Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Manifest Virtue through Physical Cultivation (修身顯德志純熟)
Date: April.25. 2015
“With the nourishment of cultivating our actions, we manifest virtue. Through pure practices, we establish proper demeanor. This is like an elder in the world, who is virtuous, sincere and generous, well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge and whose vows are genuine and mature.”
The quality of a person’s character depends on regular spiritual cultivation. Regular spiritual cultivation can help us to unite body, mind, vows and virtue. The vows we establish affect the actions we take. If we are consistent in thought and deed, people will naturally trust and affirm us. So, the appearances we manifest are from the nourishment of cultivating our actions.
Confucius said, “Wealth enriches the house, virtue enriches the body.” This was what Confucius said, and this was also what the Buddha taught. Our spiritual practice must be proper in order to go among people and apply the Buddha’s teachings to transform them. To transform others, we must be sincere. With sincerity and the proper mindset, we dedicate ourselves to helping others. This is like walking on a road where we encounter many people who are going in different directions. We need to find a way to make this road smooth so that everyone can walk it in safety. The ancients always said that those who build bridges and roads earn great merits. This is true; if a physical road is paved smoothly, people can walk on it safely. So, when we engage in spiritual practice among people, it is as if we are paving a road for them.
Trails are blazed by people. We must clear a very simple and pure path. Although sentient beings are very complicated, we must remain virtuous. [Our thoughts and actions] must be pure in order for us to establish our virtue. By establishing and strengthening our virtue, we will naturally develop a proper demeanor. With proper demeanor, our virtue will [permeate everything], like wind or fragrance.
So, in our spiritual practice, as we walk on this path, we must find a way to pave a road for the world. This is what we do externally. What is even more important is to pave the road in our minds, the path in our own minds. If we can pave the road in the external world, we can return to the path in our minds. To do this we must develop Bodhicitta and make Bodhi-vows. This is how the road in this world intersects with the Bodhi-path. If we are able to engage in these pure practices, we can naturally establish a proper demeanor. Schools will establish a school culture. In terms of moral character, the virtue we establish is an example to others.
So, in learning the Buddha’s Way, we cultivate the Bodhi-path internally and pave a road through this world externally. This is the humanitarian spirit. Therefore, we must engage in internal cultivation and external practice.
Thus we are like “elders,” people considered elders in the world. Elders are people who are virtuous, knowledgeable, and have a family enterprise, status and so on. They are well-established and very respectable. People like these are called “elders”. These elders are not only rich in material wealth, but also in spiritual virtue. This makes them elders in the world. Elders are virtuous, sincere and generous. To have virtue, we must be sincere and generous; we need to have spiritual refinement. Besides having internal and external wealth, most importantly, we must have wisdom. So, we must be “well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge.” We must clearly understand everything about the past, as well as the present and the future. This goes beyond ordinary knowledge; this is wisdom, which helps us become “well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge.”
Establishing very genuine and mature vows is part of our spiritual practice and our spiritual refinement.So, “With the nourishment of cultivating our actions, we manifest virtue.”As we cultivate our actions, we must be like the land that unceasingly absorbs the rain and dew, naturally producing a bountiful harvest.
As we continue to absorb the Dharma, we must take it to heart and then manifest it in our external practice.When our inner virtue is applied to our external practice, we are “manifesting virtue”.
Our spiritual practice must be pure.Whether we are walking the road in this world or the Bodhi-path, we are establishing a proper demeanor for this world so that people will feel that, “This is what I want to learn. This is the example of giving that I wish to set for others.”To do this we must have a very pure mind; only then can we set the example that people need.
When the Buddha came to this world, He was already replete with these virtues.So, when He taught sentient beings, we believed in the Dharma that He taught.We follow the Buddha in our spiritual practice and trace His footsteps.He is the role model for this world.
This is because His inner virtues were already genuine and mature and He had vowed to return to the world to carry out His one great cause.
Over this long period of time, He has never abandoned sentient beings, so He is called the “kind father of the four kinds of beings” and “guiding teacher of humans and heavenly beings”.One must have very mature vows in order to return to the world and transform sentient beings.
So, the previous passage states, “All of these teachings are for the sake of teaching the Bodhisattva Way.”
“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 clarify what I mean, for all those who are wise can attain understanding through parables.”
The Buddha did all this for the sake of teaching and transforming Bodhisattvas, teaching everyone to transform into Bodhisattvas.
Everyone has this power to give of themselves.The Buddha had this confidence in all beings.
Everyone can become a Bodhisattva.Everyone can attain Buddhahood.This is because, in all of our minds, we intrinsically have Tathagata-nature.The Buddha had this confidence in all beings.
Next, “However, Sariputra, I shall now make use of analogies again.”Truly, the Buddha had no choice but to use analogies, along with various causes and conditions and other methods to transform sentient beings.This is because; from the Buddha’s lifetime until now and from now on into the future, sentient beings continuously exist in this world.So the Buddha-Dharma must arise unceasingly.
This pure stream of water must constantly helps to purify people’s minds.
So, “The Dharma is like water that can cleanse all defilements.”
Because sentient beings will endlessly reproduce afflictions in this world, the Buddha had to apply the Buddha-Dharma in this world.
Though its source is far away, this stream is long.For a long time, the water must continue to emerge from the source and constantly flow on.This cleanses contaminants from people’s hearts.
Thus, Bodhisattvas in this world must continue to pass on the Dharma-lineage.So, the Buddha would explain again.“I shall now make use of analogies again in order to clarify what I mean.”
He said that He would use analogies once again to help us thoroughly comprehend the principles.He did this in the past, is doing it in the present and will do it in the future.Those with wisdom can naturally learn very profound principles from these analogies.
In the following sutra passage, the Buddha told Sariputra, “Sariputra, in a certain kingdom’s city or settlement, there was a great elder who was old and frail.”
Although the Buddha was talking to Sariputra, He actually wanted all of His disciples who were present to listen to Him closely.Though He called out one name, He was calling to all disciples at the assembly.So, in “a certain kingdom’s city or settlement,” the term “kingdom’s city” is an analogy for something in the human realm.
The term “kingdom’s city” refers to a major city, a big population center. In every kingdom, there would be a place that would be called the city. There might also be a “settlement”. A settlement can be a village, a town or a township. These would all be settlements. This is an area where people live together or where there are houses that people live in. these are worldly terms. Here, the Buddha began to use them as analogies.
“Kingdom” is an analogy for the magnificent true reward-land, where the reward-body of the Tathagata resides.
This mean that after attaining enlightenment, the Buddha’s state of mind is like a kingdom. The great breadth [of this kingdom] encompasses everything in the universe. It is the ocean of enlightened wisdom. So, the Buddha’s state of mind is abundant with all things within the universe. This is “the magnificent true reward-land”.
There is nothing He does not know, no Dharma He cannot comprehend. All Dharma is contained within the Buddha’s ocean of enlightened wisdom. This is the kind of state the Buddha abides in. This is like a “kingdom”. It is an analogy for the Buddha’s state of mind and the ocean of enlightened wisdom. He awakened to. This state of mind is one of such great abundance. “City” is an analogy for “the land of skillful means with remainder”.
“City: It is a metaphor and abbreviation for the land of skillful means with remainder. Two Vehicle practitioners and Bodhisattvas who have not yet realized the Dharma-body abide in this land.”
“The land of skillful means with remainder” is where Two Vehicle practitioners or those who are newly-inspired Bodhisattvas abide. Hearers learn by listening to teachings. As for Solitary Realizers though they are born in an era without a Buddha their awakened natures are more pure. By observing the cycle of the four seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter, by coming in contact with these conditions and observing all things in the world, they realize the impermanence of his world. Though they have this understanding, they remain at this stage [of spiritual practice]. These are Realizers of Conditions. They awaken by connecting to external conditions, but their state of mind is still relatively narrow. There are also some people who realize, after listening to the Buddha-Dharma, that they must aspire to walk the Bodhisattva-path. However, though they have aspired to practice the Bodhisattva-path, they have not truly awakened. They have only formed this initial aspiration. These newly-inspired Bodhisattvas have only begun to pave the road in this world in order to connect it with the Bodhi-path, but they have not completely recognized or experienced that yet. This state is like a “city”, as we engage in spiritual practice, our state of mind must slowly approach [the vastness of] a “kingdom”. This is how a populous area of a country can gradually grow closer to being the capital. The same principle applies here.
So, a “city” may be a major population center but it is not quite at the level of a real capital city. Bodhisattvas who are newly-inspired have already formed aspirations. Their state of mind and the pure state of mind of Solitary Realizers are gradually beginning to converge. As all head toward forming Great Vehicle aspirations and establishing the Four Great Vows, these states will continue to converge. This is likened to a “city”; it is one of the states of mind we develop during spiritual practice. As for “settlement”, a “settlement” is an analogy for “a land where the ordinary and noble live together”.
“Settlement: It is an analogy for a land where the ordinary and noble live together, such as the Saha World. It is a land where noble beings live together with ordinary people and for the sake of transforming sentient beings, teach according to capacities. This is the term for a land where the ordinary and noble dwell together.”
This is like the Saha World. The world we currently live in is the Saha World. The Saha World, as we all know, is the world of patient endurance. The Saha World is where the beings of the Five Destinies co-exist, but in this place where they all coexist, ordinary and noble beings are living together. “Ordinary” refers to the Six Unenlightened Realms, “noble” to the Four Noble Realms. The Four Noble Realms are Hearers, Solitary Realizers, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas. They all dwell together in this place.
The Six Unenlightened Realms refer to the heaven, human, asura, hell, hungry ghost and animal realms. There are the Six Unenlightened Realms, and these are unenlightened beings. Actually, we are able to see the Six Unenlightened Realms in this world. The Four Noble Realms can also be experienced in this world.
The Buddha appeared here He was born here, engaged in spiritual practice here, attained enlightenment here. So, the Buddha also lived in this world. Therefore, this world, the Saha World, is “where the ordinary and noble dwell together.” “The beings of the Five Destinies coexist here.”
The Five Destinies are the hell, hungry ghost, animal, human and heaven destinies; things are complicated in this world of patient endurance, but in this world where suffering must be endured, sages and noble beings must come forth in order to teach. So, this is where “ordinary and noble beings dwell together.” This is the Saha World. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, for the sake of transforming sentient beings, must come to this world.
For instance, oftentimes, if we feel afflicted or nervous, or when we encounter difficulties, we immediately chant “Guanyin Bodhisattva.” “Guanyin Bodhisattva of great loving-kindness and compassion.” The name “Guanyin Bodhisattva” is firmly in the minds of Buddhist practitioners. Everyone relies on Guanyin Bodhisattva’s great loving-kindness and compassion. Actually, when we call out to Guanyin Bodhisattva, we are calling on the Guanyin Bodhisattva within us. So, we constantly say that everyone is Guanyin, everyone is a Bodhisattva. It is just that the minds of ordinary people are not fully unified with the mind of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Everyone intrinsically has Buddha-nature, to say nothing of an intrinsic Guanyin Bodhisattva.
As we return to our nature of True Suchness, during this process, we must strive to realize the state of unconditional kindness and universal compassion. If we encounter any difficulties, we can quickly chant to Guanyin Bodhisattva. Then we will know that with unconditional kindness and universal compassion, once we open up our minds, what difficulties could we possibly face? By broadening our road, it becomes the Bodhisattva-path. Therefore, this Bodhisattva-path in the world can encompass all sentient beings. In order to transform all sentient beings the Buddha taught according to conditions and according to capabilities. When working with other people, whatever the mental difficulties they face, we can use the appropriate teaching to treat them.
Whatever the hardship, we prescribe the specific medicine they need. Whatever emergencies they encounter, we need to use the appropriate means to rescue them with our concerted effort. These teachings have to be appropriate for the current times and people’s capacities. This is how noble beings give their teachings when among the beings of the Five Destines. So, this is the place “where the ordinary and the noble dwell together.”
So, a “kingdom’s city” or a “settlement” are both simple and straightforward terms which actually contain profound principles. Ordinary beings and nobles dwell together. For noble beings to transform sentient beings, they must come here. It is said that Bodhisattvas arise because of suffering beings. All Buddhas come to the Saha World to deliver sentient beings. Thus the ordinary and noble dwell together. Both are in this Saha World.
In learning the Buddha’s Way, we must be mindful and form Great Vehicle aspirations. We must diligently progress on the great Bodhi-path instead of remaining in the villages. We must learn to freely travel back and forth. So, everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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