earnestly recruits people and Bodhisattvas in this world to put the teachings into action and save sentient beings. We truly have a deep understanding of this. When it comes to time, as always, we must earnestly seize it. This is the law of nature; time always passes, and life always ends. Even the Buddha felt it was urgent to teach the Lotus Sutra. This was because he was advanced in age and needed to quickly transmit the Dharma.
Truly, our Five Roots will cease to work well. So, we must quickly make use of our bodies and be diligent without ever growing indolent.
Now, let us look at the previous sutra passage. You went somewhere not far from the city of Gaya where You sat in the place of enlightenment and attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Only forty or so years have passed since then World-Honored One, in this short time, how could You have done the Buddha’s work to such a great extent?
The Buddha manifested in the Saha World and attained Buddhahood. In that time, in His course of spiritual practice, He had to leave the palace and advance toward the goal of His spiritual practice. So, He left the palace and went to the city of Gaya. This took eleven years; He visited other religious teachers for five years and engaged in ascetic practice for six years. This place of practice he chose to return to engage in spiritual cultivation in was this place, beneath the Bodhi tree [near] the city of Gaya. This place was where He engaged in spiritual practice and attained enlightenment.
“Only 40 so years have passed since then.” The time that He taught [the Dharma] was not very long; after He attained Buddhahood, from beginning to end, He “taught in Five Periods”. He started teaching from the Avatamsaka, discussing the world of His mind. After His awakening, He contemplated for a while, as to what Dharma He should use in the world. Following this, His went to Deer Park. His first teaching on the Dharma was the principles of the Four Noble Truths, suffering, causation, cessation and the Path. He taught the Four Noble Truths for five people. He taught them all the principles of suffering. Just to teach the Four Noble Truths to five people, He had to repeat [the teaching] three times. This is “turning [the Dharma-wheel] of the Four Noble Truths three times”. He had to teach three times. The first to accept [the teachings] was Ajnata Kaundinya. Of the five, AJnata Kaundinya was the only one who understood after the first round of teaching what the principle of suffering was like. The true suffering of this world arises from causation. When we know the way, we must practice the Path. Ajnata Kaundinya understood this, but there were still four others, so He had to teach for a second and third time. Finally, all five understood completely. Only then did they begin to form aspirations to leave lay life and manifest the appearance of monastics. Only then was the Buddha’s first teaching after attaining Buddhahood complete. These five all became monastics, completing the Three Treasures. The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha were complete They then began to spread the Dharma, traveling everywhere to teach the Dharma. So, the time that had passed was not very long. How could it be that after only 40 years, now at the Vulture Peak Assembly, so many Bodhisattvas emerged from the ground? As these people arose and appeared before them why did those at the vulture Peak Assembly not recognize them? They did not recognize those Bodhisattvas who suddenly appeared. Thus, Maltreya, on behalf of so many people, initiated and posed the question. This is what this sutra passage is about. Everyone must remember it.
In the next sutra passage, [Matreya] said, “You used the Buddha’s power and the Buddha’s merits and virtues to teach and transform these countless great Bodhisattvas, enabling them to attain enabling them to attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
In such a short time, how could the Buddha, with His power, merits and virtues, have helped these Bodhisattvas who had suddenly emerged become so successful in their spiritual cultivation? This was the doubt they all had in their minds. Thus, Maitreya raised questions about the doubts they all had. They doubted that the Buddha could have accomplished this in such a short amount of time. So, this was their doubt; how could He have transformed so many people?
You used the Buddha’s power and the Buddha’s merits and virtues: Here, [Maitreya] doubted how He could have transformed so many people to teach a profound and wondrous stage of practice and turn from unenlightened beings into noble beings. The Buddha’s majestic power helped them become perfectly replete with blessings and wisdom and attain the Buddha’s merits and virtues.
These people were at “a profound and wondrous stage of practice”. We must understand what “stage of practice” means. Their “stage of practice” was “beyond the stage of learning”. They had realized the principles and eliminated delusions to the ultimate extent”. This means that these Bodhisattvas stage of practice had already reached beyond the stage of learning. They had completely learned what they had to learn. They had fully cleared the path they had to clear. They had reached the end of the path and were already beyond the stage of learning.
Their stage of practice was beyond the stage of learning. They had realized the principles and eliminated delusions to the ultimate extent, thus there was no more Dharma for them to learn. In the Hearer Vehicle, this is the fruit of Arhatship. In the Bodhisattva Vehicle, this is the fruit of Buddhahood.
At the beginning of the Lotus Sutra, didn’t we read that “Among those who came there were those and beyond the state of learning”? “Beyond the stage of learning indicates that they were at a very high stage, that they had learned an ample amount. It was as if they had a PhD in terms of academic degrees in the world, or multiple PhD degrees. PhDs are those who have already reached the top in their field of study. This [degree] is called a PhD. There is no degree higher than a PhD. Some people may not be knowledgeable in and may want to study in another field; then they will go on to get multiple PhD degrees. But normally, the title of PhD is very high in status, the highest of all academic degrees. How is it the highest? In truth, this is the Buddha’s principles. These Bodhisattvas had to have reached such a stage, the highest stage. This was their “stage of practice”. In their practice, in their stage along the path, they had already reached the stage “beyond the stage of learning”. They had thoroughly cleared the way, “realized the principles and eliminated delusions to the ultimate extent”. They already understood these principles.
They had completely eliminated all delusions, ignorance and afflictions to the ultimate extent. They had no doubts at all. These Bodhisattvas had already reached this stage where is no more Dharma to be learned. They had already reached the highest stage. So, for Hearers, this is Arhatship. Arhatship is the ultimate stage of Hearers, like the PhD of Hearers. As for Bodhisattvas, their stage of fruition is Buddhahood. They have yet to attain Buddhahood, so they are still called Bodhisattvas. They are Bodhisattvas and still need to advance before they can attain the stage of Buddhahood. This is their ultimate fruit, their goal. What of Small Vehicle practitioners? They think, “Attaining Arhatship is good enough. It is good enough for me to be liberated; I only seek to benefit myself”. This is their stage. So, when it comes down to it, this “stage of practice” is their aim. Because they were Bodhisattvas, they still had to advance toward Buddhahood. Thus, they still had to come again; they came again in response to the Vulture Peak Assembly to again help this Vulture Peak Assembly succeed and again hear the Buddha teach the path to Buddhahood. Thus, these Bodhisattvas gathered again.
So, for the Bodhisattva Vehicle, attaining Buddhahood is the fruit. This is what is meant by their “stage of practice”. So, these Bodhisattvas had already attained “a profound and wondrous stage of practice”. They had already reached the stage that Bodhisattvas must go through. Why were these people now at the Vulture Peak Assembly? Those who were there listening to the Dharma had never seen these people before. These Bodhisattvas had already “turned from unenlightened beings into noble beings. The Buddha’s majestic power helped them become perfectly replete with blessings and wisdom”. Now they needed the Buddha’s majestic power to help these Bodhisattvas become replete with blessings and wisdom again. So, they came to Vulture Peak this time to listen to the Dharma again, to [the teachings] about the Bodhisattva-path that is perfectly replete in blessings and wisdom. Only then could they succeed in continuously walking the path to Buddhahood and practicing to perfect their virtues. This is what we must truly come to understand. Reaching the state beyond the stage of learning is part of our course of spiritual practice. If we only seek to benefit ourselves, then we will stop at the stage of Arhatship. This is a state. In walking on the Bodhisattva-path, we must be very diligent. This means we must go among people and remain undefiled among people. The afflictions among people are the Bodhi-path. This is the way that must be cleared. This is the Bodhi-path, the path that Bodhisattvas must clear.
This is the path to Buddhahood. So, we must clearly understand these principles. These are the roots. Continuing onward in the sutra passage, it discusses “teaching the Bodhisattva Way”. Because of the Buddha’s majestic power, He could “teach and transform these countless great Bodhisattvas”. With His majestic virtue, He taught and transformed so many Bodhisattvas. These Bodhisattvas [were about to] “attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi”. These Bodhisattvas were about to approach “supreme, universal and perfect enlightenment”. This is truly a great thing. It is the one great cause.
This is the one great cause the Buddha hopes for. So, Maitreya Bodhisattva and everyone [had doubts] because the Buddha had attained Buddhahood such a short time ago, yet He had transformed so many [people]. So, the Buddha explained “distant causes” to them. Even with these distant causes, how was He able to transform so many? Everyone still did not understand.
In the next sutra passage, [Maitreya] said, “World-Honored One, as for this assembly of great Bodhisattvas, even if someone spent trillions of kalpas counting them, he would be unable to finish or reach their limit”.
With such a great number of Bodhisattvas, even if someone spent a long time counting, he would not be able to count them all. Indeed! “Even a mathematician and his disciples are unable to count them all”. The principle is the same. This means that however numerous the principles are, that is how great the principles comprehended by the recipients of the Dharma will be and however many [the recipients] will be. We must be mindful, for we all intrinsically possess the nature of True Suchness. So, the principles always exist and are innumerable. “World-Honored One, as for this assembly of great Bodhisattvas,” even if someone spent a long time [counting them] they would still be unable to count them all. The Bodhisattvas were too many to all be counted.
Next, [Maitreya] went on to say, “Since the far distant past, these Bodhisattvas, in the presence of infinite and boundless Buddhas, have planted all roots of goodness, succeeded upon the Bodhisattva-path and constantly cultivated purifying practices. World-Honored One, such a thing is hard for those in this world to believe in!”
In truth, it is very difficult to believe. This matter [started] distant, incalculable kalpas ago, a boundless amount of time ago. So, in the presence of infinite Buddhas, they “planted all roots of goodness”. They continued to cultivate roots of goodness there and continue to practice the Bodhisattva-path. They used the root of faith, root of goodness and conditioned phenomena of goodness ceaselessly in this world. Thus, he said, “Since the far distant past, these Bodhisattvas, in the presence of infinite and boundless Buddhas…”. This is also how these people were; they were like this in the time of every Buddha.
Since the far distant past, these Bodhisattvas, in the presence of infinite and boundless Buddhas: [Maitreya] meant that these Bodhisattvas, under the Buddhas they served for a long time, had planted deep seeds. They had to have engaged in spiritual practice throughout many kalpas and formed aspirations before more than one Buddha. They had practiced for a long time before they began to achieve the fruit of the Path. How could this have been done in such a short time?
Sakyamuni Buddha engaged in spiritual practice during the time of every Buddha. He always transformed beings in this way. For sentient beings in the time of every Buddha, He always sought the Dharma and transformed them in the same way. Similarly, now, in the time of Sakyamuni Buddha, there were also many disciples who used the Buddha’s spirit and His Dharma to transform sentient beings everywhere. Weren’t the disciples who received predictions of Buddhahood like this? Whether the four lead disciples mentioned earlier or Purna, they all used the Buddha’s teaching to transform sentient beings everywhere. The Buddha had already undergone this practice and transformed sentient beings in this way.
So, these things truly started from a long and distant time ago, a very, very long time ago, and continued on in this way. These people, “these Bodhisattvas,” had already realized far and distant causes. These Bodhisattvas had followed Sakyamuni Buddha to engage in practice, form affinities and teach the Dharma. They had to have been the associators since the time of the sixteen princes. Over many lifetimes, the Buddha continued to transform them in this way and continued to return. So, “They had to have engaged in spiritual practice throughout many kalpas”.
They must have gone through a very long period of spiritual practice. So, they did not form aspirations in the time of one Buddha, but over the course of a very long time. Over a very long time, in the time of every Buddha, they had to have constantly formed aspirations, ceaselessly cultivated the Dharma, sought the Dharma and transformed others. So, it took a very long time “before they began to achieve the fruit of the path.” They continued this way over many lifetimes. They practiced and transformed sentient beings over countless lifetimes. They ceaselessly accumulated [their practice] “before they began to achieve the fruit of the path.” This cannot be done in a brief period of time. So, “[They] planted all roots of goodness [and] succeeded upon the Bodhisattva-path.” This means they “constantly cultivated purifying practices.” We must plant many roots of goodness and plant them very deeply and then ceaselessly engage in purifying practices. Only then can we succeed upon the Bodhisattva-path.
[They] have planted all roots of goodness, succeeded upon the Bodhisattva-path and constantly cultivated purifying practices: People at the Vulture Peak Assembly did not recognize those great Bodhisattvas who had emerged from the ground. How could they know that they had long planted the roots of virtue to succeed upon the Bodhisattva-path and had constantly cultivated purifying practices? Since they had seen the spiritual powers and wisdom of the Bodhisattvas who had come, using the fruit to examine the seed, they knew that these Bodhisattvas must have practiced for a long time.
At the Vulture Peak Assembly, those who had been listening to the Dharma did not know nor recognize them, nor had they seen these Bodhisattvas who emerged from the ground. So, “How could they know that they had long planted the roots of virtue to succeed upon the Bodhisattva-path?” How could they know that these Bodhisattvas had practiced in this way in the past and had been constantly cultivating purifying practices? “They saw the Bodhisattvas who had come,” these people who had suddenly emerged, and that they were all replete with “spiritual powers and wisdom.” All these people, the many Bodhisattvas who came, had already accumulated experiences and accumulated abilities; they came in this way. This is “using the fruit to examine the seed.” They now saw that these cultivated people who were transformed by Him had attained such fruition. This is the fruit. The fruits of the Buddha’s transformation were abundant. People used this “fruit” to examine the “seed,” to deduce their past causes. Why was this fruit so mature? How had it been cultivated at its place of origin so that its fruit could grow so mature?
So, “using the fruit to examine the seed” means to seek its method in the past. We then know they had “practiced for a long time.” They had to practice for a long time. So, “Since Maitreya did not know their numbers nor recognized even a single one of them, he respectfully asked the Buddha for teachings.”
Since Maitreya did not know their numbers nor recognized even a single one of them, he respectfully asked the Buddha for teachings. He knew that for them to have long planted the roots of goodness, for a long time, they must have been in the presence of infinite Buddhas, planted all roots of goodness and succeeded in purifying practices.
How could Maitreya not have known this? Yet, he still brought up these doubts for others, saying, “We do not know these people. Where did these Bodhisattvas come from?” Because He “respectfully asked the Buddha for teachings,” we understand that engaging in practice cannot be done in a short amount time. This further reminds us that we need to spend a long period of time engaging in spiritual cultivation. It cannot be done in a single lifetime. We need to spend a great amount of time doing this. This is the wisdom of the Bodhisattvas; they resonated with the Buddha’s mind. He wanted to help us future generations understand more clearly and seek the seed from the fruit. He helped us understand the direction of practice; we must thoroughly understand this. “World-Honored One, such a thing is hard for those in this world to believe in!”
World-Honored One, such a thing is hard for those in this world to believe in: He said that such a thing was like a young father with an old child; for anyone in the world, this would be difficult to believe in.
Because of this, no one could believe it. “You attained Buddhahood such a short time ago, yet you were able to transform so many people who are all so accomplished. This is what some of us cannot believe.” This was something like “a young father with an old child; for anyone in the world, this would be difficult to believe in.” This thing is like a very young father with a very old child. This is what this is like. They felt that the Buddha had attained Buddhahood not very long ago, so how could there be these Bodhisattvas who were so mature? This is why everyone wanted to ask questions. This is what was hard for those in the world to believe in. So, we must thoroughly comprehend the Dharma.
There is much in the Dharma that is inconceivable, but we must earnestly comprehend it. We must seek and request the Buddha-Dharma with the deepest faith within our hearts. We must know the fruit and seek its seed. Then, we will know that these people being so mature was not without a cause. There was a cause, and causes and conditions converged. We must be very mindful. So, the Tathagata journeys on the Dharma of Suchness. He comes to this world forever cultivating the Six Paramitas in all actions. These are His accumulated merits and virtues and how He accomplished so much. The path in this world is still very long, and it needs us to clear it. As Buddhist practitioners, we must go among people to transform sentient beings. We must pave a great Bodhi-path amid afflictions. So, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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