Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Tathagata’s Wondrous Dharma Is Illuminating (如來妙法 光明照耀)
Date: February.22.2019
“The radiance possessed by the Tathagata is the vast, extremely subtle and wondrous Dharma. It spreads throughout the worlds in the ten directions, illuminating like the light of the sky. It can help people in all those worlds see sentient beings advancing diligently, having faith in and understanding [the Dharma] profoundly and clearly. They are free from defilements and from all doubts and regrets.”
We must be mindful! “The radiance possessed by the Tathagata is the vast, extremely subtle and wondrous Dharma.” Everyone, we must mindfully seek to comprehend it. In the previous [sutra passage, the Buddha] said, “My pure land is indestructible, yet these beings see it as consumed by fire. They are full of worry, fear and all kinds of suffering and afflictions.”
From the previous passage, we know that the worlds of the Buddha and that of sentient beings are entirely different. The Buddha’s world is a pure land, clean and undefiled. What about the world of sentient beings? [Their world] is polluted with turbidities. As we learn the Buddha-Dharma, we must eliminate turbidities and return to purity. Our nature of True Suchness is our pure intrinsic nature. Throughout lifetime after lifetime, we have faced different eras and different turbidities. [The world] is more defiled and turbidities have become more severe. Where do turbidities arise from? Turbidities [arise from] people’s minds. As we keep looking at different matters, we give rise to thoughts and begin to act. As our thoughts become more and more complex, our actions in body, speech and mind become more and more turbid, leading to lifetime after lifetime of defilement. It is like sinking into a swamp; as we sink deeper into the swamp, we get stuck in thicker [layers] of mud. This is our suffering as sentient beings. We suffer due to the severe turbidities. The turbidities are very severe; the deeper we are trapped in suffering, the more [karma] we create. So, karmic forces become greater. Because of this, as the previous passage states, “all these sentient beings with their transgressions” accumulate [karmic forces] in their world, leading to much suffering. As the desires of people’s hearts become greater and more defiled, people create more and more karmic forces. This accumulation of karmic forces continuously [adds to] our collective karma, which becomes more and more severe.
So, disasters spread and become more severe. The imbalance in the four elements is what we can all see nowadays. We observe the imbalance of the four elements of earth, water, fire and wind. In our present era, earthquakes are frequently occurring. In 2017, a group of Tzu Chi volunteers went to faraway Mexico. They were working hard in that place to find ways to aid the devastated disaster areas. Tangible things go through formation, existence, decay and disappearance. Historic architecture and culture, because of the imbalance of the earth element, were all destroyed and vanished in an instant. What of the people? Among the large group of people there, some were forever separated from their family. As for those who were wounded, their families were deeply concerned for them; as for those who perished, families were grieving.
Their families were suddenly destroyed, and they lost all their possessions. The glory of yesterday became the loss of today; [many people] lost everything. How could they bear such suffering?
A group of Living Bodhisattvas did not fear the long journey. They came from all directions and stepped onto that land. They first found a way to calm [the survivors’] minds. They had no relations or affinities with them. They did not know them, nor did they have any relation to them. They had no connection with the land or people, but they had the heart of a Bodhisattva. With the Buddha’s heart, they could not bear to see sentient beings suffer.
So, these Bodhisattva[-volunteers] followed the Buddha’s teachings and went to that place on their own initiative. Connecting with suffering beings and exercising the power of their love, they comforted [the survivors]. [The volunteers] slowly comforted and encouraged them, so that they could let go of the sorrow in their hearts. When the survivors’ minds settled, their perspectives also widened. They saw sorrow and suffering [all around them]. They realized that they still had strength and [thought about] how they could start anew. How could they set aside the past? How could they reestablish the strength in their hearts? Everyone learned to let go. Even in this moment, we can see that they began to smile and put forth their spirits and strength. They not only pulled themselves together, but they were also willing to help others. With such vitality, one by one, people stood back up and began to smile.
We also saw Taiwanese entrepreneurs, a group of people from Taiwan who had gone there and worked hard to build their businesses. They are now very successful. Gradually, they too came out to join the Tzu Chi volunteers. [Over time], in that place, [the survivors] began to willingly stand tall and rebuild their homes. What they now lacked were tools, shovels, hammers, drills and other things. These Taiwanese entrepreneurs were willing to help, so they bought many of these tools and laid them out in that place. Whatever tools anybody needed, they would distribute them. We can see that they picked up these tools and prepared to clean their homes. Whether they were doing it themselves or helping one another, they finally put forth their strength. We can also see that the road was clean, and [the debris] from the destroyed houses had been slowly piled up; the people were beginning to clean them. Above all, they guided the survivors to come out, to put on [Tzu Chi] volunteer vests and visit one family after another to provide help. They recorded [the details] about them, the family’s size and living situation, helping us create a detailed record; this turned their suffering into joy.
Furthermore, we also heard [the locals] speak in Chinese, “Thank you, thank you!” During our video conference, when they saw us, they were able to say “thank you” in Chinese! Our Bodhisattva-volunteers have become like beams of light, shining into the hearts [of the local people]. The locals went through a period when the earth element was out of balance, causing an earthquake which completely destroyed their homes. [That period of hardship] lasted over a month, almost two months; just imagine, how did they manage to survive? There was a group [of Bodhisattvas] who arose due to suffering sentient beings.
With the Buddha’s pure land, with their selfless hearts, they were whole-hearted in their resolve to find a way to relieve sentient beings’ suffering. This aspiration was like beams of light that illuminated the darkness in the hearts of the locals. [The survivors] could not come out of this kind of sorrow and suffering, but now beams of gentle light came from every direction. Upholding the Buddha’s heart and walking on the Bodhisattva-path, [these volunteers] reached [this country]. Upon seeing the results, we are truly joyful.
So, it says, “The radiance possessed by the Tathagata is the vast, extremely subtle and wondrous Dharma.” It is the truly vast, extremely subtle and wondrous Dharma. This is because they had received the Buddha’s teachings. As people who practice the Buddha-Dharma in the world, once we take this teaching in, we have this great strength to help those who suffer upon that vast land stand tall with their heads up and smile. [The locals] exercised their strength and began to clean up their homes. They even exercised the power of love and organized a group of local Bodhisattvas.
In this way, we begin [to see] them walking on the streets with great energy; all over the streets, we see very spirited and well-organized Bodhisattvas walking along the roads. They are truly like a great beam made of many beams of light. This extremely vast, subtle and wondrous Dharma has now been spread there. From the ten directions, people drew near and in that place “illuminated [it] like the light of the sky.”
They illuminated that piece of land, shining upon it like the light of the sky, illuminating those peoples’ hearts. Looking at them, there is hope and light in front of them. They want to rebuild on that piece of land, and in just a few years, it will look completely new. They are building a future world. “[The Dharma] can help people in all those worlds see sentient beings advancing diligently.” In that place, we already witnessed their diligence, especially the Living Bodhisattvas who came from all directions and devoted themselves there. This is the power of love. The local volunteers are already very diligent, and everyone has deep faith and understanding. “[Their] faith in and understanding of [the Dharma] [is] profound and clear.” We see how they went from depression and confusion to the present, where they have trust in a direction and a light in their direction; they know how they should walk in this direction. [With] this deep faith, “They are free from defilements and from all doubts and regrets.” When [the locals and the volunteers] first met, they did not know each other. So, it was inevitable that we worried whether they would trust us. They were also very worried [about whether] this group of people had only come to take a look [and then leave]. Now the locals know of [the volunteers] honest and sincere love. So, with grateful hearts, they connected with each other sincerely. With such a friendship, they were happy every day. We see from their meetings that they were really joyful in their hearts. This is an un precedented situation in international disaster relief. We have first truly built up their hearts before giving them strength. This is very special. So, the principle is the same. Isn’t the Buddha-Dharma spread in the world for this purpose? We know that the light in the Buddha’s spirit and the purity of the Buddha’s mind are the eternal pure land. This is the Buddha’s lifespan.
Recently we have constantly been discussing how the Buddha, His Dharma and true principles must be transmitted in this way for the world to employ them. We must be able to receive them. This is what the Bodhisattva Way is like; everyone can receive [this Dharma that is] “vast, subtle and wondrous”. It is truly vast, subtle and wondrous. Once we apply this Dharma, people will be very joyful. We have no way to describe the mindset of those Bodhisattvas as they served others in that place, but we can believe that they were very happy, very joyful. So, our teachings from here have spread to the Us, Ecuador, Argentina and Paraguay. When our Bodhisattva-volunteers went there, we heard the locals say, “We are so joyful and happy! Thank you!” What we heard were words of gratitude, joy and happiness. Unexpectedly, from within such a serious disaster zone, we heard many words of happiness, joy and gratitude. This is truly inconceivable! So, it was as if the light of the sky illuminated that place. When we look not at their destroyed homes but only at the people, they are as happy as if they were in heaven. “[The Dharma] can help people in all those worlds, see sentient beings advancing diligently”. These people were all diligent. Those saving others were advancing diligently, while those being saved and guided were also advancing diligently. This is due to their mutual faith and mutual understating. They were able to achieve this there. As for what we are feeling, we who are learning here, how could we not realize [what they have learn]? These truly are profound realizations. So, “[We must be] free from defilements and from all doubts and regrets. We must eliminate doubts and regrets. The Bodhisattva-path is this applicable for us sentient beings. Is this not a clean and undefiled pure land? This is all in our mind; this is what our pure land is like. So, “My pure land is indestructible”.
This is what was in the previous sutra passage. “Yet these beings see it as consumed by fire”. My pure land is indestructible, yet these beings see it as consumed by fire. They are full of worry, fear and all kinds of suffering and afflictions. All these sentient beings with their transgressions, due to their negative karmic conditions, will go through asankyas of kalpas without ever hearing the name of the Three Treasures.
In this world of sentient beings, there are severe afflictions. We must earnestly eliminate all these afflictions, one by one, for these afflictions contain worry and fear. “They are full of worry and fear”. If we have worry and fear, regardless of how much money and wealth we have, these afflictions, fears and worries will still bring us severe suffering. Thus, our joy [is achieved by] letting go of all afflictions. Take a look at Africa. Tzu Chi volunteers in Africa have encountered the Dharma. They are full of spiritual wealth and full of love. They serve others and are happy every day. Although they lack material possessions, they are full of spiritual wealth. So, happiness does no come from material things; happiness comes from the abundance of the spirit. Suffering in sentient beings [is not limited to] people in poverty; many rich people [suffer from] anxiety, fears and so on. They all have been “full of worry and fear”. These fill the entire world. In particular, impermanence can strike at any time nobody can predict it. “All of these sentient beings have their transgressions. Transgressions are karmic forces that have been continuously created lifetime after lifetime; this is what we discussed before.
Thus, “due to their negative karmic conditions”, they ceaselessly accumulate [transgressions] lifetime after lifetime. So, “[They] will go through asankyas of kalpas” means that much time will pass by. Over a very long time, their afflictions become more and more severe; there is much suffering in the world, and karmic forces become more and more severe. So, because of this, to receive the Buddha-Dharma becomes something more and more difficult.
The next passage then states, “All those who cultivate merits and virtues, who are gentle, genuine and straightforward will see me expound the Dharma in this place”.
When people come out [of their suffering], they are peaceful and at ease. This requires us to accept the Buddha-Dharma and begin “practicing the Six Paramitas and the Four All-Embracing Virtues”. Everyone is already familiar with these teachings, with these terms.
When we practice the Six Paramitas and the Four All-Embracing Virtues, we need to have gentleness and patience in our hearts. They can protect us from all harmful poisons of anger. This is like how clothing can protect us from the harm of heat or cold. Thus it is used as a metaphor.
The Six Paramitas are giving, precepts, diligence, patience, Samadhi and wisdom; everyone is capable of reciting them. I believe everyone has gradually begun to diligently “practice the Six Paramitas”. There are also the Four All-Embracing Virtues. The Four All-Embracing Virtues are charitable giving, loving speech, beneficial conduct and working together. These can all be implemented in our daily living. These can all be implemented in our daily living. In every word we speak and every move we make, we can easily [practice] the Four All-Embracing Virtues and the Six Paramitas without difficulties, for these can all [be applied] in our daily living. What is most important is that. “We need to have gentleness and patience in our hearts.
Indeed, when it comes to “gentleness,” in interpersonal relations, our expressions and demeanor are essential. If we wish to practice the Six Paramitas or employ the Fore All-Embracing Virtues, an attitude of gentleness is very important. How can we constantly express gentleness? The method is patience, having “patience in our hearts”. When it comes to our minds, we must always adjust our habitual tendencies until we know to be patient in all matters. In the Chapter on the Practice of Bringing Peace and Joy, the Buddha taught us how to face the world, how to face life. When people give us a certain attitude or we face certain circumstances [in life], how do we face [them]? How do we accept [them]? [The Buddha] already taught us the methods. So, we must know to [have] “patience in our hearts”. He previously taught about patience, and now He is strengthening this for us. We must always adjust [our mind] and tame our afflictions, so we must earnestly work hard to be patient. So, when we can do this, it is “protecting us from all the harmful poisons of anger”.
In this passage, in the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan, we have preciously been discussing how the doctor’s children, over a long time, have been slowly poisoned. They are in great pain. They need to take the proper medicine to recuperate and be healthy. This is like needing Dharma-medicine as treatment. The Buddha’s teachings are like medicine that nurses our body and mind. This gentleness and patience are a form of prevention, which protects our mind from all the harmful poisons of anger.
In our own minds, there are “the Three Poisons”. In our own minds, greed, anger and ignorance are poisonous gasses. When these poisonous gasses arise, they cause harm to our wisdom-life.
So, we must be very careful. We must guard against the harmful poison of greed, anger and ignorance. So, “This is like how clothes can protect us from the harm of heat or coldness. The temperature can be hot or cold.
During winter, how do we keep warm? We rely upon clothing to maintain [our body temperature] and stay warm; or during summer, they help us keep cool and stay ventilated. The principle is the same.
If we have Right Dharma, then deviant teachings will not invade our hearts. So, we must learn how to “have gentleness and patience in our hearts while we “practice the Six Paramitas and the Four All-Embracing Virtues.” They protect our “practice of the Six Paramitas, so that we can safely walk the Bodhisattva-path. Aside from gentleness, we must also be “genuine and straightforward.”
A genuine and straightforward mind is one that is upright and without deceit. The path to Buddhahood lies in thoroughly and completely awakening to and understanding the innocence intrinsic to sentient beings. So it says, “A gentle, genuine and straightforward mind is the Pure Land.”
A straightforward mind is a spiritual training ground. Aside from being very gentle, we also need to be genuine and straightforward. Being “genuine and straightforward” means [having] “an upright heart without deceit”. This is what we must learn. We must learn that “a straightforward mind is a spiritual training ground.” We must not be deceitful. If we are deceitful toward others, how can we gain their trust?
For instance, in Mexico, this group of foreign Bodhisattvas have gained the locals’ trust due to their genuine and straightforward heart. With selfless love in their hearts, they had no other motives. With just a very straightforward mind, they wanted to directly give of their love to help them. Therefore, the [locals] could believe that [the volunteers] were without deceit and had no other motives. [The volunteers] were single-minded in their resolve to relive [the locals’] suffering. They eliminated their suffering and then expounded the Dharma for them.” This is a Bodhisattva’s heart. A Bodhisattva’s heart is genuine and straightforward. They must be able to endure the difficulties of being there. They were so happy there, but truthfully, during their stay there, their transportation, lodging and food were all challenges and difficulties to overcome. However, they could practice the Six Paramitas and the Four All-Embracing Virtues in that place so happily. That is because they had gentle, genuine and straightforward hearts in that place.
So, the gentle, genuine and straightforward is an extremely important practice. “The path to Buddhahood lies in thoroughly and completely awakening and understanding. When walking upon the path to Buddhahood, how can we directly practice the Bodhisattva-path? We must employ the following method. When sentient beings are suffering, we must directly devote ourselves to that place to experience and realize impermanence in life. In that place, we can also experience and realize the innocence in human nature. In that place, we can realize how to quickly transform a defiled land into a pure land. Such a place is an adequate training ground. Bodhisattvas in that training ground experience and realize impermanence in life and exercise the great love of Bodhisattvas. “The path to Buddhahood lies in thoroughly and completely awakening to and understanding the innocence intrinsic to sentient beings.” All of us have the Buddha’s nature of wisdom, so we are “gentle, genuine and straightforward.” We all possess this intrinsically. It is just that in our previous lives, we have always been in defilement. We are now liberated from this defiled mud; we are amidst the Buddha-Dharma. The Buddha-Dharma is like water; we must use the Dharma to wash away our afflictions and ignorance.
So, [a precious] sutra passage states, “Sentient beings, then tamed by faith, become genuine, straightforward and gentle.” In a previous passage, we have already read this part. “They single-mindedly wish to see the Buddha and are willing to give their lives”. This means they are very diligent; they are unafraid of difficulties and truly diligent. “At this time, the Sangha and I are all together on Vulture Peak”.
With such diligence, naturally, it is as though they have returned to the Dharma-assembly on Vulture Peak. It is as if, in that place, they saw the Buddha saw that Dharma-assembly where the Buddha was expounding the Dharma for the Sangha. The Vulture Peak Assembly is the Bodhisattvas’ spiritual training ground. We can dedicate ourselves to the Bodhisattvas’ spiritual training ground in that place and truly eliminate sentient beings’ suffering. When we steadfastly walk the Bodhisattva-path, it truly is as if we have already discovered the spiritual training ground on Vulture Peak, because that was where the Buddha taught the Bodhisattva Way.
So, the [current] sutra passage states, “All those who cultivate merits and virtues are gentle, genuine and upright”. We begin to cultivate merits and virtues. Our diligent practice lies in internal diligence as well as in externally practicing the teachings by taking action in body, speech and mind. Along with being “gentle, genuine and upright,” we are like “sentient beings who keep the Six Paramitas in the depths of their minds,” who practice the Six Paramitas.
All those who cultivate merits and virtues, who are gentle, genuine and upright: There are sentient beings who keep the Six Paramitas in the depths of their minds, such as precepts, patience and diligence. They engage in virtuous practices and are gentle, accommodating, genuine and upright. This is speaking of people like this.
Upholding precepts, patience, diligence and cultivating myriad virtuous practices along with being gentle and accommodating [expresses] our most genuine [quality]. This is everyone’s intrinsic nature of True Suchness. This “quality” is simple and genuine; this is our intrinsic nature. “This is speaking of people like this”. In this way, that is what our intrinsic nature is like. If people were to ask what our intrinsic nature looks like, this is it. So, in speaking of “all those who cultivate merits and virtues,” they are “replete with conditions, understanding and the two causes”. This means that when they are replete with “conditions, understanding” and these two causes, they are “able to see the land of true reward and the Sambhogakaya”. This is truly returning to our nature of True Suchness. It is also the most important thing in the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan.
All those who cultivate merits and virtues: Replete with conditions, understanding and the two causes, they will be able to see the land of true reward and the Sambhogakaya. For these people, the Buddha taught that His lifespan is infinite. For those with severe defilement of the Five Turbidities, He taught that it is rare to encounter Him, as He can only be seen after a long time.
In the evil world of the Five Turbidities, sentient beings’ karma is severe, so it says, “It is rare to encounter Him”. The Buddha-Dharma is only seen after a long time, so we must earnestly seize [the opportunity]. As for these “two causes,” what are they?
The two causes: 1. The producing cause. “Producing” means giving rise to. It is the principle of the Dharma-nature that all things possess. Thus it can produce all virtuous phenomena. 2. The revealing cause. This means illuminating and understanding. It means using wisdom to illuminate and understand the principle of the Dharma-nature. It is like illuminating objects with a lamp so the objects can be seen clearly. This is called the revealing cause.
[Considering] these causes and conditions, one is the producing cause; “producing” means “giving rise to”. We want to cultivate the Buddha-Dharma, so we must practice the Bodhisattva-path. As for the Bodhisattva-path, when do we need to put it into practice amidst the suffering of the world to serve others? This cause is “the principle of the Dharma-nature that all things possess. Thus it can produce all virtuous phenomena” We all have the nature of True Suchness. This is the principle of the intrinsic Dharma-nature. However, depending on causes and conditions, we “connect with suffering sentient beings”. When we “connect with suffering sentient beings,” we must help others with this virtuous Dharma. The Bodhisattva-path is completed in such a spiritual training ground. So, we often say, “We must give without expectations, and furthermore, we must be grateful”. This is “the producing cause,” which allows us to “connect with suffering sentient beings” and complete thee virtuous deeds.
The second [cause] is “the revealing cause”. This refers to “illuminating and understanding. It means using wisdom to “illuminate and understand the principle of” “the Dharma-nature”. We see how much suffering there is in the world. We can see it all before our eyes, touch it with our hands and walk to it with our feet. Amidst everything, when listening to the Buddha’s teaching, we are able to verify that there is much suffering in the world. In this way, we exercise our wisdom “illuminating and understanding the principle of the Dharma-nature”. We will be able to gain clear understanding. It is as though a beam of light illuminated our [Dharma-nature], making all principles entirely clear, “so all objects can be seen clearly”. This is “the revealing cause”. In this way, “All will see me expound the Dharma in this place”.
All will see me expound the Dharma in this place: They would all see the Buddha always expounding the Dharma for them in this place of cessation.
Thus, the Buddha said, “You have fully comprehended these conditions and you have also served under these karmic conditions. In this way, you can gain a clearer understanding of the principles”. So, in this way, “They would all see the Buddha expounding the Dharma for them in this place of cessation”. This means that the Buddha is constantly expounding the Dharma for us; the Buddha-Dharma is everywhere. So, when it comes to the Buddha-Dharma, over 2000 years ago, the Buddha expounded it for our sake. More than 2000 years later, we still have the original Buddha-Dharma before our eyes. Because the Buddha-Dharma remains in the world, we are able to truly comprehend impermanence in the world. We are able to comprehend that there are many afflictions in the world. We are able to comprehend that the evil world of the Five Turbidities manifests in this world. It allows us to better understand the principles of formation, existence, decay and disappearance. It allows us to better comprehend the impermanence of birth, aging, illness and death, its principles and so on. It allows us to see them all in this world.
The Buddha explained to us that, for a long time, over countless kalpas, sentient beings have been continuously producing ignorance, endlessly pursuing desires and acting on them, which in turn produced our consciousness. This consciousness leads to actions of greed, anger and ignorance; it connects with external form-objects, so we ceaselessly pursue, grasp and fight for them. So, with karmic conditions, negative karmic conditions ceaselessly entangle us, creating greater and greater turbidity and gathering more and more sentient beings’ collective karma. So, in our retribution, in response to the karmic conditions of our severe turbidities we repeatedly return to the world lifetime after lifetime. This is just like being pressed by a fire. We can also see real fires in the world, such as wildfires that rage in the mountains and even reach people’s residences. Look, when a wildfire happened, nearly 10,000 houses were burnt; just in the United States alone, we could see active and vicious fires in vast areas. Can this be all? This is just beginning to help us realize that if sentient beings do not change, our future will become unimaginable! Sentient beings constantly seek pleasures and continue to fight, so these karmic forces become greater and greater.
So, this is to say, this is a time when we must be diligent, for only then can we gradually see the Buddha’s body. The Buddha explained that. “Those who are diligent can see the Buddha’s body.” The Buddha’s body is the principles; [only] through diligence can we truly see these principles. The principles are present everywhere; they are [constantly] teaching us. So, everyone, please be mindful in your everyday life. We must not think that the Dharma is only for listening to. After listening, we must apply it, for when we apply it, the principles are by our side, and the Buddha is in our hearts. So, “the radiance possessed by the Tathagata” was originally “the vast, extremely subtle and wondrous Dharma.” The Dharma is always around us and in our hearts. When we are earnestly and diligently practicing, we can always see the Buddha and be with Him. So, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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