Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Consider Virtues and Benefiting Others (忖已德行 忖已利他)
Date: May. 07, 2013
“Thoughts are tied to afflictions”; thus, ordinary people are “entangled by karmic forces”. This is the mind of unenlightened beings. In their daily living, when ordinary people face afflictions, “their minds rise and fall”. They are transmigrating through cyclic existence with no rest. Therefore they become afflicted and create karma, so [these afflictions] are Leaks of Existence. I have said before that Leaks are afflictions; afflictions originate from Leaks. Each day we are thinking like unenlightened beings. Then naturally we give rise to more delusions and create karma. This is how we allow the Dharma we hear every day to leak out. Think about how time passes so quickly. How much more time do we have left to lose? So, we must seize the day.
Ordinary people’s thoughts are tied to afflictions. They are entangled by karmic forces. As their minds rise and fall, they transmigrate through cyclic existence with no rest. Affliction gives rise to karma, thus are called the Leak of Existence.
Previously, we talked about “eliminating all Leaks” so that there are no further afflictions. Thus, we have “attained benefits for ourselves.” “Attained” in this phrase refers to a virtuous state that makes us worthy of receiving offerings. “Attained” refers to how we have ended all afflictions, eliminated all Leaks, have no further afflictions. Only then are we close to attaining virtues. We may attain the virtue worthy of offerings, the virtue worthy of reverence, and the virtue to lead sentient beings. To have those virtues, we need to have eliminated all Leaks and ended all afflictions. That is being virtuous. So, we “attained benefits for ourselves” and “realized the purpose of cultivating virtues”. This is why we need to cultivate virtues. Remember that I have previously said that to cultivate virtue we need self-discipline. Even though every day we discuss the virtuous actions we want to practice, have we then taken them into our hearts? After we have taken them into our hearts, are we disciplined in dealing with our own mistakes?
I often talk about precepts, Samadhi and wisdom. Precepts prevent wrongs and stop evil. In our living, do we act according to precepts? Do our minds prevent thoughts from arising? Do we keep ourselves from having deviant thoughts? Are we constantly vigilant of our own behavior? We cannot deviate even the least bit in the wrong direction. Are we self-disciplined in this way? So, when we speak of cultivating virtue, we are talking about disciplining our minds. If we do so, then we are “attaining benefits for ourselves”. This is a great joy, to have already attained what is beneficial to us. Because we have attained fruits [of realization], we have eliminated afflictions. With every bit of affliction we eliminate, we can realize a bit of wisdom. So, if all afflictions are eliminated, all wisdom will be revealed.
Thus, “use wisdom to eliminate attachments”.Only when we have wisdom can we eliminate our self-grasping.Ordinary people are attached to the self.When we are attached to the self, naturally all afflictions in this world, greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance and doubt, will quickly cover our minds.This happens because of attachments.We can accept the virtuous Dharma, but our attachments give rise to arrogance and doubt.Even if the virtuous Dharma is right before us, we may cut ourselves off from it and refuse to accept it.All this is because of attachments, so we must use wisdom to eliminate our attachments.
When it comes to our own mental states, we know ourselves best.We like this person, detest that person.All our interpersonal conflicts with others are related to “attachments”.So, we must use wisdom to eliminate attachments and cultivate our minds in this way so we can act with virtue toward others.Then we have already attained the merits of “using wisdom to eliminate attachments”.By using wisdom to end all afflictions from attachments, we attain virtue and can then “realize the truth of non-contrivance”.
“Attained benefits for themselves.”This phrase praises the attainment of virtues that make them worthy of offerings.It means that they have realized the purpose of cultivating virtues.
With the merit of using wisdom to eliminate afflictions, they realized the truth of non-contrivance.
What is the truth of non-contrivance?“Contrivance” is something artificial, made up“Non-contrivance” means not creating things, not forcing connections.“Without causes and conditions to create karma“ means that as we have eliminated all attachments, we clearly comprehend matters and principles and will no longer force affinities.So, we no longer in the Six Realms, “do not undergo the creation of the Four States of Existence”.This also means non-contrived.Arising, abiding, changing and ceasing are the Four States of Existence of the mind.In our daily living, the external circumstances we see, the external sounds we hear and the surrounding interpersonal conflicts it all arises from our minds.Whether good or bad arises, these all arise from our minds.
This is like a story that I have told before.One day, while a spiritual practitioner was taking a walk, he saw a lotus flower blooming very beautifully in a pond.A sense of happiness arose in him.
He stopped by lotus pond to admire the flower and its surroundings.In that moment, a farmer arrived there; with his shovel, he dug out the lotus.The spiritual practitioner said to him, “The lotus was sitting so prettily in the pond, why did you have to uproot it?”The farmer said, “You are engaging in spiritual practice with a quiet and peaceful heart.”“Why must you be attracted to this lotus flower?”See, Even a spiritual practitioner, when faced with external circumstances, can see something beautiful and feel attracted.This is called “arising”.Staying there to admire is “abiding”.
Suddenly, when the farmer uprooted the lotus, that was “changing”.The pond no longer had a lotus, and the water became murky; [this was] “ceasing”.Don’t we all have these mental states of existence?
We cannot eliminate this kind of arising, abiding, changing and ceasing.In this way, we are still contriving and our minds are still attached to a state of contrivance.Through practice, we can attain a state of non-contrivance, which is a state without thoughts of gain and loss or attachment.
When afflictions no longer reside in our minds, this is called non-contrivance. This is called Ultimate Truth. Ultimate Truth is also named Unconditioned Dharma.
Contrivance refers to “something made”. Something not made had no causes and conditions and is called uncontrived. Something that does not go through the Four state of Existence, arising, abiding, changing and ceasing, is uncontrived. This is another name for Ultimate Truth.
What we commonly call Ultimate Truth, is something we fundamentally cannot see. By allowing our minds to be discerning, we have already attained benefits for ourselves. So, of our minds can use wisdom to eliminate all [afflictions], then we can attain Unconditioned Dharma.“One has achieved benefits; thus, one receives offerings from the heaven and human realms.” This is the meaning of being worthy of offerings. Because before, we mentioned that to be worthy of offerings, we must first eliminate all afflictions from our minds. Then we can receive offerings. This means we must have this type of virtue in order to receive offerings from others. When we deserve their offerings, we have eliminated all afflictions.
When one has already attained benefits for oneself, human realms and one is then worthy of offerings.
Consider your virtuous actions. We must constantly self-reflect and consider our virtues. Benefits for ourselves are things for our advantage. Don’t we engage in spiritual practice to eliminate afflictions and obtain wisdom? Eradicating the Three Obstructions and obtaining wisdom and true understanding, isn’t this what we vow to do every day when we dedicate merits? “I vow to eradicate the Three Obstructions and all afflictions, I vow to obtain wisdom and true understanding.” Whether or not we have obtained wisdom and true understanding, only we ourselves know the answer. In cultivating our minds, if we only speak of what we have gained is that enough?
Next we examine “cultivating one’s mind, enduring suffering, bearing hard labor. In our spiritual practice, we must cultivate our minds and be willing to endure the suffering that surrounds us. We must be willing to put in the hard work, we did not come here to enjoy ourselves. Spiritual practice is not about enjoyment; when it is done willingly, then it is genuine practice.
Consider one’s virtuous actions. Consider benefiting others. By cultivating one’s mind, enduring suffering, bearing hard labor and eating and living simply, one becomes worthy of offerings.
So, in our daily livings, we must first be able to bear life’s challenges. Not only do we cultivate the mind and endure suffering, we must bear hard labor. To “eat and live simply” means whether it comes to eating or living, all must be simple. The material goods for living must be very simple.
For example, aside from eating and living humbly, we must also continue to diligently practice.
In the morning and at night we chant and prostrate. We cannot be lazy. We must “kneel and pay respects.” We must constantly pay respect to the Buddha with great sincerity and “diligently practice to improve.” All of the abovementioned is for ourselves. We are truly willing to remove ourselves from a wealthy life and leave worldly desire behind. We willingly enter the Buddhist path to practice. We must withstand the trials of body and mind, the difficult labors and simplicities of life. We must bear them and constantly improve and challenge ourselves. “Only seeking one’s own and virtues” means that we only benefit ourselves; we do not practice on benefit of others.
When we improve ourselves, we are also not doing it for other people. When we train the body and mind, we attain the benefits of our practice. There is a common saying, “If the husband practices, he attains. If the wife practices, she attains, if each practices, each attains. If each eats, eats becomes full.”
What we are discussing is all ourselves. If we do not want to transmigrate in the Six Realms, we must seek the Ultimate Truth of non-contrivance. So, we must eliminate the attachments in our living and thus we benefit ourselves. But, “without benefiting others,” we will “have the regret of not being virtuous.
Eat and live simply, kneel and pay respects, diligently practice to improve. If one only seeks one’s own benefit and virtues without benefiting others, one will have the regret of not being virtuous.
The Buddha expounded the Dharma for 49 years. In the first 42 years, [He expounded] skillful means; when the 42nd year began, He set aside the skillful for the direct, He said to everyone, “In the past, we practiced only to benefit ourselves.” That is not right; we must also benefit others. When we benefit others, we are following the Bodhisattva-path. So, what is now most important is not only to benefit ourselves, but also to remember to benefit others. As part of the Tzu Chi School of Buddhism. We must draw closer to the Buddha-mind and accept the Buddha’s teachings. In our actions, we must work with others.This is what we should practice. So, to enter the Abode is to enter the Jing Si Dharma-lineage and to diligently walk the path. To diligently walk the path is what was mentioned before, to bear challenges to the body and mind, to persevere in living a simple life.This is the path we diligently walk. But, the Tzu Chi School of Buddhism is our path in this world. We developed this path to benefit ourselves and also others. To benefit ourselves means to diligently cultivate our minds, to cultivate our virtues and discipline our minds
We must cultivate our own virtue; we must discipline our minds. We must be tranquil and clear so that we can make vows as vast as the universe and attain the truth of non-contrivance. Non-contrivance is no longer creating interpersonal disputes and forced affinities.Only by eliminating all these can we truly realize our own virtue and attain benefits for ourselves. This means we have attained our own virtues. Then we can accept the offerings of others.As for offerings of wealth, we already support ourselves.But as for offerings of reverence, if we do not cultivate virtues, how can we accept people’s offerings of respect? How can we guide the actions of others? So, we must have attained benefits for ourselves to be capable of guiding others to move forward.
Everyone, the Buddha is the guiding teacher of the Three Realms, venerable elder of the great house. Have we really drawn closer [to Him]? So the Dharma is something we must draw near to. If we can enter the Dharma, then we can attain an abundance of wisdom. So, we practice Buddhism to learn how to eliminate all afflictions and unwholesome thoughts and how to allow the Buddha-Dharma to enter our hearts.
Therefore, we must eliminate all attachments. So, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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