Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Profound and Wondrous Dharma-Sound (深妙法音 舌根利益)
Date: September.19.2019
“Lay practitioners take joy in the Dharma, aspire to seek the path to Buddhahood and enjoy discussing the Dharma. They remain pure while living in their own homes and manifest as lay practitioners to teach the Dharma and help others succeed in persevering in actualizing the Bodhisattva’s Six Paramitas in all actions.”
We must be mindful! We must seek to realize and understand this. “Lay practitioners take joy in the Dharma, aspire to seek the path to Buddhahood and enjoy discussing the Dharma.” We must mindfully seek to understand this. Among Buddhist practitioners, there are male and female monastics, [which we call] bhiksus and bhiksunis. There are also upasakas and upasikas. Everyone is already familiar with bhiksus and bhiksunis. They have left their families and their loved ones. They ended their limited love and focused on becoming monastics. What about upasakas and upasikas? They are lay practitioners who take joy in the Dharma. They have their families and careers, but they also admire the Right Dharma and take joy in the Buddha-Dharma. Although they live with their families, their minds [are such that] “aspire to seek the path to Buddhahood and enjoy discussing the Dharma.” They are on the path to Buddhahood. When they find a good teaching from the Buddha-Dharma, they share it, along with their insights, with everyone. In particular, those with aspirations [are able to] further strengthen them. They have done well in educating their families. Thus, [their household] is in harmony, and the entire family can serve as role models. The family enters the Buddha-Dharma, practices the Buddha-Dharma and walks the Bodhisattva-path together. This is no longer just an individual entering the Buddha-Dharma. When he is among his family, all his behaviors are harmonious. His family members do not oppose [his practice], but instead, they admire him. They also follow this lay practitioner to enter the door to the Buddha’s teachings, practicing the virtuous Dharma together. [Such a family] is the most perfect of families. This is a [model] lay practitioner. Because he takes joy in the Dharma, his entire life is in accord with [it]. [To him], the Dharma is not boldly idealistic, but something that can be practiced in the world. [If] he can do this well both in and outside of his family, the people in his family can give rise to joy, and the people outside his family can give rise to joy and admiration upon seeing this [devout] Buddhist family. They will also be touched by [his devotion]. Then, they will also come to learn the Dharma and be transformed by him. In this way, lay practitioners who practice at home “aspire to seek the path to Buddhahood and enjoy discussing the Dharma.” They teach each other the Dharma. “This is the teaching I have heard”. “What about the teachings you have heard?” [They share them] with each other.
This is just like our study groups. “Everyone, let’s come study! Let us read about what we heard today or [what the Dharma Master] taught us previously. This has already been compiled into a book. Is the sutra we are listening to now consistent with the previous sutra we heard? We have not heard the previous sutras, so now, we can all review this.” We review the things we have learned in the past and carefully listen to the current teachings. Then, the Dharma [will become] a path, a very precise path, [which we can follow]; from the beginning all the way to the end, we follow the same Dharma in order to understand it thoroughly and have faith [in it]. They go among people to transform sentient beings by teaching the Buddha-Dharma in relation to worldly [phenomena]. These people “remain pure while living in their own homes”. Because their minds are free from attachments and discursive worldly thoughts, their minds are very pure. Although they practice at home, their aspirations and vows are the same as those who become monastics. They simply have yet to become monastics, so they can more conveniently handle worldly matters. Their minds remain pure while they live in their homes. They engage in spiritual practice while living in their own home; they “manifest” as lay practitioners living in the world. When we read the Chapter on the Universal Doors, doesn’t it say, “To those who would be saved by a lay practitioner, he appears as a lay practitioner to teach the Dharma?” [Guanyin Bodhisattva] has 32 nirmanakayas; depending on the time period, he takes on different forms to expound the Dharma. Lay practitioners have their own advantages. They can stay at home while [immersing themselves] in the Buddha-Dharma. They practice the Buddha-Dharma in the world to transform consciousness into wisdom. When it comes to worldly knowledge, they have seen many things in society, so they can recognize this and that; whether it is a name or an activity in the world, they have this [thorough] worldly knowledge. What can they do with so much knowledge? [Even] with so much knowledge, if they do not follow the right path, they will simply grow more ignorant. If they thoroughly understand and turn their direction to enter the Buddha-Dharma in the world, they will be able to transform their past experiences and prior knowledge into wisdom. By bringing “conditioned phenomena” together with “unconditioned Dharma,” [they awaken to] the true principles. How can something perishable ever become everlasting wisdom?
By the same idea, what about the body that we have come to this world in? After we were born from the union of our father’s sperm and mother’s egg, we have constantly grown bigger and bigger through the accumulation of infinitesimal changes. Following the laws of nature, we will age [until] eventually, we will leave nothing in the world. Average people in this world are always attached to their bodily processes. When we are teenagers, we are rebellious. When we are middle-aged, we are earnest. When we become elderly, we focus on nurturing our health. This is what it is like for most [people]. Even if we are very earnest, work very hard and make a lot of money, [we may still pursue] fame and fortune. During the course of our hard work, our earnestness may become attachment, and these attachments lead to interpersonal conflicts. Interpersonal conflicts can then lead to disputes and confrontation, incurring resentment and animosity; the emotions of love, hate, passion and animosity will continue to entangle us in this way. When we are old, we always have a deep sense of loss due to our many unsatisfied desires. When our fame is gradually overtaken by others, we will suffer a lot. [But] if we have the Buddha-Dharma, we will not be like this. With the Buddha-Dharma, we will know that this is the natural way of the world and that it is very natural for our lives to change like this. Life is a process. We must strive to earnestly seize [each] moment of our lives. [We must learn], when it comes to ignorance, afflictions and interpersonal conflicts, how to let go of our past [disputes].
In [the situations] we encounter now, [we wonder], how can we repay the kindness of others? How do we repay others’ animosity? This is what ordinary people’s lives are like; they seek revenge and repay the kindness of others, but they do not know how to transform their minds. We need to repay the kindness of others, but we must eliminate our animosity. How do we eliminate our past animosity? Right now, we do not even know whom we have animosity toward, nor who has animosity toward us. In our lives, if we want to do a good deed, someone [may try to] hinder us. They may try to convince us with the debt of kindness we owe them or [try to] hinder us with various means. [But] if we make use of our wisdom, we will find that these are all life’s obstacles. Even when it comes to people who really love us, when we tell them, “I want to go in this direction,” [they may say], “Don’t do that! Although it is wonderful to do good deeds, are you sure you have to do them to this extent?” They care about us and are afraid that we will be unable to [accomplish our goals]. So, they find many ways to hinder us. In this case, what should we do? When we face such good people who are hindering us on the Bodhisattva-path, what should we do?
Do we have the wisdom to help them accept [our choices] so that they will not hinder us anymore? This all depends on our wisdom. We need to transform our worldly knowledge into wisdom. We may also encounter people who are jealous of us and loathe us. While we are doing good deeds, there may be people outside who slander us. From the outside, people may slander us, and from the inside, others may oppose us. Very often, people within the same group may say, “Since I am not the one doing it, I oppose you doing this.” Then, we may develop an aversion and give up [on the undertaking]. Not only will we give up on ourselves, we may also have complaints. People outside may hear these [and think], “What they are doing must not be a good thing! If this were a good thing, why would people inside the group be so unhappy and say such negative words?” So, we need to find a way to convince others or to succeed in our undertaking. “This undertaking benefits a lot of people. This is something we all took part in.” When we accomplish an undertaking, if we have brought no harm to anyone and have made everyone feel honored to take part, then we have been successful.
When the Buddha was about to attain Buddhahood, He had to subdue the maras. The Buddha also told us that maras do not appear temporarily. Maras exist at all times. When we share the same resolve to embark on one undertaking, someone may regret the choice midway, and the maras will naturally appear. These maras are afflictions, which can suddenly arise and disturb us. Someone may also suddenly feel, “This is not going according to my wishes. I am going to give up on it [because of these] reasons. These are challenges posed by maras. We often hear about “challenges posed by maras”. In our daily living, when we are hindered by the things that do not go our way, should we keep going or stop [because of them]? If we want to push on, we must immediately make improvements. If we want to stop, it is our own business, but we should still take joy in others’ merits and praise them for [pushing on]. There are also merits for others. If we cannot do something but others can, then it is also a virtue to praise others. So, we should not think that maras are something external to us. Maras reside deep within our hearts. We see matters and listen to the Dharma every day, but can we put the teachings into action? The maras of our minds are always with us, so we must be mindful. This applies to both lay practitioners and monastic practitioners. For those who want to become monastics, their parents and [siblings] may be relucted to let them go. This reluctance from their families is also a challenge posed by maras. Are their spiritual aspirations firm? Have they fulfilled their familial. This also tests whether they are using their knowledge to act impulsively, or if they are using their wisdom. With wisdom, they will be unwavering in their aspiration to seek the path to Buddhahood. No matter what environment they are in, they will never be influenced. How can they fulfill their duties to their families so that their families can joyfully send them off to become monastics? This also applies to those who engage in spiritual practice at home and aspire to seek the path to Buddhahood. Some lay practitioners have [families] their wives or husbands and their children, but they can learn the Buddha’s teachings well. Some may not have [many responsibilities] yet, and when they grow up and learn of the suffering of the world, they do not want to form families, only to leave their loved ones behind. [So], they will enter the Tathagata’s house to seek the Buddha-Dharma, go among people and be free and at ease as they leisurely swim in the sea of the Dharma. This is their choice, [according to] their karmic conditions.
In this way, those who have yet to become monastics and still [live as lay practitioners] “remain pure while living in their own homes”. They manifest as lay practitioners to “teach the Dharma”. It is also good for lay practitioners to teach the Dharma, as they can use a more relatable [approach] when transforming people. A group of five lay practitioners in France, including Mr. and Mrs. Huang, Mr and Mrs. Zheng and another Bodhisattva. came back to [Taiwan] to report about the disaster relief in Portugal.
In 2017, Portugal suffered from major wildfires. Tzu Chi volunteers in Europe came together to assess the disaster and hold aid distributions. They worked together harmoniously as a group. [They shared about] how they felt as they encountered different social classes in Portuguese society to the mindsets of those who accepted their help. [The volunteers] even encountered some who were willing to become volunteers. Some were elderly people, who were very happy about the perspective that [Tzu Chi] provided them. For these elder [volunteers], they set aside 50 years [in the lifespan treasury]. They enjoy talking about this and saying, “I am only 20 years old! I am so happy to be a Tzu Chi volunteer. I still feel younger. I really enjoy volunteering with Tzu Chi”. This is what these elder [volunteers] said.
As for the younger volunteers, [the five of them] shared about how, when they went to Portugal for the first assessment, [they did not know] which route they should choose. Which area was the hardest hit and most in need of help? A middle schooler appeared and told them [where they should go]. This child could speak a little bit of English, and he told them, “This fire was so big. The hardest hit area was in this place. There are many people there who need help”. It was under the guidance of this middle school student that our Tzu Chi volunteers were able to take the correct path. It turned out that, in that place, there were lonely elderly people who were completely helpless after the disaster. Tzu Chi volunteers approached them, but they spoke a different language. The volunteers immediately put the scarves they had brought [on the elderly people’s] shoulders and embraced them to provide some comfort. When there is a language barrier, body language is the best means of expression. This was how they initially [connected with]. The affected locals who accepted their help. This was how they felt in the initial interaction. They continued sharing stories from along the way. As they were about to conclude their distribution, [they met] a high school student who was about to take the college entrance exam. He was very motivated and came to help with English translation. Several days later, he came to talk to the volunteer said that he had received something very special. This special object was a Portuguese coin. He said that when he found the coin, he [noticed] that it had the characters for “Taiwan” on it.
Several hundred years ago, the Portuguese came across Taiwan during their expeditions. So, that year, they issued a commemorative coin. On the commemorative coin, there was a ship [that appeared] very unique, [along with] the two Chinese characters for “Taiwan” to commemorate their [arrival in] Taiwan. So, he asked the [Tzu Chi volunteers] to bring the coin back [the Hualien]. This was really touching to see this. this child and the previous child are different. The latter understood that Tzu Chi, which is based in Taiwan, had provided disaster relief to the locals there by way of the Tzu Chi volunteers in Europe. He was so grateful that he did not know how repay this kindness. With this [thought] in mind, he asked [the volunteers] to bring the commemorative coin back with them. How long ago can this affinity be traced? [The Protuguese arrived in Taiwan] in 1582, so it has been several hundred years. This is truly unbelievable.
We can also say that we have sown seeds of goodness in that place. [Our volunteers interacted with] the elderly, children and adolescents. This is [an example of how] lay practitioners can do many good deeds in this world. They transformed consciousness into wisdom. Otherwise, why would they care about those who were affected by the disaster? Why would they spend so much effort going back and forth four times between countries to conduct disaster relief? Moreover, it costs a lot of money to fly back and forth. It is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. They did not go there for sightseeing; they were racing against time. When they talked [with the people there], could they understand and answer them? They were not able to. However, all they wanted was to help people. The people there were truly suffering. So, it was very convenient for these lay practitioners to help people.
As lay practitioners, they could visit any place to ask for help. It is very convenient for them. This is what lay practitioners [can do]. When they visit a place, which could be a Christian or Catholic nation, in that place they can talk about the Buddha-Dharma with the locals. We were also praying there every day, and in the big [distribution events], they also put their palms together to pray and followed us in singing the prayer [song] that we had translated. This truly is very remarkable.
In summary, as Buddhist practitioners, it does not matter whether we are lay or monastic practitioners. For monastics, bhiksus and bhiksunis formally pass down the Buddha-Dharma. For lay practitioners, they can skillfully go among people and expound the Dharma they have been practicing. They can then pass down the Dharma that they learn from bhiksus and bhiksunis for everyone else to listen to. When people have difficulties, they can [help] transform them. The power of love is truly unimaginable. Each person has their own skillful means [according to] their status. So, lay practitioners possess the skillful means to transform people.
They “help others succeed in persevering in actualizing the Bodhisattva’s Six Paramitas in all actions”. [To practice] the Buddha-Dharma in the world, we must transform consciousness into wisdom. Lay practitioners aspire to seek the path to Buddhahood. Perhaps they [combine] their business and [spiritual] mission and know how to make use of their resources and power. They have the resources and the power. [The resources] come from society, and they use them [to help] the world. They possess these capabilities, so that, in any place they go, they can teach the Right Dharma and help [people] everywhere to succeed in “persevering in actualizing the Bodhisattva’s Six Paramitas in all actions. All of this is the Dharma. Even though these are worldly matters, with the Buddha-Dharma in the world, in their lives, they can steadfastly follow this path, without any obstacles. When we take this path, we can follow the Dharma to enter our school of Buddhism. Everyone must listen to this mindfully.
The previous passage states, There will also be dragons, female dragons, yaksas, female yaksas, gandharvas, female gandharvas, asuras, female asuras, garudas, female garudas, kinnaras, female kinnaras, mahoragas and female mahoragas. In order to listen to the Dharma, they will all draw near them and make reverent offerings.
[This lists the two sexes] of the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. They are not monastics; they still belong to their respective classes. “In order to listen to the Dharma…”. These are the eight classes of Dharma-protectors who listen to and safeguard the Dharma. They can also transform others. Take the dragon king’s daughter for example. She was also able to learn the Buddha-Dharma, and she was able to attain Buddhahood as soon as she turned around. These are all teachings we know and have talked about in the past. She was a dragon, which is [one of the eight classes of Dharma-protectors. “They will all draw near them and make reverent offerings. There will also be bhiksus, bhiksunus”. This part begins to talk about human’s beings. There are also “upasakas and upasikas, which means the lay people who study the Buddha-Dharma. There are ordinary people and people who are leading the country, including, “kings, princes official and their retinues”. These are all human beings.
Also, “The small wheel-turning kings and great wheel-turning kings, along with their Seven Treasures, thousand sons and inner and outer retinues, will ride in their palaces to all come listen to the Dharma, for these Bodhisattvas excel at teaching the Dharma.”
Take the wheel-turning kings for example. In our world, if [one of these] kings from any country goes beyond [his own borders], he can lead the four great continents of the world [ becoming king of] “the world of four quadrants, [meaning the rules] the entire world. There are great and small wheel-turning kings, kings who cultivate blessings and lead the human realms and the kings of the world of four quadrants.
Continuing on, today’s passage says, Brahmins, lay practitioners and people of the kingdom will fully devote their lives to following, serving and making offerings to them. Furthermore, all Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas will always take joy in seeing them.”
From this, we can understand that this passage is [talking about people in] the world. Brahmins and lay practitioners in the world and people of the kingdom” fully devote their lives to “following, serving and making offerings to them.
Brahmins, lay practitioners and people of the kingdom will fully devote their lives to following, serving and ,making offerings to them: Brahmins take joy in the Dharma and engage in purifying practices. They uphold [the Dharma] themselves while also benefiting others as they go among people to transform them, spreading the seeds of goodness. Out of their reverence for the Dharma, they safeguard and uphold the right Dharma and, with lifelong sincerity, make endless offerings to it.
Although Brahmins do not have deep faith in the Buddha-Dharma yet, they really respect the teachings of the Buddha. So, they often draw near [to the teachings] and all come to listen. The teachings are what ordinary people in the world, including Brahmins, lay practitioners and kings, want to listen to. Thus, these people “fully devote their lives to following, serving and making offerings to” [those who uphold the Dharma]. In those who can spread the Dharma, they have faith and make offerings to them. Thus, “Brahmins take joy in the Dharma and engage in purifying practices. They uphold [the Dharma] themselves while also benefiting others as they go among people to transform them, spreading the seeds of goodness”. These Brahmins are also able to expound the Buddha-Dharma, while lay practitioners also listen to the Dharma. These are all people who have aspired to engage in spiritual practice. They listen to each other’s teachings and have mutual respect and love for one another. Therefore, “out of their reverence for the Dharma,” they uphold the Right Dharma with lifelong sincerity, “making endless offerings to it”. Because they listen to and respect the Dharma, they safeguard and uphold the Right Dharma. Throughout their lives, they make offerings with great sincerity, without ever stopping. Lay practitioners have always been safeguarding and upholding the Buddha-Dharma.
Furthermore, all Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas will always take joy in seeing them: This shows what beings of the Four Noble Realms take joy in seeing.
The sutra goes on to say, “Furthermore, all Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas will always take joy in seeing them”. These people mindfully listen to the teachings and practice according to the Buddha-Dharma. This is what all Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas enjoy the most. At that time, it was only when the Buddha attained Buddhahood and began to expound the Dharma that the Three Treasures established. Now, we can see that in the world, many people have faith in the Buddha and listen to the Dharma. What is more, they are able to spread, revere and safeguard the Buddha-Dharma. Of course, anyone who is spreading the Right Dharma should be very happy. Furthermore, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas should be even happier after seeing these people. These people are joyful when they hear the Right Dharma. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas rejoice at their diligence. This is a very joyful state. “This shows what beings of the Four Noble Realms take joy in seeing”. [The realms of] Pratyekabuddhas, Hearers, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas are together known as the Four Noble Realms. Beings in the Four Noble Realms are happy [to see] those in the Six Unenlightened Realms taking joy in the Buddha-Dharma. These Six Realms of sentient beings are known as the Six Unenlightened Realms. We have seen the Six Unenlightened Realms and the Four Noble Realms here [before].
So, the passage continues, saying, “Wherever these people are, all Buddhas will teach the Dharma there. They will be able to accept and uphold all Buddha-Dharma, and they will also be able to utter the profound and wondrous Dharma-sound”. Wherever these people are, all Buddhas will teach the Dharma there: In the direction of those who uphold the sutra, the compassionate eyes of all Buddhas will follow them anywhere to watch over them. When it comes to the Buddhist sutras, when we use our eyes to see them, hands to hold them, mouths to recite them and minds to understand them, this is the same as hearing them from the Buddha’s own mouth. So, [is there ever] a time when the Buddhas are not teaching us the Dharma? When we [unroll] these scrolls, we come face to face with nobles and sages.
This is like how when we are in a big gathering, everyone faces the speaker in the same direction. The speaker also uses his joyful and compassionate eyes to watch over everyone [and thinks], “Oh! Everyone is focused on listening to the teachings”. This is the purpose of expounding the teachings. So, we are mutually watching over each other. “I must listen earnestly so I can focus on haring the Dharma. I need to focus so I can know where the voice comes from”. For the speaker, when he projects his voice, he needs to observe intently whether everyone is taking the teachings to heart. “I need to pay attention to all the aspects. When it comes to the Buddhist sutras, when we use our eyes to read them, our hands to hold them, our mouths to recite them and our minds to understand them…”. This is how we should recite the sutra; we need to read with our eyes and hold them properly with our hands. We need to recite them with our mouths and clearly enunciate every single word. For every word we read, we must take it to heart. We should not simply recite it like a song; we must not do this. We must read and recite in such a way that we take every word to heart; we must be able to understand it in our hearts. “This is the same as hearing them from the Buddha’s own mouth”. It is as if the Buddha was teaching the sutra for us to listen to right now. When we listen to these teachings, we should treat them as words that have come directly from the Buddha’s mouth. Then, we can take every sentence to heart. “So, when aren’t the Buddhas teaching us the Dharma?” Is there a time when the Buddhas are not teaching us the Dharma? The Buddha-Dharma is in the world. As long as [we hear] the Dharma, we must believe that the Buddha is giving these teachings. The Buddha is constantly expounding these teachings for us. “When we [unroll] these scrolls, we come face to face with nobles and sages”. When we unroll these scrolls, it is as if we are facing noble beings. We are “able to accept and uphold” all Buddha-Dharma with respect.
They will be able to accept and uphold all Buddha-Dharma: The matters of all Buddhas are all revealed and clearly explained in this sutra. Those who uphold this sutra accept and uphold all Buddha-Dharma.
“The matters of all Buddhas are all revealed and clearly explained in this sutra”. Everyone can understand this just by reading these words. The teachings of Buddhas are all here. “Those who uphold this sutra accept and uphold all Buddha-Dharma”. So, we must have reverence; when we have reverence, it is as if the Buddha is in front of us.
They will also be to utter the profound and wondrous Dharma-sound: Because they understand the Buddha’s intent, they will be able to accord with the sutras to utter the profound, wondrous and pure Dharma-sound. This concludes the benefits of the tongue-root.
“[They] will also be able to utter the profound and wondrous Dharma-sound” because they understand the Buddha’s intent. [Teaching] the Buddha-Dharma [ is how the Buddha] freely carried out His original intent. We have been saying that the Buddha came to the world for the one great cause of teaching the Dharma, to teach us the Bodhisattva Way, by teaching the Lotus Sutra. This is what we have said since the past. So, “[understanding] the Buddha’s intent” refers to His original intent. “They will be able to accord with the sutras to utter the profound, wondrous and pure Dharma-sound”. Because of this, all the sutras expounded in the past have been compiled into texts. Therefore, from these words, we should be able to read the Dharma. It is profound, wondrous and pure. What people utter are the sounds of the Dharma. So, this is telling us that this is [one of] the functions of the tongue-root. [The tongue] functions for us to speak and enables us to expound the teachings. Regardless of our status, as long as we know the Buddha-Dharma, we can then spread [it to others]. As long as we are familiar with it, we can spread the Buddha’s teachings. This is what we should use our tongues to say. We ordinary people are not the only ones who use our tongues to talk. For the beings from the Four Noble Realms, including Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, when they expound the Dharma, [the words] must still come from their mouths. This also requires them to move their tongues. So, these are the merits and virtues of the tongue-root. Here, it is talking about how the tongue-root can benefit people. This tongue-root can expound the wondrous Dharma, say good words and persuade people to follow the good path. These are the merits and virtues of the tongue-root. Thus, we [ now] clearly understand that the tongue-root has 1200 merits and virtues; we now understand this passage. Everyone, please always be mindful. In our daily lives, in our bodies, what do we have that is very precious? When we can use something to benefit people, then this thing is truly very precious. [But] if we use it to harm people, then we create great [evil] karma. So, everyone, we must always be mindful!
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
