Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Attain Understanding through Analogies (以譬喻得解)
Date: March.23. 2015
With the recent typhoon (Usagi), for these past few days, my heart has felt like it is in a typhoon; I have been heavy-hearted and worried. More than once, I have thought, “Humans suffer so much!” Not only is it difficult to interact with people and deal with matters and objects, the prospering and declining of things in the world can also cause us to feel very troubled. The imbalance in the world arises from the imbalance in people’s hearts and minds. When can our minds truly be one with the Dharma so that nature and our hearts can be in harmony? As long as people can change their mindset, environmental conditions can become favorable.
“For as long as heaven and earth have existed, there have been natural laws. Experience and realize the true principles of the aggregate of action. The ocean of wisdom contains infinite meanings. First let fall drops of dew to immerse the dust of desire.”
We are talking about a long period of time. Based on the explanation of time in the sutras, we ordinary people do not have the wisdom or a way to measure this amount of time. So, this is “for as long as heaven and earth have existed.” Just how long has the earth existed? Today’s scientists continue their research to figure out exactly how many trillions of years our planet has existed. I do not think that number is very important. The most important thing is that we know that for as long as the world has existed, it has had its natural laws. The principles of heaven and earth and the rules we humans follow should be the same thing. The difference is in how long each lasts.
A human life is like a microcosm. This microcosm only lasts for a short time. Consider the karma of sentient beings. Heavenly beings, other than those born in Trayastrimsa Heaven, may be born in Tusita Heaven or in Mahesvara Heaven, or in any of the many other heavens. There are so many heavens. The other planets orbiting in the same solar system as the Earth all vary in their distance from the Sun. There is a planet whose revolution around the Sun takes over 160 Earth years. In just this tiny corner of the immense universe, time is calculated differently on different planets, to say nothing of the rest of the vast universe, where there are countless other solar systems and countless other worlds. The Buddha, in His wisdom, already comprehended the great path and the aggregate of action. There are many different realms, even just talking the closest ones for example. The heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings is the closest to the human realm, followed by Trayastrimsa Heaven. One day in the heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings is the same as 50 years in the human realm, while one day in Trayastrimsa Heaven is the same as 100 years in the human realm.
In addition, as I just mentioned, on other worlds, years and time would definitely be calculated differently than they are here. In our solar system there is a planet, Mercury, that makes one revolution around the Sun in only 88 Earth days. [Venus] makes one revolution in around 240 days. Earth takes the third shortest amount of time, 365 days. And so it goes for the other planets. The farther away from the Sun, the longer it takes to make one revolution. The planet must adhere to its orbital path and cannot deviate from its course in the slightest. Thus everything remains in its right place.
So, we always say that we must be very grateful.When we look up at the sky, we see clouds.The right amount of wind and rain benefits the land.The land is [free of disasters] when the four elements are in balance.The harvest of crops will also be abundant, and everything on earth will be nourished.
Therefore, I always tell everyone that we should respect and care for the earth.The Buddha comes to this world for the sole purpose of helping us unlock the wisdom in our minds.We must not live every day simply for the sake of getting by or enjoying empty pleasure, thus passing our days in confusion daze.In addition to knowing about the cycle of day and night, we must understand how it relates to the smooth rotation devolution of the Earth.
We must comprehend its motion.
As you all sit before me, behind me you can see [the image of a starry sky].This is just one small corner of the universe.What you see are the planets in the solar system.It is there to help remind us that as we face the universe every day, we should open up what is stored in our ocean of wisdom.We cannot just limit ourselves to our minds’ understanding of the people, matters and objects in our immediate surroundings.“I crave this,” or “I covet that”.These limited and unenlightened affections will entangle our minds and cause unbearable suffering.
We must experience and realize the principle of the aggregate of action all the planets that orbit the Sun, in clouding the Earth.
The same principles apply to our bodies.We are also subject to the laws of nature; thus we experience birth, aging, illness and death.In the workings of the body, the new is constantly replacing the old.Metabolism is a form of the aggregate of action.
The aggregates are our feelings, perceptions, action and consciousness.All these undergo infinitesimal changes.So, “action” is really this subtle.Things of all colors and shapes may look very beautiful to us right now.But tomorrow, the day after or three to five days from now, when we look at the same flowers and grasses they will have already dried up and withered.The flowers change in color.This change is not something that happens five days in the future.It is happening right now.They are undergoing the aggregate of action and their petals are slowly beginning to wither and fall.
The aggregate of action in our body is the process of metabolism.
But there is one thing that is forever the same and will neither grow nor diminish.It is something that we must quickly find.This is our intrinsic Buddha-nature.
Our true, intrinsic nature will exist forever, unaffected by the aggregate of action.It is without beginning or end.All people intrinsically have this Buddha-nature.So, our wisdom must be as deep and vast as the ocean.
In addition to experiencing and realizing the truths of the aggregate of action, we must absorb these principles into our ocean of wisdom.Sakyamuni became enlightened after accumulating lifetimes and kalpas [of practice].He had to learn in every lifetime.After learning from each Buddha, he had to constantly practice to walk the Bodhisattva-path.
In the world, the aggregate of action [takes many forms].We see people of every description, of many different skin tones.They all have different ways of thinking and each person creates different kinds of karma.Their perspective and thinking change endlessly along with external conditions, thus they end up tormented by afflictions.All of this is due to the aggregate of action.
[The results of] the aggregate of action end up stored in our consciousness.We are still led by our unenlightened consciousnesses.The Six Consciousnesses discern, the seventh consciousness thinks and the eighth consciousness stores.We cannot take anything with us when we die.The Sixth Consciousnesses will not function, and whatever is in the seventh returns to the eighth consciousness.So, the eighth is the storehouse consciousness, and this is what we take with us when we die.
The mindset of the Buddha and of all Bodhisattvas is truly to use this long, long time to constantly learn and steer the ship of compassion back to this world. They observe the aggregate of action of all beings, so they have gradually realized true principles. With the ocean of our wisdom, we can unite our minds with the universe to understand the workings of the world and observe the laws of nature. This is how they are; the laws of nature fill us with suffering as we experience arising and ceasing, birth and death.
Every time someone says to me, “Master, I am old”. [I say], “This is a law of nature”. “Master, I am ill”. “This is a law of nature”. “Master, my life is…”. “This is a law of nature”. There is nothing to be done; we must understand the laws of nature. Then we can keep this in our ocean of wisdom. There is so much more we must still learn. I hope that what we learn can be added to our ocean of wisdom, taken into our minds to help us return to our intrinsic Buddha-nature. It does not arise or cease, begin or end; that is our intrinsic nature.
Contained within it are infinite meanings. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings states, “First, let fall drops of dew to immerse the dust of desire”. The human mind is truly out of balance. It is dry and arid. When the wind of ignorance blows, sand flies through the air. This is why the Buddha-Dharma is needed in this world, even if it is but one drop, those small drops of dew that fall. When these drops fall to earth, even though there is dust on the ground, once there is some moisture, once the dust is moistened by Dharma-water, naturally if the slightest wind of ignorance blows the dust will not fly about. This is what needs to happen when we learn the Buddha’s Way.
The field of our mind is very arid, so we must quickly open our hearts to receive [this Dharma-water]. Even tiny drops of dew will be of great use to us. “For as long as heaven and earth have existed, there have been natural laws. Experience and realize the true principles of the aggregate of action”. We must make an effort to realize how the aggregate of action leads us to accumulate so many afflictions that cause harm to our lives and the natural world. If we do not understand the aggregate of action and do not make good use of every moment, whenever the wind of ignorance blows, dust will fly up and obscure our way forward. Where will we go in the future? Where did we come from?
There is a story about a time when the Buddha was teaching at City of House of Kings. At the edge of the crowd, there was an old bhiksus who had dozed off, with his feet stretched out before him. The Buddha felt saddened. Then He saw, at a spot closer to Him, a child of seven or eight years, sitting properly and listening mindfully. When the Buddha saw this scene, He changed the focus of the teachings and said. “Bhiksus, do you see what is happening? Even though the elderly bhiksus is listening to the Dharma here, he is actually struggling with nagas and snakes. His mind is tangled up with them. Then consider this child. Right now he is realizing the our Noble Truths and practicing the Four Right Efforts, so this child has already fulfilled his spiritual aspirations”. This is but a very short story from the time that the Buddha was teaching; it shows how He taught according to conditions.
We must understand that for as long as heaven and earth have been here, there must be so much Dharma! We are surrounded by people who are accepting the Dharma and people who are indolent. Everyone’s state of mind is different. Some people are very earnest and take the Dharma to heart after the hear it. Some people look earnest as they listen, but their state of mind is constantly changing. Are they clinging to their afflictions, trapped in the aggregate of action? We must reflect on whether we are also the same.
The previous sutra passage states, “At that time, the Buddha told Sariputra, I did not at first talk about it, but don’t all Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, teach the Dharma by means of various causes and conditions, analogies, expressions and skillful means, all for the sake of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi?”
This was how the Buddha expounded the Dharma. The next passage states, “All of these teachings are for the sake of teaching the Bodhisattva Way. However, Sariputra, I shall now make use of analogies again in order to further clarify what I mean, for all those who are wise can attain understanding through parables”.
Looking at this text, we can clearly see that the Buddha had, in the past, taught the Dharma with analogies, skillful means and expressions. Though He was now returning to the One Vehicle, everyone’s capabilities were still on different levels. Although there were many who had already comprehended the great path because they were at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, there were still some who did not really understand He had to carefully find a way to teach this.
Sariputra, for example, entered the path through [teachings on] causes and conditions. Do you recall Sariputra came to be a part of the Sangha? It was because of Bhiksu Asvajit. He respectfully asked Bhiksu Asvajit, “what did your master teach you that gave you such a proper, dignified demeanor? Just the sight of you brings happiness.” Do you recall Bhiksu Asvajit’s response? “All things arise due to causes and conditions. The Buddha, the Great Sramana, always teaches this.”
All things in the world, and all teachings are helping to explain to us that, “All things arise due to causes and conditions.” What principles did the Buddha teach to help eliminate afflictions that have already arisen? “Causes” and “conditions” are the two words that helped him to realize this answer. So, Sariputra entered the Path through [teachings about] causes and conditions.
Sariputra entered the Path through [teachings about] causes and conditions. He realized the Buddha’s intent in teaching the Dharma among all beings. with all these various causes and conditions, analogies and expressions, the Buddha was teaching the Bodhisattva Way.
“He realized the Buddha’s intent in teaching the Dharma among all beings.”
With the teachings at the Lotus Dharma-assembly, a Sariputra gained a deeper realization of the Buddha’s of mind as well as the great principles. In His mind and His ocean of wisdom, the Buddha wants nothing more than for everyone to realize the true principles.
However, ordinary beings have limited capabilities so He has to spend a very long time using “various causes and conditions.” Through the teachings of causes and conditions, Sariputra attained realizations. But can teachings on causes and conditions along bring about understanding? Within teaching about causes and conditions the Buddha drew on analogies and other teachings. He had to teach with many parables and analogies. When speaking to the elderly,we must teach them in a way they can understand. They have already weathered the storms of life and experienced many things in this world, so we must learn all we can from them about the workings of the world. The Buddha taught according to their capabilities, knowing what they need most at this point is good health and to have a way of contemplating their lives and thus understanding what is in their future. This is what the elderly desire to know, the workings of this world and how to transcend it. This is why the Buddha took great care and drew kinds of analogies for them he used their child or daughter-in-law or their many life experiences to come up with many analogies.If He was teachings children, it would be different. So, the Buddha spoke to people of all capabilities; whether elderly, middle-aged or young, He exercised wisdom when speaking to them. To teach them the same principle, He would use different analogies. This was to teach the Bodhisattva Way. The Bodhisattva Way is about doing good deeds and eliminating unwholesome things.
Because we live in this world, ways for living in the world must be taught. Through these teachings, we realize the principles of how to liberate ourselves from afflictions. This is considered world-transcending Dharma. There is no other path; everyone must walk this Bodhisattva-path. This is the One Vehicle Dharma. To do this, we must always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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