Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Chapter on Distinguishing Merits and Virtues (解悟壽量 分別功德)
Date: March.01.2019
“The Buddha taught all that the lifespan of the Dharmakaya is infinite and extensive. Throughout the Three Periods, He always goes among people to benefit all beings in the world, unceasingly teaching and transforming sentient beings. All in the Vulture Peak Dharma-assembly had already realized that the Dharmakaya abides forever and continues to exist without interruption or cessation. The wondrous Dharma-wheel turns constantly.”
Everyone should read and seek to comprehend this verse. Doesn’t it bring to mind the Dharma we previously learned from the Buddha? The chapter we have been discussing, the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan, is the 16th chapter of the Lotus Sutra. [We have] completed [our discussion of it] and will now discuss the beginning of a new chapter. We recall the Dharma expounded by the Buddha in the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan. “The Buddha taught all that the lifespan of the Dharmakaya is infinite and extensive.” What did the Buddha mean by an infinite and extensive lifespan? Didn’t the Buddha come to the world in accordance with causes and conditions and live but 80 years? Now, the disciples at the Lotus Dharma-assembly saw Bodhisattvas emerging from the ground in great numbers, with great experience and merits and virtue that are difficult to match! Where did they come from? What causes and conditions had they accumulated? Who had transformed them?
In the previous chapter, there were many who expressed [such] questions, to which the Buddha replied, “These [Bodhisattvas] were all transformed by me. I taught and transformed them in the Saha World.” Everyone’s heart gave rise to doubt [saying], “How is that possible?” From the time the Buddha came to the world, attained Buddhahood and began teaching the Dharma, it had only been a little over 40 years. How could He have helped so many attain fruition? There were so many who had already become Bodhisattvas. Moreover, they were [all] very accomplished, transforming sentient beings in all ten directions. For all those gathered there, how could their cultivation have taken a short time? It must have taken a long, long time. The Buddha had taught in this world for more than 40 years, and by that time, had become advanced in age. Everyone was quite concerned. Aside from their doubts, they could not understand [how] so many people had the conditions [to be Bodhisattvas], and further worried that the Buddha had grown old. How much longer could He expound the Dharma? In this chapter, the Buddha also revealed that He will soon enter Parinirvana. What should sentient beings in the future do? So, the Buddha began to expound the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan. The meaning of the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan is that His lifespan is “infinite and extensive.” How long is it? [It continues through] the past, the present and the distant future, through all Three Periods. In the past, [He went through] incalculable kalpas. In the present, He manifests an appearance according to conditions to transform sentient beings again and again, by introducing them to the Buddha-Dharma. Then, there is the distant future, which will extend for a long, [long] time. Therefore, the Buddha spoke of an extensive lifespan because the lifespan of the Dharmakaya is infinite and extensive. Through the past, present and future, it is never interrupted. “He always goes among people”. In the past, He was also among people. The Buddha engages in spiritual practice for the sake of transforming sentient beings, and so, He needs to go among people. It was so in the past, and it is so now. And what about the future? It will remain like this for countless kalpas. “Throughout the Three Periods, He always...”. This “always” means “without interruption”. He always goes among people. Amidst sentient beings, everything He did was for the sake of “benefiting all beings in the world.” He came to “unceasingly teach and transform sentient beings.” [He taught] without interruption, constantly educating [sentient beings]. So, we can understand the depth of His compassion. He truly understands all sentient beings in their confusion, as they remain within the Six Realms and lack direction. Thus, amidst such confusion, the Buddha had to use a long time [to transform them].
Therefore, transforming sentient beings does not occur only within the human realm but in all realms. “All in the Vulture Peak Dharma-assembly had already realized that the Dharmakaya abides forever.” The Buddha had already taught them so much, so everyone should have been clear [about this]. In the human world, lifespans are limited, but the lifespan of the Dharmakaya is without limit throughout the past, present and future. It is extensive and without limit. It exists not only in the human realm, [but] within [all] Six Realms. So, He is “unceasingly teaching and transforming sentient beings.” This [refers to] all beings in the world; it benefits all beings in the world. The Buddha provides all sentient beings with His protection and teachings. They were all able to comprehend this clearly. So, “All in the Vulture Peak Dharma-assembly had already realized that the Dharmakaya abides forever.” At that time, everyone listened to what the Buddha said, so they [gained] clear comprehension that the Dharmakaya abides forever and is intrinsic to every person.
All the teachings that the Buddha gave had been experienced and understood by everyone. This happened at the Vulture Peak Assembly, during the Buddha’s lifetime, at that time when He taught the Lotus Sutra. Everyone had become clear about the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan. So, “[The Dharmakaya] continues to exist without interruption or cessation.” We must know that this Dharmakaya always abides in the world. This is a natural law in our world; [the Dharmakaya] continues to exist without interruption or cessation. This is a true principle. [The Dharmakaya] exists in the world ceaselessly. So, “[It] continues to exist without interruption or cessation.” It has never been interrupted. Everyone must be clear about this Dharmakaya [of which] we speak. It represents infinite numbers of principles. True principles are eternal and unceasing. True principles are not only to be found in the Buddha [Himself]. They are intrinsic to everyone; it is just that we have fallen into delusion, so only the Buddha realizes these principles. Everyone else is still in [a state of] confusion; only the Buddha has awakened. His enlightened nature converged with the universe. So, the Buddha converged with the enlightened nature of the world. This is what we call “the Dharmakaya.” The Dharmakaya and this enlightened nature are one and the same. Everyone must be clear about this. The truths and principles are the enlightened nature. This is the true principles. When our enlightened nature converges and returns to the true principles, we can be clear on the principles of the world. The true principles continue without interruption; they are eternal and unceasing. These uninterrupted, unceasing true principles, the Dharmakaya and the truths, are eternal. If everyone can realize them, then naturally, “The wondrous Dharma-wheel will turn constantly.” If we can deeply comprehend it and others can also understand it, then, having comprehended and understood it, naturally, we will be able to spread the Dharma and benefit all life. By “unceasingly teaching and transforming sentient beings,” we naturally can “benefit all beings in the world.” For this, we must lean the Buddha-Dharma. These is no agenda in learning the Buddha-Dharma. In learning the Buddha-Dharma, [it is] most important to seek the true principles. By taking these truths and principles to heart, we can experience and understand [them] all. This was what the Buddha awakened to, and this is what we must learn. So, we must be very clear [about these things].
Earlier, the Buddha said that His lifespan [was infinite]. The wisdom-life of the Dharmakaya is long and extensive; this is a very long time. “He benefited all beings in the Three Periods, transforming them endlessly.” All the teachings expounded by the Buddha were to benefit people; “He benefited all beings in the Three Periods, transforming them endlessly.” So it was in the past, so it is now, and so too will it be in the future. [He] continuously [teaches] without interruption or cessation. So, the beings listening at the Dharma-assembly had supposedly all already understood that the Dharmakaya abides forever, and thus possesses an infinite lifespan. “There is no view of lifespan arising or ceasing.” We must not have a view of life arising and ceasing.
Everyone thought that the Buddha had grown old and would soon enter Parinirvana. [They wondered], who would deliver sentient beings in the future? The Buddha said “There is no view of lifespan arising or ceasing” to help us gain a clearer understanding [on this]. As the Buddha manifested in the world, He experienced birth, aging, illness and death. Likewise, there would be a time when He had to enter Parinirvana. When He grew old, He too became weak. He too had to enter Parinirvana, for this is a law of nature. At that time, the Buddha wanted to tell everyone that the Dharma abides forever, and the principles abide forever. The Buddha had taught the Dharma for so long, so everyone should have realized and understood it. The true principles intrinsic to everyone, the Buddha-nature, is equal in everyone. It is just that the Buddha is enlightened, while ordinary beings are deluded. We know that we are ordinary beings, so we form aspirations to learn the Buddha-Dharma. Since we form aspirations to learn the Buddha-Dharma, the Buddha shares His insights with us. What are the true principles that He has realized? He helps us understand them. He points out this road for us to walk on. As for our path in life and how wide and long we want to clear it, it depends on our own efforts.
Each of us has a path that leads to the ground of the Buddha’s enlightenment. As we clear this path, it is not a small road we walk on by ourselves. We must clear a great, wide road, not a road for us to walk on alone but a road that countless people can all travel through and walk on. This depends on whether we have put our minds into it. When we listen carefully to this path and clearly understand the direction, have we put in the effort to begin to clear this path in our minds with great diligence? Have we advanced ahead? Is the scope wide enough? This depends on whether all of us have opened up and widened our path in life.
If we widen the path in our minds, as we teach the principles in this way, we can spend the same day’s time either teaching one person or many people. The principles, the Dharma, we teach is the same. When we teach one person, one person receives it; when we teach countless people, countless people receive it. When one person clears a path, there is on path; when many people clear a path, it is a path for the whole world. The world is vast, and there are countless sentient beings in the universe. So, we need countless people to clear a path toward infinite teachings and open infinite Dharma-doors to walk through. Therefore, everyone must mindfully investigate the Buddha-Dharma. When we listen to it and take it to heart, we must put it into action without being attached to the present names, appearances or phenomena. In the present, we can draw examples from the names and appearances in the Buddha-Dharma. Then, when it comes to the content of the Dharma, we can continuously move forward and apply it in our daily living. [The Dharma] contains many tools; the true principles of the Four Noble Truths and actualizing the Six Paramitas in all actions are tools that help us in everything we do. These are very expansive teachings. Though these teachings are so expansive, if we have taught them to others, the Dharma will continuously be used by everyone, and it can arise and cease without interruption. All these expansive teachings can be brought back to the mind. Only the mind can bring all merits and virtues to fruition. Therefore, we must mindfully seek to understand it and always be mindful.
So, the earlier chapter, the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan, is something we should be able to roughly recall. We must all remember it. In that chapter, I kept reminding everyone, “We must remember it! We must be very mindful to remember [the teachings]”. This is because that chapter will connect with the next chapter. The next chapter is the Chapter on Distinguishing Merits and Virtues. In the Louts Sutra, we began from the Introductory chapter, and now we have come to the start of the 17th chapter.
This Chapter on Distinguishing Merits and Virtues is the 17th chapter. The Chapters on Distinguishing Merits and Virtues, on the Merits and Virtues of Joy, on Dharma Teachers’ Merits and Virtues and on Never-Slighting Bodhisattva are for entering the Buddha’s understanding and views.
In the 17th chapter, what other [ideas] carry on [from prior chapters?] Each chapter has interrelated significance. So, this 17th chapter is called the Chapter on Distinguishing Merits and Virtues. Following it, there are also the chapter on the Merits and Virtues of Joy, Dharma Teachers’ Merits and Virtues and [on] Never-Slighting Bodhisattva. These chapters are very important. However, the principles in these chapters are very profound. They are hard to know and understand. Understanding the meaning within them truly requires great mindfulness. Explaining them is also very difficult. This will depend on everyone’s mindfulness. So, the purpose of these four chapters is to help us. “enter the Buddha’s understanding and views”. Entering the Buddha’s understanding and views, as we all know very well, [refers to] how the Buddha came to the world for one great cause. This one great cause was to open and reveal to sentient beings the Buddha’s understanding and views so they may realize and enter them. So, His understanding and views are the one great cause that let the Buddha to come teach sentient beings. They are very important. Can we truly understand them? These understanding and views are what we must mindfully seek to comprehend. So, in these next four chapters, we must be very mindful, for we are entering the Buddha’s understanding and views.
The Buddha opens and reveals His knowledge so that sentient beings can comprehend. His understanding and views, which are His spirit and ideals. So, everyone needs to mindfully seek to realize and diligently learn the Buddha’s many spiritual realizations and all His perspectives. Only when we put in effort can we attain [realizations]. Only then can sentient beings comprehend the Buddha’s understanding and views. This requires great mindfulness and diligence. “Regarding merits and virtues, merits refers to the use of an ability”. All of us must first comprehend what [the phrase] “merits and virtues” [means] “Merits and virtues” are a phrase that people often use [when they say], “infinite merits and virtues”. But what does “merits and virtues” mean?
Regarding merits and virtues: Merits refer to the use of an ability, and the best is to benefit people. Having the merits of benefiting sentient beings and the virtues of being able to do good deeds is known as having merits and virtues. Regarding the merits and virtues of all Buddhas. Their many kalpas of great vows of compassion and wisdom are completely collected in Their practice of merits and virtues.
“Merits refer to the use of an ability, and the best is to benefit people”. Its best function is to benefit [people]. This ability is applied in relationships, in how we interact with each other and how we give of ourselves to help one another. “Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering sentient beings”. Sentient beings go through so much suffering; thus, we need Bodhisattvas to create blessings in the world. Before people experience suffering, [Bodhisattvas] can guide them to be forever [liberated] from suffering. In order to be forever liberated from suffering, [sentient beings] must be taught to not make mistakes, which means to be taught the right direction. When sentient beings have the right direction, they will not make mistakes or do evil deeds. Without making mistakes or doing evil deeds, there will be no negative causes and conditions that lead to suffering. Therefore, we must create blessings among people to benefit all sentient beings. This is what we call “merits”. We must not wait for people to suffer before we go to help them. This means that before they experience suffering, we must teach them to turn from the unenlightened to the noble and help them take the abundant Dharma to heart, so they can discern good from evil. When everyone can benefit others, this is “merits”. Helping all sentient beings to happily benefit people is “merits”.
“The virtues of being able to do good deeds” is not only letting others do [good deeds] or teaching others; we ourselves must first be able to do the same. We must first become awakened so that our direction does not deviate and when we want to guide people, we will not make any mistakes. Therefore, we must first awaken ourselves and put in the effort. While we are putting in effort, we must at the same time transform others. There are “the virtues of being able to do good deeds”. Not only do we benefit other people, our own merits and practice must also be sufficient. Therefore, this is being replete in merits and virtues. Be it self-cultivation, transforming others, attaining self-realization or benefiting others, these are what we call “merits and virtues”.
“Regarding the merits and virtues of all Buddhas, Their many kalpas of great vows of compassion and wisdom are completely collected in Their practice of “merits and virtues“. So, the Buddha was able to achieve enlightenment because He gave of Himself to benefit all sentient beings and prevented sentient beings from creating evil. These are the merits and virtues of the Buddha. He did not only teach others; he Himself had perfected His spiritual practice.
Through the past and present, all Buddhas have experienced many kalpas of time. Kalpas are very long periods of time. Formation, existence, decay and disappearance have occurred over many kalpas. They ceaselessly return, lifetime after lifetime. They do this not just in their past, present and future [lives]; not only that, They have experienced many kalpas. During this boundless, unlimited time period, the Buddha gas engaged in spiritual practice. All Buddhas’ spiritual practice is like this. They have become one with the universe, time and space. Then, throughout many kalpas, They give of themselves for the sake of sentient beings. These are “many kalpas of compassion and wisdom”. In Their compassion and wisdom, Their great vows all came together in Their merits and virtues. Because of Their diligent efforts and the virtues they attained, They attained, They achieved Buddhahood. “Their kalpas of great vows of compassion and wisdom are completely collected in Their practice of merits and virtues”. Therefore, everyone must be very mindful and earnestly seek to comprehend [this].
Also, “The assembly had heard that the true and wondrous Dharma is ever-abiding; they understood and realized that the Buddha’s lifespan is infinite and His wondrous enlightenment is boundless.
The assembly had heard that the true and wondrous Dharma is ever-abiding; they understood and realized that the Buddha’s lifespan is infinite and His wondrous enlightenment is boundless. He can help sentient beings enter the Buddha’s understanding and views. They were diligent to comprehend, realize, enter and completely understand the path to awakening. Thus, the Tathagata taught them by distinguishing the level of depth of their practice of merits and virtues.
We have all already heard this, and in the Buddha’s era, the disciples of the Vulture Peak Assembly had already heard it [as well]. The Buddha teaches the Dharma for sentient beings. Specifically, we understand that the Buddha taught according to capabilities for over 40 years. In this way, He ceaselessly taught the Dharma according to capabilities. At the Lotus Dharma-assembly, as He taught the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan, everyone gained more clarity.
So, “The assembly had heard that the true and wondrous Dharma was inherently ever-abiding. The true and wondrous Dharma is inherently everlasting. It never ceased in the past, it does not increase in the present and in the future, it is also ever-abiding. So, everyone had understood and realized this. They had comprehended and realized this, so it is said that “they understood and realized”. Although they were not yet awakened, they had realized and become aware of this, so they comprehended that “The Buddha’s lifespan is infinite and His wondrous enlightenment is boundless. “Buddha” means “enlightenment”; this enlightenment is intrinsic [to us all]. When the Buddha-nature intrinsic to all of us becomes one with the true principles, this is called “wondrous enlightenment”.
Although [this nature] is intrinsic to all of us, as for the true principles, we have not yet converged with them or fully penetrated them. Therefore, ordinary beings only have the ever-abiding initial awakening which we intrinsically possess. The initial awakening is the innate enlightenment intrinsic to us, but we have just yet to attain that “wondrous” [state]. When the principles and our awakened nature can fully converge into one, this is “wondrous enlightenment”. If these principles that have always existed and our inherent enlightened nature can become one, then the internal can converge with the external; this is “wondrous enlightenment”.
So, “[The Buddha] can help sentient beings enter His understanding and views”. Everyone must understand both the internal and the external. They encompass the universe and pervade all Dharma-realms. The truth and the principles exist in everything. Sentient beings intrinsically have Buddha-nature. What is “internal” is intrinsic to everyone, and what is “external” is everlasting. If only we could bring those two together…. However, we are unable to bring them together. As ordinary beings, there is a distance between us and those true principles.
Therefore, the Buddha came to the world to “help sentient beings enter the Buddha’s understanding and views”. Considering this separating obstacle, how should He teach us so that our internal awakening and external principles can become one? When they converge as one, it is the Buddha’s understanding and views, which He hopes that we can enter. He has opened this door in the hope that we can enter it. So, this is “opening and revealing”.
He opens this door to help everyone understand. Thus, previously, we discussed an elder who leads the poor into the house to open the treasury and see how very many things there are in it. This follows the same principle. So, “They were diligent to comprehend, realize, enter and completely understand the path to awakening”. If we can all comprehend the Buddha’s understanding and views, we will already know the Buddha’s intent. Still, we must begin to put in effort. “Thus, the Tathagata taught them by distinguishing the level of depth of their practice of merits and virtues”. Although everyone now knew the Buddha’s intent and knew they needed to enter [His teachings], they now had to begin to put in effort. Their efforts were a matter of how diligent they were and how much effort they put into the work. This is why the Buddha had to look at how His disciples engaged in spiritual practice. So, we must understand this clearly. Since we have heard the teachings, we have already gained clarity. “After hearing the teachings, they practice and realize them according to their capabilities, so people differ in their depth”.
After hearing the teachings, they practice and realize them according to their capabilities, so people differ in their depth. “To distinguish” means to differentiate how much or how little those who hear the Dharma have benefited, how much they have comprehended and how near or far their vows are for the present and the future.
After everyone hears the teachings of the Buddha, is our practice shallow or profound? How much do we understand? Is what we understand accurate? Is it correct? Is it deep or shallow? As spiritual practitioners, this depends on our practice. So, as we hear the teachings, we practice according to our own capabilities. We must earnestly seek to comprehend whether our understanding is shallow or whether we have attained profound comprehension. We each have different [levels]. Therefore, this is to “distinguish”.
We are now at the Chapter on Distinguishing Merits and Virtues. It helps us understand that to “distinguish” means to “differentiate how much or how little those who hear the Dharma have benefited”. We carefully make distinctions, because in His predictions of Buddhahood, the Buddha also looks at how great His disciples’ aspirations are in making predictions of the order in which they would attain Buddhahood. By the same token, when we engage in spiritual practice, are we practicing mindfully or is our practice only shallow and superficial? In our own spiritual practice, we each put in a different level of effort and thus receive different merits and virtues. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish the depth of the practice we each cultivate. Have we been mindful? Have we been diligent? It depends on the aspirations we each form. With our aspirations, how much do we comprehend? How deep do our aspirations go? How great are our aspirations? From now until the distant future, do we intend to go very far or do we intend to remain very near? Do we just vow to practice in this lifetime? Or have we formed aspirations [to practice] in the next lifetime? Do we intend to continue in the next lifetime? Therefore, we must not think, “I am old; I should be resting. I have already done many things in the world. I am already a very senior [Tzu Chi volunteer]. I am old now, so I can pass on the torch. You all can do the work while I rest”. This is being indolent and retreating in our will to practice. [These people] think of themselves as old. “Observing their bodies, they pity themselves” Seeing that their physical bodies have become old, they consider themselves old, so they feel pity for themselves and lose the will to move forward in practice. We must not do that! At this point in the Buddha’s time, He had to distinguish merits and virtues. Though we say they have no appearance or measure, in our spiritual practice we should be very realistic. The amount of effort we put into our practice determines the merits sand virtues we will attain. When it comes to knowledge, we must pursue understanding and realization through personal experience in our actions. We may just say, “I know that, I know that,” but we have not realized or understood it. To gain realization and understanding, we must go among people. Therefore, before attaining Buddhahood, we must form good affinities with people. If we are not going among people, how can we benefit sentient beings? Without benefiting sentient beings, we will have no “merits”; we are not being diligent. Without being diligent, how can we attain virtue? This is a very practical principle. To have a full stomach and good nutrition, we must eat. In the process of eating, we need certain things. In the process of [producing] these things, they must ripen before they can finally go into our mouths, [enter] our bodies and provide nutrients for us. By the same principle, if our external conditions are insufficient, it is hard to attain what we want. We have no chance at all [of getting it].
Therefore, we must distinguish the depth of our merits and virtues. We must mindfully seek to comprehend this, by comprehending and realizing how much we have done. Therefore, when we make great vows, from now into the future, [we must know] how far we vow to go. This requires us to constantly maintain the power of this vow in our hearts, so we must be very mindful.
So, ‘“Merits’ refers to meritorious practice. ‘Virtues’ refers to virtuous fruit”.
“Merits” refers to meritorious practice. “Virtues” refers to virtuous fruit. Those past disciples emerging from the ground and those present disciples at Vulture Peak, upon hearing that the Buddha’s lifespan is long, attained all kinds of benefits. This is “merits and virtues”.
“Merits” is meritorious practice. “Virtues” is virtuous fruit. So, past disciples emerged from the ground. In the Chapter on Emerging from the Ground, at that moment, [those who emerged] were [the Buddha’s] past disciples. The Buddha’s wisdom-life is everlasting. Those sentient beings that He transformed and benefited long ago had now emerged from the ground at Vulture Peak. They emerged from the ground. Everyone should remember this. So, “those present disciples at Vulture Peak” are the disciples present at the Vulture Peak Assembly; they now understood. From the Chapter on the Tathagata’s Lifespan, they knew that the Buddha had taught all beings over a very long and expansive lifetime, from the distant past until now, and [He will still do so] into the distant future. Therefore, they attained all kinds of benefits. Those at the Vulture Peak Assembly who heard the Dharma realized and understood this. Therefore, this is also merits and virtues. The same applies to everything the Buddha does. So, “These merits and virtues come from hearing of the Tathagata’s Lifespan.” “They heard the extraordinary teaching,” and so they “attained realization.”
These merits and virtues come from hearing of the Tathagata’s Lifespan. They heard the extraordinary teaching and attained realization. Thus their merits and virtues of hearing about it were also extraordinary for this reason.
If everyone can receive what the Buddha taught and understand its meaning, this understanding will provide them with insight. So, “Their merits and virtues of hearing about it were also extraordinary for this reason.” This is truly extraordinary. As the Dharma they hear is extraordinary, so the merits and virtues attained through listening are also extraordinary. Everyone, when we listen mindfully to the Dharma, our merits and virtues will also be extraordinary. We must take the Dharma we hear to heart, so we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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