Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: With a Luminous Mind, Wisdom-light Shines Clearly (明心慧光淨)
Are you all taking good care of your minds? “The luminous mind returns to virtue, and Wisdom-light shines clearly.” If we can always keep our minds clear, then we will remain close to our virtuous nature and our everyday thoughts will not be far from the luminous mind that “returns to virtue.” Then naturally, Wisdom-light will be very clear.
Without afflictions and ignorance obscuring it, the mind is most clear. So our “Dharma-nature is pure,” but it “has long been hidden.” We originally had it, but for an unknowably long period of time, since Beginningless Time, we have covered over our pure Dharma-nature. It has long been hidden; we have been concealing our pure nature. “Know and use it, then there will be no obstacles in any realms.” If we know and use our pure nature, we will have no obstacles in the entire universe.
So we all need to know it. Every day I share with you and tell you that we are all equal to the Buddha. We have the same wisdom, the same pure, undefiled nature. We have just been concealing it for a long time. Now that we know, we should use it. Then we will be able to truly travel through boundless space and all Dharma-realms. So we should not hinder ourselves or obstruct our own pure Wisdom-light. The text goes on to say, “We have obstacles.” To what?
“We have obstacles to learning the Ten Understandings and the Three Samadhis, and obstacles to learning the Three Insights, Six Spiritual Powers, Four Unobstructed Wisdoms.”
These afflictions are all obstacles we created. Since we have the Ten Understandings, we must also learn the Three Samadhis. But we hinder ourselves, so we are still filled with afflictions. What are the Ten Understandings?
The Ten Understanding: Conventional Understanding, Phenomenal Understanding, Inferential Understanding, Understanding of the Four Noble Truths, Understanding of the Minds of Others, Understanding of Exhaustion, Non-Arising Understanding.
We have an Understanding of the Four Noble Truths, suffering, causes, cessation and the Path, but we often obstruct our own understanding. We clearly experience them in our daily life. Since we have experienced them, we should be able to use them. But we always ignore or overlook them. Everyone, we learn many terms when we study the Dharma. They are all inseparable from our daily living. What are the Three Samadhis? Emptiness, Non-appearance, Non-contriving. These Three Samadhis are part of Right Mindfulness. We spoke the Emptiness earlier, in the view of Emptiness, illusoriness and Middle Way. These compel us to contemplate True Emptiness, but we should not be attached to emptiness.
If we are, we deny the law of cause and effect. If we adhere to the view of Illusoriness, we easily become superstitions. So we need the Middle View to have Right Mindfulness. The Three Samadhis can liberate us. If our minds can be unbound and unhindered, then we will not be afflicted. So they are called the Three Samadhis, three kinds of Right Mindfulness, Concentration, and Thinking.
The Three Samadhis are the Samadhis of Emptiness. Non-appearance, Non-contriving. These three types of liberation come from practicing Samadhi. Samadhi is a Sanskrit word. It means fixed concentration, and is used to talk about Right Concentration and Right Sensation.
The, we “have obstacles to learning the Three Insights, Six Spiritual Power, Four Unobstructed Wisdoms.” If we are obstructed, we must being to learn the Three Insights, the Six Spiritual Power and the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms. But because we obstruct ourselves, many afflictions will arise. What are the Three Insights? They are Knowledge of Past Lives, Heavenly Eye, and Exhaustion of Leaks. Knowledge of Past Lives is knowing your past and present lives. Ordinary people wonder, “Where were we in the past? Where did we come from? Where are we going?” We do not know the future or where we will be. This happens because we do not have insight into our previous lives, thus we do not know where we are going. So, we should study more.
Earlier I said the Four Methods of Contemplation are tied to the karmic law of cause and effect. If we mindfully experience causes, condition, effects and retribution, we will know that causes and conditions exist throughout time and space, and in all our relationships. How long have we had these bad affinities with other people? The longer they have been in existence, the deeper and worse those bad affinities become.
In this lifetime, why must we endure so much pain, without an end in sight? Why do disasters keep occurring? Everything is because of karmic cause and effect. With causes and conditions, if we create bad affinities over a long period of time, we end up in this life full of suffering. But with Knowledge of Past Lives, we understand, so there is no need for resentment.
Then we cherish all affinities, good and bad. If we know to cherish even bad affinities, we repay what needs to be repaid and change what needs to be changed. If others will not change, then we will. That is how we can change our fate. We can take control of our fate if we have the right understanding and insight. Having the Heavenly Eye means being able to see through things clearly. Otherwise in many cases, our physical eyes delude our mind’s eye, obscuring our view of reality.
We often talk about people’s perspectives. We may describe someone’s viewpoint as obstructed. It means that person is too stubborn in his view, so we cannot get through to him. Even though we offer good reasoning, we cannot get through, as they have already formed their own views. We often use people’s views or understanding to describe them.
But are we not the same? We often hold our own perspectives and views, but are we very clear in our own understanding? What do we need to understand? We need to understand the principles. If we follow the principles, from one truth, we will comprehend all truths. Everything else will be clear.
Unfortunately, our eyes have been deluded by external conditions so obstacles arise in our minds to block our pure, bright, and clear wisdom. So can we attain the Heavenly Eye? Yes. If we grasp one truth, we comprehend all truths. When we can clearly see the Truth, we will have the insight of the Heavenly Eye.
We also gain the insight of Exhaustion of Leaks. Leaks are afflictions. We often say that we have to eliminate afflictions completely so that there is not even one bit left. We need to completely get rid of all afflictions so there are none left. Then we return to our virtuous nature. When we return to our virtuous nature, which is equal to the Buddha’s, we will be enlightened. That is the insight of Exhaustion of Leaks.
The Three Insights are Knowledge of Past Lives, Heavenly Eye, and Exhaustion of Leaks.
What are the Six Spiritual Powers? The Three Insights plus three additional things. The Six Spiritual Powers are the Power of Heavenly Eye, of Heavenly Ear, of Knowing Others’ Minds, of Knowing Past Lives, of Transporting Oneself, and of Ending All Leaks. We recognize that the Power of Heavenly Eye, of Knowing Past Lives, and of Ending All Leaks are also the Three Insights.
Next we learn that we must hear others clearly. We must have empathy, which is the Power of Knowing Others’ Minds. As for the Power of Transporting Oneself, I always tell everyone that right now we can travel to anyplace we desire.
After a flood in Texas, our Living Bodhisattvas, Tzu Chi volunteers, went to distribute relief goods there. While doing so, we encountered the locals, many of whom were of different ethnicities. They suffered a tremendous disaster, so besides providing comfort, we must understand their needs. We embraced and comforted them.
They were grateful and joyfully thanked us. I can tell you about this, even though I was not there. With modern technology, through use of phones and computers, there are no obstacles to traveling to any place. We hear news quickly, like having the Heavenly Ear. We quickly see the images of events far away. Is that not the Power of Heavenly Eye?
As I describe this to you now, are you experiencing that condition along with me? My mind is connected to those volunteers. I can feel the love of those Living Bodhisattvas, the Dharma-joy they felt after giving to others. After the flood, survivors who suffered that shock and pain saw a group of strangers come to care for them. They were deeply touched that a group of strangers came to comfort them, and provided much-needed goods. I can understand their gratitude.
Everyone, can you share this same feeling that I am describing? Understanding that sense of gratitude and the Dharma-joy that comes with giving is the Power of Knowing Others’ Minds.
We are ordinary people. Within our current limits, we can receive this information and quickly understand it. We have the Power to Know Others’ Minds. Another spiritual power is Transporting Oneself. This is possible for ordinary people too. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas emerge from the earth, descend from the sky, or are able to travel to the Pure Land of all Buddhas to listen to the Right Dharma.
Attaining this spiritual power is not hard, especially with modern technology. People have invented a way of video-conferencing internationally. They can all see me during the meeting and I can see them as well. I see how many people are present at each location. Is this Transporting Oneself or the Heavenly Eye? We have both. Modern technology has proved that we can enjoy all these powers. The Buddha already told us in His time that these Six Powers exist and now we can prove it with our technology. We all possess these Three Insights and Six Spiritual Powers. If we do not have them, afflictions and ignorance are blocking our access. Otherwise, we naturally possess these powers.
So to have them, we must eliminate ignorance and afflictions. After eliminating them, along with the Three Insights and Six Spiritual Powers, we also have the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms.
The Four Unobstructed Wisdoms:
Unobstructed Rhetoric, Unobstructed Meaning, Unobstructed Dharma and Unobstructed Joy of Speaking.
What are the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms? They are Unobstructed Rhetoric, Unobstructed Meaning, Unobstructed Dharma and Unobstructed Joy of Speaking. Unobstructed Rhetoric refers to how we speak and which words we choose to use. We can speak very eloquently, and write or reason very elegantly. “Meaning” refers to truth, unobstructed truth. We can even teach the Dharma without obstructions. Not only that, our reasoning will make sense and our wording will be very clear. We will even be joyful to teach. It is not enough if only I know it, I want you to know it as well. When we know something, we share it. That is the Unobstructed Joy of Speaking. These are the Four Unobstructed Wisdoms.
We must understand all of this, but if we have afflictions then there is nothing we can do. When we hinder ourselves, we no longer understand.
Everyone, when we practice Buddhism, we must return our luminous minds to virtue, so our Wisdom-light will be clear. The Dharma-nature is pure but has long been hidden. We have been hiding it, blocking it. Now that we know, we must use that knowledge. Then we can travel to all realms without obstacles. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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