Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: The Eight Inverted Views Part 4(八倒四)
We have been talking about the Inverted Views. Ordinary people have Four Inverted Views, but the Hinayana practitioners, Sravakas or Pratyekabuddhas, also have their Four Inverted Views. The inverted views of ordinary people are: clinging to impermanence as permanence, not-joy as joy, no-self as “self”, impurity as purity.
Hinayana practitioners also have Four Inverted Views. What is eternal? The everlasting Dharma-body. Dharma and Truth are eternal. The Buddha taught the world the Truth that He realized from His enlightenment. He hoped everyone would know the Truth is eternal, and that the Dharma-body is everlasting. But some practitioners only believe the world is full of impermanence and without “self.” They are caught up in the Four Inverted Views, and cling to non-existence. So they turn to Hinayana and practice only for their own benefit.
The true state of Buddhahood is a type of eternal happiness. But these practitioners feel no happiness because the world is suffering. So they cultivate to transcend suffering and to be free and at ease. They want to transcend suffering, but they continue to cling to it, like heretics in India, who torture themselves to gain eternal happiness. That is not happiness at all. During the Buddha’s cultivation, He visited others to listen to their teachings. But He did not think they were complete. After six years of ascetic practice, He still had not realized the ultimate Truth. So He left the Uruvilva Forest, and readjusted Himself, transformed His body and mind.
Afterwards, He meditated and became enlightened. He comprehended the Truth of the universe. This Truth is pure, eternal and blissful. It is the pure joy of Nirvana. The pure joy of Nirvana has no color, form, or substance. It cannot be defiled in the mind. That calm and radiant state is called Nirvana. Nirvana does not occur only upon death, it can happen now. As long as our minds are undefiled, we radiate the light of wisdom. So we attain the eternal joy of spiritual freedom.
If the mind can remain pure and undefiled, it radiates the light of wisdom. Then one attains the eternal joy of spiritual freedom.
Today we discuss the seventh inverted view, which pertains to Hinayana practitioners.
Earlier we talked about permanence and joy. Now we will talk about “self”. There is a true Self, but some claim and believe there is not. What is the true Self? It is our Buddha-nature. In “Dharma as Cleansing Water,” we stress that the mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are equal. Everyone possess Buddha-nature, and Buddha-nature is the true Self. But we cannot realize this. Ordinary people cling to their lesser self, to their bodies, their loved ones, and to what they desire. So if someone else has problems, it has nothing to do with them. That is the lesser self. Looking at the lesser self, what is actually there?
Life is suffering, impermanent, and offers little joy. Ordinary people know all this. But Hinayana practitioners only know no-self. They conclude the body does not exist. Earth returns to earth, wind to wind, fire to fire. In the end, there is no self, and the body is impure. Hinayana practitioners understand these truths, but they do not understand “existence.” Apart from these impurities, there is a pure, Greater Self.
So we practice Buddhism to understand the Buddha-nature of our true selves. That is called the Greater Self. Everyone should remember the major earthquake in Pakistan. It was very tragic. We heard about how this great disaster shattered homes and claimed many lives. We were most worried about the survivors, their illnesses, injuries and conditions. What could we do? Worrying by itself is not useful. It would not be helpful to them at all, so we needed to take action. Our medical and charity missions needed to collaborate to help them in a timely manner. The charity team had to deliver supplies and figure out how we could continue to help. People were sick or injured, so the medical team needed to get there quickly. Besides the staff and volunteers, we also needed our doctors.
So the first relief team had doctors from Hualien and Dalin. Among them were neurosurgeons and anesthesiologists. I heard a touching story. Our neurosurgeon, Dr. Chiu, was part of the first relief team to Pakistan. Before he left, his two children had heard that he was going very far away. They knew he was going to help people, and it was important to seize the opportunity to go. So they were at ease letting their father go, but they worried that he was going so far. One of them said, “Dad is going far away to help people. It is a good opportunity.” So he agreed that his father should go. But he also thought that, since it was a disaster area, there would be no light at night. So he put together a small portable motor that generated electricity to light a small bulb. He told his father, “Dad, there is probably no light there at night. So this device would be useful.” The father was touched that a child in elementary school could put together a light and a generator. He brought it with him, and when he arrived, there really was no light on the first night. The light that his son made was very useful. So Dr. Chiu’s son, Yi-Hsuan, was wise and thoughtful. On the first night, his father used the device to illuminate the place.
It did not just brighten its surroundings, it brightened his heart. We can relate to such joy. His wisdom was truly like the Buddha’s, equal, pure, and undefiled. First, the father resolved to help people in a faraway land. His love was great, so he volunteered to go. Isn’t this the spirit of a Greater Self? His son was young, and was proud of his father for doing such a great deed. The light in their heart reflected upon each other; this was unselfish, pure love.
Everyone, who says there is no self? There is. Who says there is no joy? There is. It is everlasting and eternal. No matter how many years pass, I believe it will eternally be in Dr. Chiu’s heart and in his son’s heart. He must also feel proud. We must comprehend this joy and this selfless Greater Self. This is the truth. It is Buddha’s innate nature; an undefiled brilliance. It truly exists. So we should be joyful.
Our cultivation is not just to understand people, matters and objects, which are impermanent, not joyful, without self, and impure. When have to further understand the Truth. There exists permanence, joy, Greater Self, and purity. That is what we need to understand; the undefiled Truth.
If one considers people, matters and objects only on appearances, they are impermanent, joyless, without a self, and impure. Once we truly realize the Truth, we understand that there is permanence, joy, Greater Self and purity.
Hinayana practitioners continue to see the pure as impure. We just said that there is an eternal true Self, but they only see non-existence and no-Self when there is actually a Greater Self.
The eight is “clinging to purity as impure.” Purity is the ever-abiding body of the Tathagata. It is pure and eternal. We know that the Buddha lived for 80 years. But that is from the worldly perspective. In life, people go through youth, middle age, old age and death. Life is birth, aging, illness and death, but there is something very pure that can never be extinguished.
I often say that life has an expiration date, but we have something that neither beings nor ends. It is pure and undefiled, and that is Wisdom-life. Wisdom-life is the ever-abiding Buddha-nature. So we often say that we are not just trying to gain knowledge, practicing Buddhism is about cultivating wisdom; the eternal, pure mind of the Buddha. It is not only the Buddha’s, we possess it too. If our spiritual practice is limited to just the Two Vehicles, or just listening to Dharma, we will know a lot, but not realize the Truth. Or we will practice toward solitary enlightenment, and have nothing to do with anyone else. That is not realizing the Truth either. If this is the case, ignorance obstructs pure Truth. So we have to be very careful. Learning Buddhism is not just about knowledge, or knowing a lot of principles and terms. We want to clearly see our pure and undefiled Wisdom-life. So we should deeply contemplate this.
Learning Buddhism is not about knowledge, but wisdom. If one only listens to the teachings and does not understand the Truth, then when ignorance arises, it will obstruct pure Truth.
Of the Eight Inverted Views, we should not cling to ordinary people’s Four Inverted Views of clinging to what is impermanent as permanent, clinging to what is not joyful as joyful, clinging to what is without self as “self,” clinging to what is impure as pure. In the mundane world, what is pure or joyful? Where is the true self? They do not exist. In the end, everything ceases to exist. If nothing happened to us yesterday or today, then the past has past; it is now an illsion. But if we argued with someone yesterday and our minds filled with afflictions, those afflictions still exists. The days pass, but our afflictions are still there. How long will be afflicted? Even at the end of this lifetime, afflictions still exist. Where are they? They are carried into the next life.
Since ordinary people think everything exist, they continue to take issues with others. Hinayana practitioners, Sravakas and pratyekabuddhas know all is impure. But that is all they know, because they cannot open their hearts. We should know permanence, joy, and purity. But the most crucial part of cultivation is experiencing the eternal, selfless, transcendent and joyful wisdom of the Buddha. We must always have the mind of a Greater Self, and have a universally encompassing heart. Treat all sentient beings as you would yourself, and be compassionate toward all. That is the mindset we should possess, then everything will be pure. After we do something, after we give, nothing obstructs our minds. Isn’t that purity of mind? That is wisdom. What remains is eternal joy, or Dharma-joy. To be filled with Dharma-joy is the real Truth.
So everyone, we need to understand the Four Inverted Views of ordinary people and transform ourselves. We should not practice in solitude. This is how we can truly transcend afflictions that arise from attachments, and move toward finding our eternal Wisdom-life. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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