Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Wealth of Dharma is Limitless (本性法財無量)
Date: March.11. 2015
“Farmland can sustain life; the goodness in our hearts can nourish the great compassionate field of virtue and blessings. Houses can provide physical shelter; the state of true wisdom helps us put the Dharma into practice and develop wisdom-life. The field of our mind can sustain [wisdom-life].”
We need to understand that we must make an effort to cultivate our minds. Then we will be like farmers tending their fields. As long as they mindfully cultivate the land, the land will give rise to a bountiful harvest of crops as part of its natural cycle. If there is goodness in our minds, then every day, we must be diligent and earnest. We take the Buddha-Dharma into our minds, so that our minds can grow in wisdom, just like how the land produces a bountiful harvest. So, the Dharma can nurture our virtues. Then naturally we will see the great compassionate field of blessings. Internally, we cultivate the field of our minds. Externally, we cultivate the field of blessings. Our cultivation of these fields begins when we give rise to great compassion. When we go among people with great compassion, the Dharma we learn from them is brought back to the field in our minds, which is our nature of True Suchness.
We have this inexhaustible wealth; it is the wealth of merits and virtues, which is intrinsic to everyone. So, “Houses can provide physical shelter.” This is an analogy for the state of true wisdom. The Buddha’s state of mind in the passage we heard previously is likened to “a kingdom’s city or a settlement.” “Kingdom” is used to distinguish how the Buddha’s state of mind is rich with everything in the world; the Buddha’s ocean of enlightened wisdom is very abundant.
“City” on the other hand is the state of [Hearers], Solitary Realizers and Bodhisattvas, those who are newly-inspired and just beginning to advance. Although it is still smaller than a “kingdom,” it is bigger than a “settlement”. As for the “settlement”, it is the state of ordinary people where the beings of the Five Destinies co-exist, rising and falling [through the destinies]. People do good deeds, form aspirations and engage in spiritual practice, but when they encounter challenges, they will retreat and give rise to discursive thoughts and vexations, thereby generating more afflictions. This state of mind is like a remote village. If the people in that village do not diligently try to cultivate the land, their lives will be very tough. This reflects how, if our wisdom is limited, our minds will be very narrow and whenever we encounter anything we will be unable to understand it clearly. We will be unable to get over it or understand. This is the state of ordinary people.
This was discussed in the previous sutra passage. Now, “farmland” is also being used as an analogy for our spiritual wealth. We must diligently cultivate spiritual wealth. “Houses” are where we live. In life, where exactly do we live? We are currently living at a spiritual practice center. There are also many Tzu Chi volunteers elsewhere who consider the Jing Si Abode their home. When they go to volunteer at the hospital, they have a place to return to. They leave in the morning and return in the evening. First thing in the morning, they can also listen to and understand the Dharma. This is the place their minds can rely on and rest in.
It is analogous to “the state of true wisdom”. At the hospital, they witness the way that each patient’s illness is different, each person’s family circumstances and how each is treated by relatives is also different.When we observe worldly matters, seeing suffering helps us recognize our blessings.As we recognize our own blessings, we need to become more understanding of others.With these blessed retributions, how do we act so as to make good use of them?This depends on our wisdom, on our state of true wisdom.
In our spiritual practice, if we do not have these external conditions, we cannot establish a home in our minds for us to take refuge in.We accept the Dharma and put it into practice.This practice happens through our actions.
As long as we are Buddhist practitioners, we must be engaged in spiritual practice.When it comes to spiritual practice, there is an external component, which is to go among people.There is also an internal component, which is the state we rely upon.So, a “house” is a safe and stable refuge.
Since we have aspired to engage I spiritual practice and are sure of the direction our faith leads us in, every day, after we go among people we need to return to this spiritual home in our minds, the state of true wisdom.
We are able to see and experience external states, which helps us to understand the workings of the world and the habitual tendencies in people’s interactions.From people and matters, we can realize the true principles.
Once we understand these truths, we must advance even more diligently and put the Dharma into practice so that we can develop our wisdom-life.
Everyone at our spiritual practice center wants to help us focus on the path.Not only should we move toward the “city,” not Bodhisattva state of mind, we must practice diligently so we can reach the state of the Buddha.
We must not always limit our minds to a state like that of the “settlement”.We are all intrinsically wealthy.We have this farmland, we just need to make an effort to cultivate it.
If there is goodness in our minds, we must constantly do good deeds, benefit others and form good karmic connections.This is the state of Bodhisattvas, which is the path we have to go through to reach the state of the Buddha.
The previous sutra passage states, “Sariputra, in a certain kingdom’s city or settlement there was a great elder who was old and frail.”
The Buddha manifested in this world and dwelled here for the sake of one great cause.According to the laws of nature, He was born, then grew up and then entered middle age and old age, the same as all people in the human realm.This is also an analogy for the state of the world.When a person comes to this world if he the correct way of thinking, then with spiritual cultivation and refinement, “Wealth enriches the house, and virtues enrich the body”.This happens through earnest and hard work.
People who are rich do not need to tell us, “I am very wealthy.”This is unnecessary.When we go into their house, we can see the abundance and quality of their life.We know this just by walking in.
This also applies to virtuous people.Once we interact with them, we recognize their wealth of knowledge.Their knowledge has been accumulated over time.This is how they developed their spiritual refinement.The Buddha Himself said that.He spent countless kalpas in the presence of countless Buddhas.His [virtue] came from the spiritual practice.He engaged in over countless lifetimes.So, this took a very long time.Now, His body and mind were already at ease, so there was nothing He told not know.Thus He is an “elder,” rich in life experiences and very virtuous.
Because of His advanced age, He was physically weaker and more frail.In the end, He passed away.This is an analogy for the working of this world, [how it goes through] Right Dharma, Dharma-semblance and Dharma-degeneration.When the Right Dharma a abided in this world, the Buddha-Dharma really flourished.
Because would naturally attain realizations.They could comprehend it.In the era of Dharma-semblance, people knew that the Buddha-Dharma was wonderful, so they rushed to install Buddha-statues, paint pictures, copy sutras and so on.However, people were only focused on superficial appearances, and their diligent mindsets slowly became lax.
In the era of Dharma-degeneration, sutras and images are destroyed over time.So, in the world, people will gradually place less value on the Buddha-Dharma.
What will happen in the end?We do not want to see what will ultimately happen if this continues.Right now, if we can recognize [the importance] of the Dharma, we must quickly engage in diligent practice. We need to quickly apply it to our minds. We must clearly recognize its principles in our daily living and in the external conditions that we face. So , through our practice of the Dharma, we can unlock the nature of True Suchness with us. By doing so, we are manifesting Right Dharma in the world.
When it comes to wealth, the following sutra passage states, “He possessed limitless wealth, and had many farmlands, houses and servants. His house was spacious and large, and had only one door.”
As we have said previously, although the Buddha’s lifetime is over 2000 years removed from ours, in fact, He left the True Dharma behind for us. The everlasting Right Dharma is in people’s minds. If people’s minds can awaken, Right Dharma will be here forever. So, everybody has this kind of wealth. “He possessed limitless wealth”. This wealth will never be exhausted. If everyone can take the Right Dharma to heat, how could they possibly exhaust their wealth? “[He] had many farmlands, houses and servants”. Not noly did he have farmlands and houses, he also had many servants.
This expresses how “the wealth of Buddha-Dharma is limitless”. The Buddha-Dharma’s treasures are infinite. The Buddha taught the Dharma so that everyone could learn it mindfully. The Buddha came here for this one great cause. Therefore, “The wealth of Buddha-Dharma is limitless. All wisdom, merits ad virtues like our nature of True Suchness, are inherent”. The Buddha’s wealth of Dharma is limitless.
If we can all return to our nature of True Suchness, then indeed [we have] “wisdom, merits and virtues”. Wisdom is awakening. With awakening, our merits and virtues will lead us to ultimately return to our nature of True Suchness. We intrinsically have a nature of True Suchness, but due to a moment of delusion, we continue to experience waves of afflictions. Now we have found the way, so we need to take advantage of the Dharma and use it as a lamp to light our way and help us return to our intrinsic Tathagata-nature.
What should we use as the lamp that light our path back to our Tathagata-nature? With the Dharma, what method should we employ? The Six Paramitas will lead us back to our intrinsic nature.
“The wealth of the Buddha-Dharma is limitless. All wisdom, merits and virtues, like our nature of True Suchness, are inherent. With the Six Paramitas, we can achieve the ultimate and be dignified with tens of thousands of virtues. We can bring joy to sentient beings and relieve them of suffering. Then our merits and virtues will mature, and we will attain Buddhahood.”
The Six Paramitas, as everyone knows, are giving, upholding precepts, patience, diligence, Samadhi and wisdom. The six methods are like six lamps. They provide a bright and luminous [path] for us to return to our nature of True Suchness. After we take the Dharma to heart, we must also put it into practice. Then we can “be dignified with tens of thousands of virtues”. These help us do the things we should do. “We can bring joy to sentient beings”. How can we bring joy to sentient beings? Sentient beings are suffering. We must find a way to use methods to bring happiness so that we can relieve their suffering. After relieving them of suffering, they will feel liberated and attain the joy of being peaceful and at ease. We should first be peaceful and at ease ourselves so that we can use this approach to relieve sentient beings of their suffering and help them be peaceful and at ease.
Only then can we attain merits and virtues that help us attain Buddhahood. This is way I say that not only must we give unconditionally, we must also do so with gratitude. This is how Bodhisattvas practice the Six Paramitas in the world. The Six Paramitas can deliver us from the shore of ordinary beings to the other shore [of noble beings]. Then from the other shore we can safely return to the shore of ordinary beings, to deliver living beings to where we have been. We must the merit and virtues attained through the Six Paramitas to repeatedly deliver sentient beings to repeatedly deliver sentient beings. This is something we can all achieve. “He had many farmlands, houses and servants”. Houses are dwellings.
For example, the house of a wealthy person is usually big and its interior is decorated. Not only is its interior [richly] decorated, there are also many servants who clean the house every day, so that there is not a single speck of dust, and everything is orderly.
“This house, this dwelling, is analogous to our “fundamental consciousness”. What is our fundamental consciousness? It is the “amala consciousness”. Amala consciousness is the nature of True Suchness that I constantly tell everybody about. The nature of True Suchness is a pure and undefiled consciousness.”
When we talk about consciousness, we normally stop at the eighth consciousness. This passage talks about the ninth consciousness. The ninth consciousness only manifests at the state of Buddhahood. So, “Our original consciousness is also called the home consciousness.”
In the Sutra of Infinite Meanings, do you recall Great Magnificent Bodhisattva asking the Buddha, “Where does this sutra come from?” do you still remember this? How did the Buddha respond? “From the home in all Buddha’s hearts.” This sutra, this Dharma, comes from the Buddha’s pure intrinsic nature. He expounded principles of such wisdom to guide our way. This comes from “pure and undefiled consciousness.”
So, “Fundamental consciousness is also called home consciousness. This consciousness is the home shared by all Buddhas. “This consciousness is fundamentally the same in Buddhas and in sentient beings.”
Our fundamental consciousness is like a big house. The house of all Buddhas contains an abundance of teachings and wisdom. This consciousness, in Buddhas, is undefiled and free of contamination. In sentient beings, it is covered by afflictions.
This consciousness, in Buddhas, is called undefiled consciousness. This consciousness, in sentient beings is covered by afflictions and accumulated delusions and karma, so it is called alaya consciousness. Buddhas and sentient beings both have fundamental consciousness, and both consider this consciousness their home.
Every day I tell everyone that we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. But because we had one ignorant thought, which gave rise to the Three Subtleties we now constantly reproduce our afflictions. The karma of delusion permeates us and accumulates, layer by layer. It covers [our pure nature]. So, our consciousness becomes alaya consciousness, the eighth consciousness. The seven is the manas consciousness. Manas is our seventh consciousness. Before that are the Six Consciousness, which interact with the world around us.
Once the Six Consciousness begin to function the seventh consciousness takes them in. when the seventh consciousness [thinks], we will be led to act. The result the eighth consciousness. When the eighth consciousness is able to be complete pure, we will return [to our true nature]. After everything is filtered out and purified, we will return to the Tathagata-Consciousness.
This is way I tell everybody that we need to be diligent in our spiritual practice. If we do not make an effort to practice, we will not be able to return to our nature of True Suchness. So, we need to seize the moment because our time is [very limited]. Since we can hear the Dharma and engage in spiritual cultivation and come together at this spiritual center, we should cherish this opportunity.
Our resolve must be firm; we must not be influenced by external phenomena. For our body and mind to have a place to rest in and rely on, we must return to the home of the Tathagata. The home of all Buddhas is truly our safe, stable and joyful refuge, to return to the home of all Buddhas, we must apply the Dharma to ourselves. Therefore, in order to reach the state of true wisdom, we must put the Dharma into practice so that it can develop our wisdom-life. I hope everybody can accept and understand this. Please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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