Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: A Deeply Planted Root of Faith Prevents Doubts (信根深植無復疑悔)
Date: March.13. 2015
“People without faith have nothing to stand on. The Root Faith, the source of the Path, must be deeply planted. By destroying doubts and regrets, they realize the right path. They must uphold the Great Dharma and turn the Dharma-wheel.”
To us humans, faith is very important. Without trust, how can we interact with other people? In this world, people need faith to build their character; this is particularly true for us Buddhist practitioners. If we are trustworthy, everyone will affirm us. Learning the Buddha’s Way takes faith. Our faith must be deep. Only if we have deep faith in the teachings can we uphold [our vows] and follow the path. Thus, by following the Buddha’s teachings we can take the road we need to take.
What road should we walk on? “This path is a road to walk on.” That is the Bodhi-path. All of the Buddha’s teachings were ultimately summarized in the Lotus Sutra as the True Dharma of the One Vehicle. This Dharma is the Bodhisattva Way. Therefore, He is “teaching the Bodhisattva Way”. Bodhisattva is [a Sanskrit word] that means enlightened sentient being. So the Bodhisattva-path, or the Bodhi-path, is the path to awakening. Previously, I have told everyone that this road through the world must be paved carefully so that it can connect with the Bodhi-path. Those of us who are now Buddhist practitioners must begin by establishing our faith. Faith in the Buddha-Dharma must be deeply rooted. This starts with how we act as a person. As we interact with people, we must build faith. When we speak to others, if there is no trust, who will be willing to trust us? If we are not trustworthy, we lack character. Without character, how can we develop Buddha-character? So, we must perfect our character in order to attain Buddha-character.
Building character starts with faith. If we quickly do what we have promised to do, people will have faith in us. Whatever it is that we need to do, we must promptly complete it, because life is impermanent. If we agree to do something and then procrastinate, in the end, it will not get done. If we cannot even complete simple worldly tasks, how can we possibly attain Buddhahood? Therefore, we must be diligent. Once we have faith, we must also be diligent. So, “The Root of Faith, the source of the Path, must be deeply planted.” The Root of Faith is the origin of the Path. In learning the Buddha’s Way, if we establish faith at the beginning, we will not stray as we move forward, step by step. Similarly, the Root of Faith must grow deeper and wider.
So, the foundation of our character must be firm in order for us to truly progress in our learning of Buddha’s Way starting as ordinary people, then steadily moving forward on the Bodhisattva-path. This is the Root of Faith, the source of the Path. From, this starting point to our ultimate destination, there is only one road.
As we travel this road, we must extend our roots. If our Root [of Faith] grows, this means we are diligently progressing and are making advancements. What hinders the growth of faith? Doubt. There was also a period of time in the past when Sariputra doubted the Great Vehicle Dharma. So, he stopped [at the Small Vehicle].
Then as the Buddha tirelessly and continuously praised the True Dharma of the One Vehicle, Sariputra also reflected upon himself.In the end, he destroyed his doubts and regrets.If he had not destroyed his doubts, he would always have been left with regrets.
The Buddha’s lifetime is like ours; it is limited and ultimately must came to an end.The length of our lifespan is limited.At His advance age, the Buda had to freely and quickly carry out His original intent.So, He told everyone, “There are many treasures here. Take a good look at them.”The invaluable treasure He referred to was the Dharma.This Dharma is priceless.It is unsurpassed and unequalled.
For the first 40-plus years, He guided us.After those 40-plus years, the Buddha revealed all the True Dharma.This was something Sariputra had finally realized.He finally “realized the right path”.After following the Buddha for several decades, he now realized that there is only one path that leads to the source, the one Bodhisattva-path.
He began to form aspirations and make vows to “uphold the Great Dharma and turn the Dharma-wheel”.He was finally inspired to make this resolve.Similarly, in the Buddha’s lifetime, there was a group of bhiksus who engaged in spiritual practice.
One of them had already awakened; he was an awakened bhikisu.
However, there was an elder in the city who knew that Sakyamuni Buddha advocated the Right Dharma, but doubted whether all the bhiksus were actually able to accept this Right Dharma.
It is said that the minds of bhiksus are pure.Could their minds truly remain unaffected by external phenomena?
The elder had this doubt in his mind.One day, he had a thought.
He was very affluent and had many servants, and he said to all of them, “I want to make an offering to these bhiksus, but I want to test if their resolve is truly unwavering. All the female servants must look very elegant. Change into beautiful clothing and put on makeup and accessories. You need to do your best to display your dancing and singing skills. I will observe whether the resolve of these young bhiksus will waver.”
The day finally came, and the bhiksus came to accept offerings.
On their way there, the awakened bhiksus told the young bhiksus, “You must all remember to keep your resolve firm. Constantly contemplate the body as impure. When we fall ill, we may die. Even before we die, our bodies may have wounds that fester, rot, give off a stench and so on. After deity, the entire body will become bloated. Fluid will start flowing out. The flesh will rot. Everyone, think about this. We must contemplate the body as impure. We are going to the elder’s house. He intends to make offerings, but he will also deliberately test our resolve. We must show our pure and disciplined conduct. In order to behave in this way, we must contemplate impurity; we must contemplate the body as impure.”
These young bhiksus understood.Wasn’t the purpose of their spiritual practice to free them from passion and desires?So, they were all very proper as they entered the elder’s home in an orderly manner.He truly made a very abundant offering.One after another, the dishes were brought out.There was also singing and music.The dancers all bared themselves and moved in a very seductive manner.However, for the bhiksus, it was as if they did not see or hear them.With great respect, they finished their meal.
As the elder observed them from the side, he was moved and felt ashamed.
He came before them and respectfully repented to them.He said that he had sincerely wanted to make respectful offerings,but he had doubted about the bhiksus. When he saw everyone’s firm spiritual aspirations, he felt that he should not have [tested them]. Therefore, he felt repentant.
The awakened bhiksus said to the elder, “First, we are grateful for you offering. Second, I want to tell you that although spiritual practitioners each have different capabilities, we have received the Buddha’s teachings in the forms of various analogies and expressions. Although we are not yet able to realize the True Dharma of the One Vehicle, everyone’s spiritual aspirations are firm. You cannot use a dipper to measure all the water in the ocean. The Buddha’s wisdom is as vast as the ocean, so it is not something you can measure with a scale or a dipper. You overestimate your ability [to test it]”.
The elder then very reverently and remorsefully asked the bhiksus to teach the Dharma. From that point on, everyone in the elder’s household, including his family members and servants, all took refuge in the Buddha-Dharma. They regularly went to this Sangha to request and listen to teachings.
So, “By destroying doubts and regrets, they realize the right path”. Lay practitioners cannot have doubts, either. They must also destroy their doubts. “By destroying doubts and regrets, they realize the light path”. They must uphold the Great Dharma to turn the Dharma-wheel. When Buddhist practitioners listen to the Dharma, they apply it and also share it with others, so everyone will benefit.
Although the Buddha Dharma is very profound, as long as our Roof of Faith grows deep, we will slowly realize it. The previous sutra 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.”
Yesterday we said that although he path to Buddhahood is profound, the Buddha uses various skillful means to explain it to us according to our dispositions and help us understand that life is impermanent. If we understand the principles of suffering, emptiness and impermanence, we will understand that life is short. We will understand that the human body is impure and lasts only briefly; it is impermanent. So, why would we give rise to greed and desire on behalf of this body?
We already understand these principles so we create blessed karma in all that we do. In our past lifetimes and this current lifetime, if we had not created blessings, we would not have been able to encounter the Buddha. So, in “this life and all past lives”, in our past, present and future lives, we have been on the Bodhisattva-path, giving to help others. All the merits we have created have been dedicated toward the path to Buddhahood. The next sutra passage states,
“At that time, Sariputra said to the Buddha, World-Honored One. I now have no further doubts or regrets, having personally received from You the prediction of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi”.
In this passage, Sariputra expressed his gratitude to the Buddha. He even expressed the thoughts from deep in his mind, that the teachings the Buddha transmitted had destroyed his doubts and allowed him to realize the ultimate truth of the Great Vehicle. So, Sariputra now understood and was deeply repentant of his past attachments and was deeply repentant of his past attachments and bias toward emptiness. He now understood that he had to put the Bodhisattva-path into action. Having formed this aspiration, he received the Buddha’s prediction for attaining Buddhahood. He would go among the people and walk the Bodhisattva-path until reaching the ultimate state, which is the state of enlightenment. This is how he would repay the Buddha’s grace. So, “[Sariputra] was deeply grateful for the grace of the Dharma which nurtured and extended his Root of Faith so that he had no further doubts and regrets”.
“Sariputra, having learned the Dharma and received the prediction of Buddhahood from the Buddha, was deeply grateful for the grace of the Dharma which nurtured and extended his Root of Faith so that he had no further doubts and regrets.”
Now, all of us already understand and have deeply realized and connected with the Dharma. The Dharma has helped nourish our wisdom-life and grow our Root of Faith so that doubts no longer hinder our spiritual practice. Sariputra himself felt very fortunate to “have personally received from [the Buddha] the prediction of attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi”.
In the past, he had cultivated blessings and wisdom. He was replete with blessings and wisdom, so he was born during the Buddha’s lifetime and received the prediction of Buddhahood from Him. We will probably receive the same. If we continue to follow this path. Although the path is very long and extends far, as long as we continue walking in this direction, then we can go among people to accumulate goodness and blessings, life after life. We will continue to accumulate them so we will also be able to encounter a Buddha and to receive a prediction of Buddhahood from Him.
We must have this kind of faith ion ourselves. Although the path is very long and extend far, as long as we start walking, we will get there if we do not deviate from the path.
That is the Buddha’s wisdom. “Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi” is the Buddha’s wisdom. This supreme, universal and perfect wisdom is called “complete awakening.” With it, our [understanding] will be correct and universal.
The Buddha’s wisdom is also called unsurpassed complete awakening and the unsurpassed path to complete enlightenment. It is the unsurpassed wisdom that is being completely awakened to all truths.
The state of sentient beings is as familiar to the Buddha as His hand, it is like looking at the lines on His palms. The Buddha’s wisdom is a complete awakening. He understands all things in the universe, including all things in the human realm. The wisdom of the Buddha gives him correct and universal understanding. So, it is an “unsurpassed path to complete enlightenment.”
It is “unsurpassed” because no one has greater wisdom than the Buddha. It is universal; the Bodhi-path, the Bodhisattva-path, can be practiced in Taiwan, the United States, and Africa. It is applicable anywhere. So, this is the supreme wisdom that is being completely awakened to all truths. It is what we call “Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Everyone, isn’t attaining this the purpose of learning the Buddha’s Way? The Buddha often reminded everyone that the Dharma He had taught compared to the Dharma still contained in his brain and in the ocean of His wisdom was like the many grains of sand on earth; there is so much Dharma that has not been taught. How many people can encounter the Buddha-Dharma? They can be compared to sand under a fingernail while those who do not comprehend the Dharma are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River.
Everyone, we are truly very fortunate to be able to listen to the Dharma here. Therefore, we must celebrate our good fortune. Sariputra was fortunate among all of the Buddha’s Sangha. When others receive a prediction [of Buddhahood], we are happy on their behalf. We also feel fortunate that, in the future, we will be able to attain Buddhahood. As ordinary beings we just need to pave a smooth road that connects with the Bodhisattva-path. If we can proceed on the great straight Bodhi-path, if we do not deviate from the path, then naturally we will attain complete awakening to all truths. Once we have penetrated the workings of worldly things among people, we can understand even more. Therefore, through these true principles, we can actually experience this supreme, universal and perfect wisdom. So, we must walk the Bodhisattva-path, go among people and understand worldly matters. We absolutely must penetrate the habitual tendencies of countless sentient beings. But, we must also safeguard our minds. We have received many different teachings. If we can attain many realizations in this world, [we will realize] the world-transcending Dharma. If we have ways of transcending our afflictions, that is world-transcending Dharma. In that case, nothing in this world can hinder our spiritual aspirations. Therefore, I hope everyone will always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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