Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The True Principles Are Everlasting (真理常住 本無生滅)
Date: February.18.2019
“That which is everlasting and indestructible is called permanent. Bodhisattvas forever uphold the pure Dharma and have eliminated the delusions of afflictions, thus the true and permanent principles are clear to them. The true and permanent principles are everlasting. The Dharma is inherently non-arising and non-ceasing. Its essential nature is indestructible and unchanging. This is the meaning of ‘permanent and endless.’”
We must be very mindful. “That which is everlasting and indestructible is called permanent. Bodhisattvas forever uphold the pure Dharma.” This seems so simple that we can understand the text at face value. “That which is everlasting and indestructible is called permanent.” This is what it is called, but we must try to understand the meaning of “everlasting and indestructible.” What is there that is “everlasting” in the world? Such a thing cannot be found. So long as something is tangible, it cannot be everlasting. Because it goes through formation and existence, it must go through decay and disappearance.
It is just that the world is so vast; the mountains, rivers and land stretch thousands and millions of years back, so [this decay] is imperceptible to us. As human beings, if we try to get a sense of this impermanence and change, throughout the course of our human lives, we are unable to perceive at what time this universe began. Within our limited lifespans, we have no way to perceive its beginning or end. Therefore, we often say that the mountains, rivers and land are everlasting, but in truth they are not. Formation, existence, decay and disappearance are the four states of this world. Moreover, we are currently in this evil era of Dharma-degeneration.
We have been born into this era, so we can see that this world has been damaged. We often hear or read about landslides and sinkholes. We have all seen these things. We hear that the ocean has been polluted by trash. The ocean has given us frequent warnings by now. So, this means that the degeneration within this era is something that we are already witnessing. And yet, the ocean was once very clear and vast, the mountains were once robust and the plains were once smooth and even. Unmarred by storms, it was once a tranquil and magnificent sight. Conversely, in our era, amidst these severe turbidities in a world full of disasters, it is hard to see [this earth] as everlasting or indestructible. We often hear of the world’s famous scenic areas, such as magnificent waterfalls and so on. When it comes to these gorgeous scenic areas, we keep hearing about how the imbalance of the four elements is destroying them.
In other words, in our times, everything we see and experience is decay and destruction. Therefore, this era is what is known as a “kalpa of decay”. Everything we face now is part of the four states of formation, existence, decay and disappearance. We want to reach the state of being everlasting and indestructible, but this state of “permanence” can never be reached by anything tangible. All tangible things go through [the states of] formation, existence, decay and disappearance. Because time itself is long, some people are born into times of peace, when the four elements are in balance. During these times, the world seems splendid, and the air is clear. The natural scenery is lovely everywhere. In the few decades that their lifetimes last, the world is nothing to worry about, and [their time] just passes by. But within the same few decades of our lifetimes in this era of Dharma-degeneration, everything we see amounts to an era of decay and destruction. This is very lamentable. Where can “permanence” be found in nature? Actually, when it comes to “permanence,” all around us there is something that is permanent, everlasting and unchanging.
What is it? It is the true principles, our nature of True Suchness. The intrinsic nature of all things in the world is everlasting. The principles are everlasting. They appear to be without substance, but they are truly permanent. That which is without substance or appearance is truly permanent; this is the true principles. So, the principles are everlasting. However, these tangible objects are impermanent. There will be a time when they experience change and decay. In this world, there is nothing that does not experience change or decay. Everything goes through [this process]. It is just that we must thoroughly awaken to the true principles to be able to understand that which is intangible and formless. Therefore, the Buddha said that His lifespan is incalculable.
It is impossible to measure. Since ancient times in this world, this principle has always existed. The Buddha is the one who saw the Dharma. He saw the Dharma and awakened to it. So, He saw the way and taught the path. Once He encountered the Dharma, He began to teach it. He saw the path and the nature of the principles, then taught them to us. This is what we must try to understand. This “path” is the Dharma. It is everlasting, and this is the direction it takes. “Bodhisattvas forever uphold the pure Dharma.” These are the true principles, which Bodhisattvas must practice and uphold forever. The same goes for us. We listen to the Dharma and take it to heart. When we take these principles to heart, people, matters and things will all become clear to us, and we must find ways to apply [the principles] among people, matters and things. [The principles] are everlasting. In the curriculum for a class, there is a syllabus that the teacher must teach in full to their students. In their classroom, they teach a new group of students each period, so the teacher must teach the same syllabus again and again. Year after year, everything the students study follows the sequence of that curriculum. The teacher teaches as the new students come, teaching the same content over and over based on their syllabus. The principles and the Dharma are also like this. The class is arranged this way. People grow older with the passage of time.
Therefore, classes are arranged in this way according to an educational curriculum. The same goes for learning from the Buddha and listening to the Dharma; in order to help us understand, the Buddha guides us patiently. Whatever our capabilities, He gives us the appropriate teachings. As our capabilities mature, the Buddha starts to give us very direct [teachings to help us develop] the clarity of mind to see our intrinsic nature. The Buddha-nature is intrinsic to us all. We all need to pass on the Dharma’s principles. Everyone in the world has [Buddha-nature], so those who learn the Dharma must have a sense of mission to pass on the Dharma in the world.
Therefore, the Buddha began teaching the True Dharma of the One Vehicle. This is how the Buddha teaches sentient beings. Sentient begins have certain capabilities, so He teaches according to a certain sequence. It was not just Sakyamuni Buddha who did this; all Buddhas share the same path and teach in a certain sequence. As we receive the teachings, we form aspirations to become Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are living in this world. When the Buddha attained Buddhahood, He taught the ideal teachings and the true principles to help us understand that we all have Buddha-nature. How has [this teaching about] our Buddha-nature been passed down? In the past era of the Buddha, a long period of time had already passed without a Buddha residing in the world. It was time for [the past Buddha] to be succeeded. It is the same for our current Sakyamuni Buddha, who will be succeeded when Maitreya comes to the world. When measured in terms of the time we use in this world, this will take a very long time! By the time Maitreya Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha, the past Buddha will be gone. So, when Maitreya attain Buddhahood, He will have to start teaching the Dharma over again from the beginning. It was the same for Sakyamuni Buddha. Before Him, there was a long period of time without any Buddha in the world. So, when He attained enlightenment, He had to start teaching from the beginning.
So, the Buddha taught the Dharma from the very beginning. The Bodhisattva Way that He taught is a model taken from the past, from countless, incalculable kalpas ago when He engaged in spiritual practice. At the time when He formed aspirations to engage in spiritual practice, countless, incalculable kalpas earlier, there was [another] Buddha. In that Buddha’s era, there were Bodhisattvas. So, [the Buddha] taught about how these Bodhisattvas transformed sentient beings in the world in the past beyond the past, infinite kalpas ago, so that people nowadays can hear [these teachings]. This is because when the Buddha was in the world, the times were pure and simple. The population was very small. The entirety of the natural world was pristine. This is very different from our present era. During the times in which the Buddha taught, the Bodhisattvas were ideal Bodhisattvas. In our world in the past, there were [statues of] Bodhisattvas in temples and prayer halls. We heard our Dharma-teachers say so, so we believed that if we chant the names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, they would protect us and support us. People from a few decades ago, including myself, [also believed] the same thing. When my father was critically ill, I was very devout back then as well. I took some incense and knelt in the atrium, which we now call a courtyard, faced up toward the sky and prayed, “Guanine! Guanine Bodhisattva, you must protect him.” Even then, I prayed to the Bodhisattvas to protect my father so that he might make it through safe and sound. Did he make it through? By daybreak the next morning, my father was unconscious and had not awoken. There, as I stroked his hand with mine, his pulse was beating until it stopped. He passed away in peace. Back then, how could I know that this was death? I was so full of sorrow! After [my father’s death], because of these causes and conditions, I began to draw near to the Buddha-Dharma. This was all due to causes and conditions. Were my prayers frivolous? They were not. I just wanted my father to be able to recover. Instead, he passed away the next day. At that time, my heart became completely empty. I lost touch with reality, truly. Was I suffering or not? Was I in pain or not? I do not know; my heart was simply empty. It was because of these causes and conditions that I was brought to the temple to participate in a [prayer service]. As for these causes and conditions, was it my devotion that led to these causes and conditions, or is there more to it than that? In short, the workings of karma are inconceivable. However, I still have great faith in karma. In the end, what we must have faith in now is that everyone in this world intrinsically has Buddha-nature. It is everlasting! We must have faith that everyone has the nature of True Suchness. We all have limitless potential. So long as we form aspirations, as Living Bodhisattvas, we will form affinities with suffering sentient beings. With this mindset, we give unconditionally, over and over again so that every time we take action, it is to benefit sentient beings. This is what Living Bodhisattvas accomplish. Living Bodhisattvas do not need to have a good education or money, fame and fortune; this is not necessary. Whatever body they come to this world in, those are the causes and conditions they have which enable them to serve as an example for people. Every person serves as an example for us. We may not be able to accomplish what others can. We must praise and admire them, for they are also Bodhisattvas.
Look at the most impoverished, most destitute of places at the group of Bodhisattvas in Africa. In October 2017, there was a terrible disaster, a huge flood. Those Bodhisattvas [have nothing at all], but they still found a way to give emergency relief to over 200 families, serving several hundred people. This was no easy task. There were so few of them; how were they able to accomplish this? This is incredible! I feel that this group of Bodhisattvas is truly an example for me. They inspire great admiration. Because they uphold the pure Dharma, they have immeasurable spiritual wealth. How did they find those supplies within a moment’s notice? They have willpower, blessings, vows and strength, so naturally, they are surrounded by Dharma-protectors to help them fulfill their vows. So, we say that “Bodhisattvas forever uphold the pure Dharma”. By giving unconditionally, what remains in their lives is joy. With joy, they are able to accomplish anything. Climbing mountains and fording rivers, they walked a very dangerous, difficult path. They helped others and gave them ample supplies. They comforted those people who were very frightened and had suffered much. In those few days during the disaster, [the survivors] endured many hardships, and [the volunteers] were able to help them. Where it was impossible to go, they went. Now, their lives are full of Dharma-joy. They are overflowing with Dharma-joy! In that place, there was a Granny Bodhisattva who endured great hardships to help another family. There was a young housewife there. This granny embraced her and held her. They young survivor began to cry. “Why are you crying? It’s all over! There’s no need to be afraid”. She said, “It’s not because of that! I’m crying because’ you took such a difficult path to get here. You came to see me. You took great pains to come see me, and I am so touched. I have never felt so touched in my life. That is why I am crying”. That Granny Bodhisattva suddenly thought of something. In the report about her, [she described] what she thought. She said, “I remember how Master told us that in any disaster, we must walk at the forefront and comfort people. This is very important”. She thought, “Wow, I put this teaching to use”. So, I read the report about this Granny Bodhisattva’s mindset, how she went through such hardships to go there to embrace that young survivor. That young survivor even said, “What moves me is that despite how difficult and challenging the road was, you still came here to care for me. I am so touched. I have never been so moved in my life. That is why I am crying”. As for the granny, she was thinking, “Master said that in any disaster, we must walk at the forefront and console others, we must walk at the forefront and console others”. She felt she had accomplished this. She herself was moved by this, for she had accomplished it. Isn’t this what is means to uphold the pure Dharma. She was not expecting anything in return for this. No, she only thought of the Dharma. Because they overcame hardships to help others, they truly are Living Bodhisattvas. This is the path they have taken. They have “eliminated the delusions of afflictions, thus the true and permanent principles are clear to them”.
Theses Bodhisattvas first had to overcome so many afflictions and delusions. Now they [focus on] their Bodhisattva-aspirations. They focus on nothing but their mission. Whenever disasters strike, they walk at the forefront to comfort others, asking nothing for themselves. So, they have “eliminated the delusions of afflictions”. There is nothing else on their minds. They do not worry if the ground will be level, if there will be mountains to climb or river to cross. With their [sturdy] fames, they have traversed this difficult path. They are utterly free of afflictions and expectation. Thus, “the true and permanent principles are clear to them”. They are just like this. Everyone who hears [their story] is very moved. Without any expectations, they give of themselves with love. We cannot see what they have done anymore, because these events have passed. Now I am telling you about what they have done. These are the principles. They put them into practice and walked this path. They made it through the challenges of this world. They overcame these hardships. They saved people. When we recall these events now, though [their story] is intangible, it [reflects] these principles completely.
This is very clear. In the real world, we can bear witness to this world and record these times in history. This is all part of the real process. “The true and permanent principles are everlasting. The suffering of this world is also everlasting. Now. We are in the evil age of turbidities. We do not know how long it will last. The four elements are out of balance, and the suffering in the world is unrelenting. Since sentient beings keep accumulating severe karmic debts, who knows how long this suffering will last. So, with this Dharma, with these principles, as Bodhisattvas, we must to this world. These “true and permanent principles” are everlasting.
“The Dharma is inherently non-arising and non-ceasing.” In the world, when do the principles ever arise or cease? We cannot see any of this. Thus, “The Dharma is inherently non-arising non-ceasing”. All we can do is experience [the Dharma] to realize what these principles are about. We must “refrain from all evil and do all that is good”. When we are doing good deeds, [we must] “actualize the Six Paramitas in all actions”. By walking the Bodhisattva-path, we will come to realize in pour hearts. This “essential nature, which is “indestructible and unchanging. Those who [walk the path] will gain insights, whereas those who do not will never realize “the meaning of ‘permanent and endless’”. This is the nature of human life. We are going through this journey. Those who [walk the path] are able to understand, while those who do not are unable to do so. “No dharma can transform them” or help them understand the nature of the principles. So, we must mindful seek to comprehend this so that we will be able to realize the principles the Buddha taught. The Buddha said that His lifespan is endless and everlasting.
In the precious sutra passage, He said “I abide permanently here. His wisdom-life and dharmakaya will always be here. But using many various spiritual powers, I make it so that deluded sentient beings do not see me even though I an near.
In this way, He returns to this world over and over again. Because these deluded sentient beings have severe karmic debts, the forces of karma keep obstructing them. Even when the Buddha was in the world, [almost] no one could see Him. There were some who did see Him. In a small city with a population of 90,000, only 30,000 of them saw [the Buddha] and listened to Him teach the Dharma. Among the rest, some heard His name but never saw Him or listened to the Dharma. Still others never heard or learned His name; they knew nothing of Him. When the Buddha was in the world, this is how sentient beings were; they were deluded, ignorance and obstructed, thus they were unable to see the Buddha or listen to the Dharma.
So, in this sutra passage, [the Buddha] said, “When people see me enter Parinirvana, they make extensive offerings to my sariras. They all feel admiration and thus give rise to yearning. Sentient beings, then tamed by faith, become genuine, straightforward and gentle. They single-mindedly wish to see the Buddha and are willing to give their lives”.
In the end, when the Buddha began to say, “I am going to enter Parinirvana, the disciples beside Him began to say, “We cannot bear for you to go!” once people heard that He had entered Parinirvana, [they said] “I still haven’t seen the Buddha!” When the Buddha entered Parinirvana, everyone gave rise to admiration and genuine reverence. Only then did they begin to revere the Buddha, pay their respects to His sariras and give rise to faith, only then. So, sentient beings are so burdened with afflictions and hindrances that, even when the Buddha was in the world, they did not want to see Him or hear the Dharma. Only after He entered Parinirvana did they begin to admire and revere Him. This is due to the karma of sentient beings.
In the next sutra passage, [the Buddha] said, “At that time, the Sangha and I are all together on Vulture Peak. I now tell sentient beings that I abide permanently here, without entering ceassation. Through my power of skillful means, I manifest cessation without entering cessation. In other lands, there are sentient beings who are reverent, faith and joyful.
In this passage we should recognize Vulture Peak. “At this time, the Sangha and I are all together on Vulture Peak. First, we should understand where Vulture Peak is. We often talk about Vulture Peak. Vulture Peak, of course, is where the Buddha taught the Dharma in His time.
Spirit Vulture, or Vulture Head, has been more recently translated as Vulture Summit, which is also known as Vulture Peak. The peak resembles a vulture, and there are many vultures on the peak, hence the name. it is the old capital of the Kingdom of Magadha, the place where Sakyamuni [Buddha] expounded the Lotus Sutra.
Vulture Peak has many names. It is also known as “Spirit Vulture”. Or “Vulture Head”. It has more recently been translated as “Vulture Summit,” while the Buddha’s teaching sometime refer to it as “Vulture Peak”. It has many different names, but they all refer to the same Vulture Peak. Although it has so many names, in reality, they are all one place. In shape, the mountain looks like a vulture. So, the name comes from the shape, this it is called “Spirit Vulture,” especially because there are many vultures there. The vulture are often on the mountaintop, flying back and forth in great numbers. This place used to be in the ancient Kingdom of Magadha, in its capitol. This is where Sakyamuni Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra.
In the sutra passage, He says, “At that time, the Sangha and I are all together on Vulture Peak. This is where the Buddha expounded the One Vehicle Dharma and taught the Bodhisattva Way in the world. This was Vulture Peak. The Buddha and the Sangha appeared in that place, Vulture Peak, and the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra for them.
The Buddha often taught the Dharma there. From beginning to end, He completed the Lotus Sutra at Vulture Peak. So, “I now tell sentient beings that I abide permanently here, without ever entering cessation”.
I now tell sentient beings that I abide permanently here, without ever entering cessation: “At this time, I say to all sentient beings that I abide permanently here, without ever entering cessation”. To enable sentient beings to see that the Vulture Peak Assembly will never disperse, He proclaimed, “I abide permanently here to teach the Dharma; in truth, I never enter cessation”.
In that place, the Buddha began teaching the Dharma like this “I will always be here”. When the Buddha first attained enlightenment, He [came to the realization] that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, so initially, the sutra He wanted to teach first was this Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra reveals in full that everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. However, He did not get the chance [to teach it]. Sentient beings have attachments, so many afflictions and so much ignorance, so they would not understand. Therefore, the Buddha changed His plan. He began to use methods that suited the capabilities of sentient beings by starting to teach the Four Noble Truths and guiding sentient beings with the skillful means of the Small Vehicle. In the end, the Buddha still fulfilled His vow. Freely expressing His original intent, He expounded the Lotus Sutra. This is the Dharma He really wanted to teach. So, as He expounded the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha said, “I now tell sentient beings that I abide permanently here, without ever entering cessation. I will always be here, because I completed the Lotus Sutra here”. He had “freely expressed His original intent,” having taught the Dharma He wanted to teach in this place. He wanted “to enable sentient beings to see that the Vulture Peak Assembly will never disperse”. What He meant was “I have always been here, without ever entering cessation”. The Vulture Peak Assembly will never disperse; this is an everlasting Dharma-assembly. Because of this, we have this verse, “There is no need to go far to seek the Buddha on Vulture Peak”. Even now, we still say, “There is no need to go far to seek the Buddha on Vulture Peak”. Actually, “Vulture Peak” is in our own minds. The Buddha will always be in our minds, because the principles will always be in our minds. The one who teaches the Dharma is in our minds. The one who listens to the Dharma is also in our minds. We must work hard to be mindful. If we can be very mindful, “the Vulture Peak Assembly will never disperse”. It resides forever in our minds. He proclaimed, “I abide permanently here to teach the Dharma; in truth, I never enter cessation. I will be here forever, and I will never enter cessation”.
Therefore, in the sutra passage, He says, “Through my power of skillful means, I manifest cessation without entering cessation. In other lands, there are sentient beings who are reverent, faithful and joyful.”
Through my power of skillful means, I manifest cessation without entering cessation. In other lands, there are sentient beings who are reverent, faithful and joyful: The Buddha uses His powers of skillful means and wisdom to manifest cessation without entering cessation. Sentient beings view Him with reverence, faith and admiration, thus He manifests being born. In other lands, there are people who are reverent, joyful and faithful toward the Buddha.
The Buddha uses His powers of skillful means and wisdom to manifest cessation because His conditions for transformation here had come to an end. If the Buddha were to remain forever in the world, sentient beings would not [cherish] Him. In the Saha World, the minds of sentient beings are like this. So, in accordance with [the length of] human lifespans, the Buddha “manifests cessation”. What He “manifests” is cessation. Because there are still “other lands” and other countries, when His causes and conditions mature again, He leaves one life for the next. These are the Buddha’s “powers of skillful means and wisdom”. So, He “manifests cessation without entering cessation”. Actually, this all happens in this world. When He enters cessation here, He is really just born somewhere else because causes and conditions there have matured. When people elsewhere give rise to faith and reverence, He will go to that place once causes and conditions have matured. So, in other lands, there are people who revere and have faith in the Buddha. When His causes and conditions mature, He goes to those places.
In the next sutra passage, [the Buddha] says, “Then, for those people, I expound the unsurpassed Dharma. But you do not hear about this, so you suppose I enter cessation.”
It is because He has causes and conditions in other places as well that He leaves one lifetime for the next.
In order to respond to other lands with mature conditions, He appears to enter cessation in this land yet expounds the Dharma in other lands. They do not hear or learn about this, so they suppose He truly enters cessation.
He left this life when He “manifested cessation” here. Yet He still “expounds the Dharma in other lands”. He manifests elsewhere to go and expound the Dharma there. He is just like that doctor and father. “My children have lost their original mind. I prescribed them medicine and left it here. Now I have to go elsewhere”. [The Buddha] is exactly the same. “They do not hear or learn about this, so they believe I have already fully crossed into Parinirvana from here. Actually, the principles are still here I am just going elsewhere to practice medicine”. So, He only leaves this place in order to manifest somewhere else. So, “Then, for those people. I expound the unsurpassed Dharma”. In that place, He is also teaching the Dharma. This shows that “the Buddha always accommodates sentient beings by adjusting to capabilities and conditions”.
Then, for those people, I expound the unsurpassed Dharma: The Buddha always accommodates sentient beings by adjusting to capabilities and conditions. He teaches for people of faith and reverence who take joy in hearing the Buddha-Dharma, without remaining in any fixed place. This clearly demonstrates how only places with the conditions can see the Buddha’s Sambhogakaya.
This means that wherever He goes, the Buddha always “adjusts to capabilities and conditions”. Wherever sentient beings have mature conditions, He goes there, taking on the right form for the right place. He “teaches for people of faith and reverence who take joy in hearing the Buddha-Dharma, without remaining in any fixed place”. The Buddha can manifest anywhere to teach the Dharma. This demonstrates how only in places with the conditions can they see the Buddha. So, the Buddha said, “You do not hear about this, so you suppose I enter cessation. You do not want to hear this here, so you believe that I have left. If you do not listen, there’s no use in me being here. Thus, you believe I have entered Parinirvana.”
But you do not hear about this, so you suppose I enter cessation: They have not heard about these skillful means, so sentient beings assume that the Tathagata truly enters cessation. “They have not heard about these skillful means.”
“None of you have heard about this yet, so sentient beings assume that the Tathagata truly enters cessation.” They do not know that these are skillful means. No one is prepared to accept the True Dharma, so [He] uses these skillful means to “manifest cessation without truly entering cessation. He manifests arising and ceasing." This is a form of skillful means. Some sentient beings have mature capabilities, while others’ capabilities are not yet mature. So, some have the conditions, and some do not. Those with mature capabilities have the conditions “to see the Buddha.”
When sentient beings’ capabilities are mature, this means they have the conditions to see the Buddha. The Buddha’s Sambhogakaya is inherently non-arising and non-ceasing. Entering Parinirvana here means that He manifests being born in another land.
When someone’s capabilities have not matured, it is as if they have lost their original mind. Even if the Dharma is right before them, they will not listen. This is because their capabilities have yet to mature. So, when their capabilities mature, they will have the conditions to see the Buddha. “The Buddha’s Sambhogakaya is inherently non-arising and non-ceasing.” He is inherently non-arising and non-ceasing. The principles are everlasting, but the Buddha manifests according to these conditions. The Dharma is everlasting, non-arising and non-ceasing. It will always be like this. Some children, despite being very young, are still very wise. We often see these little Bodhisattvas. Some people live to a very old age but still do not understand the principles. These are people without blessings. Because they have afflictions and obstructions, they will never be able to see the principles or the Buddha’s Dharmakaya. If their afflictions were slight, if they were not enshrouded in ignorance, even at a young age, [they would be able to see] the everlasting principles. This shows that “the principles” are non-arising and non-ceasing. They will always be in the world. Therefore, we must always be mindful. There is the permanent and the impermanent, the destructible and the indestructible. In truth, no tangible thing will last forever. In the past, the natural world was very healthy and pristine. The entire earth was peaceful and harmonious.
At that time, everyone believed that this was the everlasting land of joy. [They believed] the world was everlasting, but it is not. Human life is short, so we cannot get a sense of time in the world at large. We just have a sense of the here and now. In fact, we have never enjoyed that natural environment of favorable weather. We have never experienced this. All that we have experienced is our present evil world of Five Turbidities, the chaos in human minds, in the world and so on. So, at this time, we must promptly awaken. Therefore, we must earnestly immerse ourselves in the Buddha-Dharma and know our direction well. It is time for us to clear and pave our path, so we must all always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
