Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Radiated Light Precedes Great Teachings (佛陀現光欲說大法)
Date: August. 05, 2013
We learn the Buddha’s Way, listen to His Dharma. After we hear it, are we joyful? As we listen to the Dharma, if we do not give rise to joy then it means that we still do not clearly understand it. If we clearly understand then we should be very joyful. Can we tell the difference between a happy attitude and an unhappy attitude? “So-and-so, you are so joyful today.” “Yes, I feel very joyful.” “Why are you joyful?” “I heard a saying that opened my mind, so I am very happy.” Being happy shows that we derive joy from understanding the principles thoroughly. Those who listen should be like this. Those who speak should be the same way. I really enjoy giving this lecture. Why am I joyful? Because everyone understands what I say. Everyone is paying attention. Nobody is dozing off. This means that everyone has opened their minds and will understand after they listen. So, the speaker is also very joyful.
By the same token, the Buddha comes to the world for one great cause. This great cause is to “open, reveal, realize and enter”. He opens and reveals [Dharma] to sentient beings so they can realize and enter their Buddha-nature. However, sentient beings’ capacities vary so the Buddha could not yet carry out His intention. Each time He expounded the Dharma, He taught according to sentient beings’ capacities so He could not carry out His original intent. But by the time of the Lotus Dharma-assembly, He had to fully express what He intended to teach. When the Buddha began to expound the Lotus Sutra, He was very joyful. He very much wanted to teach the Buddha-Dharma and convey this true Dharma without delay, so He was very joyful.
The time had come. Therefore, the Buddha began His teaching with the Sutra of Infinite Meanings. Afterwards, He did not rise from His seat. He sat and radiated light and manifested amazing appearances. The sutra passages state that by merely sitting there and radiating light the Buddha enabled two Bodhisattvas to inspire each other to speak about His purpose of freely carrying out His original intent in this world. Maitreya Bodhisattva asked about this on behalf of everyone, and Manjusri Bodhisattva followed with a response. Indeed, all of us may wonder if there was really so much to explain about the radiated light. Frankly speaking, it can never be explained fully. It can only be apprehended, but not expressed in words. So, the Buddha entered Samadhi and radiated light for the sake of one great cause.
Some people might wonder how He radiated light.Actually, everyone saw that the Buddha had such a joyful appearance that day.It is like when we see someone who is in very good health and that person’s face is very radiant.When we are joyful, people can also tell.The Buddha was about to complete.His great mission, so of course His appearance was more joyful then usual.The Buddha’s dignified appearance at the assembly, from entering Samadhi and radiating light, is not something that we unenlightened beings can comprehend.Only by understanding His original intent, can His reasons for radiating light be explained.
So, Manjusri Bodhisattva answered, “What [I] see today is the same as the past.Though it was the past, it is the same as today.”This means that seeing the Buddha’s appearance now reminded him of ancient times.Which ancient time?In Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Buddha’s era, after He began to expound this sutra, He also entered Samadhi.It was the same as what we see now with Sakyamuni Buddha’s appearance.“The phenomena of living beings and Buddhas are always the same.”The phenomena and matters of the Buddha and sentient beings in the past, present and future are always the same.
In the past, all Buddhas were like this.Now this Buddha is also radiating light as.He is about to expound great Mahayana teachings.
After expounding the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, He did not rise from His Dharma-seat.He immediately entered Samadhi and radiated light.What is seen today is the same as the past.Though it was the past, it is the same as today.The phenomena of living beings and Buddhas are always the same.
Therefore, the Buddha radiating light today indicates that He will expound the great Dharma.
We need to understand that the Buddha radiated light to inspire everyone to listen to the Dharma that the world finds hard to believe.“The world” refers not only to the world of unenlightened beings, but also the worlds of saints.It also refers to the world of each person, to their individual spiritual state.Each person has their own spiritual state; there are unenlightened begins’ spiritual states and saints’ spiritual states.The saints’ spiritual states include the spiritual states of Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas are those who have entered the state of saints.
Therefore, they are indifferent states.They know of more worlds than just the world of unenlightened beings.There are also the worlds of the saints of the Three Vehicles.
“World” refers to more than just the world of unenlightened beings.There are also worlds of saints, of Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas.They are the saints of the Three Vehicles.
So of course unenlightened beings did not easily believe.Even saints found it difficult to believe, how could unenlightened beings believe?For instance, Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas thought they had already realized everything and nothing was more wondrous than what they knew. They did not feel the need to advance further. These were the Hinayana practitioners. What about Bodhisattvas? They are the same. Here, “Bodhisattvas” refer to those who newly resolved [to become Buddhas]. They understood that the Buddha said that to attain Buddhahood, one must practice the Bodhisattva-path. They did not know how long it would take to reach the state of Buddhas and wondered what He was about to teach. They doubted whether there was great Dharma besides practicing the Bodhisattva-path. So, they could not easily understand either. Therefore, Hinayana saints believed that they had attained the state of no rebirth and had achieved liberation, so they doubted the need for another great teaching.
Newly-resolved Bodhisattvas believed that they were already practicing the Bodhisattvas-path, so they doubted that there was another way to Buddhahood. Therefore, they had a hard time comprehending what the Buddha originally intended [to teach]. The Buddha- Dharma says that the immediate [teaching] is the Mahayana Dharma, which helps [people] readily see their nature as they interact with others by exercising the Buddha-mind and experiencing it in the world. [For these people,] this is still some distance away.
Hearers and Pratyekabuddhas have heard the Buddha's teachings and have attained Nirvana. Having attained the state of no rebirth, they did not believe that there was an unsurpassed Bodhi-path.
So, the Buddha used skillful means to teach the Bodhisattva-path, which included the teachings of the Three Vehicles and Five Natures. This allowed everyone to hear and understand .The Three Vehicles are those we spoke of earlier, Hearers, Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas. Hearers listen, then slowly accept what they hear. Their nature is to slowly absorb teachings through sound. Pratyekabuddhas' nature is to observe how life is truly impermanent. Everything in the world, whether the moon, sun, grass or woods, etc., constantly change along with the cycle of the four seasons. [Observing] this state of impermanence is how. Pratyekabuddhas attain their realizations. What about Bodhisattvas? Bodhisattvas, who are newly resolved to become Buddhas form great aspirations, make great vows and are able to accept Mahayana teachings. This is the capacity and nature of Bodhisattvas. Separate from them, there are unenlightened beings. Through gradual teachings, they slowly accept what they have heard. They may attain realizations by observing all things in the world. They may also willingly form great aspirations and make great vows as they interact with others. These are all in the state of unenlightened beings.
So, they can gradually accept these three methods. This is the nature of unenlightened beings. Also, there are those who are dreadful and do not have wholesome seeds in their minds. They willingly degrade themselves and remain immersed in cyclic existence. This is the fifth nature.
So, there are Five Natures and Three Vehicles. In the past, the Buddha developed these skillful means for people with these five natures. He even used the Dharma of the Three Vehicles to teach us, help us understand and develop great aspirations. The Buddha developed skillful means of the Three Vehicles according to the capabilities of the Five Natures. Now He was about to expound the Mahayana Dharma so He had to manifest this kind of appearance for the two Bodhisattvas to have a dialog and give encouragement.This was why [He manifested] this state, in the hope that everyone can understand. Only Buddha realize and use the same methods to teach sentient beings.
Therefore, what was said before was said so that everyone could hear it. Although this Dharma is hard to believe, everyone should accept it first and then gradually work to comprehend it.
The unenlightened do not easily believe in such great Dharma. And only Buddhas can [realize] ultimate Dharma.
Next, the passage states, “Good men, immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable asankya kalpas ago, there was a Buddha named Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfect in Wisdom and Action Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Guide, Tamer, Teacher of Heavenly Beings and People, who expounded the true Dharma.”
We should all understand that everyone must from great aspirations and be courageously diligent. Then they can be called good men. Immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable refers to an indescribable length of time. Therefore, immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable asankya kalpas ago, there was a Buddha named Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata. The sun and moon are very bright. There is sunlight during daytime and moonlight during nighttime. If it is totally dark, there is still lamplight.
In summary, Sun-Moon-Lamp Radiant Tathagata represents light, which signifies hope for everyone to attain Buddhahood because everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature. Therefore, here is another way to express this; Mamjusri Bodhisattva referred to this Buddha from countless eons ago to demonstrate each of us has had Buddha-nature since Beginnineless Time. This Buddha was endowed with the ten epithets.When we recite the Sutras, every Buddha we mention is endowed with these ten epithets, which are expressions of a Buddha’s virtues.
So, we need to understand that Buddhas’ virtues are not things that we unenlightened beings can convey verbally. It is also not something that our state of mind can realize.
So, it is said that being skeptical makes one unable to comprehend.We must believe in the Buddha-Dharma. Only when we have faith in the Buddha. Will we listen to the Dharma. Because we have faith in the Buddha’s Dharma, we can gain realizations when we come in contact with this world. Then surely we will believe His assertion that every sentient being has Buddha-nature, and then we will develop great aspirations and practice the Bodhisattva-path.
Then phrase “skeptical” does not mean we do not believe in the Buddha, but rather we cannot realize that the Buddha had another great teaching. What great Dharma is it? For everyone’s minds to penetrate this great Dharma may be difficult. So, it is called “Dharma that is hard to believe.”Moreover, unenlightened beings, especially those without roots of goodness, have an even harder time believing it. This passage intends to convey to everyone that the Buddha-Dharma is not impossible to believe in. so everyone, please patiently and mindfully try to comprehend the Buddha’s state of mind. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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