Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Each Sight or Scent Is the Ultimate Truth (一色一香 中道實相)
Date: August.28.2019
“Each sight or scent can be reduced to the tiniest [particles] of matter. The fundamental essence of ultimate truth fully encompasses the Middle Way. In the void before we were born, there was no such appearance as the view of self.”
We must mindfully contemplate how, in our daily living, absolutely every form and color, each [sight] or scent, [is formed from] the tiniest [particles] of matter. Every day where we open our eyes, we can get a sense of our surroundings as we begin to come into contact with them. When we get out of bed, what do our feet touch? The ground. Where do we go when we walk forward? Everyone heads in the same direction. We start with the bathroom. This is the most important thing of our day; it is the first thing we do. This is one form. The objects and materials we encounter in the space we walk by every day are countless. The invisible, tiny [particles of] matter in this great space are also forms. They are all completely empty. As we walk [a certain] path, we cannot sense or see the obstacles in our way. Such invisible obstructions are not a physical obstacles. These invisible obstructions are but [tiny bits of] matter. Can everyone understand this?
Every day, there are the tiniest of dust particles in front of us or the tiniest of germs and so on. They are all there. These smallest of particles are so tiny that we cannot see or feel them. Some people may sense that, when they go outside, “Oh, the air is so fresh today.” How can we feel the freshness of the air early in the morning? Or how can we feel when the weather is steaming hot? We use our sense of smell to sense the air. These truly tiny [particles of matter] can be found in the air or atmosphere; “each sight or scent” [refers to how] these “tiniest [particles] of matter” [always] surround us. Every day in our lives, in the air surrounding us, the things we cannot feel or touch or those we can touch but cannot feel are all tiny [particles] of matter.
This is closely related to our daily living. “The fundamental essence of ultimate truth fully encompasses the Middle Way.” This is the world-transcending Dharma, which is the true principle we must learn. It abides right here where we can or cannot see. Everything here is [comprised of] the most wondrous of principles. There is no attachment to existence or emptiness. [Non-attachment to] existence or emptiness refers to the Middle Way.
Thus, the Dharma exists in our lives. We must see all matters and objects with right mindfulness and work in the right direction. When we put the Dharma into practice, it is the fundamental essence of ultimate truth. This True Dharma is the fundamental essence that we feel in our minds. Thus, the fundamental essence of ultimate truth fully encompasses the Middle Way. The fundamental essence of ultimate truth is present in our daily living, within the tiniest sights and scents. In our lives, this great space is full of the tiniest particles; thus, this great space is “the void before we were born”. More than 80 years ago, where was I? Where was I when I was young? Over 50 years ago, what did I look like? Who I was at that time is not who I am now. But at that time, it was me. Was it me or not me? At that time, had I been born yet or not? During the time between birth and now, has there been a “me”? If there is no “me,” how can I say that half a century ago, I began the path of Tzu Chi’s missions? Now, as I look back in search of the past “me,” where was I? So, these tiniest of [changes happen due to] the aggregate of action, over time. The law of nature dictates that in this microcosm, our body continues to metabolize and change. As time passes, we cannot ask it to come back.
So, I cannot find “the me” [from back then], but I still remember who “I” was. I am only seeking the past me, but it is without form or appearance. So, “the void before we were born,” the me before I was born, what was I like? This is to say that, in this lifetime, we cannot find our past selves, but our memories remain. We must not forget those years in the past. Many things happened in the past; did we help others? Or did we receive [help]? In helping others, although we say, “To take a step forward, we must let go of the past,” we should not forget our promises. Perhaps we say the past was in the past, ah, but let’s not forget that year.
[For example], in the year (2013), in the Philippines, when the disastrous Bohol earthquake occurred, the local volunteers [quickly] called us. After I spoke with them, they went to Bohol Island to survey the disaster. The damage was very severe. When they returned to Taiwan, they described that place and what they saw and heard. They brought back photos and videos which were very shocking to watch. That great earthquake [caused] instantaneous destruction; everything toppled over. People were hurt or killed. We saw and heard about all the damage there. As we watched scene after scene of videos, or slide after slide of photos, everyone discussed [how we could] encourage them. “We must go help them and survey the damage more deeply to find out what we need to do.” So, I told them, “You can do this, so you should go again.” When they went back there again, they confirmed the numbered of affected families who needed our help. I told them, “Yes, you can continue to plan this project.”
During the planning process, Typhoon Haiyan struck the Province of Leyte. Typhoon Haiyan once again brought catastrophic destruction to Leyte in the Philippines. At that time, Mr. Alfredo Li went there and communicated with us via live stream. Where he stood, we could see to rubble in the background; it was truly very startling. Everything had been destroyed.
The Chinese [immigrants] there were able to move back to their hometowns, but what about the local people there? Where could they go? This was heartbreaking, so I asked Alfredo, “What about these local people? What are their lives like now? What kind of lives are they living right now?” He said, “There are no words to describe it.” I said, “They must get back on their feet. Prepare the Cash for Relief program quickly. We can provide all eth tools and help them by joining the cleaning effort, so that they can recover their own hometown.” We provided cash and meals for them every day in the hope that they could rebuild their homes. Once the project was established, many people in the Philippines got involved. Internationally, [our volunteers from] more than ten countries were also involved in Tacloban, Ormoc and Palo. Everyone began to clean up and rebuild. Then, I suddenly remembered that, [although] everyone had become involved there, we had [also] promised to help another [area stuck by] the disaster. After surveying the damage two or three times, we could not break or promise and give up.
So, I reminded them not to forget Bohol Island. So, Mr. James Chua undertook this responsibility and went to Bohol Island with a few volunteers. So, at that time, we knew that the big earthquake [had created] a serious [situation] we needed to handle. Then, [the hurricane struck] Tacloban, Ormoc and Palo in Leyte. It was such an expansive area that was [affected by] the big disaster. So many people were involved, and it was a huge undertaking. But we had already made a promise, and we could not forget it. At their fifth anniversary commemoration, we saw how they had recovered and rebuilt, whether in Tacloban, Palo or Ormoc. We built [a new Great Love village] in Ormoc. [On] that huge piece of land, we rebuilt the home of more than a thousand families to help them live and work safely and happily and giving them a brand new [lease on] life. Now, (in 2019), there are more than 6000 residents whose homes have been rebuilt there.
What about Palo? [Once] it was rebuilt, it became a place where people can learn career and life-skills. They [farm] mushrooms there and can learn about agricultural technology, and they also learn to become artisans and make handicrafts for the tourist industry, as well as how to bake b read and pastries. So, they also learned to live anew there. These agricultural jobs have helped t hem get back on their feet. The people of Tacloban came together to completely rebuild [they city]. It is flourishing and even better than before. Compared with the past, before the disaster, the lives of the local people [have improved] since the rebuilding. Tzu Chi volunteers accompanied them constantly to help them recover and rebuild their lives. Now, their lives have greatly changed; from our life education, they learned to eliminate habits like drinking, taking drugs, gambling and so on. This is a place where, after a huge disaster, people can fully recover safely with peace in body and in mind. This relationship is truly long-lasting. Thus, we continue to build friendships and spread love. Many volunteers there have also been trained; Tzu chi’s relationship with them is very [strong].
It is the same thing on Bohol Island. The government and residents trust us, and we have assisted them in many ways. This is how we remember the past. To forget it is impossible. We have to remember, for we must “bear witness to this era” and “record history for mankind”. Tzu Chi’s path in this world involves so many Bodhisattvas. These Bodhisattvas are part of our family now, [part of] the Tzu Chi family. So, everyone says, “We are one big family;” [we are like] one family, and this family has many members. The retinues of Bodhisattvas are mentioned in the sutra treasury. Right now, we have many retinues of Tzu Chi Bodhisattvas this world. Their [dedication] has also been recorded in [Tzu Chi] history. So, we must continue to remember and look to the past. Previously, we discussed how all sentient beings have the ability to smell. People’s noses have the function of smell, and ordinary beings can smell fragrance or stench. For many of the animals in the animal realm, although they have heavy karma and have been born into the animal realm, they still have this altruistic potential. They are able to smell the most subtle of scents and exhibit this wondrous ability. They can display their wondrous ability.
Some police dogs are trained by the police or military to smell and identify all kinds of things, including toxic gas, drugs, weapons or the scents of human beings. They are able to sniff out these scents. No matter how far they are, they can find them.
So, this [sense of] smell we are discussing is quite a special function of our noses. It is quite incredible that [the can sense] such tiny particles. As for our memory, how can our brain cells remember things for so long, from six years ago, 20 years ago or ten years ago? These days, Tzu Chi volunteers are constantly reminiscing. What I have reflected on are the causes and conditions that converged in order to start Tzu Chi. What is it that is remembering all of this? It is “the tiniest [particles] of matter”. As we remember the past, we remember all the sights and scents. We want to bring them back, but we can no longer hear them with our ears or see them with our eyes; however, we can still can remember them.
Thus, these tiniest of particles are very pertinent [to our lives]. They are truly real. They are only in our memories, [but] what we have been through is real, so they are neither empty, nor do they exist. We say that they “exist”, but we cannot hold on to them, so they are “empty”. Everything is empty. So, “That which is neither empty nor existing is the Middle Way”. This principle is the Middle Way, which is the fundamental essence of ultimate truth.
So, ultimate truth [refers to] true principles. We cannot see or touch them, [yet] their truth exists. So, “In the void before we were born, there was no such appearance as the view of self. What did you look like before?” It is just an appearance. “In the past, I looked like this”. [But] what I looked like is nothing more than an illusion. This face is an illusion; it is not real. I have this appearance now. but what about before? Or even earlier than that? I did not exist even before then. No, I did not exist before I was born”. “I did not.” [But] did I actually exist or not? “Surely, I did”. I did have a previous lifetime. If I created no karma in my past lifetime, I would not have brought my karma here with me. We are in the human realm. All those in the Six Realms each have karma that they created. It is the same with the heaven realm; those in the heavens of the desire realm, the form realm or the formless realm, as we discussed earlier, all have their fragrances; [they all have their own] fragrances which are form countless accumulated good deeds.
By accumulating good deeds, they obtained heavenly blessings. By continuously accumulating [virtue] in the past, they received many heavenly blessings. What about the human realm? It is neither good evil. What about those who have done extreme evil? Those who, in past lifetimes, have done extreme evil do not come to this world to be reborn in human form. If they come to this world, they return to collect on [karmic] debts and continue to entangle themselves [with others]. People who always make others worry have come to collect [karmic] debts. Some people are disabled since birth, so their parents must work hard to care for them. Some people were originally good children, yet [though] their parent’s expected great things, many things happened that caused their parents to experience physical and mental anguish. This is how they entangle each other. Perhaps [two] people had never been acquainted, but once they meet, they become endlessly entangled with each other. This is the cause of many disasters and incidents in the world. All these many entanglements come from our past lifetimes.
Because of this, if we know these things, we know that our nose-root is not useless. If we think about it, as long as we put our hearts into our search, we can discover many principles. There are many, countless [principles] that we can extract from the Dharma.
So, we must out our hearts into realizing and understanding them. There are so many we must realize and understand. We have discussed many things from the past, and there is much yet to say in the future. This is what “infinite meaning” refers to The Sutra of Infinite Meanings is the preface to the Lotus Sutra. It tells us that “infinite meanings” are inconceivable, incomprehensible and inexpressible. They very beginning of the sutra tells us this.
So, we have previously discussed this passage. It says, “Though they smell all these fragrances, their nose-root will remain undamaged and faultless. Should they wish to discern them and explain them to others, they will always remember them without error.”
To remember [in this way], we must be very, very mindful. For the things we have done and the states we have [experienced], we must put effort into remembering these past events. So, in order to remember something, we must not only have smelled the fragrance of an object; we must [then] analyze it. In plants, we analyze why this flower has this kind of fragrance, its biological make-up is very exquisite. The same principle applies to all other endless investigations.
What is it that makes some things green? There is so much [to investigate]. So, [our analysis of] people, matters and objects is what we must be very mindful to remember. These memories can bring out infinite strengths, [which in turn] bring out more memories. Thus, when the Buddha gave teachings about [events from] countless kalpas in the past, [He could recount] these stories from eras [for which] He could not express the time. When He talked about the past, He always said that it was countless kalpas ago, during an inconceivably [distant] era, that this event took place; He could not specify the time, but those were the karmic circumstances which manifested [back then].
Thus, our actions, speech and behaviors are very important. Every move we make has consequences. Will it create blessed or evil karma? Every thought we give rise to [does the same]. So, when it comes to our memories, we should be able to remember them without error, like the past [events] we just [described]. We cannot make a mistake. If I did not recount this to everyone, after a few years, everyone would [forget]. If someone says, “Oh yes, I know about that time, [yet] the time has long passed, and for those not involved, the memory is too vague. One deviant thought can lead us far off course, and [thus], the story will lose its accuracy. So, we must reminisce about these things [from time to time]. Both you and I were witness to these memories.
At that time, you and I both knew that I did this and he did that. [Having] witnessed it, we know for certain. Those who were involved and know [what happened] should continuously share what they know; only then can we [remember] without error.
So, memories are very important. Though we are accomplished [in our spiritual practice]. How do we accomplish this? In the things we [have done], we must remember our strengths and also remember our weaknesses. So, by retaining our strengths and remembering our weaknesses, we will not repeat our mistakes. By retaining our strengths, we can make use of them at any time. This is very necessary. So, we must all be mindful. We must clearly understand how to do things and how we view the principles.
So, the following passage states, “At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning, spoke in verse”.
At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate His meaning spoke in verse. “Their noses will be pure. For all things fragrant or smelly in this world, they will be able to smell and know them all…”.
The Buddha was worried that people would forget. He has taught us the Dharma, so we must not forget it. Or perhaps [our understanding of a certain teaching was incomplete, [but] it is very important, so [our understanding] must now be supplemented.
In this verse passage, He restates His meaning by repeating it in order to strengthen everyone’s memories and emphasize its importance by restating it in verse. This is why this sutra has many passages which “restate His meaning”. Important passages must be stated repeatedly. Therefore, the verse states, “’Their noses will be pure. For all things fragrant or smelly in this world, they will be able to smell and know them all…’”.
This is repeating the [previous section]. [Since] we have discussed the long-form prose,[the verse section] will help us to remember it so that once we hear it, it will not go in one ear and out the other; its purpose is to help us remember.
Their noses will be pure. For all things fragrant or smelly in this world, they will be able to smell and know them all…: The fragrant things represent good virtues, while the smelly things represent evil karma. They will discern them without error.
“Their noses will be pure. For all things fragrant or smelly in this world, they will be able to smell and know them all…”. We are talking about a person. Who is this person? It is one who aspires to engage in spiritual practice. People like this are already very pure, and their minds are without obstructions, afflictions and ignorance. So, they are not obstructed. Therefore, their noses are pure and their perceptions are very clear their perceptions are very clear, so they are not affected like us ordinary beings whose noses, the noses we received from our parents at birth, are obstructing us. When we totally purify our senses, we can perceive our surroundings far and wide and clearly comprehend them. This does not only [apply to] visible or invisible phenomena. Besides these phenomena, there are also space and time, which are invisible. [Such people] are able to use their pure noses in order to perceive everything in this world without error; they are absolutely without error. So, “The fragrant things represent good virtues”. This refers to an accumulation of virtues, which is represented as [many] fragrant things. So, what we discussed earlier are all virtuous phenomena. Virtuous phenomena are very fragrant. “The smelly things represent evil”. This refers to karma. Cows, sheep and so on have already created much evil karma [in their past lives]. But through our understanding, they are also able to become Buddhas. Thus, those who became animals in this lifetime still have Buddha-nature. After they let go of this life, they also can come back. When the Buddha taught the sutras to us, [whether it was] the Agama, the Longer Agama Sutra or the Ratnakuta Sutra, He constantly brought up the law of karma. So, [according to] the law of karma, once evil conditions have passed, they still have the [karma] to be reborn. They can once again [form] good affinities; there are [still] some good affinities within great evil. This is not impossible. [Likewise], some evil karma can still exist within great kindness. Thus, good and evil are intertwined in this world. In this world, we can see extreme suffering, as if [they were] in hell.
In this world, we can see many different appearances of living beings. We can see all of these animals and all kinds of living beings. This is just from what we can see in this world, with its mix of good and evil. All living beings have Buddha-nature. In this world, we can see all kinds of living beings. Those in the animal realm are living beings, [which] exist in this world, and we can see them. So, in this world, good and evil are intertwined. We can cultivate virtue in this world, and we can also create evil karma. “The fragrant things represent good virtues, while the smelly things represent evil karma”. Thus, we can discern [others’] evil karma.
So, we can “discern them without error”. We can clearly discern and know how to identify virtuous karma, how to identify the Four Noble Realms and how to identify the virtue of heavenly beings, all [by smelling] their fragrances. “They will discern them without error”.
The following sutra passage states, “…such as sumana, jatika, Tamalapatra, sandalwood, the fragrances of agarwood and cassia and the fragrances of various fruits and flowers. They will also know the scents of sentient beings and the scents of men and women. From afar, those who teach the Dharma will smell their scents and know where they are”.
This is the next sutra passage. Yes, there are many sutra passages to discuss, and time continues to go by. We should pay attention to this passage. Our minds cannot ascertain the future, so we must seize every second in the present. We previously discussed each scent, each taste and each sight. Of the many past events we discussed, do you still remember any of them? We must remember them and contemplate repeatedly, [even] the tiniest and most minute of things. What is the Middle Way? What is ultimate truth? Please try to remember these well. In summary, remembering history is very important. This is [how we] transmit our Dharma-lineage, wave after wave, [so we can] open [all] the paths of our school of Buddhism. This is history [in the making]. This is how we now “bear witness to this era and write history for mankind”. We must seek out the source of this lineage and continue to pass it down to the future. So, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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