Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Enabling Sentient Beings to Reach Stability (欲令眾生得安穩)
Date: April.14. 2015
“The Buddha could not bear for sentient beings to suffer while He had attained freedom, peace and joy. Not being swayed by the violent winds of the Four Inverted Views is what we call stability. When they develop more wholesome thoughts, they can be freed of suffering and attain joy. The [Dharma-]children who accept the Dharma via the Three Vehicles are awakened sentient beings who share the Buddha’s burden.”
The Buddha “could not bear to sentient beings to suffer while He had attained freedom, peace and joy.” Because sentient beings were suffering, the Buddha could not [simply do nothing]. The Buddha Himself had already transcended all suffering in this world. Many ages ago, He had attained enlightenment. But for the sake of sentient beings, He adapted to [their needs] and repeatedly steered the ship of compassion back to the human realm. While in this world, He also went through birth, aging, illness and death. He used His physical manifestations as teachings, all for the purpose of demonstrating and helping sentient beings understand that amidst suffering, they can freed from one kind, the afflictions of cyclic existence. The Buddha did not have to come to the world. He came to this world for our sake. This is because He could not bear to let us suffer while He had attained freedom and the joy of safely and stability. Because of this sense of compassion, the Buddha returned to this world.
“Not being swayed by the violent winds of the Four Inverted Views” is what we call “stability”. Because we sentient beings have confused and inverted views, we have stirred up violent winds. So, we do not feel at peace. What causes our confusion? “Permanence, joy, self and purity.” We unenlightened beings regard impermanence as permanence. Is there anything in this world that is permanent? Nothing in the realm of physical existence lasts forever. Just by observing our bodies, we can learn this. A few years ago, your hair was black. When did your hair turn white? Look at the nails you cut just a few days ago. How did they get to be long again? We have no idea. This is all impermanence, a constant process of infinitesimal changes.
This applies to the human body, and in the entire realm of physical existence, is there anything that is not impermanent? Ordinary people believe there is “permanence,” so they try to possess and greedily cling to things, thus creating various kinds of karma. This is the result of regarding “impermanence” as “permanence”. Although the world is actually full of suffering, we regard it as joyful. We ordinary people are not able to experience the truth of these states because we cling to the Four Inverted Views,
“clinging to what is impermanent as permanent, clinging to what is not joyful as joyful, clinging to a non-existent self as self and clinging to what is impure as pure.”
These are four kinds of confusion. The Four Inverted Views create violent winds of ignorance in our minds. When these kinds of violent winds are blowing, how can we find any stability?
Once a thought stirs and gives rise to greed, anger and delusion, we will not be able to find any stability. Therefore, we must “[not be] swayed by the violent winds of the Four Inverted Views.” We must not let the Four Inverted Views’ violent winds, that ignorance, disturb or trouble us. If we can avoid that, our minds will be stable. This is why we must eliminate the Four Inverted Views and return to an awakened state of permanence, joy, self and purity. We must return to our everlasting intrinsic nature of True Suchness, to a state where afflictions will not trouble our bodies and minds. We must return to our intrinsic nature, to the greater self where we are one with the universe. By awakening our wisdom-life and our true nature, we will return to our ocean of enlightened wisdom and be able to comprehend everything.By returning to this pure, undefiled and tranquil state, we will have stability.
“They develop more wholesome thoughts.”If we do not allow the Four Inverted Views to disturb us, we can naturally do good deeds, benefit others and form good karmic connections.We can go among people and truly give of ourselves for their benefit.“When they develop more wholesome thoughts, they can be freed of suffering and attain joy.”
We can enable all sentient beings to be like us.If we are not swayed by the Four Inverted Views, we have a sense of stability and freedom.Once we have this experience, we can share it with others so that they can be freed from their suffering and attain joy.
When they are free from the suffering of afflictions and discursive thoughts, they can accept the cycle of birth, aging, illness and death.The suffering of not getting what they want, meeting those they hate and so on, the suffering of the raging Five Aggregates, can all be completely eliminated.This is how they are able to be “freed of suffering and attain joy”.
So, “The Dharma-children who accept the Dharma via the Three Vehicles are awakened sentient beings who share the Buddha’s burden”.The Three Vehicle [practitioners] are those who have already heard the Buddha-Dharma.Even if you have just begun to learn, you must accept it mindfully.
If you already understand the Buddha-Dharma, that “all things are created by the mind,” then take good care of your minds and avoid stirring up the kind of trouble that gives rise to afflictions and attachments.Only by taking good care of our minds can we advance further along the Bodhi-path.
Awakened sentient beings awaken both themselves and others.
They go among people to transform sentient beings.If we do this, we are sharing the burden of the Buddha.The Buddha came to this world for one great cause and worked hard for the sole purpose of helping everyone realize and awaken [to the Dharma] so they can then go among and transform others by turning the Dharma-wheel for them.This was the Buddha’s hope, but [for this to happen], all of us must seize every moment.
If we do not faithfully accept the Dharma right now, what moment are we waiting for?During the Buddha’s lifetime,.He was once in the kingdom of Magaha, A young bhiksu who had just left the lay life went on a long journey to find the Buddha and to ask Him for teachings.
He had a great distance to travel, and while he progressed on his journey, he became malnourished.Nevertheless, he single-mindedly forged ahead, just so he could listen to the Dharma directly from the Buddha.However, just before reaching the city, right on its outskirts, this young bhiksu collapsed from illness.The news of this reached the bhiksus who attended the Buddha so they quickly returned to their abode and asked the Buddha to go to see this young man.
That very day, at dusk, He left the city and went to the place where visiting monastics stayed.When he arrived, He found the young bhiksu in a serious condition.When the young bhiksu heard that the Buddha had come to see him, he made a great effort to get up and struggled to raise himself.The Buddha quickly stopped him, and said, “Please stay still, you do not need to move.”
These words really touched the young bhiksu.The Buddha asked him, “How do you feel right now? Can you endure the pain?”The young bhiksu repined, “The pain is getting worse day by day. It is very nearly unbearable.”
The Buddha then asked him, “Do you have any regrets?”The young bhiksu answered, “Yet, Venerable One, I do have some regrets.”The Buddha asked, “What are your regrets?”He replied, “At a young age, after I first heard the Buddha-Dharma, I decided to become a monastic. But, I was so far away from You. I wholeheartedly resolved to make this long journey to come into Your presence to hear You teach, to heart the Dharma in person and take it to heart. But, even though I am still so young before I was able to heart the Buddha-Dharma, my poor health has caused me to stop here.So, I am really upset”.
The Buddha said, “Come now; stop worrying. Let me ask you, when you see the world with your eyes, as your eyes connect with the world, doesn’t this gives rise to eye-consciousness? ”
“Yet, Venerable Buddha. When the sense organ of my eye comes in contact with external conditions, the ‘forms’ around me enter my mind”.
The Buddha said, “If you did not have eyes, wouldn’t you be isolated from the ‘forms’ around you? Yes! Without my eyes, I would be isolated from the world around me”.
The Buddha said, “If you have eyes, but no eye-consciousness, could you still discern external phenomena?” “True, Venerable Buddha, with eyes but no eye-consciousness, I could not connect with external phenomena”.
The Buddha said, “That is correct. If you have no eyes and cannot connect with external phenomena, you will not give rise to afflictions. When your eyes come in contact with external sense objects, these various shapes and colors are all taken into your eye-consciousness, disturbing your mind.
Actually, this does not just apply to your eye-consciousness. Your ears, nose, tongue and body are all sense organs that connect with external sense objects. This is what gives rise to feeling, perception, action and consciousness. Do you understand this principle?”
The young bhiksu appeared to suddenly realize all of this. “Yes, Venerable Buddha, I understand. Because my eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body have connected with external phenomena, I have taken them into my mind. My mind then stirs my Consciousnesses. Thus I create the karmic causes and conditions for various afflictions. This comes from the Five Sense Organs, Five Sense Objects and Five Consciousnesses. This is what has caused me to give rise to confusion, turmoil and afflictions.
The Buddha smiled and said to the bhiksu, “Please rest assured. You already understand.” The bhiksu gave Him a knowing smile in return and then the Buddha left. The bhiksu watched the Buddha leave, then he closed his eyes and passed away.
The news of this was then passed on to the Buddha’s abode. The bhiksus came to the Buddha and said, “Venerable Buddha, that young bhiksu died soon after You left him. But we heard that it was a peaceful death.”
The Buddha said, “Indeed, he was already in a tranquil and still state. He was a wise person with sharp capabilities.” Do we also have sharp capabilities like this young monk? The Buddha’s Three Vehicle disciples can be divided into those with great, average and limited capabilities. [This young bhiksu] had the causes and conditions to encounter the Buddha-Dharma. However, other beings of the Five Destinies may not be so fortunate.
Whether in the heaven, human, hell, hungry ghost or animal realm, does everyone have the causes and conditions to encounter the Buddha-Dharma? Not necessarily. However, “the 30 sons” have already drawn near to the Buddha-Dharma. Even if we draw near to the Buddha-Dharma, are we able to accept it with great capabilities? If we are only Hearers, we only listen to but are unable to realize [the Dharma]. This means we still have limited capabilities.
The elder who was living inside the burning house of the Three Realms was already aware of the fire arising from all four sides. So, he was shocked and afraid.
“The elder’s sons, 10, 20, even 30 of them were still in the house. The elder, seeing the fire arise from all four sides, was greatly shocked and afraid and had the following thought. Although I can, through this burning doorway, escape to safety…”
The passage continues with, “He had the following thought”. The elder is [an analogy for] the Buddha. The thought in his mind was, “Although I can, through this burning doorway escape to safety…” this is what the elder thought. When he saw the fire burning, he was actually already in a safe place outside. Even before the fire had started, the elder was already outside the house. But when he saw the fire burning the house, and witnessed sentient beings’ suffering, this elder felt compassion.
Seeing people who were unable to accept the teachings and did not know to promptly escape made him very concerned. He himself had already escaped from the house. However, he was very concerned about the many sentient beings who were still inside. He had already left through the door of the house, so he was in a safe and stable place. This safe, stable and joyful refuge is the royal home of the Buddha.
The elder saw the fire consuming the house, but he had already safely escaped from the door of the burning house and reached a safe and stable place.
In the vast universe, the Buddha’s mind has completely transcended everything in the realm of physical existence. But with His enlightened wisdom, He could not bear [for sentient beings to suffer].With his compassion, the elder saw that his children and relatives remained inside the great house. No matter what , the Buddha is still the guiding teacher of the Three Realms. He is still concerned about the sentient beings in this house.
He saw that the children were still inside, attached to having a good time. Clearly, a fire was burning, but the children were still playing. “Suffering was pressing in on them, but they did not know to escape, so they would suffer being scorched by fire.” As this was the case, great compassion arose in the Buddha’s heart. Thus the Tathagata, with compassion and wisdom, examined how sentient beings were pressured by the Five Turbidities and the Eight Sufferings, as if they were about to be consumed by fire, yet they still lingered and did not try to leave. The Buddha is like a father who saw that his sons were still lingering [in the burning house].They were still indulging in playing games. He could not bear to [abandon them] so He looked for ways to save them. He devised methods to bring them out and save them one by one. So, we need to clearly understand that the Buddha had already attained the ultimate state and abided in the tranquil land of calm illumination. He had already attained and entered Nirvana. Since He could be peaceful and free without beings troubled by any afflictions, He did not feel shock or fear.
Though the Buddha was in [the ultimate] state, He still felt shock and fear on behalf of sentient beings because the goodness in them was constantly diminishing and the evil in them was constantly growing. This created the shock, fear and worries in the Great Enlightened One. As for His own state, He was already peaceful and free.
But, “the Buddha suffered when sentient beings suffered and was joyful when sentient beings were happy.”When He sees sentient beings happy, He is joyful. When He sees sentient beings suffer, He is sad.
Therefore, the Buddha is the guiding teacher of the Three Realms and the kind father or the four kinds of beings. He is a father with great compassion. He is analogous to “the elder who felt shock and fear for his children.”It was for their sake that he felt shock and fear. This shows the great compassion of the elder. Everyone, as Buddhist practitioners, we need to truly realize what is in the Buddha’s heart. The Buddha taught with various methods to help us understand that everything is impermanent, and that everything is suffering, has an empty nature and has no-self. Trough various methods and skillful means, He taught each person, one by one, so they could ultimately return to the true principle of ultimate reality which is that everyone can attain Buddhahood and return to their intrinsic Tathagata-nature. We should all realize this. So everyone, please always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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