Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Be Dedicated to the Path of Buddhahood (福業功德迴向佛道)
Date: March.12. 2015
“Unconditioned Dharma is true emptiness and is without form. Wondrous existence is conditioned phenomena, the union [of conditions] that form appearances. The coming together of causes and conditions gives rose to names and appearances. Within this temporary union is concealed the Dharma of Suchness.”
Principles are not things that we can see. We cannot see them because they are in a state of true emptiness. In this space that we live in, is there truly nothing at all? This vast space actually contains everything; it is just that we cannot see it. But the principles behind everything do exist. There is moisture and there is air; looking at things, there are many incredibly tiny particles. As we breathe, there are also numerous infectious germs in the air. But our eyes cannot see them. What does electricity look like? We cannot see it, but if there is a [live wire], it could be very dangerous.
In conclusion, even if we cannot see something in our daily living, we must not overlook it, because it is actually true emptiness. Though it does not seem to have any form, actually wondrous existence, conditioned phenomena, this very subtle and wondrous thing, exists within true emptiness. The power of this wondrous existence is there. So, with wondrous existence, as long as we are mindful, science and technology will develop. We conduct research into how, from unconditioned Dharma, a [tangible] union is formed. By putting together various material things, the appearance of this lamp is manifested. With the lamp’s appearance and the workings of true emptiness, consistent with its form, this lamp can light up.
This “coming together of causes and conditions” is the convergence of many things. Through this tangible thing, something intangible is transmitted. So, this is the formation of an appearance. Once something has an appearance, it gets a name. We all have the appearance of a human, but we each have different names. We each have different names, but we can collectively be called “human”. We are called “human” because of our appearance. This is our label.
The label for these causes and conditions is a “temporary union.” We each have different names, and within each family, one person is the father and another person is the mother. When a mother and a father come together, there are daughters and sons. All are members of the same family, but each one is addressed differently. Because of these different forms of address, there are morals that guide the relationships.
So, people use these morals in their relationships to maintain their ethical standards in daily life. Similarly, the essence of our spiritual practice is embodied in the precepts. For life in the mundane world, the essence is found in these morals and ethics. Having these different levels of address helps to maintain the way things work in the world. So, we must understand them.
To understand the Buddha-Dharma, we must not only uphold worldly Dharma, we must also uphold world-transcending Dharma. The world-transcending Dharma is what was revealed by the Buddha as He peeled open these worldly principles, layer by layer, for us to see and understand. He did this because our course in learning the Buddha’s Way has already been obscured for such a long time. As ordinary people, in all of our minds ignorance has arisen, so this Bodhisattva-path has become covered by “dense smoke and fog.”Thus we cannot see the path clearly.
The Buddha came to point out that, within this “dense smoke and fog,” there is a stable and solid path that we can walk without worries.No matter how far we go, each step forward will be on very solid ground.It is very safe.As we advance, our every step toward is sate and steady.
So, we must believe that “Auncondiitoned Dharma is true emptiness and is without form.”This is truth.True principles cannot be seen, except when various causes and conditions come together.That is wondrous existence; within true emptiness is wondrous existence.Although there is true emptiness, the wondrous existence within is everlasting.
Through the technological research of many people, the television was created.Early televisions used to receive signals through an antenna, but now everything is sent over the internet.
The internet is connected by cables and wires.Now, with more inventions many of these wires are completely unnecessary information can be accessed through “the could”.
Just by pushing the “on” button, this physical body of mine can be seen all over the world.As I sit here right now, no tony is that screen in front of me showing my image, but volunteers at over 200 locations in this country are listening to me speak at the same time.They are able to see my image, so I have already reached the place where they are.This is wondrous existence.
Truly, wondrous existence is conditioned phenomena.These true principals can only manifest through the convergence of tangible things.Although this union is temporary and illusory, within it is conceited the Dharma of Suchness.This Dharma of Suchness is our intrinsic nature of True Suchness.
In this world, everything contains this Dharma.So, we must learn the Buddha’s Way in our daily living.If we can be a little more mindful, by understanding one principle, we can penetrate all principles.Thus, we must have this resolve at all times.
The previous sutra verse states, Sariputra, the Wise One, has now received this prediction from the Honored One. We are also like him.”
Sariputra, the Wise One, has now revived this prediction from the Honored One.We are also like him and will certainly attain Buddhahood in the future.In all the world, we will be the most honored and unsurpassed.
The listeners at the Lotus Assembly heard the Buddha bestow the prediction of Buddhahood upon Sariputra.They were all joyful, since Sariputra had received this prediction of Buddhahood, they took joy in his achievement.They were happy because they will also have a part in this.In the future they will also receive this prediction from the Buddha.They will also attain Buddhahood in the future.
So, “in all the world” encompasses the Ten Dharma-realms.The Ten Dharma-realms are Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Solitary Realizes, Hearers, then heavenly beings, humans, and those in the hell,, hungry ghost, animal realms, etc.These are the Ten Dharma-realms.This is considered “all the world”.
After the Enlightened One became a Buddha, He could go anywhere in the Ten Dharma-realms to teach and guide sentient beings.So, He was “the most honored and unsurpassed”.In the Ten Dharma-realms, the greatest, the most honored and most respected are those who attain Buddhahood.
The next passage states, “The path to Buddhahood is difficult to fathom so He taught suitable skillful means. May our blessed karma from this life and all past lives and the merits gained from seeing the Buddha be dedicated to the path to Buddhahood.”
The path to Buddhahood is incredible; it is very profound and difficult to understand.But the Buddha “taught suitable skilful means”.The Dharma must be explained teach many methods, analogies and expressions so that we can understand how things really are. The path to Buddhahood is the Bodhi-path.
Every day we talk about the Bodhi-path, how the great Bodhi-path is direct.This broad path leads directly from the state of ordinary people to the state of Buddhahood.This straight line does not curve or bend.Thus we can advance diligently with each step.This is a very smooth and level path.
The path to Buddhahood is the Bodhi-path.A path is unobstructed and leads somewhere. The Buddha’s wisdom is perfect and unobstructed. Therefore it is sailed a path.”
The Bodhi-path is “a path that is unobstructed and leads somewhere. By taking this road, we ca arrive somewhere. Where will we arrive? At the Buddha’s wisdom. If we are mindful and use a penetrating mind to have faith and understand, we will accept the Dharma with wisdom. Then we must uphold our vows and follow the path. How do we accept the Dharma and apply it in this world? “Wisdom comes from experience”. Then we can enter very completed environments without facing any hindrances at all. This is like clouds passing in front of the moon. The moon remains where it is as the clouds pass and is never affected by the passing clouds. The moon will always remain so clear and bright. The same principle applies here, if we are able to walk the Bodhi-path, this path allows us to reach “the Buddha’s wisdom [which] is perfect and unobstructed”. The way there is direct and unobstructed.
Consider a road, for example. There are often traffic jams nowadays. This is because there are too many cars and drivers do not stay in their lanes. They dodge between each another. If they cannot get in the lane they want, they slow down and block the cars behind them. The broad [Bodhi-]path is great and straight, and everyone can follow that path forward. Thus it is perfect, there is nothing that will obstruct or hinder us. Thus, it is called a path. This path is unobstructed and can lead us to the Buddha’s unsurpassed Bodhi-path. This is inconceivable.
“The path to Buddhahood is difficult to fathom so He taught suitable skillful means: The unsurpassed Bodhi-path attained by the Buddha is inconceivable. The path to enlightenment is such that this state is not something ordinary people or. Small Vehicle practitioners can realize or conceive of. All He could do was use skillful means and suitable analogies to speak of matters so they could understand these principles.”
The path to enlightenment is such; the state of this path is not something ordinary people or Small Vehicle practitioners can realize or conceive.
In the Buddha’s heart and in His mind, how many things does He understand? Within the scean of enlightenment in His minds, how many truths has He penetrated? This is inconceivable. “The path to Buddhahood is difficult to fathom”. It is inconceivable, so He could only use skillful means “and suitable analogies” [to teach it]. Through matters, He helped them understand principles. He used the workings of things in the world to draw analogies to explain principles until people could understand them. It is due to His compassion and wisdom that all sentient beings can realize the Dharma.
Therefore, we must be very grateful that the Buddha took such great care [in teaching us]. “May our good karma from this life and all past lives…”. We should feel very fortunate that we are so blessed. We have at least three kinds of good karma, so we should all feel very fortunate.
“The three kinds of good karma:
1.Blessings from woridly deeds
2.Blessings from upholding precepts
3.Blessings from practice
1.Blessings from worldly deeds: These come from being filial to parents, respecting teachers and elders, and from upholding the Ten Good Deeds and Ten Precepts.
The first is blessings from worldly deeds. How do we create these worldly blessings? Without action, we will not have blessings, so we must know how to create blessing. The first kind of blessing from worldly deeds, some from being filial to our parents, then from respecting our teachers and elders. So, I often say, “Being filial and doing good deeds cannot wait.” We should be filial because our parents gave us this body and our teachers helped us grow in knowledge. Therefore, we must respect our teachers and be filial to our parents. These are blessings from worldly deeds.
At the same time, we must uphold the Ten Good Deeds and Ten Precepts. We must practice the Ten Good Deeds and uphold the Ten Precepts. When we uphold the Ten Precepts, we can avoid making mistakes. When we practice the Ten Good Deeds, we create blessings to benefit the world.
“The second is blessings from upholding precepts on us. ” How do we create blessings by upholding precepts? By “upholding the Three Refuges, Five Precepts and even the complete [monastic] precepts.”
This protects our wisdom-life. By upholding precepts, we protect our wisdom-life and increase our good karma. We must take the Three Refuges. The Three Refuges are refuge in the Buddha, refuge in the Dharma and refuge in the Sangha, who are continuously transmitting the Buddha’s teachings in the world. They will continue to pass it on so that people can move from the state of ordinary beings to the state of Buddhahood. There are the Three Refuges. We must carefully uphold the Five Precepts, which are fundamental to being human.
There are also the complete precepts for those who become monastics. The more meticulously and carefully we uphold the precepts the more clearly our Buddha-nature will manifest. So, these are our blessings. These are blessings from precepts.
The third is blessings from practices, which comes from putting teachings into practice. After we hear the Dharma, we must put it into practice. We give rise to Bodhicitta and walk the path to Buddhahood.
“The merits gained by seeing the Buddha” will “be dedicated to the path to Buddhahood.” With the merits of being able see the Buddha, we must learn to be like Him. If we create those three kinds of blessings in that particular sequence and also uphold those precepts, everyone we do can be dedicated to the path of Buddhahood.
Our goal is to reach the [state] of Buddhahood. We do not seek to be born in the heaven realm, we so not seek to return to the comforts of the human realm. We do not pray to make a lot of money. These are not the kinds of merit we seek. We seek to ultimate attain Buddhahood. We amass all the good [deeds] we can, create as many blessed connections as possible and transform as many sentient beings as possible. In the end, we will be awakened and attain Buddhahood. We must be dedicated to the path to Buddhahood.
The merits gained from seeing the Buddha [will] be dedicated to the path to Buddhahood: To [dedicated] is to turn around and move toward certain direction. We turn and dedicated the merits we have cultivated toward the Bodhisattva-path. This is turning from the Small to the Great.
To [dedicate] is to turn around; we return to our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. There we move toward a certain direction. In the state of ordinary people, we have already strayed from the path. From being lost and confused, we must find a way to return to our pure intrinsic nature of True Suchness.
To do this, we must toward a certain direction; once we turn around, we see [the way back]. So, “We turn and dedicate the merits we have cultivated toward the Bodhisattva-path.” This is turning from the Small to the Great. To return to our intrinsic nature of True Suchness, we must cultivate all merits. Then we dedicate our merits toward the Bodhisattva-path.We must continually accumulate them. We dedicate ourselves to all sentient beings. When we have reached our destination, then we will have completely returned to our intrinsic nature of True Suchness. So it is “for sentient beings without good [karma].
Sentient beings lack good [karma] because they have not done good deeds. Thus “We give them virtuous Dharma.” This is what Bodhisattvas do. They will give virtuous Dharma to everyone.
For sentient beings without good [karma], we give them virtuous Dharma. After giving them these teachings, they will head precisely toward Bodhi, just as when we play drums and other music, the echoing sounds can be heard from far away, we can turn small good deeds into great benefits.
After giving them these teachings, means that [Bodhisattvas] will help them to understand the Dharma. By doing this, they will head precisely toward Bodhi. This is how we transform sentient beings. Many sentient beings are deluded and no longer know way.So, we go among people to help and teach them so they will head precisely toward Bodhi. This is Bodhi.
This is like playing music. When someone taps on a drum, it rings through the surroundings; the sound will spread far and wide. This is turning from Small to the Great. Here, “Great” refers to returning to our intrinsic nature of True Suchness.
However, if we wish to return to this pure nature, we must work for the benefit of all sentient beings. In summary, the Dharma can be very great, and it can also be very small. We cannot just talk about it, we must hear it, understand it and then mindfully devote ourselves to realizing it. Therefore, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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