Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Cultivate Virtue so Dharma Remains in the World (勤修德業令法住世)
Date: March.26. 2015
“Worldly treasures and wealth [never truly belong to us]. Farmlands and houses flourish and decay, arise and cease and are never permanent. There is no safety in the Three Realms, here we are like foolish children playing with fire. Only world-transcending truths [learned] over many lifetimes can lead to Bodhi.”
Everyone, to learn the Buddha’s Way, we must truly see all things in the world clearly. We are born into the human realm, but for what purpose were we born here? People in the world are in a state of delusion. They believe that being able to attain many riches is considered a blessing. But is this really true? “Worldly treasures and wealth [never truly belong to us].” This is what the Buddha said. Indeed, worldly treasures and wealth belong to kings, thieves, water, fire and unfilial children. Therefore, [they never truly belong to us]. Why do these five groups include kings and thieves? This happens when a kingdom becomes unstable. If certain thoughts arise in a country’s leader, this can destabilize the entire country. Or, if the kingdom is not administered well, not only may there be heavy taxes, but there may also be many corrupt officials. Thieves also own part of it. Thieves include pickpockets, bandits, robbers and so on. Indeed, people worry a lot about robbers and are very afraid of them. Why else would everyone build such solid walls? They are protecting themselves from thieves. Robbers may steal, raid or grab another’s wealth, thus the rich do not feel at ease. Fire is even more worrisome. In the event of a fire breaking out, the flames are heartless; once it starts, it burns until nothing is left. Water, too, is heartless.
We have often seen in the international news that when it starts to rain, sometimes with this sudden rain, or with a torrential downpour, the heavy rain can instantly cause floods to occur. Half a story, a whole story, maybe two, the water just keeps rising. Water and fire are heartless indeed. Also worrisome are poorly-behaved children. These are rebellious children. These kinds of children can cause many problems for their families. How many stories like this have we heard? When we open up the newspaper, we see this kind of story every day. Do you think that rich people are fortunate? Not necessarily. There are taxed, corrupt officials, robbers, thieves, [disaster of] water, fire and so on.
All of these worry them. Life is impermanent. We must understand that nothing in this world [will last]. I recall 20 or 30 years ago, I would often visit a certain care recipient. He was a middle-aged man in the Shoufeng. The place he lived in was very run down and he would always complain that he was suffering and that his health was poor. His entire body was swollen with excess fluids, and he would always go out to beg. It seems his life was very difficult. We helped him by giving him rich every months, along with some living expenses. We told him, “Go see a doctor.” He also came to our free clinic to get some medicine. The doctor diagnosed him and told him, “You have high blood pressure and diabetes. You need to undergo dialysis for your kidneys.” Though given this advice, he refused to undergo treatment and kept going out to panhandle.
One day, he was seen crying. When his neighbors asked, “What happened?” he said, “Look, outside my house, someone has dug a big hole. To tell you the truth, there were five jars of money down there.”When I was young, the house my father and grandfather left to me was burned down. I took the money out of the bank but could never bring myself to spend it, thinking I would save it for when I was older. So, I put it in jars and buried it in the ground.” People around him felt helpless and shared this news with us.“That man really has nothing at all now. He had lots of money before, while you were helping him, but now he rally has nothing.”
When we went to see him again, he was still crying.
When we asked what was wrong, he told us the same thing that he had told them, that he had been saving it for when he was older and needed it more.“But you have been terribly ill, haven’t you needed it? I thought maybe I could be a little and accumulate more money. Then when I was no longer able to beg…”This is an illness of the mind.
He did not merely have a physical illness.After further review with the doctor, the doctor said, “Master, he is not only physically ill, he is also mentally ill.”I thought about it and could see that indeed, this was illness of the mind.
I think about him when I read the saying, “Worldly treasures and wealth [never truly belong to us].”
Some people try to guard their wealth.This man suffered so much just to make money, wanting just a little more.Look at the kind of life he led.For the sake of that bit of money, he developed the problematic mentality of being enslaved to wealth.He kept begging and disregarded his health.Isn’t this a deluded way of living?
When you look at the disasters around the world, it seems that many countries are not at peace.Syrian refugees have fled in all directions, some of them to Jordan.For their sake we shipped many containers of winter clothing from Taiwan for volunteers to distribute.
Mr. Chen, one of our volunteers in Jordan, alone with a local volunteer, had to work with the people in charge of the refugee camps to discuss how the distribution would be carried out.
At noon, they went to a restaurant to have lunch.When they entered the restaurant and were about to eat, one of the workers at the restaurant, who was a Syrian refugee, pointed at our group and voiced his anger, “Chinese people, they do this and that.”He was very fierce and kept yelling at them.
Mr. Chen then explained to him, “We are from Taiwan. We are here in the refugee camp, because with these could temperatures, we want to provide them with winter clothing. We are here today to discuss how the distribution might proceed.”
That man then said, “I apologize, I didn’t know that you are not from China, but have come from Taiwan. I know about your organization, Tzu Chi. Let me tell you about people who are even worse off than the refugees. They are the people in the refugee hospitals.”He began to talk about several individuals who had been wounded while fleeing their country.He told us of many individuals.
Our volunteers saw for themselves that the medical stations at eh refugee camps could not take in any more [patients].Because the hospitals were also full, elsewhere in the settlements, many houses were provided for the sick and wounded to stay in.
Our volunteers went to see this for themselves.They heard so many miserable stories, they could not recount them all.These people had once lived peacefully in their own country.Their society was harmonious, and they lived and worked happily.
They had very blessed lives, but their country became unstable.The mindset of a few people resulted in the destruction of the homes of hundreds of thousands of people.
The people were forced to flee and many were killed; truly this is unbearable suffering.In our lives, do we really need to work so hard to satisfy our desire for personal gain?Must we go to such lengths to hoard our wealth?
It is said that worldly treasures and wealth [never truly belong to us].“Farmlands and houses flourish and decay.”Everything tangible in this world arises and ceases and is not permanent.It will not last forever.
So, in the Three Realms, there is no safety, no everlasting peace.There are many examples of impermanence, suffering and emptiness.Why is there so much suffering in the Three Realms?Because there are many foolish people who are like ignorant children playing with fire.
In playing with fire, the instant they are careless the Three Realms become like a burning house; the desire realm and form realm are filled with unbearable suffering. Only “world-transcending truths”, the principles for transcending the world, [learned] over lifetimes, can truly lead to Bodhi. Lifetime after lifetime, we give rise to Bodhisattva and walk the Bodhisattva-path. Then we can help calm the ignorance and afflictions in people’s minds and transform sentient beings. Only when everyone understands the principles will there be peace in the Three Realms; only then can this big house be safe. When there is peace in the world, when the four elements are in balance and when all countries and their people are safe, we will truly be in a pure land on earth.
Yesterday, we discussed “in a certain kingdom’s city or settlement”. A “kingdom” is very vast and expansive, just like the Buddha’s state of mind. After He understood the truths of the universe, His wisdom and enlightenment was like an ocean. All principles were contained in His ocean of abundant wisdom; His wisdom was as vast as an ocean. Similarly, His wealth was like that of a very prosperous country.
A “city” can be the major city in a province or the capital city. A “settlement” is like a town or village. This is an analogy for the Buddha’s great wisdom as compared to the wisdom of Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas, or to the state of mind of ordinary people. This is what we analyzed yesterday.
Clearly, we are still like a village or a house. The scope of our understanding is limited, so we must learn from the Buddha’s understanding of true principles in the universe to better realize and understand them. It is rare to be born human and to hear the Buddha-Dharma, so we must open up our minds and not only focus on material wealth and the desire for material things or tangible affections. Limited affection and love will trouble our minds. The desires of our mind, such as the striving for power and profit, will cause turmoil and danger in the world. All this is created by the minds of human beings. If we do not thoroughly understand principles, we will stir up a fire that will burn us and burn and destroy everything in this land. Therefore, we must truly be mindful.
“Sariputra, in a certain kingdom’s city or settlement, there was a great elder who was old and frail. He possessed limitless wealth.”
Next, we will discuss how “There was a great elder who was old and frail. He possessed limitless wealth”.
There was a great elder who was already advanced in age. His body had already become frail. What kind of person is considered an “elder”? Someone who is accomplished is considered an elder. Older people are also referred to as elders. These who are spiritually refined are also called elders.
“Elder: One who is virtuous and accomplished. With noble character and sterling integrity, his renown and status are well-deserved”.
So, the label “elder” is applied to someone who is virtuous and mature in all respects. His virtue is his noble character and sterling integrity. His mind is very pure. Not only does he have many years behind him, he has also accumulated much wisdom. He has wealth as well. This is a man of character. Upon hearing his name, everyone has a sense of respect. His status is also well-deserved. This is what makes an elder. With advancing age, the body becomes frail; this is a law of nature.
But this is also an analogy for the Dharma. Sakyamuni Buddha lived for 80 years. After He entered Parinirvana, the era of Right Dharma lasted for 500 years. The next 1000 years was the era of Dharma-semblance. It was followed by the era of Dharma-degeneration.
“Advanced in years, he was old and frail. Similarly, the Dharma that abides in the world become frail over the eras of Right Dharma, Dharma-semblance and Dharma-degeneration.”
During the Buddha’s time in the world and after He entered Parinirvana, for several hundred years the Buddha-Dharma flourished. People cultivated proper spiritual practice. However, this era was short. Next, people created images, stupas and temples. However, the pure and virtuous minds of spiritual practitioners gradually weakened. Spiritual practitioners came to be more like ordinary people in the world. They began to pursue fame and personal gain and gradually began to indulge in pleasures and so on. They ceased to uphold precepts.
Even though they engaged in spiritual practice, their minds were filled with afflictions. In this way, the Dharma decayed from the era of Dharma-semblance to that of Dharma-degeneration. This is like getting old and frail.
The Buddha-Dharma is so wonderful. Why can’t Right Dharma forever abide in the world? Because of the human mind. During the Buddha’s lifetime, the Buddha-Dharma flourished, because everyone recognized this as the Right Dharma. But after the Buddha entered Parinirvana, “The lion’s parasites eat the lion’s flesh.” Gradually, after the Buddha entered Parinirvana, the will of spiritual practitioners to engaged in spiritual cultivation gradually faded.
In India, there were many other religions. With the decline of the Buddha- Dharma, other religious teachings flourished again. So, now it is rare to find the Buddha-Dharma there. Kumarajiva, Dharmaraksa, Matanga and others, as well as several monks from Kucha, brought the Dharma to China. This process was filled with hardship.
During the Tang Dynasty, the Buddha-Dharma began to flourish in China. Master Xuan Zang and other traveled to India to seek and bring back the sutras. There were many virtuous layproplr who also went to bring the sutras back to China. So, the Buddha-Dharma began to flourish in China.This is how we now have so much Dharma to study.
But this Dharma was not the same as it was in the era of Right Dharma. With old age, the body becomes frail. This is analogous to the Buddha-Dharma.
Even though the elder had unlimited wealth, as he aged he still experienced physical decline and frailty. The Buddha-Dharma also degenerated in this way.
Yet, we are still quite fortunate that we still have sutras that we can read and study. If we can experience everything mindfully, then Right Dharma is still in the world. So, the virtues of an elder are both internal and external. Internally, the virtue of wisdom leads to compassionate vows. He made great vows to transform sentient beings and set an example.
The elder’s virtues are both internal and external. Internally, the virtue of wisdom leads to compassionate vows. He made great vows to transform sentient beings and set an example. Externally, he had an abundance of material wealth. Advanced in years, he had extensive knowledge of the past and present.
“Virtue of wisdom leads to compassionate vows.” This virtue, this wisdom, is intrinsic to all of us. It awakens our hearts so that we cannot bear to let sentient beings suffer. “We vow to deliver countless sentient beings.” if we can put the Four Great Vows into practice, then we have internal, or spiritual wealth. This is the virtue of an elder.
What about external wealth? “An abundance of material wealth” means having many riches. If we awaken the love in every person’s heart and help everyone understand the principles, then we will contribute our external wealth as we gain internal wealth. We can give away our external wealth. This happens out of love. Giving out of love will bring us virtue and wisdom. By doing this, we are consistent inside and out. This is our virtue. So, we have internal and external virtue, as long as we can always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
首頁 
