Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Wisdom-life Grows with Sustained Radiance (光光相續長慧脈傳)
Date: February.26. 2015
“Passing the flame from lamp to lamp brightens the illumination on the path. This radiance is sustained from light to light as our wisdom-life grows. Be mindful of the path from thought to thought and transmit the Dharma-lineage. Predictions are passed from Buddha to Buddha so all feel great joy.”
In learning the Buddha’s Way, we must follow the Buddha’s teachings and light a lamp in his evil world of Five Turbidities. How bright can the light from one lamp be? If even one lamp can be lit, everyone can take the unlit candle of their mind and, by bringing it to the flame of this lamp, can light it in turn. Then it can light another lamp, and another. This is how the flame is passed from lamp to lamp. In this way, the Saha World, a place that is so turbid and dark, will have all its roads illuminated, along with their surrounding area. This is a passage that we read in the sutras.
The Buddha said: One who beholds another in the practice of giving and then feels joyful after assisting him will gain great blessings. A sramana asked: Would the blessings of the giver be diminished? The Buddha said: It is like the fire of a torch. If hundreds or even thousands of people would each come with a torch to be ignited by that flame, [then each of these torches] could be used to cook meals and keep a house brightly lit without diminishing the original flame. And so it is the same with these blessings. The Sutra of the Forty-Two Sections.
Some people believed that they would only benefit from their own practice. “In my spiritual practice, if I give the Dharma to others, if I turn the Dharma-wheel to share the Dharma with others will this diminish [my own attachment]?” They asked the Buddha this question, and the Buddha answered with this analogy. If one lamp has been lit and many people bring their unlit lamps to this place and use this already lit lamp to ignite their flames, then endlessly pass this flame from lamp to lamp, what do you think would happen? Would the original flame become dimmer? No. Would the surrounding area become brighter? Yes.
By the same principle, if we can understand the Dharma and help other people understand it, we can use the Dharma that we connected with to pave a road. If billions of people pave it instead of just one person, very quickly this road will reach its destination and be paved smoothly and without obstruction. So, with the Buddha-Dharma, if everyone can accept [and share] it with the same spirit as lighting a lamp or paving a road, then as the flame is passed from lamp to lamp, won’t that add to the brightness of this road? The road will also be smooth, and the path ahead will be bright.
So, this radiance is sustained from light to light. The light around us grows as the lamps are lit, one after another. This is just like the way our wisdom grows. We all have wisdom in our minds, and we can collectively pool our wisdom. Think about this. If we were surrounded by people full of blessings and wisdom, won’t this place be like Flower Light Tathagata’s world of Great Treasure Adornment?
In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha began to bestow predictions of Buddhahood on all His disciples. Actually, He had the same experience in His own past lives. He also received a prediction of Buddhahood from past Buddhas. Now it was the same for His disciples. All have the opportunity to attain Buddhahood, so “predictions are passed from Buddha to Buddha.” Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature and has the chance to attain Buddhahood;it just depends on how diligent we are.
We must put our hearts into diligent practice.Some can hear one thing and understand one thing.Others can hear one thing and understand ten o raven one thousand or tens of thousands things.For those whose [capabilities] are less sharp, they will comprehend fewer things.If even more dull, they may need to be guided and taught for a very long time to build a gradual understanding.
Thus, people attain Buddhahood in a sequence.The sequence is based on their capabilities, their karmic conditions and the severity of their afflictions.For those with severe afflictions, they need to be gradually cleansed with Dharma-water over a long period of time.
Where do these afflictions come from?We accumulated all of them ourselves.If we can understand the Dharma sooner, we will create fewer afflictions.The sooner we realize the Buddha-Dharma, [the sooner] we can protect ourselves and grow in blessings and wisdom.When our minds are pure, we will not give rise to more ignorance, and we can immediately begin doing good deeds, benefiting others and forming good karmic connections.In this way, our wisdom will grow unceasingly as our afflictions constantly dwindle.So, we must seize our karmic conditions and do the right thing.
Yesterday, I received some information from a Tzu Chi office in another part of the world that moved me deeply.The news was that in Mozambique the warm light of love is already being spread.As lamp after lamp has been lit, in what was a very dark place, they have opened up a [brightly lit] road.Seeing this, joy arose from the bottom of my heart.Of course, this is a long story.
Previously, we have spoken of the first relief distribution [there].
When we held the distribution in Mozambique, Mr. Michael Pan went, leading a large group of South African volunteers.There were seeds originally from Taiwan and those that sprouted in South Africa.This large group of volunteers went to Mozambique to guide the volunteers there.
Of course, in delivering rice to Mozambique, there were many kinds of challenges.They were eventually able to solve those problems to get the rice cleared [through customs].That is another moving story.
Prior to holding the relief distribution, Mr. Pan spent time with them and instructed them in how to guide people [to receive their goods] in an orderly manner, how to conduct the distribution using the facilities of an elementary school, where to place the people, where to position the rice and how to guide people in.
With each of these things, he gave them very thorough instructions.Meanwhile,every person involved in the distribution had to be trained.
So, the volunteers who were trained during the last distribution, this time now vowed that they would be Tzu Chi volunteers forever.This was to be the second round of distributions.When this second shipment of rice arrived, they were notified just before 4pm.Denise, [one of our volunteers in Mozambique,] immediately sent out the announcement, and 21 volunteers gathered within an hour.They all arrived at the warehouse before 5pm.They were there, but the truck kept being delayed.
However, everyone there was very happy.At almost 7pm, the sky began getting dark so Denise quickly coordinated people to cook so that the volunteers would have dinner to eat.That way, when all the rice arrived, they would have the energy to move it.Denise wanted to make full use of this time.So, she connected her computer to the internet so they could hear me speak.
Were they able to understand what I was saying?They could not.
But when she played the video, they could see my image and hear my voice.Everyone sat there and watched earnestly as.
Denise translated the general idea of my words.This made everyone very happy and they took each word of the teachings to heart.
They finished eating, and it was already past 9pm when the truck with the rice finally arrived.It was very late, but everyone was still happy.There were 22 people including Denise.They carried the rice from the truck to the warehouse and stacked it neatly.They did this until almost midnight.
The people who told me this story also said that people in Mozambique usually start getting ready for bed at dusk. This is because, in that country, people are very poor. During the day, they may not have a job, so they end up doing nothing. Then after dusk, everyone goes to sleep. But on that day, [though it was late], everyone was energetic. They spent over two hours moving 2000 bags of rice. These 22 people moved all of the bags and then stacked them neatly. They did this very happily and sang as they moved their bodies. As they sang, they danced from side to side. We can recall how to South African volunteers also sing as they walk and moved their whole bodies. Think about how happy they must have been, even though it was midnight. Meanwhile, Denise’s husband worked with some volunteers online to share this story and the pictures on the internet. After they uploaded this, they received much praise, and this was only the beginning. What happened next was really amazing. Isn’t this flame being passed from lamp to lamp? In this dark world of poverty and suffering, [Tzu Chi volunteers] are already paving this road and are gradually continuing to spread the light. This radiance spread from Taiwan to South Africa, and then from South Africa to Mozambique.
See, “This radiance is sustained from light to light as our wisdom-life grows”. Everyone was working happily. None of them complained of being tired. That kind of happiness can be described as “jubilance”. Everyone was full of Dharma-joy. When they saw the material goods that were intended to be used to help others, they did not feel any desire for these things. They felt joyful and wished to do more to help. To “be mindful of the path from thought to thought and transmit the Dharma-lineage” is not at all an easy matter.
So, this is what we must learn when we learn the Buddha’s Way. We learn how, in any era, with sentient beings in any kind of environment, we can relieve people from their suffering. This is truly the one great cause for which the Buddha came to this world.
The previous passage states, “When Right Dharma becomes extinct, Dharma-semblance will last for 32 kalpas. That Buddha’s sariras will circulate widely, heavenly beings and humans everywhere will make offerings to them. The deeds of Flower Light Buddha will be as I have stated.”
When Right Dharma becomes extinct [in the future], Dharma-semblance will last for 32 small kalpas. Flower Light Buddha will abide in the world for 12 small kalpas. After Flower Light Buddha enters Parinirvana, the sariras from His body and His Dharma will constantly circulate in the human realm. Next, the passage continues with,
“They Two-Footed Honored One shall be supreme and without peer. He will be none other than you, so you should rejoice and feel fortunate”.
The Buddha said to Sariputra, “Flower Light Buddha is the Two-Footed Honored One, supreme and without peer. He is one who cannot be surpassed by anyone. Who is that great enlightened one? That will be you, Sariputra. When you attain Buddhahood,you will be Flower Light Taghagata. In that place. You should be happy about all this. This was the blessing the Buddha bestowed on him”. Life after life, he will accumulate blessings and wisdom.
Blessings and wisdom are the two feet. He will perfect them both. So, an honorable epithet for a Buddha, the most respectful way to address Him, is “the Two-Footed Honored One”. This is because He is replete with blessings and wisdom. To attain enlightenment, one must be replete with both blessings ad wisdom.
One who is replete with blessings and wisdom is the most honored among awakened sentient beings. Among bodhisattvas, the Buddha has surpassed all. So, He is the most honored among two-footed awakened beings. Thus He is called “the Two-Footed Honored One” and is “supreme and without peer”. The Buddha is unparalleled because He has surpassed everyone else. The title “Two-Footed Honored One” means the Buddha is replete with blessings and wisdom. This is already [the end] of this section of verse. After the end of the previous prose section, the Buddha restated His meaning in verse.
“Ending a section with this verse brings joy. [The Buddha] told Sariputra: Since you have attained my prediction that you will become a Buddha in the future, you should feel glad. This is clearly one of the conclusions from this Dharma-assembly.”
Whenever we speak, we must end with a conclusion. So, these verses were the concluding remarks about the prediction of Sariputra’s Buddhahood. Thus, Sariputra had already received the Buddha’s prediction that he would become a Buddha in the future. This describes the mindset of both teacher and student. The Buddha is the teacher, Sariputra the disciple. After the teacher blessed the disciple, He said, “You must work hard. You need to have confidence in yourself. You should be very happy”. This was very heartfelt advice.
So, “At that time, the fourfold assembly of bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas, along with heavenly beings, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, assuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas and so on…”
These are the fourfold assembly and eight classes. At this Dharma-assembly, the fourfold assembly refers to bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas and upasikas. These comprise the fourfold assembly. The eight classes of Dharma-protector are heavenly beings, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas. Those are the eight classes.The eight classes of Dharma-protector refers to these eight groups.
This passage is about how humans, heavenly beings and the eight classes of Dharma-protector all gathered together to reverently witness Sakyamuni Buddha bestowing the prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra.
Upasakas and upasikas were representatives of [laypeople] from different societies and countries, and included everyone from kings and high officials to average citizens, rich and poor, with no regard to caste.
All kinds of people were gathered together at that Dharma-assembly. This assembly was held over 40 years after the Buddha began teaching. He wanted for everyone to gather together. This assembly was the time to turn from the Small Vehicle to the Great Vehicle Dharma. This was a very special and grand occasion. So, He described all those who were there. In addition to human beings, many other beings knew that this time, the teaching given by the Buddha would be different from those He had given before. It was to be the great turning of the Great Vehicle-wheel.
So, they came to listen to the Dharma. You may recall from when we talking about the Introductory Chapter how grand an occasion this Dharma-assembly was. It was not only attended by humans, but also by the eight classes of Dharma-protector. They also all gathered at that place, so it was an exceptional gathering. There, everyone could witness the Buddha bestowing a prediction of Buddhahood on certain disciples. The sight of this cannot really be described in words, but only by analogy.
In summary, it was very grand and magnificent. This is why one must constantly do good deeds, create blessings and form good karmic connections. Then all will eventually receive such predictions, just some sooner than others. Everyone has the chance to attain Buddhahood. Everyone has a lamp in their minds that has not yet been lit. As the flame is passed from lamp to lamp, this radiance will be sustained from light to light. Thus wisdom-life will grow. Being mindful of the path from thought to thought, predictions will be passed from Buddha to Buddha. Then everyone will be very happy.
At this Dharma-assembly, everyone was happy and filled with great hope. Everyone hoped to receive the prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha and they all rejoiced on behalf of those who had. This was a very joyous and celebratory assembly. So, we must always be mindful to truly pass along the Dharma. By doing this, the world will became peaceful. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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