Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: Instilling a Sense of Urgency in Deluded Children (諸子迷思怖畏告急)
Date: April.21. 2015
“The Buddha felt great compassion for those in the great house. The way that a father looks at his sons is the way He looks at His Dharma-children. A father cannot bear for his sons to remain in a burning house, but his sons are so deluded in their thinking they do not seek to escape. With a sense of great urgency, this kind father wants to save them. With provisional and wondrous Dharma, He tenderly cares for and guards His sons.”
The Buddha feels great urgency. His compassion is like that of a father for his sons. This kind father cares deeply about His children. If there is a great house filled with children, and these children do not behave and listen to the teachings, their father will be very concerned. The father’s compassion extends to everyone in this great house, an analogy [for the Three Realms]. It encompasses all of his sons and family members; he feels compassion for all of them. He cares for all people in all places. Everyone in this house is in his thoughts and under his protection. His heart is like that of the Buddha. The Buddha’s heart is like that of the father. The loving way a father views his child is the way the Buddha views His disciples, those related to Him by the Dharma-essence.
The essence of the Dharma [is like bone marrow]. Consider our bone marrow donor registry. Some people have certain kinds of diseases. These diseases occur because the human body cannot be lacking in the ability produce red blood cells. If we lose this function, then we have a disease. For instance, some people get leukemia. Modern medical technology has reached the point that if we are able to find the right match, we can transplant one person’s hematopoietic stem cells into the patient. However, finding a match is not that easy. We may have to go through hundreds of thousands of people before we find a match. This match is extremely hard to find. However, even though the likelihood of finding a match is so slim, we have the technology and are dedicated to saving lives. Since we have the technology to do this, we must make use of it.
Even though it takes a lot of material wealth, it gives us a chance to physically save someone’s life. This is possible when intangible true principles can be made manifest as tangible [technology]. But to operate the conditioned phenomena of technology, we need our technical skills, wisdom and scientific knowledge. By manifesting these in a tangible way, we can employ many factors to safeguard people’s lives. Therefore, we have established Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center. We also need many people to persuade donors. Once a patient’s match is found in the registry, we need to find this person. Is this person still healthy? Is this person still living at the address on record? Some people joined the registry 10 to 20 years ago, so they may have moved abroad or somewhere else in this country. We may have to work hard to find the person. Is this person still willing? If this persons is willing to donate, how does the family feel? The answer may be no. Then what should we do? We must put our hearts into persuading them. When the family members are at peace with it, and the donor is willing to donate, then we can promptly help them to accomplish this virtuous deed. This is how a bone marrow transplant happens.
See,for all kinds of tangible phenomena to be abie to converge and take shape,they must arise from what is intangible,the unconditioned Dharma.The principles matter and of life and so on have allways existed in this world. These principles are not visible
but they have always existed.The Buddha ’ s wisdom [can be seen from] how in ancient times,people did not have the technical skills and instruments we have now,yet the Buddha,in His wisdom,had already said, “Head,eyes,marrow and brain were all given to others.”
This is the compassion of the Buddha. The Buddha greatly values the lives of allsentient being in the world.He has the wisdom to thoroughly understand the composition of life.
So, “The Buddha felt great composition for those in the great house.”This mean that the The Buddha,as the Great Enlightened One of the Universe,has a great ocean enlightened compositio.There is nothing He does not know,no principle He does not understand.
Therefore,over 2000 years ago,He already knew about these subtle and intricate workings of the body.He had already stated these principles.Now,over 2000 year later,from these principles,many have been able to investigate the biological principles of what the body needs in order to function and the ways of treating different illnesses.Currently,in the registry there are many people of different ethnicities.Whether their skin color is black,white,red or yellow,regardless of what ethnic group they belong to,through this bone marrow registry we can find information on their hematopoietic stem cells.Then we are able to assess if they are a match that can save a life. As long as we have the will, we can definitely find a way to save someone. This is like a compassionate father. [All his children] are in the same household, a large and prosperous household. This prosperous household is referring to the perfect teachings of the Dharma. The spiritual home of His mind is replete with wisdom and compassion. When this father of great wisdom sees his children sick with illness, he cannot bear it.
Some children have an illness of the mind. Some children have an illness of the body. Illnesses of the body can be treated with a bone marrow transplant or can be treated with medicine. But what about illnesses of the mind?
Due to illnesses of the mind, there are some people in society who do not follow principles, do not respect family relationships or lack the moral values of being a good person.Therefore, they commit wrongdoings. This is due to their minds.
Some clearly know they are violating the law but still commit the offences on purpose, some stubbornly cling to their perspectives, their thinking and their religious views, which constantly causes problems. They may hold improper thoughts and views or follow improper teachings and so on. These are all attachments.
Some people choose not to believe in the karmic law of cause and effect. They refuse to believe it. In this way, they have become derailed from their path in the human realm. There are many kinds of derailed mindsets.
Sometimes it is due to ignorance. Sometimes it is intentional. Sometimes it is a bias toward improper teachings. Going astray is like playing with fire. They already know it is against the law and will damage their morals and ethics. However, they still commit the offenses. This is something the Buddha could not control.
The Buddha comes to the world for one great cause. He only has one goal, like a kind father in a family who only hopes his children will listen to him and follow an ethical and moral path.
Sadly, these children just do whatever they want. “A father cannot bear for his sons to remain in a burning house, but his sons are so deluded in their thinking they do not seek to escape.” Once we know something is wrong, we must immediately leave the situation. Once we know this place is dangerous, we must quickly relocate to a safe place.
Unfortunately, people are unwilling to learn, or they learn the Dharma but do not accept and practice the teachings. Thus, they are still sentient beings with deluded thinking. Therefore, “With a sense of great urgency, this kind father wants to save them”. The Buddha could not bear to give up on them. He is just like a kind father who, no matter how terrible the children are, is still unwilling to abandon them.
So, He had to quickly think of ways to help them. If this Dharma has no effect on us, He will try other ways to transform us. This is the Buddha’s heart, a heart of great compassion. “With provisional and wondrous Dharma, He tenderly cares for and guards His sons”. How does the Dharma need to be taught in order for us to accept it? It is important to find the [right] methods. So, the Buddha had to work very hard.
He has already left the burning house of the Three Realms, and was able to realize the true principles of all things in the universe. But He still had to exercise His ocean of enlightened compassion to come and save sentient beings. Unfortunately, most sentient beings are unwilling to learn. Even people who wish to learn and practice the Buddha-Dharma, those who listen to teachings, still cling to their delusions and do not awaken.
Therefore, the Buddha shared His wisdom in this world to teach everyone how to transcend this foolishness and enter the door of wisdom. The previous sutra passage states, “[The elder] further reflected”.
The fire had arisen on all four sides, but some children were still playing games inside. They did not yet realize the fire would burn them. They still did not understand or recognize this, so they could not realize it. This shows how very immature they are. “My sons are young and immature and have no understanding”. They do not yet understand. Therefore, “They are attached to the place where they play”. They still linger in this environment. Clearly, the flames are coming closer, yet they do not realize that life is painfully short and impermanent.
In such a short life, we need to seek infinite wisdom. How much time do we really have to find peace in our minds? How do we eliminate our afflictions? We must avoid bringing afflictions into our minds and should not linger on attachment to self.
If we linger here, we may degenerate and even be burned in the fire.
“He further reflected. This house has only one door. Moreover, it is narrow and small. My sons are young and immature and have no understanding. They are attached to the place where they play. So, they may fall and be burned in the fire”.
This sutra passage is used to earnestly remind us sentient beings that there is no peace in the Three Realms, just like a burning house. We must quickly transcend the Three Realms. The sound [of the flames] is growing closer. We cannot linger any longer. Since we have the opportunity to encounter the Buddha-Dharma, every day after listening we must reflect on ourselves to see if we still have these afflictions in our minds. If we do, we must promptly change our ways.
Everything in this world is impermanent. On the Bodhisattva-path, we must promptly accept the Buddha’s teachings and put them into practice. We must quickly eliminate our habitual tendencies. The Buddha said, “I must tell them of these fearful matters”. The teachings the Buddha normally gave were such that people could not accept them right away so they saw “what is impermanent as permanent”. They assume they will be just as healthy tomorrow. In this way, they “cling to impermanence as permanence”.
The Buddha had to quickly tell everybody, “Beware of impermanence! It is about to strike”. “The evil world of Five Turbidities is already in front of us”. Our afflictions and ignorance cause an imbalance in the four elements, so the three major and three minor calamities are continuing to converge; natural and manmade disasters are already closing around us.
So, the Buddha said, “I must tell them of these fearful matters. I must explain to them that this alarming and frightful”. This world is impermanent. This world is filled with so much suffering. This world experiences so many disasters. All these disasters are like flames which have surrounded us. We need to quickly escape through this door. To shed the burden of our afflictions, we must quickly purify our minds. We must escape the door of turbidities and open up the door of wisdom. By quickly accepting the Buddha-Dharma, we are opening the door of wisdom.
The following sutra passage states, “I must tell them of these fearful matters. This house is already in flames and this is the time for them to quickly leave, so they will not be burned by the fire so they will not be burned by the fire”.
This signifies the Buddha’s compassion, how He could not bear for us to suffer. Obviously, the world is full of dangers, yet these people do not know they need to awaken. The Buddha could not bear this,so he felt great compassion for them.With great compassion for sentient being,“He established various kinds of teachings.”That is why He gave so many teachings and painstakingly taught with various expression and angalogies.He taught us in these ways,but we cling to our delusions and do not awaken.We are still attached to our afflictions.
The Buddha constantly counseled us with suffering,the truth of suffering,the principles of suffering.We should understand the truth of suffering,that it is caused by the accumlation of various affliction,
which give rise to the fire of ignorance.These accumulated afflictions have cauesd the fire of ignorance to arise.
Now,this fire has already reached a critical state.The Buddha told everyone that this situation was urgent,and they would do well to be afraid.
I must tell them of these fearful matters: “I” refers to the compassionate Buddha. For the sake of sentient beings, great compassion arose in Him. He established various kinds of teachings to explain the truth of suffering, and how the accumulation of afflictions gives rise to the fires of ignorance. He urgently informed us to be afraid and alarmed.
While I talk about this, I truly start to feel a sense of urgency too. What can I do?Everyone’s mind and habitual tendencies [vary]. What method can I use to help everybody accept the Dharma, correct their habitual tendencies and work in concert with love and harmony? People must eliminate their habitual tendencies and afflictions in order to develop their wisdom. We organize with the precepts and manage with love. The precepts are for self-discipline; not for telling other people what to do. We need to love and care for others, not to try to manage them. If we can understand and practice this, we have self respect. People with self respect are the ones who can truly love others. People who love others are the ones who truly love themselves.
As spiritual practitioners, we must practice self respect. We cannot allow our hearts and minds to be covered by ignorance and afflictions. If we do not love ourselves, we will not be able to truly love others and will give rise to many afflictions. Then we will feel as if we are in a burning house. “This house is already in flames.”
“All the sons are in the burning house.” Inside the burning house, the sons are still deluded and lingering there. They do not want to leave. So, “The elder, that kind father, saw that in his sons’ stubbornness, they were very unyielding and foolish” and “did not seek to leave.” How could he sit there peacefully?
He had to quickly find ways to [save them]. So, “He contemplated how he could save them.”
This house is already in flames: All the sons were in the burning house. They were deluded and lingering there and did not seek to escape. The elder, that kind father, saw that in his sons’ stubbornness, they did not seek to leave. How could he possibly sit there and watch? He contemplated how he could save them.
This is why the Buddha “further reflected.” He had always intended to expound the Dharma by gently and softly telling them, “Life is impermanent, so practice earnestly, but some still clung to their delusions and did not awaken.” Therefore, the Buddha had to use this approach, telling everyone that three calamities have arisen in the evil world of Five Turbidities. The three major three minor calamities have become obvious in the world. In this realm of physical existence, we can clearly see them. Are we really still willing to linger here?
Earth-shattering disasters have taken place. A world-changing awakening should have occurred. We must mindfully size our opportunities. At this time we can listen to the Dharma and have space to engage in self-reflection. So, I hope everyone will always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV – Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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