Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Mind as a Farmer and Servant (心農與心僕)
Date: March.30. 2015
“Spiritual wealth can never be depleted. With endless joyful giving, we accumulate good karmic connections. Cultivate a great field of blessings and spread seeds of goodness. This world between heaven and earth is a shared field and house.”
This is what I want to share with everyone. Spiritual wealth is truly inexhaustible, whereas our material wealth is always limited. No matter how much we have it can still be calculated. However, worldly possessions [never truly belong to us]. When one possesses wealth, it may be depleted [by taxes] or by natural disasters of water, fire or wind, or by the people we have karmic affinities with, such as rebellious children. Thus, the tangible wealth of a family is limited, whereas people’s spiritual wealth is limitless and infinite. Spiritual wealth is love and wisdom. If we have wisdom and exercise it, there is nothing we cannot accomplish and no one who will not follow us.
As for love, if we have the kind thoughts of love, we will share them with everyone. This love can bring together everyone’s small amount of strength, so that together, we can help even more people. “One gives rise to infinity; infinity arises from one.” We often recall stories from Africa, and in particular, Mozambique and South Africa. Look at the Tzu Chi volunteers of South Africa. They went to Mozambique to help others, but before they gave aid to the people there, they exercised their wisdom. They went door to door, looking for the poorest of the poor. When they first visited these families, they had to learn to understand their attitude, their suspicions, their resistance and so on.
Out of their wisdom, the volunteers remained patient with these people. The volunteers knew their hearts had to be open and their thoughts pure. One by one, they exercised wisdom to communicate with them. From this, they created the distribution list. Then from the supply of rice that Taiwan sent to South Africa, South Africa sent a portion to Mozambique so that families there could have two bags of rice. One bag is 10 kg. The work of the South Africa Bodhisattvas did not stop there. This was just the beginning of a relationship. When they went back to Mozambique, they said, “[This time] we are not giving you tangible goods. We have something intangible. We are giving you spiritual wealth.” If they can attain spiritual wealth, they will have something that is inexhaustible. The people in Mozambique very patiently listened to what the volunteers had to say. [They listened] to each and every sentence. The story began with the origins of Tzu Chi, how small amounts were accumulated with the spirit of the bamboo bank.
As these principles were patiently explained, they listened with great care and joy. This kind of giving and receiving has already resulted in the country of Mozambique now having many [aid recipients] who became seeds of love. One by one, they have begun to grow into trees. During the following winter in Africa, we once again went to Mozambique to distribute aid. Again, we went to give them rice. This time, the local volunteers from Mozambique participated by going among the people.
Of course, someone had to take on responsibility. In this case, it was Denise Tsai. She went out with the Mozambique volunteers to learn about each and every household and to create the list of recipients.
When the list was complete, there were over 2000 families.
So, they had to conduct distributions over several days and in different areas.Those who received the rice were very orderly and those distributing the rice were respectful.It was a kind and harmonious scene.The recipients lined up neatly.
Though some of the people did not receive material goods, they did not complain, because those who did receive rice were even poorer than they were.In addition, they saw people from their country, giving with so much love and courtesy, so they took joy in that, too.
No one complained by saying, “Why did they get rice and I didn’t?”
No one made that complaint.They delighted in what they saw and heard, and thus they indirectly received spiritual wealth.
See, by “turning the Dharma-wheel,” poverty can be turned into wealth.Thus spiritual wealth is inexhaustible.South African Bodhisattvas cannot exhaust it because the love their hearts is bottomless.Not only did they take care of people in South Africa, they also went to other countries.In Swaziland and Mozambique, they did the same thing.They brought material goods to share with them.As for intangible spiritual wealth, they also passed on the Dharma to them.
See, it is inexhaustible.This is spiritual wealth.Thus “With endless joyful giving, we accumulate good karmic connections.”This is so joyful.We have also mentioned their preparations and rehearsals for the distribution and even how the rice passed through customs.
At the border, it was very difficult to get cleared by customs.Then the volunteers were immediately notified.
Once something has cleared customs, it must go to the warehouse right away.So, within one hour, almost 20 volunteers gathered together.After waiting for more than four hours, they spent two more hours moving the rice.When the rice arrived, they worked together to move all the bags and stack them neatly in the warehouse.This level of diligence and efficiency was also rarely seen in Mozambique.
They worked until almost midnight.As they worked, they happily sang songs, but no one around them grumbled.“Why are you people so noisy? It’s almost midnight, and you are still dancing and singing.”Everyone was very forgiving and took joy in what these people were doing.You see, the Dharma-wheel has been turned in that country.
Therefore, people achieved that state of happiness and joyful giving and put forth all their strength to accumulate good affinities with so many others.Not only were the givers happy, the receivers and the observers were also happy.This is how we “accumulate good karmic connections.”
Those who took joy in and praised others’ merits will also create blessings and good connections.This is how, “with endless joyful giving, we accumulate good karmic connections.”These good karmic connections will be a great field of blessings.This is a field of both compassion and blessings.Fields of blessings must be cultivated.This does not happen in just one lifetime; it takes many lifetimes.
The workings of karma are inconceivable.[People wonder] why they were born in a place that for so many generations has been impoverished.This is due to causes and conditions.In a past life, they created the circumstantial retribution for being born in this kind of country.Yet they continue to create karma, and both good and evil coexist in them.The seeds of good and evil are both found in ordinary people.No matter how terrible someone is, if we look carefully, we can find their good aspects and strong points.
Good and evil coexist in the same person.
So, these people had the karmic conditions to receive Tzu Chi’s material goods as well as intangible spiritual wealth.Then they mindfully cultivated the fields there; [in Mozambique,] they became like farmers, sowing seeds of goodness.One by one, these fields of blessings were continually cultivated in this country.
To cultivate fields of blessings, we must sow seeds of goodness.
“This world between heaven and earth is a shared field and house”. We must know that fields of blessings are inherently in everyone. Under the heavens and on top of the earth is the human realm. We simply must awaken the spiritual wealth in our hearts.
Actually, this world between heaven and earth is a shared field and house. In this world, the birthplace of Tzu Chi in Taiwan. Once the power of love was awakened in Taiwan, spiritual wealth began to unceasingly emerge. There are Taiwanese businesspeople who are also Tzu Chi volunteers. They do business in the world, but they also have spiritual wealth, so wherever they go, whichever country they do business in, they sow seeds of goodness. This world, this space between heaven and earth where we all live together, is an endless field of blessings. Wherever we live, we can cultivate this field of blessings.
If we mindfully accept this Dharma, we will have an abundance of spiritual wealth, which is inexhaustible. As we discussed earlier,
“In a certain kingdom’s city or settlement there was a great elder who was old and frail. He possessed limitless wealth and had many farmlands, houses and servants. His house was spacious and large and had only one door”.
This is an analogy for the Dharma in the world. After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, people’s hearts were afflicted. Their pure spiritual aspirations gradually weakened. Even the semblance of Dharma is now gradually deteriorating. Do you remember the large Buddhas in Afghanistan? Two very large statues of the Buddha were blown up in an instant. The Buddha-caves in these mountains were filled with carvings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. There were also stories of charitable giving from that era and so on carved within.
This was not only found in Afghanistan. There are also some I Gansu, China and may in Dunhang, as well. However, over time they have become damaged. The Buddha spoke of formation, existence, decay and disappearance. This world also goes through the eras of Right Dharma, Dharma-semblance and Dharma-degeneration. However, although [the elder] is “old and frail”, his wealth is still limitless. He had many fields and houses. Although this world goes through the era of Right Dharma, Dharma-semblance and Dharma-degeneration actually we all intrinsically have Buddha-nature. The Right Dharma will always abide in people’s hearts, therefore it is said, “He possessed limitless wealth and had many farmlands and houses”.
These fields of blessings are always in people’s hearts, as are the Buddha’s teachings. “He had many farmlands, houses and servants. His house was spacious and large and had only one door”. “Servants” means that, “in this house, there were people ready to serve others”.
“[He had] many servants: This means that, in this house, there were people ready to serve. This is an analogy for how the Buddha is replete with the understanding and views of skillful means. In a roundabout way, He suited all capabilities. Provisional wisdom is the servant of true wisdom. [Servants] are also an analogy for all the ignorance and afflictions in the minds of sentient beings.”
This large house, this great manor, must be very luxurious and grand. Within this house there must be people to take care of everything and to ensure the interior’s cleanliness.
For example, when we go to the National Palace Museum, we see many treasures collected inside. Do you know how many people work there? It takes many to look after and care for things. The same principle applies here. In such a grand house, many people are also needed to serve. They are “ready to serve others”. These are the people who work there. This is also an analogy for “the Buddha being replete with the understanding and views of skillful means”. Because of His wisdom, the Buddha came here to transform sentient beings. The Buddha’s spiritual home is abundantly full of wisdom. He wanted to transmit this wisdom to all beings, but they were unable to accept it. So, He taught according to people’s capabilities with His understanding and views of skillful means. Which type of method does it take to train which type of sentient being? What kind of Dharma does He need to teach in this era? This is the understanding and view of skillful means.
He adapted to all things in the world in order for this truth to be accepted by people. This is the understanding and view of skillful means that He was replete with. The Buddha exercised provisional wisdom.
First, He concealed His wisdom and True Dharma and made use of skillful means and provisional wisdom [instead]. “In a roundabout way, He suited all capabilities.” We could not accept these teaching directly, so He had to give them to us in roundabout way. In a very indirect manner, He delivered the Dharma to everyone. This is how, “In a roundabout way, He suited all capabilities.”
Take devices for example; we all use computers, and everyone has a cell phone in hand on the surface, they look flat. The computer screen looks flat, too. But in the computer, in the cell phones, there are wires that twist and turn, that are very tiny and intricate, which help display the information. The same principle applies here. Thus, “In a roundabout way, He suited all capabilities.”
With various methods, He taught the Dharma in a roundabout manner in order to present the Dharma in a way that everyone could understand. This is provisional wisdom.
In fact, provisional wisdom is the servant of true wisdom. True wisdom is deployed through skillful means, just like servants in a great house. This is how skillful means are used; the True Dharma is transformed into skillful means so it can be applied.
Thus it is likened to servants. Servants are also analogies for the ignorance and afflictions in our minds. The Buddha, in His wisdom, employs skillful means as His servants. Because of the ignorance in their minds, ordinary people cannot their actions; they are driven by various external factors.
Thus people become slaves to wealth or slavers to their unenlightened affections. They are driven by their feelings, and afflictions constantly cover their hearts. [Their desire for wealth] may also encourage them to create karma. In this way, people end up as servants. The house of their mind is filled with this type of servant. These servants are driven by external influences to fill us worth afflictions and driven our body and mind to create much karma. Our mind can create so much karma in this world can create so much karma in this worth. This comes from being a slave to wealth, a servant wealth or a servant to feelings.
We cannot escape desires in this world. Desire is tied to wealth, fame and power. It is also tied to our afflictions. We should not have these desires because they entangle us and confuse things. This is all considered ignorance.
Ignorance is the servant who dwells in the house of our minds. It follows the orders of the illusory appearances of this world, so it causes manmade disasters everywhere and knocks the four elements out of balance.All this happens because we are a servant to our desires. Filled with afflictions, we are driven to act in ways beyond our control.
There is so much suffering in life. In the midst of all this suffering, the earth-shattering disasters of this era of Dharma-degeneration, we must quickly bring about a world-changing awakening. Therefore, we must be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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