Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Teaching Accordingly for Complete Awakening (應機說法正覺無量)
Date: March.19. 2015
“Sentient beings’ capabilities vary widely, so the Buddha taught with analogies according to capabilities. He skillfully explained matters to reveal truths until they reached complete awakening.”
This is the Buddha’s state of mind. He understands all beings in the world, all people, matters and objects and so on. Sadly, “Sentient beings’ capabilities vary widely.” If we sentient beings do not make an effort to mindfully listen to the Buddha’s teachings, we will continue to give rise to more ignorance and afflictions. Even if we now have the resolve and want to learn, it will still take time, a very long time. We have to be mindful, face the right direction and take steady steps forward. Thus we move forward bit by bit.
The Buddha will not abandon sentient beings, “so the Buddha taught with analogies according to capabilities.” There are so many sentient beings with so many different habitual tendencies, ideas and perspectives. But the Buddha actually had the patience to teach according to capabilities, devising various analogies suitable to our understanding. With various skillful means, He explained matters to reveal truths. He revealed the principles behind these matters.
In the Lotus Sutra, in addition to using analogies, expressions, karmic conditions and retributions and so on, He used worldly matters to demonstrate principles, and with profound truths, explained the workings of things. Endlessly, He used different methods, different skillful means, to reveal [truths] for us to understand, all for the sole reason of helping all of us attain “a complete awakening,” which is the state of infinite realizations. We should mindfully experience the Buddha’s compassion [in teaching us].
We see the working of things in a certain way, but there are actually profound principles within. To come up with analogies that explain these matters with profound principles is hard! It is indeed difficult for us ordinary people. But, the Buddha did His best to come up with them. Without using matters as examples, how can we possibly realize these principles?
There is a story that explains this more clearly. In India, during the era of the Right Dharma, many people engaged in spiritual cultivation at monasteries. The Buddha hoped that everyone would be mindful, regardless of age or social class, and so He accepted anyone who had the aspiration and made the vow to be a spiritual practitioner, setting no limits on age or class and giving everyone a chance to engage in spiritual cultivation.
At the time, there was an abode which, although quite simple, still housed many monastics. People in that area understood that, “The Sangha is diligently studying the Dharma. If I make offerings to the monastics every day so they can focus on learning the Dharma, this will allow the Buddha-Dharma to be spread throughout the world.” One of those people was an upasika, which is a female lay practitioner. Although she wished to make many offerings every day, her resources were limited. So, the most she was able to do was to invite one monastic to her house every day to accept her offerings. [The monastics] at the abode took turns going. When it was a person’s turn, that person would go to receive her offerings. As for this good woman, this upasika, her thinking was, “After a bhiksu receives an offering from me, I hope that they will explain the Dharma to me.”This continued for a long time; every day it was like this.
One day, it was an elderly monk’s turn.He had a strong desire to seek the Dharma, but felt that his own capabilities were dull and that he did not understand the Dharma very well.Because of this, every day he felt very troubled.When it was his turn to receive her offerings, he was very worried, but he had no choice but to follow the rules.
“The rule of the abode is that when it is my turn, I have to go, but my heart is heavy. After I receive the offerings, what Dharma can I teach?”So, on his way to the home of the upasika, he hung his head low and walked very slowly.
As his heart was heavy, so was his every step.His heart gradually filled with worry.How should he deal with this situation?When she saw that the monastic had arrived, the upasika quickly prostrated with reverence and invited him to sit and enjoy the offering of food we had prepared.
After he finished eating, the upasika respectfully came to sit before him and reverently requested teachings.What was this elderly monastic going to teach?He looked down, very worried, and said, “Foolishness, ignorance and lack of wisdom bring tremendous suffering, indeed.”That was all he said.
When the upasika heard this, she was much moved.She thought, “Truly, this is a Dharma master who is very advanced in his spiritual practice.Aren’t all sentient beings foolish and ignorant? It is due to their foolishness and ignorance that they create karma and set the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence in motion.”
Because of the Twelve Links of Cyclic Existence, once ignorant thoughts arise, they produce the three subtle afflictions.This leads to afflictions multiplying endlessly, so we transmigrate in the Six Realms without rest.
“Truly, this Dharma Master is advanced in His spiritual cultivation. In addition to making an offering of food, I must quickly find something of value to present to him as an offering.”
The upasika immediately stood up and left the room so she could look for something valuable.When the Dharma Master saw her leave, he decided to make a break for it.He quickly left and ran back to the abode.
Upon his return, he did not dare see his master and immediately went to his room.Yet, the upasika felt great respect for him and brought some cloth to the abode as an offering.She explained that this monastic helped her.“The Dharma he taught me was truly profound, but he made it easy for me to understand, so my heart is filled with Dharma-joy. This is why I came to make this offering.”
His teacher heard this and quickly sent for the elderly bhiksu who had only recently been ordained as a monastic.
“The simple words that you have spoken today have helped this benefactor, this good woman here. She has already understood the principles, so you should accept her reverent offering.”And so, everything happens because of cause and conditions.
The bhiksu had a heart heavy with afflictions.But the woman was a person who sincerely sought the Dharma, so [his words] resonated with her.Therefore, the Buddha said, “Everything depends on cause and conditions.”With suitable causes and conditions, people can be inspired according to their capability.So, “the Buddha taught with analogies according capabilities.”
During the Buddha’s lifetime, He taught according to capabilities with analogies.For all of us ordinary people, even though we still do not really understand, if we resolve to engage in spiritual practice, we can transform afflictions into Bodhi.Even though the Buddha, in the Lotus Sutra, continually mentioned “trillions of kalpas,” we should seize every present moment.
The Dharma is by our side at every second.If we have this mindset, a long period may seem short to us.In the latter parts of the Lotus Sutra, there are more analogies about this.In summary, time just keeps passing, so let us quickly develop our understanding.What was in the previous sutra passage?
Yet now, from the World-Honored One, they hear what they never heard before, causing them all to fall into doubt and delusion.
Excellent, World-Honored One.
May you, for the sake of the fourfold assembly, speak of these causes and conditions to enable them to shed their doubts and regrets?
This passage begins with, “Now, from the World-Honored One”. These words came from Sariputra’s heart and were spoken on behalf of many people. At that moment, everyone was sitting before the World-Honored One, listening to Him teach the Dharma. “They hear what they never heard before, causing them all to fall into doubt and delusion”.
In the past, they heard the Buddha teaching skillful means. Now, He turned around and set these aside to teach the True Dharma. So, those who listened suddenly had doubts, including Sariputra. This passage describes how, upon hearing that everyone can become a Buddha, some fell into a web of doubts. [They wondered], “Can I really achieve this?” This was the mindset of many people.
So, [Sariputra] was grateful. “Excellent! I am grateful to the World-Honored One for explaining this and helping me to understand. Then I was also able to receive the prediction of Buddhahood from You, and so many people took joy on my behalf. I am also grateful that the Buddha repeatedly explained causes and conditions for the fourfold assembly. Everyone has different karmic conditions, and since the Buddha compassionately bestowed this prediction upon me, the karmic conditions for many others should also be maturing. So, I believe that the Buddha will subsequently bestow this prediction on others. In this way, he helped everyone to better understand that they have all this opportunity.
They can eliminate doubts, give rise to faith and vow to accept the Buddha’s teachings. This is the general meaning of this passage. The following passage stages,
“At that time, the Buddha told Sariputra, I did not at first talk about it; but don’t all Buddhas, teach the Dharma by means of various causes and conditions, parables, expressions and skillful means all for the sake of Auttara-samyak-sambodhi?”
When the Buddha responded to Sariputra, He called out his name. this indicated that He placed great importance on Sariputra’s question and also wanted to strengthen everyone’s desire to hear the Dharma. He said, “I did not at first talk about it”. He, first and foremost, commended Sariputra for continuing to ask questions on others’ behalf, even after he received his prediction. On behalf of those at the assembly, he asked questions. On behalf of those at the assembly, he again requested the Dharma. The Buddha praised Sariputra for doing this.
He not only looked after himself, he requested teachings on behalf of many others. So, the Buddha began by explaining, “I did not at first talk about it”. When the Buddha first began to teach, because sentient beings could not yet really understand, He could not give teachings that were too [advanced], but He could not give incomplete teachings either. He could not teach too much nor too little, it had to be just right. People’s capabilities were like this, so He had to say things that could be understood and teach the Dharma that could be accepted. Thus, the teachings He gave were not biased towards “emptiness”, nor towards “existence”. This is the Middle Way, which is just right.
“At that time, the Buddha told Sariputra: He called on Sariputra to make known his wisdom and understanding. Then, the Buddha praised Sariputra again for requesting the Dharma on behalf of the Dharma-assembly. I did not at first talk about it: The Dharma should not be too much or too little. He taught what was just right, the Middle Way.”
Teachings that were too advanced were teachings that people did not have the capabilities to understand. What wouldn’t they have understood? The true principles of all things in the universe. If He said too much, people could not accept it. So, He came back and put away those teachings, keeping them in His heart. Instead, he used various matters to explain the principles. These are skillful means, teachings suitable for the listener’s capabilities.
Take the elderly bhiksus, for example. His mind was filled with afflictions, yet he was able to speak in a way that one who sincerely sought the Dharma was able to understand and thus attain Dharma-joy. This was because if suited her capabilities.
This is why Sakyamuni Buddha said, “I did not at first talk about it”. When He first began teaching, He did not tell everyone that they could all attain Buddhahood. All Buddhas have come to the world for the same reason, for the sake of one great cause. So, They all explained the workings of causes and conditions. These are skillful means. The Buddha explained how He had engaged in spiritual practice in past lifetimes.
The Jataka Sutra and the sutras about His disciple’s past lifetimes are all about how, in the past lifetime, such-and-such disciple formed such-and-such karmic connections with Him and how He Himself had engaged in spiritual practice in the presence of all Buddhas. He was explaining the causes and conditions of the spiritual practices of past Buddhas and how His own were the same.
So, “All Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, for the sake on one great cause, manifested in this world.” Sakyamuni Buddha. All Buddhas, for the sake of one great cause, manifested in this world and explained how, for countless kalpas. They had engaged in spiritual practice.
All Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones: All of them, for the sake of one great cause, manifested in this world and explained what They had done for countless kalpas. In the presence of infinite Buddhas, They learned various kinds of practices, various causes and conditions, analogies, expressions and skillful means, all for the sake of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
In the presence of infinite Buddhas, They learned various kinds of practices. Sakyamuni Buddha Himself, in the presence of infinite Buddhas, cultivated various kinds of practices. He also practiced under various kinds of causes and conditions. In addition, through the use of many analogies of the principles of people, matters and things, He was able to accept and understand. This all comes out of what He attained from all Buddhas’ teaching of the Dharma with expressions and skillful means, “Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.”
All Buddhas had [taught this way], and Sakyamuni Buddha did as well. He taught with various causes and conditions, analogies and expressions.
The Buddha, for the Two Vehicle practitioners, taught with various causes and conditions and skillful means. The Two Vehicles are the Small Vehicle and the Great Vehicle.
The Small Vehicle is also replete with the principles, but the Dharma is taught and explained through matters. Contained within the workings of things are subtle and intricately connected principles.
The Buddha said, “there was not a day that I did not expound teachings for the sake of perfect enlightenment.”
Every day, the Buddha taught in this way. Although addressing Small Vehicle practitioners, Hearers and Solitary Realizers, and teaching truths through matters, there was not a day that He did not expound teachings for the sake of perfect enlightenment, all in the hope that everyone can realize the true principles contained within matters.
At this assembly, He set aside matters and explained true principles to everyone. True principles are inherently in everyone; this is their pure and undefiled Buddha-nature.
But, did everyone understand this? If they did not, the Buddha had tom once again, patiently expound the Dharma to everyone.
In summary, sentient beings’ capabilities vary widely so He taught with analogies according to capabilities. The Buddha would not abandon sentient beings, so we must always be grateful to Him. So Saroputra said, “Excellent, World-Honored One.” “Excellent” expresses his gratitude; he showed his gratitude and praise by saying, “Excellent.” He hoped the Buddha would explain things again, on stage at a time, to help everyone better understand and put an end to their doubts.
To bring clarity, the Buddha skillfully used appearances of things to reveal their underlying principles. Everything He did was in the hope that everyone could attain boundless and complete awakening. We attain boundless and complete awakening when the truths of all things in the universe converge with our minds and our ocean of wisdom. It seems we are very happy to talk about this, but we must still always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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