Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: A Mind Clear as Crystal has Infinite Wisdom (淨如琉璃心無量智)
Date: February.20. 2015
“A state of mind as pure and clear as crystal is like a lotus flower in the mud that is untainted. Forever sustain a firm and unwavering will to attain the infinite wisdom of the great perfect mirror of the mind.”
This is a very beautiful state of mind. Don’t all of us hope that our minds can be just like this? As long as we can completely eliminate the desires, afflictions and ignorance in our minds, the pure intrinsic nature that we have always had will be revealed. Our pure intrinsic nature is as clear as crystal, “like a lotus flower in the mud is untainted.” Lotus flowers grow in the mud, but lotus flowers will not be tainted by the mud. Instead, the mud provides them with nutrients. These nutrients allow lotus flowers to become more beautiful and bloom even more fully, and make the lotus roots to grow more thick and tender. The two complement each other; lotus flowers adorn the mud with beauty, while the mud supplies the lotus with nutrients. So, they mutually benefit each other.
Bodhisattvas go among people and people provide them with an understanding of the true principles of the world. In this turbid, evil world, every person and every family will experience suffering. Each family faces different suffering. This world is filled with people who cannot let go of their afflictions. Clearly, things are quite simple, but they remain trapped by their [afflictions]. Clearly, this is a very straightforward matter, but they turn it into something complicated. Thus, people have so many different [afflictions]. The minds of Bodhisattvas are very pure, and their wisdom is clear and radiant, because they have made “vows as vast as the universe” and are willing to go among the people; this is their great vow. Because they willingly vowed to go among people, Bodhisattvas’ minds are very calm and still. With the Power of Samadhi and a pure mind, though in this turbid and evil world, they can interact with people without being tainted by afflictions.
They are just like lotus flowers. The minds of ordinary people exist amidst this evil and turbidity; they have every kind of affliction. We often hear, “This is a really simple matter, why do you have to make it so complicated?” “Ah, because some people say to do it this way, but others want to do it that way.” In this way, the things we need to do will continue to be delayed, minute by minute as time passes by. For such a simple matter, is it really necessary to determine who is right or who is wrong at that moment? We know what should be done. When we listen to the Dharma, we know that this is not necessary. But we do this because of our habitual tendencies; when we go back to our daily lives, we often [behave this way]. “I feel that what you’re doing is wrong, so I’m going to tell someone else right away. I’m going to tell them what you said.” If we do that, things become even more complicated. We know things are already complicated, but we may still repeat what we hear. We talk about it until it becomes complicated. After all this complicated talking, we try to go back. “I didn’t mean it like that.” See, such a simple matter can cause people to overcomplicate things. When people who cause these complications try to express their intent, they muddle things up even more. Thus things become very complicated.
During the era of Master Zhizhe (Zhi Yi), one day, a disciple in his Sangha hurried toward him and said, “Master, I really want to report something to you.” Master Zhizhe said, “Whatever you say must fulfill three conditions.”Have you met all these conditions?”
[The disciple] said, “I want to report this.” He said, “Find, but first, is what you are about to say constructive?”
The disciple answered, “I’m not sure whether it is constructive or not. Very well, then second, is what you want to say a truth or falsehood?”He answered, “I don’t know, because I heard it from other people, so I want to report you. ”
“Third, is what you want to say kind or is it mean?”He said, “Honestly, these words are not kind. In that case, do you still need to say it?”
Hearing this, the disciple thought, “Indeed, it is not necessary to say this. I don’t even know whether it’s true or not. Since those words are not kind, why should I spread them?”
Everyone, when dealing with matters like this, have we given into our habitual tendencies before?In life, the Five Turbidities are very severe; in this evil world of Five Turbidities, the whole world is in turmoil and unrest.All of this is caused by our afflictions and our perspectives.
Why are the Five Turbidities flourishing so strongly in this era?
It is because there are so many unwholesome things that we should not do, yet we have done them and spread [rumors].
We have taken falsehoods and complicated them.Doing these things may not be constructive, but people do not know right from wrong.So, as a result, we have created the Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings.This all arises from our mind.
Right now, it is as if we are in filthy mud.But actually, lotus seeds are buried in this mud.We must be like lotus flowers that emerge from the mud but are not tainted.This is how we engage in spiritual practice among people.We go among the people to purify the people, to purify their minds.We must be like this as we learn the Buddha’s Way.
When we lose our way, to find our way back, we must go among impure and evil people while maintaining a pure mind.We must remain unwavering, and our will must be firm.We must sustain this resolve forever, returning to the initial aspiration we had when we made the Four Great Vows.And, our will must be firm.
If we can sustain this mindset and completely clear away all defilements, then the great perfect mirror of the mind will appear.
This is how we attain infinite wisdom.For us to attain this state is not impossible.We inherently have it.We just need to work hard to wipe this mirror until it is clean.A simple life is a most wonderful life.So, we must put our hearts into [achieving this].
The previous sutra passage states, “Sariputra] made offerings to countless Buddhas.”After Sariputra attains Buddhahood, the Bodhisattvas in that land can also receive predictions of Buddhahood and continue to bestow them on others.These Bodhisattvas will also have “made offerings to countless Buddhas”.
They must also do this for a very long period of time.As for these “countless Buddhas,” I have told you that everyone is a Buddha.
We must be grateful and respectful to everyone.So, we treat them as Buddhas and make offerings to them.
We work with each other harmoniously, making each other happy.
We gather our strength to help others.Then aren’t we interacting with Buddhas every day?When we bring joy to these Buddhas, we are making offerings.When we help each other succeed, the experience we each gain is the offering we make to each other.
So, “having made offerings to countless Buddhas perfected the Bodhisattva-practice, the Ten Powers and other merits and virtues, he will realize the unsurpassed way. After countless kaplas have passed, there will be a kalpa named. Great Treasure Adornment and a world named Free of Defilements, pure and without flaws.”
As I mentioned before, if we can constantly make offerings to Buddhas, constantly perfect the Bodhisattva-path and constantly purify our minds, and make the Four Great Vows, life after life, our minds will never be tainted, and our Bodhisattva-practice will be uninterrupted.Thus we are “pure and without flaws,” as our minds have transcended all defilements.
Let us discuss the following sutra passage.“Its ground is made of crystal, with roads bordered with golden ropes. Its multicolored trees of the Seven Treasures will always have flowers and fruits. The Bodhisattvas in this land will always be firm and solid in their resolve. Their spiritual powers and Paramitas have all been perfected.”
This sutra passage describes that land, the land of Flower Light Tathagata, which is filled with Bodhisattvas. Its ground is made of crystal; everything is adorned with treasures. The roads are bordered with golden ropes. All this sigfiles the prosperity of this land. The mind of a Bodhisattvas should have this kind of abundance. For Bodhisattvas to attain realization, they rely on the turbidities of the world and the many ignorant and afflicted sentient beings, which help Bodhisattvas’ wisdom grow and strengthen their spiritual aspirations. Thus, we must sustain this [abundant] state of mind.
With spiritual wealth, our minds will naturally become pure. Golden ropes border its roads, and its multicolored trees of the Seven Treasures always have flowers and fruits. Everywhere, whether in the tree tops, in the roots or on the ground, there are treasures everywhere. This is why I constantly tell everyone that we must be understanding. If we are understanding, even when people give us a bad attitude or say harsh things to us, we can shift our thoughts and be grateful to them. We will feel no afflictions or hatred. If we can do this, then there will be treasures everywhere.
“There are precious worldly treasures, like crystals making up the ground, and golden ropes bordering the roads. This signifies the abundance of this reward-land”.
“There are precious worldly treasures, like crystal forming the ground”. This ground is the most precious thing I this world. The mind of a Bodhisattva must be like this; if in all of our arising thoughts, we can be firm and solid in our aspirations that will be most precious. The golden ropes bordering the roads are like our precepts. If we can uphold them well, they are golden ropes that define the boundaries. As we give of ourselves to help sentient beings, there must be boundaries in our minds.
Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom, the Three Flawless Studies, we will keep us from being tempted by sentient beings. We will not cross the boundaries and will fulfill our fundamental duties. Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom will safeguard our minds as we practice the Bodhisattva-path among people. This is our reward-land.
Earlier we discussed circumstantial retribution and direct retribution. We want the place where we will be born to be very prosperous. Our current retribution led us to this world. If we are spiritually wealthy, it is because we practice giving. Thus, we need on maintain our spiritual wealth and keep a very pure mindset. So, “the Bodhisattvas I this land will always be firm and solid in their resolve”. When our resolve is firm ad solid, we will be like a tree, with deeply affixed roots. This tree cannot be easily pulled up. It will not be easy because is roots are very deep. Then turning around our Bodhisattva-aspirations will not be so easy, because our minds are firm and solid.
“The Bodhisattvas I this land will always be firm and solid in their resolve: A tree with roots so deeply fixed that it cannot be uprooted is firm. An object that retains its original appearance is solid. A mind that is unchanging and unwavering will safeguard the roots of goodness of all beings so they will not be severed nor deteriorate.”
When we work hard on our spiritual practice, our minds are already very firm and solid. Regardless of the challenges that arise, it will not affect our spiritual aspiration to practice the Bodhisattva-path by going among people. This is an unchanging mind. An unchanging and unwavering mind will safeguard the roots of goodness of all beings so they will not be severed nor deteriorate.
Not only must our own minds be firm and solid, but we must also safeguard other sentient beings. We must take the Buddha-Dharma to heart, and then take the Dharma in our heart and share it with other sentient beings. When we first listen to the Dharma and aspire to walk the Bodhisattva-path, inevitably we will encounter difficulties and quickly lose our spiritual aspirations. Not only should we maintain our own spiritual aspirations, but we must also safeguard the roots of goodness of all sentient beings and prevent them from being severed. Thus, Their spiritual powers and Paramitas have all been perfected”. If so, Flower Light Tathagata’s pure land will be filled with Bodhisattvas, with their pure and undefiled minds. This is our present state of mind. If our minds can be in this state, then our minds will be like Flower Light Buddha’s land, which is pure and undefiled, with utmost goodness as its treasure.
When Bodhisattvas make vows, they make great vows, so their resolve is very firm and solid. Therefore, our minds must be diligent and not scattered, free of discursive thoughts. We must be oriented toward the Six Perfections, which are the Six Paramitas, giving upholding percepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom.By practicing the Six Perfections our path will be smooth and unimpeded. “Infinite Dharma-doors will readily appear before us. We understand all Dharma and attain great wisdom.” Among sentient beings, everyone is a sutra to us; each is a Dharma-door. These infinite Dharma-doors appear before us. Every door will lead us to develop our wisdom. But all this must begin with the Six Paramitas.
Their spiritual powers and Paramitas have all been perfected: this land is pure and undefiled with utmost goodness as its treasure. In particular, Bodhisattvas make the Great Vows and remain form and solid in their resolve, focusing on practicing the Six Paramitas to reach the other shore. Spiritual powers came from the mind. A mind that is still can reflect things. This allows us to have insight into past lives, and discern causes and conditions. With a still mind, we face conditions with Samadhi and thus have no hindrances. These are spiritual powers.
So, spiritual powers come from our minds. This means that our minds and our spirits must be firm and solid. If our spirits are firm, our minds will be steady and free of discursive thoughts. This is what our spirit can be like.
Thus, a mind that is still can reflect things. If our mind is calm, then it will be like a great perfect mirror and all things can be clearly reflected in it all things can clearly reflected in it.
However, the reflection of these states will not taint our minds. If this our state of mind, then we will have spiritual powers, because a mind that is still reflects things. Besides knowing how things are now, we can also know their past. We know what material things were in the past, as all things the world are created by convergence.
So, we have insight into previous lives; we can remember how things were in the past. This is not impossible, as long we have wisdom and understanding “I know the cause and conditions between me and my parents.” This is [insight] into precious lives. Our past karmic connection with them brought us into this world. Because our parents provide us with a good life, we know we must have created very good karmic affinities with them.
Thus we help each other. When a child is very well-behaved, parents say, “I know we must have created this connection in a past life. He’s repaying me, and I’m grateful to him.” Whether we are loving ourselves or other people, we are showing each other kindness and gratitude. The result is that, in this lifetime, we are helping each other. This is also insight into previous lives.
We must remember [this insight]. We all have a past and present, and we will also have future. We must remember this. We must make an effort to practice the Bodhisattva-path. So, we can clearly discern causes and conditions.
With a still mind, we face conditions with Samadhi. Our minds must have a clear understanding that the reason you are treating me this way today must be because of causes and conditions created in the past. Instead of being petty, we must be grateful. If so, our minds will always be very still.
If we can face conditions with Samadhi, we will not waver and will “have no hindrances.” These are spiritual powers.
“Their spiritual powers and Paramitas have all been perfected.” As I said earlier, “A state of mind as pure clear as crystal is like a lotus flower in the mind that is untainted.”
Everything comes from our state of mind. Whether in the process of being lotus flowers that grow from mud or of forming Bodhisattva-aspirations and firmly adhering to our direction, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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