Lecturer: Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Uphold Precepts with Self-discipline (守戒自重自律)
The Water Repentance is divided into three volumes. We have concluded volume two. Let us review it again. When causes meet conditions, effects will arise. If causes and conditions do not come together, retributions cannot form. Dharma-water can cleanse defilements of the mind. This all started with Wu-Da’s human-faced boil. He received the Samadhi-Water from Kanaka which cleared up grievances and cured the sore. His virtue and kindness are as profound as the sea.
This is telling us that the Water Repentance originated from causes and conditions. As we know, Imperial Preceptor Wu-Da, ten lifetime prior, was Yuan-Ang. Next to the emperor, he was the most powerful man in the country. When he heard that Chao-Cuo was planning to rebel, he executed him to protect the country. Afterwards, because he understood cause and effect, he knew that though he was protecting his country, he still had to pay for the life he took. He felt that life was impermanent and all wealth was illusory. So, he renounced his position and became a monk.
He upheld strict precepts in his practice, and was a revered monk for ten lifetimes. Over these ten lifetimes, the precepts were like tightly shut gates that prevented defilements from entering his mind. Because of this, his mind had to defilements or afflictions. Thus, external karmic forces could not take effect.
There was no way [for Chao-Cuo] to take revenge, but the karma still needed to be eliminated. In ten lifetimes, there was no chance for revenge, until the life of Zhi-Xuan, which was the Dharma-name of Imperial Preceptor Wu-Da. Zhi-Xuan spent a period of time with Venerable Kanaka. At the time, Venerable Kanaka was ill, and stayed in the same monastery as Zhi-Xuan, who was a young monk. This ill monk’s entire body was diseased and dirty; no one would clean him.
The two monks were staying in the same monastery. The young monk was empathetic and stayed to care for the ill monk till he recovered. Before they parted, the sick monk said to the young practitioner, “I’m grateful for you taking care of me. In the future, if you have any difficulties, I will repay your kindness. If you run into trouble, go to Jiulong Mountain in Western Sichuan. You will find me in a monastery between two pine trees.”
Then they parted ways.
Several decades passed. Zhi-Xuan remained kind and upheld the precepts. He spoke Dharma everywhere he went. As he grew in age, his spiritual practice developed. His virtue became well-known among the people. At the time, Emperor Yi-Zong was a pious Buddhist. He was looking for someone to teach him Dharma, someone who would remain with him and remind him how to rule his people with benevolence, using the Buddha-Dharma. He needed a virtuous practitioner to t each the Buddha-Dharma to him.
Someone recommended Wu-Da, who ws Zhi-Xuan. So the emperor named him Imperial Preceptor. Wu-Da constantly discussed the Dharma with him, and guided him with the proper views needed to run his country. Emperor Yi-Zong often discussed Dharma with him.
After being nurtured by the Dharma, the utmost respect for Wu-Da arose in the emperor. Thus, he felt he should make an offering. He bestowed upon Wu-Da a chair make of sandalwood, which was a very precious material. It was worth as much as gold by weight. With this precious sandalwood, a Dharma-throne was constructed.
In his past ten lives, Wu-Da had abided by the precepts and safeguarded his mind. But at this time, there arose in him a slight bit of arrogance and joy. In his carelessness, he bumped his leg on the chair. His leg turned black and blue and began to fester. Just this slight bump caused his leg to bruise and rot. It became very severe.
The emperor called upon all his doctors, but not even the best doctors could cure it. Wu-Da agonized over this face-like sore. The sore looked like a human face; it had eyes, nose and a mouth that could eat. It was strange, and he suffered tremendously for a long period of time.
He pondered why he was suffering like this. It was due to karma. How could he resolve it? He gradually remembered the time when he was young and had cared for the ill monk. He remembered what the monk said when they parted, and now it seemed to have a deeper meaning. The monk had said that if he ran into trouble, he should look for him at Jiu-long Mountain in Western Sichuan, between two pine trees. These thoughts suddenly came to him, so he felt that this might be the only way he could cure this human-faced boil.
So, he asked the emperor to let him go to Jiu-long Mountain in Western Sichuan. It was a long trip, and to fulfill his wish, the emperor sent officials to escort him to Jiu-long Mountain.
After a period of time, he arrived On the mountain, sure enough he found two great, flourishing pine trees. It was already dusk, and in the haze and mist, he saw a small temple between the trees. Wu-Da was joyous; what the ill monk had described was real. This had to be the place where he lived. So, Wu-Da quickly approached the temple.
Although it was very misty, he went ahead. When he got closer, he saw it truly was a place for spiritual practice. There was an old monk, and when he looked closely, he saw it was the practitioner he met decades ago when they stayed together in the same temple. They were joyful to meet again.
This elderly practitioner said to him, “I knew you would come, I have been waiting. I know you are in pain, but it is dark now, so rest here tonight. Tomorrow I will ask a novice monk to take you down the mountain to treat your leg.”
So Wu-Da stayed there that night. The next morning, the elderly monk asked a young novice monk to take him to a pool at the foot of the mountain. A soft stream fell into it like a waterfall. The water was pure and clear. The water was pure and clear.
Wu-Da was joyful and quickly scooped up water to wash his leg. As he was bending over, he heard a voice. The voice said, “Wait! Let me finish talking before you wash.” So he stopped and heard the voice say, “As Imperial Preceptor Wu-Da, have you heard the story of Yuan-Ang executing Chao-Cuo?”
“Yes, it is in the history books.”
He knew, so the voice said, “You were Yuan-Ang and I was Chao-Cuo. Do you remember? I had no bad intentions, yet you were merciless. You tricked me into going to the East City and there you executed me. I was filled with hate. When my head fell, it rolled a far ways. I wanted to shout out! I wanted revenge. But when I opened my mouth a stone went in and I crushed it. Do you remember how deep my hatred was? I swore revenge for this injustice. I would not stop till I had avenged myself. But you began your spiritual practice and abided by the precepts. The door to your heart remained closed, so I was bound to you, waiting and suffering for ten lifetimes with no way out. Today Venerable Kanaka guided me onto a path. I know I must release my grudges, not create more. I will leave you today, and this grudge ends now. You should take care of yourself.”
Then the voice disappeared. It was as if lmperial Preceptor Wu-Da woke up from a dream. The voice was gone and the surroundings were tranquil. He quickly bent down and scooped up the clear water to wash. The sudden pain was so intense that he passed out. When he woke up, the human-faced boil had vanished. He soaked in the pure, cool water and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.
His mind was calm and his pain was eliminated. In that state, he began to deeply contemplate. “It is frightening! Karmic cause and effect is frightening!”
Even ten lifetimes of spiritual practice could not cancel out the karma of one injustice.
He still received the retribution. So, he realized that the wealth and prestige of life are illusions. Even with the sore gone, he did not want return to the palace. He no longer wished to be honored by the people and the emperor. He was done with that.
He built a hut next to the water on the mountain, and sincerely repented. He combined his experience of repentance with the Buddha-Dharma and wrote it down. He wrote about the thoughts that arise, the karma we create, and the retributions we will receive. People have so much ignorance and affliction, so they require Dharma-water to cleanse and nourish them. This is repentance.
So, that is the origin of the Water Repentance. We have concluded volume two, and we will continue with volume three. Everyone should apply what we have learned, no matter what volume it is from. Each verse of the repentance text is like pure, undefiled water. Our wrongdoings are like the human-faced sore that required cleansing with water. Although the cleansing process is painful, if we cannot endure in our spiritual practice, if we do not have Non-arising Patience, we will not approach the state of the Buddha. So, we should always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV 靜思晨語 法譬如水)
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