Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Right Dharma Gives Rise to Infinite Meanings (正法能生無量義)
Keep your thinking positive and constantly remain tranquil. If our minds are tranquil, they are not restless.
Every day, what we share with each other is the Dharma we experience, nothing more. If our minds are still, the world is still. If our minds are disturbed, the world is chaotic. So, let us always maintain Right Thoughts and Right Mindfulness, that state of purity. If can do this, we will be pure in body, speech and mind. Then everything we do will be done with Right Samadhi and Right Though. The Right Dharma is to always do the right thing.
So, the Right Dharma, the One Dharma, can give rise to infinite meanings. Whatever we think, once the mind starts to move, positive and negative thoughts bring more positivity and negativity. With positivity, infinite meanings arise, and we will understand many truths. When negativity arises, infinite evil causes and effects also arise. So, the law of cause and effect applies to negativity as well.
Actions done with Right Thoughts and Right Views are also Dharma that are infinite. As thoughts arise, good and evil follow our thoughts, and our actions and world arise accordingly. Now we are talking about keeping our thoughts positive. If we can do this, and remain in a tranquil state, then we are practicing the Right Dharma, which can give rise to infinite meanings. This is the pure and tranquil state.
When our state of mind is still, infinite Dharma-doors are created. So, infinite meanings arise from One Dharma. In the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, it is stated that many truths arise from One Dharma. What kind of Dharma is this? Right Dharma. With Right Thought in a tranquil state, we can produce infinite Right Dharma. We will hear it in each sentence and verse. If we can hear the Right Dharma, hear these true principles, whether it is one sentence or one verse, we will naturally understand infinite things. We will understand many principles.
Remain in a tranquil state with positive thinking. One Dharma can give rise to to infinite meanings. Infinite meanings arise from One Dharma. If we can hear one word or one verse, it can bring understanding of countless things.
So, One Dharma can become infinite. Moreover, infinite meanings are encompassed in each word and verse. Only in a tranquil state can we understand these infinite meanings.
In summary, this positive state of mind leads to tranquility. Then we can understand infinite meanings. If we do not think rightly, the Ten Evils arise with our thinking. Our minds will have evil thoughts and our bodies will produce evil actions and speech. Evil thoughts create infinite countless transgressions.
So now, we are talking about lies. The next section states, “Even parents and children, kings and ministers, relatives, friends, and old acquaintances may not necessarily be truthful when they talk to each other.”
This refers to lies. Even when people as closely related as a father and son speak to each other, do they always speak truthfully? It has been like this since ancient times. Though fathers and sons are so closely related, they rarely speak honestly from their hearts.
So, when it comes to Tzu Chi’s education mission, whether in our college or middle schools, we have Faith Corps Fathers and Yi-Te Mothers. These volunteers assist teachers because when young people have things on their minds, they do not tell their parents. If they are unhappy, they do not tell their teachers either. So, this requires a third party. Faith Corps and Yi-Te members become their teachers, friends or parents, though they are not related to these students at all. They are not their parents or teachers, but they still interact closely with students to care for and treat them as their own children. The children often feel that these people care more about them than their parents, so they become close to them.
When they have questions, they dare not ask their teachers. If the teachers ask them, they dare not admit their lack of skill or understanding. When they have problems, they usually do not tell their teachers. If they have troubles in their relationships, these young people can go to their Faith Corps Fathers and Yi-Te Mothers, who are like mentors from whom they may ask for advice and guidance. They interact with students like friends and listen to their innermost thoughts. When the students have any confusion, any difficulties, any delusions or things that they want to do, the students can count on these Tzu Chi volunteers like their own parents, teachers or good friends. The students can express their true feelings.
When children can say what is on their minds, then naturally there is a way to counsel them. Young people do not know better; their thinking is relatively muddled and they are impulsive. Theses Tzu Chi volunteers are Living Bodhisattvas. They can see things from an outside perspective.
People say, “Bystanders see clearly, participants are deluded.” After they hear the truth from the students, they will have a way to counsel them. In ancient times, kings and ministers also had close relationships. In the past, emperors and ministers respected each other greatly. In their relationship they showed great deference and respect. It is not like that now. Right now, countries are governed with multiple level of authority like the cabinet, central government and general administration. In managing a government, democracy is good, but does the government truly act to benefit the people and country so we can live peacefully and happily? Is this the case? We do not know if this is true in the present or in the past.
But there has often been great chaos throughout time. The world truly can be peaceful, but human behavior causes unrest People do not think correctly, so with body, speech and mind they cheat, speak harshly to each other, lie to, flatter and gossip with each other. Speech alone can cause chaos in the world.
So, this section talks about “parents and children, kings and ministers, relatives, friends and old acquaintances.” When kings spoke to ministers, they might not speak truthfully. When ministers reported to their king, they might not speak truthfully either. If kings and ministers, fathers and sons cannot treat each other honestly, it may be even more difficult for friends and relatives.
Sometimes it seems people are unbelievable. Next it says, “We misled others to believe false words, and caused the ruin of families and nations. We may have used false magic or illusions.”
In the time of Imperial Preceptor Wu Da, rulers, ministers, fathers and sons had clear moral obligations to each other. Otherwise, if they did not behave appropriately in their relationships, everything would be in chaos. Then how could ordinary citizens treat each other honestly? They would “believe false words.” If the speaker is not truthful, what the listener hears is false. If what we say is false, how can a listener hear anything true?
Life is full of both truth and falsehood. The world is chaotic because people cannot tell the difference.
Everyone talks about truth, goodness and beauty. If we act truthfully, everything we do will be good and virtuous. If everything is good, won’t the world be full of beauty? But pursuing truth, goodness, and beauty is hard. So, we “mislead others.” We are not honest even to those closest to us, let alone to other people. It is easy to pass along false things.
In the Buddhist scriptures, it is said, “One person lies, 10,000 repeat it as truth.” One person speaks a lie, some fallacy, but everyone thinks it is true, so they keep passing it along as truth. The first person was originally lying, but the listeners mistakenly keep passing it on and speak it as truth. So, this fallacy deludes people. This happens a lot, especially in modern society.
If the words are not true or honest, they can ruin families and countries. Sometimes I feel helpless when I look at the media’s reporting. In the past, we spoke directly to each other. Now when a person lies, 10,000 repeat it as truth. Many people are wronged and victimized, and have no way to defend themselves. With people like this and a society like this, how can we live happily?
In our relationships, so much trouble is caused by words alone. See how families and countries are ruined by this karma of speech, which includes harsh words, lies, flattery and gossip.
Or we use “false magic or illusions.” When some people speak, only a few listen. So some speak on behalf of a spirit, like spiritual mediums that mislead others. They claim to speak with the voice of a spirit and predict what will happen in the future. Superstitions and deviant thinking lead others to be frightened of and fear things that are not true. This is also related to speech.
In the beginning, I told everyone that our thinking needs to go in the right direction, so our mental state will be tranquil and our world will be clear and bright. Then all our actions, thoughts, and speech will be correct. We will find many great principles in our thought process. The way we think can give rise to infinite meanings. Infinite meanings arise from One Dharma, which is Right Thoughts and Views. If we can hear one line or verse of Right Dharma, we will understand countless principles. All of these principles of truth, goodness and beauty come together for us.
Lies and cheating create divisions in people’s hearts. Then families, societies, and countries will be in chaos. Families and nations will be ruined.
Everyone, each sentence we say is very important. So, we must always speak truthfully and always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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