Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Flowers Rained Down and Celestial Drums Sounded (天雨散花 天鼓自鳴)
Date: March.14.2019
“Flowers rained down from the sky, and the air was fragrant. They saw the beautiful sight of drifting flowers, heard the soft sound of music and smelled the fragrant aroma of the flowers. Yet, when the body’s sense-consciousnesses connect with external conditions, we may give rise to greed and discursive thoughts. Unenlightened beings are confused by emotions and give rise to delusions. Sages and noble beings can transform confusion and eliminate delusions. Completely pure, they give rise to wisdom and are free of defilements.”
Let us mindfully seek to comprehend this. “Flowers rained down from the sky, and the air was fragrant.” Let us use our imagination and contemplate this scene. Everyone was so full of joy then; it was like flowers blooming in their hearts. We have already described this. The Buddha expounded the Dharma, and the assembly rejoiced. They listened with such joy. To use a metaphor, [their joy] bloomed in their hearts like flowers. It was not merely the humans who were joyful; the eight classes of Dharma protectors were also joyful! All the heavenly beings were joyful. [These verses] describe the surrounding scene. The feelings that the natural world gives people are portrayed in this way. “Flowers rained down from the sky, and the air was fragrant.” This is how a writer would describe this scene. The Buddha taught the Dharma below the trees, using the natural world to teach the Dharma. I believe that if the winds were to blow and the leaves of trees were to flutter, people would describe this scene, saying, “My heart is full of joy. When the leaves fall, they are like flowers raining from the sky.” They could also describe it in this way. This is a certain state of mind.
The Buddha taught the Dharma is His own state of mind. Those who listened to the Dharma, the assembly, also had their own state of mind. In short, there is the state of the natural world, the Buddha’s state of mind and the state of mind of those listening to the Dharma. As we continue to look at this passage, we should use it to feel and experience that natural state. Our feelings and thoughts should be like [what is described]. Drifting down from the sky comes the fragrant aroma of scattered flowers, a natural fragrance. If we take an early morning walk, walking about in the natural world, the flowers and trees will be fragrant. We can calm our minds amidst all the sights and scents of nature. Through these fragrant scents, we are able to sense the natural world. With our senses, we see the beautiful sight of drifting flowers. As they float down, we feel as if this were a rain of flowers.
We said before that “Mandarava flowers” are also called “pleasant flowers”. When we see them drifting down, this is very pleasing to us. They will always inspire joy in people and calm their minds. This is the kind of feeling [they bring]. So, “They heard the soft sound of music.” In our surrounding environment, when the wind blows in the trees or the grass, it always makes us feel happy and joyful. It is very rhythmic, and every sound is very beautiful. The natural environment is tranquil, and the minds of those who listen to the Dharma are tranquil. When the true principles of the external world and our inner nature come together, all sights and sounds are beautiful! Everything sounds and looks beautiful and pleasant.
What about our noses? They “smell the fragrant aroma of the flowers.” Whether it be the sound of the wind or the fragrance of the flowers, it all comes back to our mind. If our mind is tranquil, the world will be tranquil too. If our mind is beautiful, free of ignorance and afflictions, then naturally our minds will be tranquil. The world will be beautiful, and everything will smell very fragrant. “Yet, when the body’s sense-consciousnesses connect with external conditions, we may give rise to greed and discursive thoughts.” So long as we are unenlightened beings, this is how it is; no matter what environment we are in, our “body’s sense-consciousnesses connect with external conditions.” We connect to these “conditions”. When we experience these conditions in our minds, will we give rise to greedy thoughts? Or will we give rise to great joy? When we listen to the Dharma and take it to heart, we enter a state of purity, happiness and joy. So long as we are unenlightened beings, our minds will still have ignorance and greedy thoughts. In this way, we will give rise to afflictions and greed. The minds of unenlightened beings always fall into different states in different places. Unenlightened beings, worldly people, belong to the mundane world. They perceive this beautiful world from a mundane [mindset]. They are unable to give rise to [a sense of] natural beauty or foster this kind of Dharma-joy. Look at the present-day Vulture Peak. During the Buddha’s era, this is where people listened to the Dharma. In today’s era, people just go sightseeing there. “Look, this is all there is to it! Doesn’t the Lotus Sutra say that it is so special, so vast and far-reaching? When the Buddha taught the sutra, He gave so many descriptions of the numerous Bodhisattvas, bhiksus, Arhats, Dharma-protectors and the disciples of the fourfold assembly. It is was such a spectacular Dharma-assembly, so how can this be all there is to it?” When we go on a pilgrimage nowadays, what kinds of thoughts do we have? It may be that we reach that place, having traveled such a long way, only to see this and become disappointed. This is how the minds of unenlightened beings are. When we look at this scene from the mindset of an unenlightened being, we see the limitations of the material world. But actually, when we see things from the Buddha’s state of mind, we will be able to imagine these things very naturally. During the Buddha’s era, what was the earth’s population? During that time, what was the population in India? Now that we can trace back to that era, we find that the population was not that large. The sutra is a description of a spiritual world that includes the eight classes of Dharma-protectors and so on. In fact, since the Buddha taught the Dharma with this state of mind, we must be mindful in accepting it. In fact, in the span of a single thought, we can travel [thousands of] kilometers in a day.
Someone might tell you, “I am in Sichuan, China.” Sichuan is thousands of kilometers from Taiwan. We have a group of Tzu Chi volunteers there. When those who have been there [think of] our spiritual practice center there, they will suddenly transcend thousands of kilometers. In any case, wherever we have been to, whenever that place is mentioned, we will go there. Our mind is also very vast and far-reaching; instantaneously, we will arrive in this place. We also manifest great spiritual powers. So, the Buddha always tells us that our spiritual world is vast and far-reaching. “The mind encompasses the universe.” We must see from this perspective. So, the thoughts of noble beings and sages are different from that of unenlightened beings. “Unenlightened beings are confused by emotions and give rise to delusions.” Thus, we suffer the limitations of the material world, and we lose ourselves within its confines. This is how unenlightened beings are. Unenlightened beings, confused by emotions, cling to this world. “Sages and noble beings can transform confusion and eliminate delusions.” Thus, “Completely pure, they give rise to wisdom.” We must purify our minds. Over the past few days, I have been telling everyone that we must listen to the Dharma and diligently take it to heart. As we listen to the Dharma, take it to heart and actualize it in life among the people, matters and things in our lives, we become one with the Dharma. Our nature of True Suchness becomes one with the true principles. We are able to become one [with the Dharma] right here in our everyday life. By living within the Dharma, we will be joyful. This is called “the ground of joy.”
This is how we learn the Dharma. Over the past few days, I have been talking about how Bodhisattvas take joy in listening to the Dharma. We take joy in this Dharma being part of our daily life. So, since our life has become one with the Dharma, we must have faith; we must believe. We must have faith in the Dharma the Buddha taught. “If we do not transform ourselves in this life, in which lifetime we will transform ourselves?” Since the Dharma is correct, we must eliminate our afflictions and ignorance. When we eliminate our ignorance, afflictions and our craving for fame and wealth, we will eliminate our limitations as unenlightened beings so that our hearts will broaden. When our mind becomes free of afflictions and worries isn’t this what it means to be “free from defilements”? When we are free from defilements, we will shine bright!
Over the past few days I have been telling everyone about how Bodhisattvas ascend through the Ten Grounds. [With] the Buddha’s understanding and views, how can we, as unenlightened begins, transform our confusion and eliminate delusions? Step by step, level by level, we come to peruse and understand [the teachings]. This is how we come to know the Buddha-Dharma, and through this knowledge we can find a way to actualize it in our lives. Actualizing the Buddha-Dharma in our lives will keep our lives free of any afflictions around us that might hinder us or defile our minds. Then, naturally, our minds will become pure, and we will turn from unenlightened begins into noble beings. We are unenlightened beings because of our habitual tendencies. I always tell everyone that all the practices we engage in are for eliminating our habitual tendencies. We cannot keep saying, “This is just my way of doing things!” It is precisely because we are like this that we need to engage in spiritual practice. We must change! We must change our habits. Only when our habitual tendencies change will our discursive thoughts change. Only when our discursive thoughts have changed will we be cleansed of ignorance. Only then will we be cleansed of greed, desire, confusion and [afflictive] emotions. We cannot just talk about doing this; we must truly put the Dharma into action. This is engaging in spiritual practice. To “truly put the Dharma into action”, we must listen [carefully]. So, we must be very mindful. As for the external world, we must mindfully take it in. So, as for the Dharma we are discussing now, this passage [describes] the flowers raining down. [Joy] bloomed like flowers in everyone’s hearts. In this scene, they were extremely joyous. What they saw was all the blowing of flowers in the wind and they felt that this was a very joyous scene. When the Buddha taught the Dharma, it was in a state like this. This is to say nothing of teaching the Lotus Sutra. When the Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra, this was truly an extraordinary [occasion]. All Buddhas share the same path; every Buddha appears in this world to expound all Dharma. The teachings they expound are all to suit sentient beings’ state of mind. It is only in the Louts Sutra that all Buddhas share the same path. The Buddha-mind protects the Buddha’s original intent. This is what every Buddha must tell, the teaching of causes and conditions, of His one great cause. Prior to entering Parinirvana, every Buddha must expound the Lotus Sutras. During the process of expounding the Lotus Sutra, there are the Six Auspicious Sings.
Hence, “When the Buddha taught the Louts Sutra, He first manifested six kinds of auspicious signs as the initial conditions for the beginning of the sutra”.
At the beginning of the sutra, in the Introductory Chapter, six kinds of auspicious signs appeared. Thus, the Six Auspicious Signs were first [manifested] at this Dharma-assembly. These were the initial conditions for “the beginning of the sutra”. This means that when the Louts Sutra is taught, everyone must listen mindfully. We must listen mindfully, but with what mindset? We must accept the Dharma with a truly sincere state of mind. This way, the Buddha’s state of mind and the sincere state of mind of those who listen to the Dharma will become as one. This is an auspicious sign.
Those who listen are very sincere while He who teaches the Dharma takes joy in freely expressing His original intent and teaching the Dharma as He wishes. [The Buddha] expressed everything in His heart without any concern whatsoever; this is the True Dharma. The Buddha freely expounded His original intent. So, these are the auspices of teaching the Dharma. It started with the auspicious sign of His opening teachings. There are six kinds of signs in total, and first is the sign of His opening teaching.
The Six Auspicious Signs of the Lotus Sutra: His opening teachings, His Samadhi, the rain of flowers, the quaking of the earth, the beholders’ delight and the Buddha’s radiance. These six auspicious signs are the rituals of teaching that all Buddhas throughout the Three Periods and ten directions must manifest when They wish to expound the Lotus Sutra.
The first of the auspicious signs is “His opening teachings”. The Buddha wished to teach the Lotus Sutra, but first He expounded the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings is one of the Six Auspicious Signs. This is also what the Buddha started with when He was about to teach the Louts Sutra. Through the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, the Buddha wanted to get us to first understand the core meaning of the Lotus Sutra for its essence, the Dharma- essence, lies within [the Sutra of Infinite Meanings]. So, all of us here in the present, in our lives, among people, in the world, must make use of the Louts Sutra. The Sutra of Infinite Meaning has 3 chapters; the Lotus Sutra has 28 chapters. So, we use the [Sutra of Infinite Meanings] to summarize the spirit of [the Lotus Sutra’s] 28 chapters. It is something we can read and recite often, and it also enables us to often explain and teach the passages within it. Then, we will be able to recall and teach the meaning of sutra often and with ease. So, this is the opening of the Lotus Sutra. The essence of the Lotus teachings lies within the Sutra of Infinite Meaning. This is the auspicious sign of “His opening teachings”. This enables anyone to apply the Sutra of Infinite Meaning among people at any time to save sentient beings.
The Sutra of Infinite Meaning constantly reminds us of how to create merits and virtues how to go among people and how to expound the Dharma. Everything within its three chapters, can easily teach us how to go and interact among people. So, among the Six Auspicious Signs of the Lotus Sutra, the first one that manifested was [the teaching of] the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. To take an entire sutra as an auspicious sign is remarkable indeed!
The second is the signs of “His Samadhi”, the auspicious sign of His Samadhi. After expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, the Buddha entered “the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings”. Everyone should still remember this; He “entered the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings”. Does everybody still remember the scene from this time? “Precious flowers rained down from the sky”. In the Introductory Chapter, it says that the Buddha entered Samadhi. When everyone saw the Buddha peacefully abiding in Samadhi, they all gave rise to heartfelt joy. The Buddha’s appearance was dignified. His tranquility within Samadhi also calmed people’s minds. So, everyone was joyful. This was the scene at that time. As the heavenly beings listened to the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, they also saw the image of the Buddha entering Samadhi. Everyone rejoiced. So, at that time there were also “precious flowers raining down from the sky”. This is also one of the auspicious signs. The Buddha sat in that place for a very long time. After such a long time had passed, since unenlightened beings are the way they are, they had yet to reach a high Bodhisattva-ground or a high level of cultivation. These were still people like this at the Lotus Dharma-assembly. So, the grounds of their minds stirred. There were also Hearers, Solitary Realizers and Arhats. Although they were happy to see the Buddha, after waiting for such a long time, they slowly began to [question] in their minds, “Why has the Buddha entered Samadhi for so long? He has finished teaching the sutra of Infinite Meanings. Why did He enter Samadhi after finishing teaching the Sutra of Infinite Meanings? Why is this sign lasting so long? This is different from the usual [process]. Why is this taking so long? Then they saw the Buddha in that place radiating light from between His brows, and their hearts began to fill with joy. The ground of their minds was filled with joy, but they were also quite shocked. Everyone’s minds began to stir in this way. The stirring we are referring to is not the stirring of afflictions, but the stirring of joy. Everyone asked each other, “What is the Buddha doing?” At that moment, His disposition was so serene within the Samadhi of Infinite Meanings while the sky was “raining flowers.” In such a serene environment, the ground started quaking. It might have been an earthquake. Everyone there began to have thoughts like these. There was so much going on. [The next sign] was “the beholders’ delight.” This was [the delight of] seeing the Buddha enter Samadhi and the joy of hearing the Dharma.
They then saw an auspicious sign between the Buddha’s eyebrows. A ray of light emitted from between the Buddha’s brows. He sat with His back to the west, facing the east. This was like a beam of light shining out. Anything like this constitutes an auspicious sign.
This scene is found in the Lotus Sutra’s Introductory Chapter. In the beginning, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the first of the [Six] Auspicious Signs. He taught the Sutra of Infinite Meanings in order to benefit the world by transforming unenlightened beings’ minds to enter the state of noble beings and transforming unenlightened beings into Bodhisattvas. [This sutra] bridges the world and the Dharma; it is bridge between the Dharma and the world. Thus, it is an auspicious sign. There are six kinds of auspicious signs, that last of which is the Buddha’s radiance in total, there are six [signs].
The Six Auspicious Signs of the Lotus Sutra: his opening teachings, His Samadhi, the rain of flowers, the quaking of the earth, the beholders’ delight and the Buddha’s radiance. These six auspicious signs are the rituals of teaching that all Buddhas throughout the Three Periods and ten directions must manifest when They wish to expound the Lotus Sutra.
The Six Auspicious Signs are the rituals of teaching that all Buddhas throughout the Three Periods and ten directions [must manifest] when They are about to expound the Lotus Sutra. These Six Auspicious Signs are always manifested within the Lotus Sutra. This is very special. With the Lotus Sutra, all Buddhas share the Same path. It is the original intent of every Buddha throughout the Three Peroids and ten directions. So, this is very special. Everyone, please mindfully seek to comprehend this.
The Six Auspicious Signs testify to the wondrousness of the Lotus Sutra. Its wondrousness lie between noble and ordinary. It shows us ways to transform the minds of unenlightened beings to enter the state of mind of sages and noble beings so that we can become sages and noble beings. Sages and noble beings devote themselves to teaching this world, transforming unenlightened beings into sages and noble beings. This [sutra] is the passage between them. The one great cause of the Lotus Sutra is to “open and reveal the Buddha’s understanding and views for sentient beings to realize and enter”. This is the original intent of all Buddha. The principle is the same, so everyone, please be mindful.
We have already discussed the previous sutra passage. When the Buddha said that all these Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas had attained great benefits from the Dharma, from empty space, Mandarava flowers and Mahamandarava flowers rained down, scattering upon the countless trillions of Buddhas sitting upon Their lion’s thrones beneath the trees of treasures.
Their hearts were full of joy. So, at this place, there were also flowers raining down. At the sign of “the rain of flowers, everyone rejoiced again. So, the joy of all those countless people gathered together is represented by the flowers raining down. The flowers in their hearts were in full bloom, and everything in that scene was beautiful.
Not only were the flowers scattered there, “They were also scattered above the lion’s throne in the stupa of seven treasures, upon Sakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Tathagata, He who had entered Parinirvana long ago. They were also scattered upon all the great Bodhisattvas as well as the fourfold assembly.
So, the flowers were scattered far and wide. They reached so far that even. [Sakuamini] Buddha and Many Treasures Tathagata sitting upon the lion’s throne in the stupa, the fourfold assembly and so on could all experience the scene of the scattered flowers. Whether they were unenlightened or noble beings, they were all able to experience the far-reaching joy of listening to the Dharma.
Let us continue on with “the third of the Six Auspicious Signs of the Lotus Sutra. As previously described, the third sign is “the rain of flowers.”
The for the third of the Six Auspicious Signs of the Lotus Sutra, when Benerable Sakyamuni was about to teach the Lotus Sutra and had entered Samadhi, from the sky, four kinds of celestial flowers fell like rain. This is the auspicious signa of the rain of flowers.
When Venerable Sakyamuni was about to teach the Lotus sutra and had entered Samadhi, form the sky, four kinds of celestial flowers fell like rain. This is “the auspicious sign of the rain of flowers, the scattering of flowers. This scattering of flowers will always appear at a scene like this.
Continuing on, the next sutra passage says, “There also rained down fine powers of Tamalapatra sandalwood, agarwood an so on. In empty space, celestial drums sounded by themselves, their wondrous sound reaching deep and far.
It did more than just rain flowers. “There also rained down fine powders of Tamalapatra sandalwood, agarwood and so on”. Besides flowers, there was also the fragrance of agarwood. This is like when we are in a tranquil place, a misty, humid place, yet [the air] is very fresh, giving off a floral aroma. This aroma is like the most precious agarwood aroma. That agarwood aroma is the fragrance that agarwood emits when it is immersed in water. So, agarwood is ground into powder, and some is burned as incense. What about [agarwood] water? The water can be sprayed, and it is also very fragrant. When we smoke [the agarwood] with fire, there will also be such a fragrance. Thus, “Fine powders of Tamalapatra sandalwood” refers to the fragrance of this type of wood. When steamed with water, [the vapor] will also be very fragrant. In such a pure environment, we can enjoy aromas like these.
There also rained down fine powders of Tamalapatra sandalwood, agarwood and so on: The aforementioned scattering of precious flowers represents true practice. Here the fragrance of agarwood and so on represents the fragrance of true virtues.
So, the earlier scattering of flowers represents true practice. The flowers raining down from the sky represent [the practice of] listening to the Dharma and actualizing it in our lives. The matters and appearances in our lives must become one with the true principles; only when we have accomplished this can we experience this [joy]. So, the aforementioned “scattering of precious flowers” represents the joy we feel which confirms that the Dharma is part of our life. How can we confirm that this is true? When we put the Dharma into practice, we will feel full of Dharma-joy for being able to accomplish this. This is analogous to the Dharma’s principles. The principles are part of our everyday life. When we put them into practice, this is “true practice”. This is the scene of “scattering flowers”. We give rise to joy because we are able to put the Dharma into practice and experience it. Thus, the flowers in our hearts are in full bloom. As for the agarwood, it represents “true virtue”. “His cultivation and virtues are like wind or fragrance that permeate everything”. Didn’t we read this in the Sutra of Infinite Meanings? This wind or fragrance represents “virtue”. Whether it is in the external world or the inner world of the mind, fragrances cannot be seen. They are invisible, just as our innermost beings and the true principles are invisible. So, our nature of True Suchness, the true principles, are just as fragrant as the scent of agarwood; we cannot see it, but we can sense it. The flower has form, but the scent of agarwood is formless. We must mindfully seek to comprehend this. “In empty space, celestial drums sounded by themselves, their wondrous sound reaching deep and far”. In addition to the sensations of things with and without form, they also heard the sound of “celestial drums sounded by themselves”.
In empty space, celestial drums sounded by themselves, their wondrous sound reaching deep and far: “In empty space” represents how the Dharma-nature is empty. “Celestial drums sounded by themselves” represents how [the Buddha] spoke out of verse and taught without being asked. His Brahma-voice is wondrous, and the meaning is deep and far-reaching.
This sound is “wondrous”; it is a very subtle and wondrous sound, reaching deep and far like a voice from far, far away. The Buddha’s voice is profound and far-reaching. When it comes to the Buddha’s voice, it is very far away from us in [both space] and time. But when it comes to the words of the Buddha’s heart, right now, from so far away, we are listening to the Buddha from when He freely expressed His original intent by teaching the Lotus Sutra. Though His heartfelt words [were spoken long ago], we can sincerely accept them in the present. This is a deep and far-reaching sound. The Buddha lived so long ago, over 2000 years ago, but when it comes to the true principles of His state of mind, we are still able to hear them today. This is the Dharma. If the Buddha never taught this Dharma, to be honest, even I do not know what sort of teachings would be present in the world. It is because the Buddha taught the Dharma that we consider these principles to be self-evident. He mindfully sought to comprehend these true principles. We do not live in the same age as the Buddha. This is impossible for us, for [Sakyamuni] Buddha lived over 2000 years ago. Now, as I am speaking, we cannot hear the Buddha’s voice. Yet, if we try to feel it, we can feel the Buddha’s state of mind. This is feeling. So, His state of mind are the principles. The sound of the principles has reached deep and far, reaching continuously, not just into the present, but the future as well. So, this is the wondrous sound.
So, the sutra passage says, “Celestial drums sounded by themselves”. There is a legend that Trayastrimsa Heaven has celestial drums. No one beats these celestial drum; rather, these drums can sense when heavenly beings are being indulgent and indolent, and then they will sound on their own. The celestial drums will sound on their own, and their sound [reminds everyone that]. “All Five Desires are impermanent. Like water collecting foam, their nature is illusory”. Once the drums begin to sound on their own, they play this warning sound to make people feel [they should be vigilant]. When [heavenly beings] have grown indulgent and hear the sound of the celestial drums, they will be reminded of how all Five Desires are impermanent and that they must never crave the Five Desires again or grow indulgent again. This is the purpose of the celestial drums. Just like water, like “water collecting foam,” everything is illusory. This reminds them to be vigilant. This is the sound of the celestial drums, which helps heavenly beings heighten their vigilance. I hope we will all heighten our vigilance.
By striking the bells and beating the drums, we start to give rise to a thought. “All conditioned things are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow. All Buddhas of the Three Periods [teach that] all things are created by the mind.” We will start to give rise to a thought. Whenever we beat the drum and strike the bell we must all “give rise to a thought.” The principle is the same. So, “Celestial drums sounded by themselves.” In that place, all the natural scenery reminded people to be vigilant, inspiring everyone to always listen to the Dharma. We must remember this verse, “All Five Desires are impermanent.” This verse serves as a warning for us to heighten our vigilance of ourselves. So, “[The Buddha] taught without being asked. His Brahma-voice is wondrous.” The sound of the celestial drums [was wondrous], and so was the Buddha’s [voice] while teaching. Especially when the Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra and alerted everyone [to be vigilant], just like the celestial drums [sounded on their own], “He taught without being asked.” The Buddha freely expounded the teachings however His heart desired. “His Brahma-voice is wondrous.” The Buddha’s voice is very beautiful and wondrous. “The meaning is deep and far-reaching.” His voice reaches deep and far, and the meaning of the sound of celestial drums is deep and far-reaching as well. The Buddha’s voice reaches deep and far, for He possesses the Eight Tones. Among these Eight Tones is the deep and far-reaching tone. We must remember what we listen to. There are so many things we need to understand, so we must mindfully seek to comprehend them. We must comprehend how the Dharma we listen to can be actualized in the world. When our mind connects with the external world, how should we connect with this world? In our everyday life, what kind of mindset should we have as we connect with people? How should we actualize the Dharma? Everyone, we must work hard to remember this. How can “flowers rain down from the sky”? How can we get [this fragrance] to permeate our surroundings? We just discussed the Buddha’s state of mind and our state of mind as we listen to the Dharma, that is, the wondrous state of the Buddha’s mind and the sincere state of mind with which we listen to the Dharma and come to accept it. When we connect with external states in real life, what state of mind should we use to experience the sounds around us? Is it a human voice? Is it bird song? Whether they be sounds of birds, humans or insects, they are all the sounds of the Dharma. It all depends on our mindset. When our minds are calm, the sounds we hear will be subtle and wondrous. When our minds are afflicted, the sounds will be noisy. Our environment stays the same; it just depends on what state of mind we face it with. We know that of the Six Auspicious Signs, the Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the first sign. We often speak of and recite [this sutra]. From the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, we learn how to go among people, how to work to attain these virtues and how to expound the Dharma to suit people. This is all encompassed by [this sutra]. Among the Six Auspicious Signs, this one is very important. It is important to have a calm mind, for the way we experience the external world is very important, especially with regard to the mind’s fluctuations. In the Buddha’s state of mind, in that natural state, there is also a “quaking of the earth.” There are also six ways in which the earth quakes.
In summary, in this world, everything has its own state of being. We must be very careful about this. So, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
